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Thread: Tomservo's UAS test

  1. #1

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    Tomservo's UAS test

    Just got done building this tank:

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    Two questions; what sort of reflector material will survive underwater? Will a cheap acrylic mirror really do the job? My plan is to put 6R 1B LED at the back side of the scrubber and two reds on each side, maybe angled if I can get some sort of reflector.

    Second question, what cheap material (pref black) is there to put at the back of the tank, or is there a type of paint that will be OK underwater?

  2. #2
    ruddybop's Avatar
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    Ok Tom this is just my opinion... I'm not bashing your idea... I think it's great. From what I see the bubbles are going to rise to the top and cause a water swirl at the top and possible bubble water over the edge of your nicely designed external/internal UAS. (You need a good amount of bubbles to make these work).. Because you have the output hole about an inch from the top the water will fight with itself to get out those holes. I love the concept. If you could make some kind of removable deflector (so you can take the screen out and clean it) that makes the water flow out your holes at the top it would work better and the flow of water would be smoother.

    1...You want the bubble bar to go all the way across your screen. Your bubble bar only covers 3/4s of the screen....

    2...Maybe you can make the screen shorter in height and make a baffle to deflect the water out the holes. Yes your screen would be shorter but the flow would be smoother. Your screen loos like it's 7x7 inches. You can still get good scrubbing with it slightly shorter at the top.

    3...If you drilled two more holes on the top between the others you have you would have great water/bubble flow on the output.

    4..Fill it up with water and see how the air pump works pushing the water.... See if your going to have an air/water bubbling over the side... Or maybe it will work fine... An experiment never is complete until you have tried it.....


    This is just my opinion... I would like to know what the other guys think also... And do a test run...I would like to know what happens...

  3. #3

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    Thanks for the feedback, ruddy - the airstone is just what I could find, cheap, for now. I've got to do some looking at my friend's store and see what he has. I have a very nice Schego air pump to drive it with, though.
    I think the water should flow out of the scrubber reasonably well. My biggest concern is either a foam column at the top, squeezing out past the lid or air bubbles diverting out into the tank. I have some ideas for a bubble deflector inside the tank, however.

    The screen is approx 6x5, the little box on the back is 6x6, and I'm already regretting not making it a bit bigger. Upgrading it would be a HUGE PITA b/c I used SCS1200 silicone and that box is glued on tight.

    Test run, for sure.. Unfortunately, we had a thunderstorm last night and I had to unfill the tank (as I tested itout on the patio). The front and sides are 4mm tempered glass, I didn't want to risk the wind throwing something into it.

    The plan is to make this a little nano-reef, using an LED pendant (140w, dimmed WAY down). I'm debating whether or not to drill the tank bottom and put in a plugged bulkhead, in case I ever want to run a sump.

  4. #4
    kerry's Avatar
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    So the flow will come out the top row of holes, right? I have a HOB unit I made and the bubbles are horrible. I made one from a Millennium 3000 with its own air venturi and it makes tiny bubbles. I need to come up with a bubble trap fix. I have wanted to make my own HOB out of glass or acrylic but before I do that I am going to work the bugs out of my test unit.
    That build looks good. It might be better to remove the material between the two top holes so the algae will not plug the holes and shorten the screen a bit so it will flow over when it gets growth.
    As far as drilling goes I would do it and plug it as you suggest, its real easy now.
    When do we get to see it up and running with SW???
    150G. Reef/Mix
    125G. 3 Regular Oscars/1 Jack Dempsey
    75G. 20+ Africans
    40G. Fish/Reef. Algae Scrubbers on ALL my SW
    10G. SW Fish/Reef.
    10G. SW Hospital/new fish quarantine/pod breeder tank
    6 stage RO/DI system 200 GPD.

  5. #5

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    Well, I was planning on doing another wet test today but actually pumping some air in there to see what happens.. Other than that, I have an angle on live rock, salt and water, but I have to build a stand. A couple days, I'd say. Then I have to see about getting my light back from the guy I borrowed it to.


    edit: http://vimeo.com/42476162

    Looks good with FW at least. I think I'm going to go with a tight lid on this tank to help evaporation.

  6. #6

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    Finally! Some progress. I still need some plastic mirror for the scrubber, and I ran out of black ABS so I have nothing to keep the scrubber light out of the tank at the moment so it's not been running. The tank currently houses 2 pieces of live rock and 1 red leg hermit stowaway. I've seen pods and tiny brittle stars as well as those little cyan/brown snails that only come out at night, plus 3 or 4 mushrooms. It's some nice rock!

    Does anyone have any suggestions on dealing with the surface scum?

    I got a PAR sensor so I took some readings.. at the lowest turn-on setting I get a little over 100 umol indicated at the sand bed, maybe 125-130 on top of that rock. At the surface it's 500. At full blast I have 450 PAR on the sand and a little over 600 at the top of the rock and 1300 at the surface. Right now I can drive the white LED at 60w (it's rating) and the blue at only 60, I could push the blues at 100w and this isn't even counting the 24w of cool blue and violet.

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  7. #7
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    Scum where?

  8. #8

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    In the main tank area I've got some surface scum going on.. I was thinking of putting a tiny powerhead I have in there upside down but the water level will change with evaporation.. I'd hate to get a bunch of microbubbles. As it is, I have NO microbubbles, I did at first with the flexy bubble wand but then I poked it full of holes with a needle, problem solved. It seems that if I keep the bubbles on the back side of the screen, I get none in the DT area, which is nice, but obviously not ideal for the scrubber.

  9. #9
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    Yes circulating the surface of the dt is a good way to get the proteins and food particles down to where the corals and periphyton can eat it.

  10. #10
    ruddybop's Avatar
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    looks great Tom...once you figure out all the bugs....very pleasing looking tank with an Algae scrubber built in......

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