THE OFFICIAL ASK ALBERT THIEL THREAD

[albertthiel]

Building Rock Structures - Another set of suggestions

 

© ozreef

 

Link : http://ozreef.org/content/view/298/29/

 

Albert

[eitallent]

The screen was an old net. I don't know how to determine hole size but it should limit the ability of baby brine shrimp from getting through but not stop them entirely. Hatch a shrimp then get out your ruller and measure the thing. The holes should be that size.

Or take a net and pour baby brine shrimp through it, if at least some of them remain in the net, that is good. So the net should hold some shrimp while letting most go through. Yes it is a tough one so buy a cheap net with a fine screen and try it, thats what I did

 

 

Thanks Paul. I sew and have lots of mesh type fabrics like tule. I will give it a try. If that does not work I will try cutting up a mesh bag that I have for laundry use. If that is no good I will buy a net to cut up. Thank you for the clarification.

 

What dohickamajiggy do you use to hatch your brine shrimp?

 

Where do you suggest getting it from? My wife says women's dress fabric shops sell fine mesh but I have not seen it so I do not know how fine it really is and whether it is untreated and safe.

 

Albert

 

Yes, your wife is right on the money. Usually they are untreated. But I would wash it anyway.

[nanoreefnate]

What's your take on using algae scrubbers as a part of a nano reef's filtration system Mr. Thiel?

 

PS: I really appreciate all the good reads you post on this thread!

[eitallent]

Building Rock Structures - Another set of suggestions

 

© ozreef

 

Link : http://ozreef.org/content/view/298/29/

 

Albert

 

Hi, Albert. I could not get to the site. ?

 

I made my first live rock day before yesterday. I like it!

[albertthiel]

DIY Suggestions for Building A Sump

 

© Dr DBW

 

.

 

Link: http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/tank/sump.html

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Thanks Paul. I sew and have lots of mesh type fabrics like tule. I will give it a try. If that does not work I will try cutting up a mesh bag that I have for laundry use. If that is no good I will buy a net to cut up. Thank you for the clarification.

 

What dohickamajiggy do you use to hatch your brine shrimp?

 

 

Yes, your wife is right on the money. Usually they are untreated. But I would wash it anyway.

 

Yes tulle or tule might work indeed and I think it comes with various mesh sizes .. not sure but I seem to have seen my wife using different looking ones with larger and smaller mesh sizes ...

 

And Paul posted picture of that doohiekiemajig a few days ago .. but maybe he can post it again as the search feature is not bringing it up

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

What's your take on using algae scrubbers as a part of a nano reef's filtration system Mr. Thiel?

 

PS: I really appreciate all the good reads you post on this thread!

 

I am all for it but the issue that you may have is do you have the space to install one and incorporate it in your filtration system. How large is your Nano and do you have a sump ?

 

Give me a few more details about your system and maybe I can make some suggestions.

 

Thanks for the kind words on the thread.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Hi, Albert. I could not get to the site. ?

 

I made my first live rock day before yesterday. I like it!

 

I just clicked on the link and it came up just fine for me .. here is the link again ...

 

http://ozreef.org/content/view/298/29/

 

If clicking on it does not work you may want to type it in your browser URL bar ... that may do it for you.

 

Albert

[nanoreefnate]

I am all for it but the issue that you may have is do you have the space to install one and incorporate it in your filtration system. How large is your Nano and do you have a sump ?

 

Give me a few more details about your system and maybe I can make some suggestions.

 

Thanks for the kind words on the thread.

 

Albert

 

Well that's good to hear. I was just watching a few videos on Youtube where a aquarium maintenance person used one on his own tank as well as customers tanks to lessen the amount nutrients in the various systems. It seemed to work well and I had seen discussion on scrubbers on this forum before. I'm not really interested in incorporating one into my own system due to the fact that they to seem very large, and I have devoted the largest chamber in my DIY sump to becoming a refugium.

 

This brings me to another question. I recently had a white bacteria bloom in my 20g and I took my pond's UV sterilizer and I'm currently using it on the 20g reef system. The UV sterilizer has been running for about two days now and the water has gone back to being crystal clear. Should I keep running the sterilizer for another day or would it be fine for me to take it offline at this point?

[albertthiel]

Gluing Acrylic to Acrylic and to various other materials used on Aquariums

 

Lists a number of glues that can be used to bond materials with details and images of them and brand names and how to use them and safety precautions to take

.

 

Link : http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/techniques/gluing_acrylic.html

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Well that's good to hear. I was just watching a few videos on Youtube where a aquarium maintenance person used one on his own tank as well as customers tanks to lessen the amount nutrients in the various systems. It seemed to work well and I had seen discussion on scrubbers on this forum before. I'm not really interested in incorporating one into my own system due to the fact that they to seem very large, and I have devoted the largest chamber in my DIY sump to becoming a refugium.

---------------------------------------------------

This brings me to another question. I recently had a white bacteria bloom in my 20g and I took my pond's UV sterilizer and I'm currently using it on the 20g reef system. The UV sterilizer has been running for about two days now and the water has gone back to being crystal clear. Should I keep running the sterilizer for another day or would it be fine for me to take it offline at this point?

 

Yes they do work well indeed but they do indeed take up some space unless you build a multiple level one (so a high one, and place it not in the sump but as an attachment to the back or front of it depending on where you have space). There is a whole section on it in my new book btw. I'll post a graphic of one later so check back to see how that one looks like.

 

And on the bacterial bloom ... if the water is now clear you can probably take it off as you seem to have solved the problem... I would also clean the tank properly by blowing off what may have accumulated on the rocks and between and behind them and clean your mechanical filter to get as much detritus out of the tank as you can.

 

Any idea why you did get the bacterial bloom to begin with? Are you carbon dosing? Did you add anything to the tank to increase bacteria growth? Did you make any changes to the set up that may have brought it about?

 

I assume that the tank has been running for a while right ... as sometimes in new tanks that will happen but then goes away by itself.

 

Any idea on what may have caused it ?

 

Albert

[nanoreefnate]

Yes they do work well indeed but they do indeed take up some space unless you build a multiple level one (so a high one, and place it not in the sump but as an attachment to the back or front of it depending on where you have space). There is a whole section on it in my new book btw. I'll post a graphic of one later so check back to see how that one looks like.

 

And on the bacterial bloom ... if the water is now clear you can probably take it off as you seem to have solved the problem... I would also clean the tank properly by blowing off what may have accumulated on the rocks and between and behind them and clean your mechanical filter to get as much detritus out of the tank as you can.

 

Any idea why you did get the bacterial bloom to begin with? Are you carbon dosing? Did you add anything to the tank to increase bacteria growth? Did you make any changes to the set up that may have brought it about?

 

I assume that the tank has been running for a while right ... as sometimes in new tanks that will happen but then goes away by itself.

 

Any idea on what may have caused it ?

 

Albert

 

I guess I'll have to buy you book then!

 

Great advice, thanks.

The tank's been up for probably two months now, but I used live rock that is mature, is almost 75% covered with coralline algaefrom my old 75G. The rock also still has bristle worms, copepods and amphipods, which I see scores of come out at night. I went through the typical diatom bloom during the first two weeks and the water cleared after that. I did add my DIY sump just before the bacteria bloom started. The water was crystal clear for one day, then the white bacteria really bloomed. In adding the sump, I added mature rock rubble to the refugium section of the sump. That might be why there was a bacterial bloom. I did make sure to blow off detritus that had collected in the rubble. I had the rubble sitting in a 10g with a koralia 3 moving massive amounts of water in that holding tank. I guess that since this same rubble was in my 75g's sump/fuge, it might have soaked up nutrients and released them into this new system. Do you think that that is possible?

[albertthiel]

I guess I'll have to buy you book then! -------- > GOOD IDEA INDEED

 

Great advice, thanks.

The tank's been up for probably two months now, but I used live rock that is mature, is almost 75% covered with coralline algaefrom my old 75G. The rock also still has bristle worms, copepods and amphipods, which I see scores of come out at night. I went through the typical diatom bloom during the first two weeks and the water cleared after that. I did add my DIY sump just before the bacteria bloom started. The water was crystal clear for one day, then the white bacteria really bloomed. In adding the sump, I added mature rock rubble to the refugium section of the sump. That might be why there was a bacterial bloom. I did make sure to blow off detritus that had collected in the rubble. I had the rubble sitting in a 10g with a koralia 3 moving massive amounts of water in that holding tank. I guess that since this same rubble was in my 75g's sump/fuge, it might have soaked up nutrients and released them into this new system. Do you think that that is possible?

 

The addition of the sump may indeed have been the cause for that bacterial bloom as with the added rock and possibly detritus on it a sudden increase in growth may have gotten large and caused the bloom .. mind you it is not harmful just unsightly.

 

One can never really be sure what causes it but it does happen and I have seen it in my tank too when I added extra rock that had been cleaned as well, yet a small bloom developed nevertheless but it went away after about a day .. I did not do anything about it as since it does not cause harm and since I knew it would not last, all I did was a 20 % water change and let it run its course.

 

Now on the multi-level scrubber, below is a rough drawing of one that can be made out of acrylic, but note that the individual panes you see have to be removable as they will need to be cleaned from time to time.

 

However doing it in that manner makes it smaller, and still allows for the water to run over the inside plates for long enough. Note that the plates have to be roughed somewhat so the algae can attach easily to it ... sandpaper can scratch the acrylic enough to get that roughness, or you can place some fine netting on it that will also give the algae more attachment area.

 

Due to the height you need to light it from the front or the back so all levels get enough light.

 

Here's a rough drawing of what it could like viewed from the side (does not have to be very wide and you can adjust the length to what space you have and add more levels if it is shorter so you still have the water flowing over the panels for long enough time). Use a low output power head from the sump to the top, and just let the water flow and exit at the bottom back into the sump. To prevent splash you can add a slanted piece of acrylic so the water runs over it and down into the sump.

 

 

Hopefully this helps but if you have more questions do not hesitate to post them here on this thread

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

Where do you suggest getting it from? My wife says women's dress fabric shops sell fine mesh but I have not seen it so I do not know how fine it really is and whether it is untreated and safe.

 

Albert

Pet shops sell cheap nets. I think toole would be to course, maybe nylon stockings which may be the reason my wife's have a few 4"X4" holes in them.

The hatchery has been on here so many times it is starting to fade on my computer.

 

[eitallent]

Pet shops sell cheap nets. I think toole would be to course, maybe nylon stockings which may be the reason my wife's have a few 4"X4" holes in them.

The hatchery has been on here so many times it is starting to fade on my computer.

 

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, Paul. But for a non-engineer like me I need a little more help. If it is okay, and not a patent infringement, can you explain a little more on how you built it and how it works? Only when you have time of course.

 

Thank you!!

[jedimasterben]

The addition of the sump may indeed have been the cause for that bacterial bloom as with the added rock and possibly detritus on it a sudden increase in growth may have gotten large and caused the bloom .. mind you it is not harmful just unsightly.

 

One can never really be sure what causes it but it does happen and I have seen it in my tank too when I added extra rock that had been cleaned as well, yet a small bloom developed nevertheless but it went away after about a day .. I did not do anything about it as since it does not cause harm and since I knew it would not last, all I did was a 20 % water change and let it run its course.

 

Now on the multi-level scrubber, below is a rough drawing of one that can be made out of acrylic, but note that the individual panes you see have to be removable as they will need to be cleaned from time to time.

 

However doing it in that manner makes it smaller, and still allows for the water to run over the inside plates for long enough. Note that the plates have to be roughed somewhat so the algae can attach easily to it ... sandpaper can scratch the acrylic enough to get that roughness, or you can place some fine netting on it that will also give the algae more attachment area.

 

Due to the height you need to light it from the front or the back so all levels get enough light.

 

Here's a rough drawing of what it could like viewed from the side (does not have to be very wide and you can adjust the length to what space you have and add more levels if it is shorter so you still have the water flowing over the panels for long enough time). Use a low output power head from the sump to the top, and just let the water flow and exit at the bottom back into the sump. To prevent splash you can add a slanted piece of acrylic so the water runs over it and down into the sump.

 

 

Hopefully this helps but if you have more questions do not hesitate to post them here on this thread

 

Albert

That kind of scrubber won't work well at all. Without light hitting directly onto the mesh, the algae will not have vigorous growth, and the algae will not grow well on the lower levels, even if lit from the sides. What algae does grow will simply die off and release pent-up nutrients back into the system.

 

It would take so much light to get to the inner levels that it would outweigh the benefits of having the scrubber, IMHO.

[gena]

Your candy cane coral has such a nice round shape to it! Looks great!!!!! That's great news about the book too. Sounds like an excellent review People should really jump on that preorder price!!!!

[albertthiel]

That kind of scrubber won't work well at all. Without light hitting directly onto the mesh, the algae will not have vigorous growth, and the algae will not grow well on the lower levels, even if lit from the sides. What algae does grow will simply die off and release pent-up nutrients back into the system.

 

It would take so much light to get to the inner levels that it would outweigh the benefits of having the scrubber, IMHO.

 

Ben : it is narrow and I have used it in the past and it does work and since the plates are removable to be cleaned when needed nothing breaks down and leaches back into the water .. It is hard in just a quick rendering to give all the details as I am sure you understand but having build several and sold quite a few and used it I know that it does work. One just has to build it correctly and make sure that all plates are getting enough light and that the plates are roughed up so the algae can get hold.

 

I never had any issues with it but I do understand your concerns but they are easily overcome if built correctly and cleaned as needed.

 

And on the light : incandescent bulbs will do just fine and if needed it can be lit from both sides.

 

Albert

[rick12]

Albert, you built these scrubbers yourself?

Ben : it is narrow and I have used it in the past and it does work and since the plates are removable to be cleaned when needed nothing breaks down and leaches back into the water .. It is hard in just a quick rendering to give all the details as I am sure you understand but having build several and sold quite a few and used it I know that it does work. One just has to build it correctly and make sure that all plates are getting enough light and that the plates are roughed up so the algae can get hold.

 

I never had any issues with it but I do understand your concerns but they are easily overcome if built correctly and cleaned as needed.

 

And on the light : incandescent bulbs will do just fine and if needed it can be lit from both sides.

 

Albert

[albertthiel]

Your candy cane coral has such a nice round shape to it! Looks great!!!!! That's great news about the book too. Sounds like an excellent review People should really jump on that preorder price!!!!

 

Yes it gets larger and larger and more heads pop up as the larger ones split and it is getting a bit crowded as there are so many that some get squished by others :-)

 

Thanks for the comment on the book, that was a good review indeed and I do not even personally know the reviewer as I did not want to ask someone I knew to do it to avoid getting a friendly one because the person was a friend or good acquaintance, so it is an objective one.

 

And yes the pre-order price will not be available for much longer any more, so for those who want the book it is indeed best to order before the pre-pub price goes up to $25.00 probably in the next day or two, and then to the final retail price once the formatted manuscript goes to the printer. That final price has still not been established but will be around $80.00.

 

Also those who pre-order get the e-pub version for free.

 

All who buy the book whether at pre-pub price or full retail also get a free 1 year subscription to the Marine Reef Newsletter which will be in e-version and will add to the book, expand on some section, introduce new material etc. (25 issues per year).

 

Albert

[jedimasterben]

Ben : it is narrow and I have used it in the past and it does work and since the plates are removable to be cleaned when needed nothing breaks down and leaches back into the water .. It is hard in just a quick rendering to give all the details as I am sure you understand but having build several and sold quite a few and used it I know that it does work. One just has to build it correctly and make sure that all plates are getting enough light and that the plates are roughed up so the algae can get hold.

 

I never had any issues with it but I do understand your concerns but they are easily overcome if built correctly and cleaned as needed.

 

And on the light : incandescent bulbs will do just fine and if needed it can be lit from both sides.

 

Albert

Ah ok. I just cannot see how it would be as efficient as a single sheet would be lit directly. And I think you mean fluorescent and not incandescent.

[Paul.b]

It is cold here today, 11 degrees, it is so cold I seen a chicken with a cape-on.

 

As for the shrimp hatchery, get a container, any container but either one half or all of it needs to be black. You can build it as I did or take a plastic container and paint one side black. You need a barrier across the center as I have and it needs to have a hole in it. 3/8" or close to that. You need a way to close the hole, I used a sliding plexiglass door that I just slide up and it exposes the hole. I also have a valve on the left side ( the white or clear side). You need a tight cover that will block out light on the black side. I use a black piece of plexiglass but you can use your clock radio, piece of wood or the back of a picture of Paris Hilton.

 

OK so you put old tank saltwater on the right or black side with the eggs. I use maybe 1/4 teaspoon of eggs.

Slide the door closed first and fill the other side with tank water. The same water is OK for both sides but if you will be putting this water right into your tank, you can use new salt water or use water from your tank. The water with the eggs you can use a couple of times but then it gets a little scurvy and it will have to be thrown out. I throw an airstone in with the eggs.

In 35 hours all the eggs will have hatched.. Remove the airstone and slide open the door. put a light over the left side or put the entire thing in a lighted area. Put the black cover on the egg side and go have a salami hero sandwich with a nice glass of merlot. In 20 minutes or so all the shrimp will have swam through the light to the other side. The shells stay in the dark side (providing you slid closed the door on the hole) I don't know why they are attracted to the light, maybe they want a tan but whatever the reason, they will all swim through. Slide closed the hole and open the valve letting the water and new born shrimps out. (or suck them out, siphon them out, ladel them out, whatever way you want to get the water out is fine but a valve is great.) Put them in your tank or add a little cocktail sauce and have them with chips for appetisers.

If you will be using them in a feeder such as I built then you need a baby brine shrimp net snd strain them out. I got mine from "Florida Aqua Farms" it is really for rotifers but the shrimp don't know the difference. Put the shrimp in a little water and pour into the funnel at the top of the feeder.

I start a batch of eggs a day before so I have a hatching every day but it is not necessary. The shrimp start to hatch in a day but all of them don't hatch for about a day and a half depending on temperature and we will be using room temperature unless you are in Alaska.

 

The one pictured below uses a tube that I just lower to let the shrimp and water out. The tube normally stays up in a little keeper and it is easier than a valve.

 

By the way, the best all around glue for aquarium related stuff is "Goop" glue available everywhere. I use it for all my projects and it will stick to plexiglass, glass and rocks. It is very thick like honey. After you open it, keep it is a refrigerator and it will last for about a year, if you leave it out it will only last a couple of months. I take it out and put it in some hot water until it warms up, then it is like new.

It is hard to glue plastic to glass with anything. People insist on using silicone for this and although nothing sticks to glass better than silicone, it peels right off plexiglass. Goop works better but nothing will really stick great to both glass and plastic. Before you ask, yes Goop is safe. All of my 6,000 seahorse feeders that I sold were assembled with Goop as is almost everything I build. They make maybe 20 different types of Goop but they are all the same except for "Outdoor Goop" That used to have a mildiside in it but I doubt it still does so use Plumbers Goop,. Carpenter Goop, house hold Goop etc.

[albertthiel]

Albert, you built these scrubbers yourself?

 

Rick : when I owned Thiel Aqua Tech and Biozone in the 80's and 90's we built a lot more than just scrubbers, we built filters, reactors, skimmers etc., and sold a lot of products e.g X-Silicate, Liquid Gold and many many others too many to name.

 

At one point we used an outside company, but when TAT and Biozone merged we built everything ourselves.

 

I sold the Company in 1996 and the buyer kept operating it under the Thiel Aqua Tech name (unfortunately) as he did not handle matters well at all, and basically ran the company into the ground, but since it was still called TAT many believed "I" was still the owner, when I was not. He upset quite a few people unfortunately by his business practices (and that is putting it mildly), and I got blamed for what went wrong after I sold the company even though I had nothing to do with it anymore. But that cannot be changed, it is what it is.

 

The history of TAT and what happened "after" I sold it is complicated to say the least, and something that I wish that had never happened, but I had no control over what the buyer did, and how badly he handled customers at that time, and all the problems he created for them, and believe me they were numerous and not pretty at all.

 

Very very unfortunate indeed and it cannot be helped now, but it tarnished my name for sure quite a bit in the minds of those who were not aware that I had nothing to do with TAT anymore.

 

When we did sell all that equipment I did not build it "myself" of course, but my workers did based on the designs I made and the instructions I gave them.

 

Nowadays I do not build anything for resale, only what I need for my tank, but I still could build all of those if I wanted to and had the premises and equipment to do it :-)

 

And on those scrubbers, we built several different models not just the one with the layered design.

 

Albert

[Paul.b]

• That algae scrubber you pictured above looks exactly like my evaporative chiller.

[albertthiel]

Ah ok. I just cannot see how it would be as efficient as a single sheet would be lit directly. And I think you mean fluorescent and not incandescent.

 

No they may not have been as efficient as longer ones, but when space is limited, which is what the original post was all about, building them in that manner was the only option available. We built several models, and the one shown was only to explain how it was done when only a small amount of space was available, like inside a vented cabinet, for a smaller tank.

 

And yes, the first ones used incandescent bulbs but eventually the units were switched to fluorescent tubes, but again it depended on the space available. The issue with regular bulbs was heat of course, and that is why the cabinets in which they went needed to be very well vented to draw the heat out. Even with fluorescent tubes good venting was still necessary.

 

I have an article somewhere on the models we built and if I can find it I'll post a link to it.

 

Albert