Blog Comments

Originally Posted by Alaska_Phil

I started with a crushed coral substrate, the tank I inherited care of had 4 or 5 inches of the suff with an undergravel filter. When I finally removed it a couple years later it was putrid. Smelled like a fish processing plant at low tide. Sand is much better, detrius doesn't seem to work its way down into, and all the little worms etc keep the surface layer stirred up.

Phil, I was thinking of removing it or gradually vacuuming it over time, but I am afraid of the possibility of releasing toxic gases that might build up in the lower layers. I'm not sure if that happens only in deep sand beds or also in deep crushed coral beds... my intuition says it wouldn't because the crushed coral has enough space between granules to let oxygen down into the lower layers, but I guess I better not risk it until someone with better knowledge tells me it is safe. Hard part is finding someone that knows for sure...

Mine smells like lotus blossoms in the wind, even after 15 years of not cleaning it.
You guys must be doing something wrong. You don't throw table scraps or cat food in there do you?

I started with a crushed coral substrate, the tank I inherited care of had 4 or 5 inches of the suff with an undergravel filter. When I finally removed it a couple years later it was putrid. Smelled like a fish processing plant at low tide. Sand is much better, detrius doesn't seem to work its way down into, and all the little worms etc keep the surface layer stirred up.

Or you could do like Paul B and use a reverse undergravel filter to keep it clean.

snorkeler, I've probably asked this before, but cannot find it on any of the forums where i know its you, but what LED's are you using? 3W 1W and what color temps?

Snorkeler - any chance of a bit more detail? I could derive your wiring/etc by reverse engineering the code & these pics, but that would likely take as much time as designing my own. I'm a huge fan of saving work where i can and would love to use this code. PS: if you can at least give me whats connected to where and part names i can layout the full thing and share the ready to etch PCB with you to save you from that spaghetti box

IGNORE THIS, I FOUND THE POST FOR NEW HOOD, WHICH HAS a BASIC SCHEMATIC. Snorkeler, are you still using a spagetti factory in a box? as once i have my basic unit built i'll more than gladly send you a PCB based unit for cost of fabrication/parts only.

I would suggest using that black foam material I bought at Hobby Lobby as a shaded divider to keep the rest of your sump darkened.

Change the bulb, that is very likely the source of all that red algae. If you feel adventurous, you might consider replacing it with an LED fixture that outputs daylight-spectrum. I've seen a variety of choices at Walmart recently.

You should be checking your water regularly so you can see any changes when you have problems.

You could have gone at least 6 more months on the skimmer

It looks nice and I agree that having space to work in your tank is key to being a happy hobbyist. I do like that you DIY'd this whole project, as that is a big accomplishment. You've learned a lot in the process, and have been really good about sharing those findings with us here on R.A. Thanks!

This is really cool.

Can you implement a sudden inrush of RO/DI water during the thunderstorm phase to reduce salinity, and then on full blistering cloudless days top off with saltwater to increase salinity? LOL

I got one on the drawing board atm that utilizes 40w rbga leds, all 4 colors will be adjustable on each led. After reading all the folks that seemed to be not so happy with their color picks I decided id give this a try. Hardware end is more my speed I will definitely have some questions on your software for you once I get pass the bench test. I need to order a better bench top ps to continue any further as my 5v/12vdc powered bread board isnt up for this. I thought that the led fixtures were priced unseasonably till I started on this even tho there isnt anything close to it on the market atm the prices dont look so bad anymore

More or less, DJ.

The hardware assembly, yes, I built it up from scratch buying each part and putting them together.

The hardware design, no, I was guided by kcress (from ReefCentral). The design of the drivers is really his, not mine.

The software design, yes, I created the cloud logic and designed an algorithm to program it, programmed and tested it. I used great barrier reef data from another reefer named numlock10 (from ReefCentral), but the algorithm I crated from scratch.

you build everything from scratch

Haven't done the final math to figure out the costs, but intend to do so when all is finished (I kept the many receipts in a folder). However, I'm pretty sure it will cost half or less than the alternatives I have over here, with the added benefit of the weather patterns (which are useless as far as fish and coral growth is concerned, but are cool nonetheless ).

Prices of reef stuff in Brazil are absurdly high. Most of the stuff is imported, with high import duties, and the local stuff is loaded with taxes. I think I'd scare you US & European reefers if I mentioned some prices. Like, I would need two units of a LED fixture I saw at an LFS to cover my tank (60x60cm, 24x24in), each goes for BRL$1200 which means more or less USD$750 each, for a total of USD$1500. I estimate my build is going to cost less than BRL$1000 (not counting my labor, very expensive man hours of course ).

This is really coming together. I completely agree on the open top. It not only allows for convection heat to exit, but provides good access to any necessary repairs or adjustments.

Any estimates on cost for this project yet?

Thanks SlappyNC1! The bar is high, but, it is doable. Once I figured out on paper what it meant to light levels when a cloud passes over it wasn't too difficult to derive an algorithm. Of course, being an IT professional who programmed mission critical systems for a few years helps :-) . One thing is understanding the logic behind phenomena, another is transforming that into working code... that's why I have a lot of automated tests in the code in fact (which I'll remove, comment out, in the final version).

The open top is there to let the heat out, I agree 100% with you, it makes no sense to trap the heat inside!

Wow - totally high tech! I think you set the bar pretty high for anyone interested in LED lighting control and variable weather/light simulation! I think the idea of an open top is brilliant. So many cabinet makers enclose canopys and don't allow for natural heat dissapation. Open tops are part of the solution. Great job!

I left it in the plate with saltwater and today it's looking more like an aiptasia because the tentacles are looking stripped. It is still quite short, but I guess it's because of the low water level in the plate.

Intrigues me if it grew in the sump from assexual reproduction in the DT or if it released from rock when already grown up, drifted and ended up in the sump. Will never know....

Regardless what it is, it's good you got it out. I'm no sure what it is, but it does resemble a majano more than an aiptasia to me.

Keep your eye on the crabs. The more I feed them to keep them away from zoa's , the bigger they got, the hungrier they were. It was a vicious circle. I finally brought them back to the LFS.