THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[Paul.b]

Soon I will be going on a trip for a few days so I am working on an automatic brine shrimp hatchery to feed the pipes while I am gone. I have two designs I am working on and will use the best one, or both of them if they both work. The rest of the fish will be fine as they know how to open the freezer and feed themselves but the pipefish are a little slow so I need to build something for them.

I also need another shoulder surgery. I think I had 5 of them between the two shoulders but if you have led an active life and worked construction all your life, you wear things out. If you don't wear out your joints, you were not working hard enough or you had a Sissy job.

I just had a shoulder surgery last year but the staples holding the muscle to the bone came off. I have to tell the Dr. to stop using these wooden parts, or at least use a good wood.

I don't mind surgeries and rather enjoy the good sleep (and nice looking nurses) I don't enjoy not having the use of that arm for a few months so I will try to do it after boating season as it is not an emergency and I can still lift a shrimp.

 

[albertthiel]

Soon I will be going on a trip for a few days so I am working on an automatic brine shrimp hatchery to feed the pipes while I am gone. I have two designs I am working on and will use the best one, or both of them if they both work. The rest of the fish will be fine as they know how to open the freezer and feed themselves but the pipefish are a little slow so I need to build something for them.

I also need another shoulder surgery. I think I had 5 of them between the two shoulders but if you have led an active life and worked construction all your life, you wear things out. If you don't wear out your joints, you were not working hard enough or you had a Sissy job.

I just had a shoulder surgery last year but the staples holding the muscle to the bone came off. I have to tell the Dr. to stop using these wooden parts, or at least use a good wood.

I don't mind surgeries and rather enjoy the good sleep (and nice looking nurses) I don't enjoy not having the use of that arm for a few months so I will try to do it after boating season as it is not an emergency and I can still lift a shrimp.

 

 

Well it looks like you have a few things on your plate beside clams and shrimp ...

 

It will be interesting to see what you develop to hatch the brine shrimp automatically and then add them to the feeder in the tank so your fish who eat them get a constant supply. I am sure it will be a new "invention" .... as I do not know of anything that does that that is on the market already.

 

And sorry to read about the surgery you are going to need to have taken care of.

 

Thanks also btw for participating in my FB group ... I truly appreciate it

 

Albert

 

Hopefully all of that will go well and since you had a few already I gather you know what it entails and can deal with it.

[Paul.b]

I often have to go out of town and with pipefish that only eat live newborn brine shrimp that is always a problem. I have a tank sitter that can feed the fish but I can't ask her to hatch brine shrimp every day and sit there while the pipefish eat for an hour so I designed this device which is not quite finished.

The internal mechanism is now sitting on top of the white box that will sit in the tank. (this is just for the picture) Once a day a trap door will open on top of the container and an auto fish feeder will deposit brine shrimp eggs into the container. The door will close keeping it dark inside and aeration will start inside the box. After 36 hours the eggs will hatch and the aeration will stop, a tube on the side will open allowing light in and the shrimp, who are attracted to light will swim out into the tank or I can direct them to my brine shrimp feeder. After a few hours, the tube will again close and the trap door on top will open allowing more eggs to be deposited inside and the process will repeat. All that is required for power is a small air pump which aerates and circulates the eggs and opens and closes the valve controlling the tube where the shrimp swim out. I tested the mechanism and all I now have to do is put it together and position the auto feeder on top which also opens and closes the trap door on top allowing eggs to enter.

Of course it works great on paper but I still have to test the entire thing.

 

[albertthiel]

I often have to go out of town and with pipefish that only eat live newborn brine shrimp that is always a problem. I have a tank sitter that can feed the fish but I can't ask her to hatch brine shrimp every day and sit there while the pipefish eat for an hour so I designed this device which is not quite finished.

The internal mechanism is now sitting on top of the white box that will sit in the tank. (this is just for the picture) Once a day a trap door will open on top of the container and an auto fish feeder will deposit brine shrimp eggs into the container. The door will close keeping it dark inside and aeration will start inside the box. After 36 hours the eggs will hatch and the aeration will stop, a tube on the side will open allowing light in and the shrimp, who are attracted to light will swim out into the tank or I can direct them to my brine shrimp feeder. After a few hours, the tube will again close and the trap door on top will open allowing more eggs to be deposited inside and the process will repeat. All that is required for power is a small air pump which aerates and circulates the eggs and opens and closes the valve controlling the tube where the shrimp swim out. I tested the mechanism and all I now have to do is put it together and position the auto feeder on top which also opens and closes the trap door on top allowing eggs to enter.

Of course it works great on paper but I still have to test the entire thing.

 

 

Sounds great indeed Paul, and as you say now all you have to do is test it out in the real world (tank) and see whether it does all of that but with your ingenuity I am sure that if something is not going the way it should you will figure out a way to make it work the way you want it to work ...

 

Keep us posted .. sounds like a really neat device

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

As far as I know PREMIUM AQUATICS is the only Company that still has PRINTED versions of my Nano-Reef Aquariums Book available.

 

All others, including myself, have sold out of all the ones they/we had.

 

FYI

 

Of course plenty of e-Versions are available

 

ALBERT

 

 

[Paul.b]

The project prototype is coming along. I need to re-design the valve as it is un-predictable. But it works as I tried it. I will build a much better looking model if I get a chance some day. Right now I just need it to work for my pipefish for a few days.

 

 

 

 

 

[albertthiel]

The project prototype is coming along. I need to re-design the valve as it is un-predictable. But it works as I tried it. I will build a much better looking model if I get a chance some day. Right now I just need it to work for my pipefish for a few days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well good to see that it is coming along nicely and that it works ... and I am sure you will perfect it till you are satisfied that it is top-of-the-line !

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

I abandoned that design because the eggs kept clogging the tiny air vent that would let out air from the float and allow the valve to open. I also thought it was to complicated and hard to change the water. This is a much simpler design and so far is passing the tests. It is a much larger version of my normal feeder except this one allows for the water to be constantly renewed. There is an auto dry food feeder on the rim of the tank (above the funnel) that I tweeked a little so it only lets about 1/4 teaspoon of brine shrimp eggs into the funnel at the top of the tube just at the waters edge twice a day. There is a small tube (3/16") that disperses water into the funnel from the tank. That comes from my algae trough but an air bubbler would work. The water flow provides 2 services. It aerates the eggs and pushes them down the tube to the feeder and even if it doesn't, after the shrimp hatch, they will be forced down (I hope). I may have to tweek this a little but I have an other design in my head for that possibility. There is a stocking over the feeder to allow the shrimp to exit. The water being pumped into the device also changes the water in the device. "most" of the eggshells will stay under the mesh (stocking) but not all. The eggs are slightly larger than the mesh and most of them sink anyway. When I come back from vacation I will run my diatom filter if there are any visible eggs to remove from the tank but I don't think it will be a problem in a few days. Right now the 3 pipefish, 2 mandarins and scooter dragonette are all around this thing and the rest of the fish come by for a snack. I will get the fish used to feeding in this place for a few days before I go anywhere and I will be using it now. The powerheads will turn off a couple of times a day to allow the pipefish to feed without searching all over the place for new born shrimp. I like this idea even better than how I am feeding them now as it keeps shrimp in the water continousely and that is how pipefish and mandarins are supposed to eat. I will update with any problems and maybe a video.

 

[albertthiel]

I abandoned that design because the eggs kept clogging the tiny air vent that would let out air from the float and allow the valve to open. I also thought it was to complicated and hard to change the water. This is a much simpler design and so far is passing the tests. It is a much larger version of my normal feeder except this one allows for the water to be constantly renewed. There is an auto dry food feeder on the rim of the tank (above the funnel) that I tweeked a little so it only lets about 1/4 teaspoon of brine shrimp eggs into the funnel at the top of the tube just at the waters edge twice a day. There is a small tube (3/16") that disperses water into the funnel from the tank. That comes from my algae trough but an air bubbler would work. The water flow provides 2 services. It aerates the eggs and pushes them down the tube to the feeder and even if it doesn't, after the shrimp hatch, they will be forced down (I hope). I may have to tweek this a little but I have an other design in my head for that possibility. There is a stocking over the feeder to allow the shrimp to exit. The water being pumped into the device also changes the water in the device. "most" of the eggshells will stay under the mesh (stocking) but not all. The eggs are slightly larger than the mesh and most of them sink anyway. When I come back from vacation I will run my diatom filter if there are any visible eggs to remove from the tank but I don't think it will be a problem in a few days. Right now the 3 pipefish, 2 mandarins and scooter dragonette are all around this thing and the rest of the fish come by for a snack. I will get the fish used to feeding in this place for a few days before I go anywhere and I will be using it now. The powerheads will turn off a couple of times a day to allow the pipefish to feed without searching all over the place for new born shrimp. I like this idea even better than how I am feeding them now as it keeps shrimp in the water continousely and that is how pipefish and mandarins are supposed to eat. I will update with any problems and maybe a video.

 

 

Glad to read that you are making progress and more progress and soon the device will be working exactly the way you want it to work or perform ...

 

Albert

[SquishyFishy]

Albert help me please:

I posted the following in General Discussion, do you know what these are? I cannot get a picture of them, they move too fast and are just too microscopic.

 

 

I cannot paste it here, but my post is titled H.E.L.P!

 

These are lightening speed little bugs racing all over my rock. They do not resemble red bugs, flat worms or nudibrancs

[albertthiel]

Albert help me please:

I posted the following in General Discussion, do you know what these are? I cannot get a picture of them, they move too fast and are just too microscopic.

 

 

I cannot paste it here, but my post is titled H.E.L.P!

 

These are lightening speed little bugs racing all over my rock. They do not resemble red bugs, flat worms or nudibrancs

 

Let me see whether I can find that post as you did not give me a link to it

 

But from the short description you are giving it sounds like those are pods that are multiplying ... but let me search for your post

 

Albert

 

EDIT : I looked at your post and then is no pic there either so for now all I can come up with is that they are some sort of copepod that has multiplied really to a very large number and are crawling/moving over your rock and everything that is in your tank.

 

Note that they get eaten by your fish and also by your corals if they can capture them ... and maybe your anemone has caught a large number of them

 

The splitting may be related to that or may be a coincidental occurrence ... hard to say ...

 

Try to get some kind of a picture maybe or ask someone who can get one for you to take one and then post it here so we can try and figure out what you really have in the tank.

 

Albert

[SquishyFishy]

Thank you so much.

 

One of the results of addiction to this forum is that you panic that something bad you read about here will happen to you....so you become quite paranoid!

 

I really agree that they are copepods...just thought they moved slowly and these are Indy 500 guys!

 

the link is here: http://nano-reef.com/topic/349350-help/#entry4793893

[albertthiel]

Thank you so much.

 

One of the results of addiction to this forum is that you panic that something bad you read about here will happen to you....so you become quite paranoid!

 

I really agree that they are copepods...just thought they moved slowly and these are Indy 500 guys!

 

the link is here: http://nano-reef.com/topic/349350-help/#entry4793893

 

Yes indeed but as you saw the majority of posters suggest that you are dealing with an explosion of copepods .. and so I would not worry about it as their numbers will slowly diminish as they get eaten and stop multiplying ...

 

I checked your post as I pointed out in my previous message and even though there is no pic, the description does suggest that they are indeed copepods.

 

And as Les pointed out they make excellent food for Mandarins and the like but of course if you were to get one of those you would need to make sure that you maintain a healthy supply of them or culture Brine shrimp Nauplii to provide the Mandarin with enough food stuff.

 

Happy reef keeping

 

Albert

[SquishyFishy]

Thanks Albert. I believe you are correct. I just don't have a camera that could capture the little guys. I'd love to get a target mandarin but many on here consider that a crime punishable by death if you only have a 16 gal. tank

[albertthiel]

Thanks Albert. I believe you are correct. I just don't have a camera that could capture the little guys. I'd love to get a target mandarin but many on here consider that a crime punishable by death if you only have a 16 gal. tank

 

Yes with that small a tank I agree ... not a good idea but there are plenty of other fishes you can keep.

 

A whole number of them are listed and described in my Nano Reef Aquariums book ( see sig )

 

Keep the selection you make to small fish that do not grow large ... and there are plenty of them that you can get at your local LFS

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

The first batch of eggs hatched in the feeder and the pipefish and mandarins are all over it like a cheap suit. I love it. There is a dragon face pipe laying on the thing but he is white so hard to see, then there is a multi stripe pipe and the pregnant mandarin.

 

[albertthiel]

The first batch of eggs hatched in the feeder and the pipefish and mandarins are all over it like a cheap suit. I love it. There is a dragon face pipe laying on the thing but he is white so hard to see, then there is a multi stripe pipe and the pregnant mandarin.

 

 

Very nice Paul and I can see them all when I click on the image to enlarge it ...

 

Looks like it IS working as you intended for it to work or perform

 

NICE

 

Albert

[atoll]

Another item not meant for the aquarium but I couldn't be without them. These are my 12" stainless steel tweezers. They are invaluable for picking out caulerpa runners and the like that have got between my corals where my fingers can't reach. The can also be used to a whole variety of thing like picking up just about anything your fingers can't get at. Cost me just £6 inc delivery (about $7.5) from eBay and meant for the kitchen not the aquarium.

[albertthiel]

Another item not meant for the aquarium but I couldn't be without them. These are my 12" stainless steel tweezers. They are invaluable for picking out caulerpa runners and the like that have got between my corals where my fingers can't reach. The can also be used to a whole variety of thing like picking up just about anything your fingers can't get at. Cost me just £6 inc delivery (about $7.5) from eBay and meant for the kitchen not the aquarium.

 

Great tool indeed Les and just one more example of the many ones that are actually not intended for aquarium use but that can meaningfully be used in and around our reefs.

 

Thanks for bringing it up

 

Albert

[atoll]

O course there are lots more things we commander to use on our aquariums from baby bottle washer brushes. coffee filters to tea strainers among others.

[albertthiel]

O course there are lots more things we commander to use on our aquariums from baby bottle washer brushes. coffee filters to tea strainers among others.

 

Indeed ...

 

Insulin syringes, baby feeding syringes, turkey basters, wooden skewers, shot glasses, meat thermometers, and so many more Les

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

You can't have to many of these.

 

 

 

[albertthiel]

You can't have to many of these.

 

 

 

 

Very true Paul ... I use the ones you made for me all the time . ! Great tool to have for one's aquarium

 

Albert

[Reefwiser]

Paul how to I pick one of those up?

[Paul.b]

You could get one here. http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx_onPoint_Coral_Feeder_Coral_Feeders-AquaMaxx-UJ00175-FIFDFECR-vi.html