Fig. 1

a–l Overview of the rack system, individual tanks, drain trough, and water pump. a Rack system to the left and associated feeding system to the right. Part of the external chiller can be seen on the floor in the bottom, far left corner. b Detail of the wall restraints that prevent tipping. c Detail of the foot pad to prevent sliding and to distribute weight (see Additional file 3A). d Row of 3-l tanks showing the manifold and valves that supply water to these tanks. Some culture tubes are seen inside these tanks, which are held down by the curved plastic mesh. e Empty 3-l tank with lid. f Detail of the overflow drain and larval baffle. g Detail of the plastic plugs used to cap unused holes in the lid. h Drain trough that receives the tanks’ overflow drain tubes. i Detail of the PVC covers for the drain troughs (see Additional file 3B-C). j Another view of the curved plastic restraining screen. k Sump. l Main water pump. This pump is secured to the bottom PVC deck with four bolts and rubber shock mounts. bl, ballast; ch, chiller; crt, cartridge filters; ct, culture tubes; dr, overflow drain; fs, feeding system; iv, water pump intake valve; la, labels; lb, larval baffles; ld, tank lid; lf, leveling feet; mg, magnet; mn, manifold; ot, overflow tray; pd, foot pad; pl, plugs; re, reservoirs; rg, plastic ridges; rs, rack restraint; sc, plastic restraining screen; sl, sensor side loop; sm, sump; tc, trough covers; tk, tanks; tr, drain trough; tv, tank valve; uv, UV lamp; wc, Walchem 900 controller; wp, water pump