paul b July 25, 2013 Share July 25, 2013 I built a bio reactor just for the heck of it. I think they are a silly invention and I don't need one but they look so cool that I needed to build one. I have all the building materials laying around so it only took an hour. Now I need to get some bio pellets and install the thing. It will also not need a pump as the pump that feeds my skimmer will supply this and the skimmer and the algae filter. I may also connect that same pump to feed my Reverse UG filter, but I don't want to get to carried away. It is just a hobby and I like building things. :dance: %5BIMG%5Dhttp://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/2013-07-25132306_zpsb1e40d65.jpg [/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 25, 2013 Share July 25, 2013 Nice workmanship, Paul! (I embedded the picture for you.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 25, 2013 Author Share July 25, 2013 Thanks Tom, this is the only forum that that happens on, how come? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 July 25, 2013 Share July 25, 2013 Is that Jacques Cousteau's microscope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami July 25, 2013 Share July 25, 2013 Thanks Tom, this is the only forum that that happens on, how come? I suspect that it was just a bad cut and paste because you got it right that time! I'm playing around with the syntax provided by photobucket and the interpreter here seems to not like the way they've embedded the image tag inside the URL tag. Once I moved the URL closing tag up in the string, your picture displayed fine. Now, if that doesn't make sense to people, do this from Photobucket: Copy the "Direct" String from Photobucket. Click on the little Polaroid-like picture icon up in the editor tools. (If you dwell over it, the word "Image" will pop up.) Paste the Direct string into the resulting popup and click OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 25, 2013 Author Share July 25, 2013 OK thanks. That microscope is over 100 years old but I use it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 July 26, 2013 Share July 26, 2013 Nice. oh, and the bio pellet reactor looks good too, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyCallMeMr.703 July 27, 2013 Share July 27, 2013 Phenomenal Craftsmanship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 27, 2013 Author Share July 27, 2013 (edited) Thanks but that thing was easy, this chiller was a pain to build. Edited July 27, 2013 by Coral Hind corrected images Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 27, 2013 Share July 27, 2013 Nice job on both builds. Does that chiller add much humidity to the room? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime July 28, 2013 Share July 28, 2013 I'm confused as to how that chills the water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM July 28, 2013 Share July 28, 2013 It's like a small version of those big cooling towers you see on top of buildings. Lots of surface area + fans = lots of evaporation and colder water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo July 28, 2013 Share July 28, 2013 I love that chiller! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 28, 2013 Author Share July 28, 2013 The chiller must add a little humidity but there is an exhause fan over the tank that leads outside. That chiller is small for my reef but it still lowers the temp about 4 degrees. The water flows over the plates and the fan on top sucks air over the plates evaporating the water cooling the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 28, 2013 Share July 28, 2013 Wouldn't a fan just blowing on the tank's surface work just as good? What provides water to the chiller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo July 28, 2013 Share July 28, 2013 4 degrees is not bad for the cost of a maxijet and computer fan. Is that hole on the bottom right the air intake? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 28, 2013 Author Share July 28, 2013 Wouldn't a fan just blowing on the tank's surface work just as good? What provides water to the chiller? No, but try it. I also have fans blowing on the surface of the tank. The evaporative chiller allows the water to flow in a thin film and all of the thin film of water gets air flow. You would need a much larger fan to expose all of the surface of the tank to airflow. But it does also work, just not as good, or cool looking. Besides, if I did that, I would have nothing to build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 July 30, 2013 Share July 30, 2013 (edited) The chiller must add a little humidity but there is an exhause fan over the tank that leads outside. That chiller is small for my reef but it still lowers the temp about 4 degrees. The water flows over the plates and the fan on top sucks air over the plates evaporating the water cooling the water. Wow! That's a helluva difference. There's got to be a large differential in your basements ambient temp and what your tank would be at w/out the chiller. What's the ambient temperature outside your tank?edit:How does cleaning that thing work out? Looks like a PITA. Edited July 30, 2013 by Integral9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 30, 2013 Author Share July 30, 2013 (edited) Right now it is 74 degrees here in my basement. My tank is at 78 but I don't have the chiller on there right now. I use it on my worm tank. If I ever get ambitious, I will build a larger one for my reef, but that will probably never happen as I never needed it especially with the LEDs. What do you mean? Cleaning the chiller? I don't have to clean it as I keep it in the dark and it doesn't get dirty. If it did, I would fill it with bleach for an hour Edited July 30, 2013 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo July 30, 2013 Share July 30, 2013 I want one :( it just seems like the right way to chill water to me. I don't understand the concept of running a chiller thats going to heat up the room to cool the tank thats getting warm from the hot room and hot lights also heating the room. I also have LEDs so heat is not a huge issue but as we get to that in between season and if I'm not at home it seems a waste to run the AC.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 30, 2013 Author Share July 30, 2013 (edited) I like to watch the water cascade over the plates in the thing. It's like standing in front of Niagara Falls, only different. Edited July 30, 2013 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integral9 July 31, 2013 Share July 31, 2013 Right now it is 74 degrees here in my basement. My tank is at 78 but I don't have the chiller on there right now. I use it on my worm tank. If I ever get ambitious, I will build a larger one for my reef, but that will probably never happen as I never needed it especially with the LEDs. What do you mean? Cleaning the chiller? I don't have to clean it as I keep it in the dark and it doesn't get dirty. If it did, I would fill it with bleach for an hour Oh... I thought it was on your reef tank, and from the pic it looked like it was in the open and had light on it. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b July 31, 2013 Author Share July 31, 2013 I move it around, it is portable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b August 1, 2013 Author Share August 1, 2013 This thing is finished and I tested it in a bucket. I just need to get one fitting (a union) and I will install it. Maybe I will put LEDs in it just for extra coolness. (OK the pictures don't show up and the silly smily guys don't work. Only on this site, what gives?) (fixed for you, Paul. Tom) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b August 2, 2013 Author Share August 2, 2013 This morning I went downstairs to do some tinkering and I noticed my tank was cloudy. OMG, (I said to myself) my tank is never cloudy so I looked around for something dead, I smelled the water and all was good. So I quickly mixed up 30 gallons of water, adjusted the temperature and changed some water. Still cloudy. I went outside to check the weather as we are going boating and it was foggy. Then I went into my workshop and noticed that everything was foggy. I then cleaned my reading glasses and miraculously, the tank was clear as was everything else. So now I know, I don't have to change my water, just clean my reading glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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