paul b October 25, 2015 Share October 25, 2015 (edited) Both, there are fans on the LED fixture and the water was sloshing around. You can also see a film on the water as my surface skimmer is not in the tank as I am re designing it. Edited October 25, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii October 26, 2015 Share October 26, 2015 You dont run a sump right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 26, 2015 Share October 26, 2015 That's correct, no sump. They were not invented when I started the tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii October 26, 2015 Share October 26, 2015 Thats what I thought. So you have your algae scrubber just flow directly into the top of the tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 26, 2015 Share October 26, 2015 Yes. Today I am rebuilding a new algae scrubber that will be vertical which will feed the reverse UG filter. That is the plan anyway. I will not remove the horizontal algae trough because that also acts as a refugium and it loaded with amphipods that I collect in the summer. It is completed except I didn't yet build the LED light that will light the thing. I have to custom build it because I need a certain size and it has to be an inch thick, no more. All of this needs to go next to the LED DIY fixture that moves up and down for maintenance and I am running out of room for all these things. My surface skimmer is also removed for re design so I have a film on the top of the water. But I like doing these things as it is all part of my hobby so I don't consider it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 26, 2015 Share October 26, 2015 I finished the experimental algae scrubber and installed it. The window screen on the bottom is temporary just to make sure there are no splashes. Remember, I have no sump so this is over the tank. This contraption also feeds my reverse UG filter which you can see in the clear plastic "manifold" in the back where the lower screen PVC tube tubing enters. I didn't want to have a separate pump just for this experiment. I don't have the light yet so this one is just temporary. It needs some time to build up a film on the screen so the water flows evenly down and doesn't run in small rivers. I normally coat the screen with cement as algae grows much faster on that, but I didn't have time. I may take it apart and do it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 27, 2015 Share October 27, 2015 I made the black top shield to prevent water shooting out the sides. I still need to protect the ends so that doesn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii October 27, 2015 Share October 27, 2015 Are you worried about it splashing on the wood or electrical outlets even with the guard you have, or is the flow really low and shouldnt be an issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 27, 2015 Share October 27, 2015 (edited) In the first picture you can see that white plexiglass that covers the outlet, wood and everything else so if it splashes on that, the water will go back into the tank. The bent black piece of acrylic I just installed on the top of the unit doesn't extend far enough because it doesn't fit over the end cap so I will bend another piece to go over that and cement it to the black guard. There is also very little pressure in the tube as I have the powerhead on almost the lowest setting. I don't want to bump it up until the screen grows some bacteria and algae so the water sheets down instead of rippling down. If I make the flow any faster it overflows the bottom pipe which feeds the RUGF. That is why the lower screens are there and I will be able to remove them when it breaks in. That outlet is also on a GFCI which will shut off the system if it gets wet. If I have time I will cover the mesh in Mortar. I don't have the light installed yet anyway so it is just in the experimental phase right now. My entire life is in an experimental phase because I am usually working on a few things at the same time. Edited October 27, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b October 27, 2015 Share October 27, 2015 I took my algae scrubber apart so I could smear cement mortar on the screen. I found out years ago that algae loves mortar. When it cures in a few days, I will put it back in and build the LED fixture to illuminate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 4, 2015 Share November 4, 2015 Today I went to an Orthopedic surgeon for a knee pain. I already had 4 or 5 knee surgeries and 3 or 4 shoulder surgeries, but if you worked construction for 40 years and didn't wear out your joints, you were doing it wrong, weren't working hard enough or you are a Sissy or Girly Man. Joint surgeries are the result of hard work. But that doesn't matter. I love going to this guy for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he has a Supermodel assistant. And this time he also had a Supermodel X Ray technician. Those are of course important considerations when you are considering surgery. But also both the Dr. (who is one of the Dr's for the NY Jets) and the Supermodel Assistant, like fish and want to start a salt water tank. I coincidently brought my new book with me to show off a little. He has been talking about starting a salt water tank from 7 or 8 surgeries ago. But he had freshwater fish and keeps killing them and the Supermodel Assistant keeps killing Betta's, and to kill a Betta you need to lay it in the street and have a school bus run over it, twice as those things will live in damp sawdust. So now it is the regular spiel, MRIs and all that and he will operate to fix a torn meniscus. I feel like I am a torn meniscus magnet as my meniscuses must be made out of tissue paper. I would like them to replace the entire knee. I wouldn't have to go for an expensive titanium model and would settle for a pressure treated one from Home Depot but most of my knees are not torn up enough to replace them. I am sure I could get a hair replacement but that probably costs even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 10, 2015 Share November 10, 2015 My good friend gave me this 330 watt LED light because most of it didn't work. I fixed it but they really don't want you to fix these things. First of all there are over 325 tiny screws holding the LED board to the heat sink. Those alone is a real pain to remove. Then you pry the thing apart and tear the wires. I found an open in one of the LEDs and replaced it. Unfortunately I can't use this fixture the shape it is because my tank is long (6') and skinny. I will see if I can re build it into a 5' long 4" wide fixture. I can use it as a spare or just change my existing light as it is way underpowered. Here it is with a third of the LEDs lit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 10, 2015 Share November 10, 2015 I am in a picture mood. The pipe in the back is very pregnant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 This morning we got a call from our Daughter that our Grand Daughter had to be rushed to NYU hospital in Manhattan because she couldn't breathe. After a few grueling hours I hear that she is OK now. But we still have to find out what the cause is so it doesn't happen again. She was there last week for an endoscopy because she seems to have some sort of allergy or auto immune disease. We don't know yet. Greta is 3 and we are very worried about her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 That's scary, Paul. How's everybody holding up? Is she still in the hospital while they're trying to sort things out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 Tom, they got home and she is sleeping. They gave her some medications and said she may get worse tonight before she gets better. She has an apointment with a Pediatric ENT Dr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 Paul, I hope they can figure everything out with your Granddaughter, that's gotta be mighty frightening. On the plus side, I bet you've been getting a kick out of the squirrels faces once they saw your new security system under the solar panels. It's been a while since I have checked up. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 11, 2015 Share November 11, 2015 (edited) I was on my roof the other day. It doesn't seem like any of them got under there yet. But I will keep checking. I have been fooling around with these LEDs and found out that they only light for about 20 seconds if you don't have them on a heat sink. I was hoping they would go a little longer so I have to be very careful making a heat sink for them. I have an idea what I want to do, if I get the time Edited November 11, 2015 by paul b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 15, 2015 Share November 15, 2015 My reef is starting to grow a little algae. Not much, just on places where I glued things and a few other places. That is fine and I like it. It is a cycle and this "no algae" cycle has lasted for years. Usually I see some every couple of years. I want it to grow now because I need my new algae scrubber to grow some more algae. Right now it is just green but not enough to clean off yet. I also re designed the top of it because I was getting some dripping. I am designing a new LED light fixture. It will be water cooled instead of air cooled like virtually every other one is. I am building it on a copper pipe frame and it will have fresh water going through it, then to a radiator to eliminate the heat. Do I need a water cooled light fixture? Of course not. But it is very cool. It will be very light, simple, cheap and easy to repair. It may also be good looking, and I like good looking. (I didn't mention Supermodels) Tomorrow If I have time I will buy the copper pipe for this project. I think I have everything else I need except for the pump. I need a small water pump that I can plumb into the system but I can't use a powerhead because this will be a closed system. I also need to build a thermal switch to shut off the system if the pump fails and heats up the pipe. I am also designing into it more LEDs that will be at a 90 degree angle from the rest of them to illuminate my algae scrubber. I will take some pictures when I do this. I am sure that by next year, all LED lighting systems will be water cooled. OK, Maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 20, 2015 Share November 20, 2015 My bluestripe is very pregnant again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii November 22, 2015 Share November 22, 2015 hows the scrubber coming? You getting some algae growth on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 22, 2015 Share November 22, 2015 Yes, quite a bit actually. In some places it is 1/4" thick. There are still some parts of the screen that have very little algae because it still has to age a little to get water flowing evenly on the entire thing. But it is almost there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 22, 2015 Share November 22, 2015 My torch coral takes great pleasure in killing my montipora. I caught him with his fist on the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b November 22, 2015 Share November 22, 2015 My screen is growing algae just not matured enough yet to get an even growth. But in time it will be fine. I also didn't build the light for it yet so it is just a silly, very dim LED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruleyii November 23, 2015 Share November 23, 2015 With the scrubber being out in the open, do you get any odor from it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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