THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

Albert take care of yourself. My surgeries are just silly and I am used to them. I hope you get good news from the docs

Thanks Paul.

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I really need to re-design my DIY venture valve in my DIY skimmer. The skimmer used to have 3 air pumps running it because it is about 4' tall and the venturi isn't strong enough to pull air down that far so the air pumps push water into the valve. This worked well for many years but I had to keep replacing air pumps because of the high pressure so I bought a much stronger air pump. You can fill up tires and air mattress with this thing or if you like, blow your brains out through your ears from across the street. Now I think it is putting out to much air and the bubbles aren't small enough. It's OK but I want very tiny bubbles.

My old pumps produced tiny bubbles but not enough of them so I either have to re-design the valve or get a larger water pump to push water through the venture valve. The pump running that now is probably 20 years old and I really don't want to touch it because you know what happens when you touch a 20 year old pump that has never been serviced.

I am in redesigning mode.

 

[albertthiel]

Happy ? redesigning Paul

 

IMO a new pump or a Mazzei Venturi valve may do it

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I am looking into a stronger pump or larger orifice on the valve

[albertthiel]

I am looking into a stronger pump or larger orifice on the valve

A stronger pump seems like a good idea ?

 

Albert

[Paul B]

I couldn't help myself. I had to take this pump off to clean it and of course one of the threaded studs that hold the impeller housing cracked.

 

I fixed it but while I had the thing off I found in my workshop a much larger pump that I got a few years ago when a LFS here went out of business and they gave it to me. Brand new.

 

Now I got it working and I have plenty of bubbles but I still want smaller bubbles so I think I am going to make two venture valves and parallel them into the skimmer.

 

Soon, if I keep designing this thing, I can turn this thing into a space shuttle.

 

Here is the old pump

 

 

 

 

[Paul B]

It's a good thing I just looked at the pump to check for leaks. It is making to mush foam that it almost filled up my five gallon bucket that it goes into. Now that it is broken in I have to adjust it way down.

 

To make these modifications I turned off my ozone generator, of course that doesn't go back on either. You just can't touch these old things. Now I have to take that apart and see if I have any parts from old units to fix it with.

[albertthiel]

Good ? luck fixing it all.

 

I am sure you will Paul.

 

Albert

[Paul B]

It's fixed already Albert. And I discovered when I removed the ozone unit and the air pump, the skimmer made tons of really tiny bubbles. This new water pump pushes enough water so that the venture valve can suck air without help from the new air pump that I just wasted $100.00 bucks on.

[albertthiel]

It's fixed already Albert. And I discovered when I removed the ozone unit and the air pump, the skimmer made tons of really tiny bubbles. This new water pump pushes enough water so that the venture valve can suck air without help from the new air pump that I just wasted $100.00 bucks on.

Well that is good ? and I guess you can try to return the pump where ever you got it from

 

And now you have plenty of fine bubbles !!

 

Albert

[StinkyBunny]

If you have a piece of old DLS material, the black mesh stuff, that will chop the bubbles to pieces and make better foam. This stuff:

 

http://www.fish-street.com/mesh_pf4_enkamat_skimmer_enhancement

[Paul B]

I actually fixed the thing and now I almost have to many bubbles.

[albertthiel]

I actually fixed the thing and now I almost have to many bubbles.

Great and IMO you can't really have too many bubbles

 

 

Albert

[atoll]

Just taken this video of my tank, It's coming along nicely. Not as yet where I want it yet but it's getting there, a few more months at least to go yet. Been set up 8 months now and I recon around 18 months to really grow out.

 

[albertthiel]

Just taken this video of my tank, It's coming along nicely. Not as yet where I want it yet but it's getting there, a few more months at least to go yet. Been set up 8 months now and I recon around 18 months to really grow out.

 

Very nice ? Les. Coming along real well !

[atoll]

Very nice Les. Coming along real well !

 

Thanks Albert am getting there as they say.

[albertthiel]

 

Thanks Albert am getting there as they say.

You sure are Les

 

Albert

[atoll]

Latest addition I bought today a Red Scribbled Blenny Blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus), Ignore the spot it was on the tank glass and the pic was taken in the LFS.

 

[iHexBot]

Where can I get a copy of "Nano-Reef Aquariums"? The link in Albert's signature does not work for me .

[albertthiel]

Www.nanoreefs.info is where you can order

Latest addition I bought today a Red Scribbled Blenny Blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus), Ignore the spot it was on the tank glass and the pic was taken in the LFS.

 

Gorgeous Blenny

Where can I get a copy of "Nano-Reef Aquariums"? The link in Albert's signature does not work for me .

www.nanoreefs.info

 

Thanks

 

Albert

[iHexBot]

Your website unfortunately seems to be down.

[atoll]

Nooooooo is this some sort of a joke list?

 

https://reefbuilders.com/2016/10/11/top-5-beginner-fish-nano-aquarium/?utm_source=Reef+Builders+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d5fdcbc2dc-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_88f38223c1-d5fdcbc2dc-430918481

[StinkyBunny]

I dunno atoll, seems to be. That list is about the LAST fish I'd put in a nano tank. There are SO many other better gobies out there.

[iHexBot]

Anyone else unable to access the link http://www.nanoreefs.info in Albert's signature or is it just me? Sorry for the spam...I just really want to buy the book.

[atoll]

I dunno atoll, seems to be. That list is about the LAST fish I'd put in a nano tank. There are SO many other better gobies out there.

 

Chromis are not nano tank fish that's for sure as well.