Cord management - are yours organized or spaghetti ?

[Koty]

Reorganizing My Aquarium - Aquarium Sump Cable Management

My son, a student between semesters helped me reorganize the sump cables and made a time-laps movie:

www.reef2reef.com

 

[zoomonster]

Yeah fish tank wiring is like building computers for me. Always start out nice and clean and over time with breakdowns, repairs, upgrades etc. the best laid plans are laid to waste. Atrocity might be an appropriate term for the current state of wiring in my 10yo 200g. It's always more challenging when you don't have a fish room and tons of equipment is crammed under a tank. If I ever replace this tank the new stand will definitely have end doors.

 

[Short Reefer]

I'd be curious to see a photo of this same angle 4+ years from now when the tank has large colonies of corals and you've had to replace broken equipment that is labeled and zipped.

I think we all start off this way (some better than others,@Short Reefer, yours is amazing btw), but as our focus moves to biology of a healthy tank, that beautiful set up takes a back seat and we realize having equipment set up as a show piece isn't necessarily practical when you have a late night emergency and the tanks health is on the line.

Not to say that some people won't keep up with maintaining a show piece. For the majority, they quickly realize that it doesn't make the tank health any better and that time can be better spent on something else.

I understand your point. But my focus are not just healthy of corals but cleanliness as well.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I understand your point. But my focus are not just healthy of corals but cleanliness as well.

I think we all start out with best intentions. Over time, most come to the realization, it's not sustainable nor practical.

 

[branbray07]

How it started



How its going lol

 

[flashsmith]

Mime is an organized mess. Nobody sees it and when I have to pull something for cleaning it's simple. No cutting zip ties and spending hours making it pretty again just to clean a wavemaker.

 

[Weasel1960]

I keep ziptieing things together. Then when I go to deep clean have to cut all of them up. How do you keep your cables managed if you have to service the stuff?

Use Velcro wire ties instead of zip ties. Recommended by most IT departments. Easy to remove and can’t be over tightened like a zip tie which could damage small thin wires inside sheathing.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I understand your point. But my focus are not just healthy of corals but cleanliness as well.

IMHO, it doesn't take anymore time to keep a clean setup that you can be proud to show off, then just replacing equipment and letting the cord management go. I find pleasure in looking at my reef when it is organized. I like your setup.

 

[frags2fishes]

I recently stopped at a friend's house to help him connect a UV sterilizer and was horrified as to the amount of cords literally thrown down on floor and connected to power strips also on the floor. I demanded he get those power strips hung up on the stand which I helped him do which also created drip loops. I recently installed a cabinet below for organization and wire management with housing for all my power bricks.
There are many ways to economically organize and conceal cords. I highly recommend automotive wire harness cable from automotive store which are under $20 for 20 feet and neatly conceals the wires

Harness:

Sorry for big picture but wanted to assure you see what it looks like. There are wire channels you can use as well as Zip ties. As you know saltwater and electricity do not play nicely together and often result in fire or charred plugs. We see many persons on here planning new tanks, upgrades and adding new components. Often we don't see or hear anything about wire management or considerations for electrical consumption with plugs.

What method of wire management do you consider or use?
Have you had an issue with trying to find a certain cord which became a project because it was a nightmare to locate?

My Cabinet:

Really great idea with the harness. Thank you! I would have never thought of that but will be checking it out this weekend to hopefully rid myself of the wire spaghetti plague I currently have going on.

Love your electric/plug setup btw! Maybe some day…

Thanks again!

 

[PR_nano]

Mine is a hot mess. I organize it when I moved the tank a few months back then needed to pull something and went back to chaos.

I did get a panel and saw to build something nice inside the stand. Need to get some Velcro too.

 

[Seansea]

Prerty much how mine looks

 

[Zero_Cool]

Used a cabinet off Amazon to house the control modules.

Velcro ties, office desk grommets, 1/4 inch tube brackets, power block and controler mounts from Etsy and some nylon cable wrap:

 

[legalizedreefer]

Good god do I need to do some work in here

 

[afrokobe]

Good god do I need to do some work in here

I believe that is chaotically organized. I could live with that lol. Too embarrassed to show my situation

 

[vetteguy53081]

I believe that is chaotically organized. I could live with that lol. Too embarrassed to show my situation

Once upon a time we were all there

 

[afrokobe]

Once upon a time we were all there

Definitely got some inspiration from the thread. Bought some velcros and reusable zip ties.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just got back from a friends' house who is a dedicated reefer. This is his wall:

 

[DIYreefer]

The cords for my display tank resemble a rats nest more than anything else, but at least everything is off of the floor and there are drip loops on all cables.

The cords for my frag tank are the complete opposite, no cords are visible at all. With one exception, being the cord for the heater.

 

[reefkeeping]

Cable management is love, cable management is life.

 

[Reefer Brent]

Was just hanging lights on my house for Christmas using these command strip hooks for outdoors and thought "Reefing Hack!" Clip to the cord then stick them where it looks bestish. Peel right off with no damage. Even stuck them to the back glass of my AIO.