The Cooper Union saltwater project started

[CooperUnionGroup]

There will be a meeting at the Cooper Union to finalize that building of the aquarium system and we need as much help as we can get. We need the expert opinion of your group to come in and answer some of the technical questions our group has.
If you are interested in coming please Email me so I can get you a pass to access the building.
The meeting is tentatively at 6:30 pm on Monday 6, but can be push back as late as possible to accommodate folks. For reservation Email me at [email protected]. by Monday noon the latest.

Thanks for your help in advance

 

[House of Laughter]

Sounds like a great opportunity - I would have liked to come as a guest but not enough time to plan.

Good luck and feel free to email/PM/IM me with any thoughs/questions.

House

 

[Josh]

Sounds very cool, a lot of people would like to contribute, but it might be short notice for many.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I would go but I work until 9pm that day

 

[joseney21]

maybe these guys should come to the frag swap.....

 

[CooperUnionGroup]

when is the Frag swap

if its too short of a notice, we can push it back to friday
the Problem is we need to configure the tank and get it runnig before the end of the week
Sorry about the short notice

 

[nycmat]

i would like to come call me at 718 930 9903 Matt

I am no expert but i have some knowledge and i am always willing to learn from others

 

[jhale]

FYI, I invited the cooper union guys over to my place tonight.

they had some plumbing questions and I thought it would be easier to speak about them if there was a tank right in front of us.

pm or email me guys if you want to come over, I'm not sure of the time
maybe 7:30 or later at 9 some of them had class tonight so were going to find out later th exact time.

-j

 

[GQ22]

Hannibal

Why dont you list the basics you have set up, filtration, lighting, live stock, rock scaping and the group can comment.

I was opposed to the canister filters

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

jhale,
can i join your demonstration?

 

[jhale]

jhale,
can i join your demonstration?

sure, pm me your number and I'll call you when I hear back from the cooper union group. I'm in greenwich village by the way.

Hannibal, send me a pm, i'm in a building on the UWS and the reception sucks here. I've got my laptop with me for the day so we can coordinate via pm's

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

sure, pm me your number and I'll call you when I hear back from the cooper union group. I'm in greenwich village by the way.

Hannibal, send me a pm, i'm in a building on the UWS and the reception sucks here. I've got my laptop with me for the day so we can coordinate via pm's

Me and Hannibal of Cooper Union will be going together. If he cannot he in touch with you I will relay the message.

 

[jhale]

Okay I sent him my address and contact numbers.

just pm me with the time, I'll be home around six.

 

[jhale]

So far Hannibal, Wingo, and Jose are coming, anybody else?

 

[mhudoba]

pm'ed you.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Hannibal,

If you are going to use the method of removing nitrogen you mentioned, please write out the formula for us to look into. Please take special note as to what conductor your are putting into the reactor, since many metal is not good for SW tank in the first place.

Since you need to speed up your cycling process for the project, see if this link, by Kevin Zippel, Ph.D., helps
http://home.att.net/~kczippel/waterqual.html
"Cycling without fish
Instead of waiting 3-6 weeks while gradually increasing the bioload, one can cycle the tank without animals so that the biofilter will be established when the animals arrive. This technique has the additional bonus that no animals are put at risk while the filter is becoming established and toxins are spiking. A Ph.D. in organic chemistry recommended adding 4-5 drops of pure household ammonia (without additives or perfumes) everyday for each 10 gallons of water. Ammonia concentration will quickly spike and then wane, usually by the end of the first week. As ammonia is converted, a nitrite spike closely follows. At that point, cut back to 2-3 drops of ammonia per 10 gallons per day until nitrites reach 0. This technique works great, producing robust bacterial colonies in biofilters in less than 2 weeks. [read more about the technique] Exercise caution: ammonia is deadly toxic to fish and amphibians; make sure it has been consumed completely before animals are added.

A more refined approach is to dose with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), which gives finer control over concentration and eliminates the risk of introducing secondary toxins (perfumes, detergents) sometimes found in household ammonia. To dose 4 ppm N per day, add 0.58g NH4Cl for each 10 gallons of water. Again, follow the ammonia spike and wait for nitrites to wane before adding animals."

I suggest get the ammonium chloride from your upstair lab or the chemical dept. I guess this one other chemical you need in your AI control unit. I also think that may be you may want to use a smaller tank to try out your control unit first, less water, less time and less resources if the unit fail the initial tunings. Also with smaller water volume, thus more sensitive to changes, it could better demonstrate how effective your system can be.


Also take note in the Bio filter thing you may have designed with a note of the following quote:
"Biological media
Biofilters can use a number of different media to provide the requisite surface area for colonizing the beneficial bacteria. Undergravel filters use a rising column of air bubbles to draw water down through the gravel bed, which has a large surface area. Unfortunately, the gravel bed also acts as a mechanical filter, trapping detritus that will decompose in the gravel and block further water flow. The gravel must periodically be ‘vacuumed’ or otherwise stirred with a major water change. Alternatively, one could use a powerhead to pump water down the corner tubes and up through the gravel (reverse flow) to prevent such blockage. However, unless the gravel is the same depth throughout the tank, water will flow preferentially through the shallowest gravel – the path of least resistance – and only a small portion of the bed will be utilized as a biofilter. The sections of the bed with deep gravel receive very little flow and the water there can become devoid of oxygen. Such ‘anoxic’ water promotes the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which excrete toxins like hydrogen sulfide (swamp gas)."
.