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jrobbins

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I just got harassed for an hour and a half about the carbon footprint of my tank by a friend. however, after thinking about it, maybe she had a point.

i have a few ideas of ways to lower the total power consumption of my tank. i just wanted to see what you all though of these ideas...

1. ditching the multiple powerheads in my tank and replacing them with one vortec and whatever the return puts out. this would be an expensive option but one i would be willing to consider if the energy consumption is as low as they say.

2. using both standpipes (1" drain and 3/4" return) in the overflow as drains to my sump. i could then use a more powerful pump and manifold to run a skimmer, a reactor, and then use a swcd (scwd?) thing and two over the back returns to create flow in my tank. i have seen systems run on only one pump before and was pretty impressed. i am almost convinced i am going to do this, as soon as i can figure out how to squeeze a durso on the 3/4 and fit it back in the overflow.

3. well i don't really have a #3 but all good things come in 3's :splitspin

any thoughts if either of these will work or are worth the effort and cash?
 

Dj Orion

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I actually saw a system on another forum that utilized such a large overflow and piping to the sump, that they rigged the top of a skimmer (collection cup) to catch the falling water's bubbles that formed when the water hit the sump. If you could figure out and fine tune this "gravity" skimmer, you could have a pumpless skimmer working off of the simple concept of water splashing into your sump. Is that what you meant by only using one pump?
 

Josh

in the coral sea...
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An hour and a half? Time for a NEW FRIEND.

More importantly, what is your TOTAL carbon footprint? Does your friend even know theirs?

Do you live in the city? Do you have a car? Most New Yorkers (city dwellers) are far below the national average for carbon emissions. Your tank has zero carbon emissions, and the "footprint" can be directly related to your electric bill (minus a percentage for what little nuclear energy Con Edison provides).

Tell them you decided to get rid of the tank and will be buying a motorcycle instead!
 

jrobbins

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Thanks for the input guys.

DJ: i am not looking to run a gravity fed skimmer, but that is a good idea. i just wonder how loud the splashing would be if i did it that way. what i really meant was that the pump would run into a manifold that would feed the skimmer (would probably use an airstone here just for ease of setup), the reactor, and the return.

Josh:
1. you must ditch a lot of friends if you can't handle them disagreeing with you.
2. the total carbon footprint for my 90gal with skimmer, lights, ph, pumps, heaters, etc is somewhere in the range of .5 to 1 ton.
3. why would you even care what my friends carbon footprint is, and why should i care. do you only measure yourself against others? furthermore, we are in a hobby that pulls living things from the ocean, cages them, uses tremendous amounts of water and energy, and it is all for our own enjoyment. so yes, i think we do have a responsibility to practice the hobby in the least damaging way possible.
4. yes i live in the city
5. no i don't own a car
6. i think its completely irrelevant wheather or not my carbon footprint is below the national average. if all you asipire to be is average then good luck to you.
7. so i should buy a motorcycle to do what? piss off my friend by further contributing to pollution, traffic, industrial waste? is that really how you handle disagreements? if you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to email me.

if anybody has anything else CONSTRUCTIVE to add, please feel free to chime in.
 

Deanos

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Like you stated, this is our hobby. For many many of us, nothing more than a place to "waste" time and money in exchange for beauty and relaxation. If you feel like it is unnecessarily contributing to your footprint, why not eliminate it entirely?

In regards to the statement about friends, getting harassed for an hour and a half seems more than just a disagreement. That's fighting time :fight2:
 

masterswimmer

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I just got harassed for an hour and a half about the carbon footprint of my tank by a friend.


My friends and I discuss and disagree about many things :banghead:
My wife and I discuss and disagree about many things :banghead:
My kids and I discuss and disagree about even more things :banghead: :banghead:
My partner and I discuss and disagree about many things :banghead:

None of the above have ever harassed me for an hour and a half though. Sounds more like you were verbally beaten up.....interpreting your statement.
I wouldn't stand (or sit in my case) for that either.

swimmer
 

Wes

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one issue I see in your plan is ditching a few smaller pumps for one larger more powerful pump. I think you will find that a pump large enough to satisfy all your need will draw more energy than a few low wattage pumps. I use one pump for everything (except skimmer) but not for energy conservation. I like having less moving parts and less pumps to clean. I could probably shrink my footprint by using a few low watt submersible pumps instead of a big powerful external.

My idea of a "green" reef tanks uses natural sunlight with low energy pumps and powerheads. There are several really nice skimmers and pumps out there that draw very little energy. Of course you are going to pay big bucks for them. With a setup like this a couple solar panels could cancel out the rest of the energy your tank consumes.
 

jrobbins

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ok, this thread has gone wildly off topic. so i apologize to all who responded if they found the use of the word "harassing" objectionable or confusing.

the point of the thread was to seek advice on ways that i could continue to enjoy this hobby that i love, yet do so in a way that also has the least impact on the environment as possible.

i was hoping to get input from you all on either using both standpipes as drains and/or just ditching my three maxi1200's in favor of one vortech mp-20.

if i misinterpreted any posts that were intended as a joke, i am truly sorry.

so to wrap up, i am asking for advice on an issue that i imagine is of concern to quite a few people out there, including myself, and if my posts or replies obscured or diverted the issue, please forgive me, and lets return to the topic.
 

Deanos

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Here are some ways I would reduce my 'footprint':


  • Find an alternative to making RO/DI water for topoff/water changes - the amount of water that goes down my drain :headache:
  • Find something to do with "old" water change water
  • Ditch all my halide loving corals and go FOWLR - save tons of wattage
 

jrobbins

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New York
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Here are some ways I would reduce my 'footprint':


  • Find an alternative to making RO/DI water for topoff/water changes - the amount of water that goes down my drain :headache:
  • Find something to do with "old" water change water
  • Ditch all my halide loving corals and go FOWLR - save tons of wattage


Thanks D.

I already got rid of my rodi and just use the AP Tapwater Filter. Water quality isnt as good, but i dont chuck 6 gallons of water for every one i make.

i have no idea what uses i could find for funky saltwater. if you have any suggestions please fire away.

it may sound weird, but i don't really care for fishes. my tank is almost exclusively inverts and corals, so the only thing i can't really get rid of are my halides.
 

KathyC

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Barnum Island
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Hey Jonathan...as someone pointed out above, I guess it depends on what p/h's you're currently using to determine if a Vortech will actually lower your footprint. I like the Koralias due to the low wattage..and the performance, but will admit, I'd have a Vortech due to the clean look..if I could afford it :)

A SCWD will never be able to return the amount of water your plan calls for..maybe a closed loop might, but the folks who do those could give you want better advice on that!! SCWD's also have a history of clogging up (the gears in them are tiny and 1 little grain of sand will make them stop working properly)..just something to keep in mind.

We've had threads similar to yours in the recent past...folks are interested in reducing energy consumption..though I can't say the words 'carbon footprint' came up...lol Some folks have gotten out of the hobby due to the expense of energy and others have reduced their photoperiod, switched to more energy efficient power heads and are using waste water from their ro/di units to fill their washing machines, but we are between a rock (live please :)) and a hardplace due to the nature of our hobby.

It's good that you are looking for alternative ways to keep your tank more eco/energy friendly...and even better that your friend didn't rant on us for an hour an a half...lol
Sorry you got clobbered so much, but you open a door around here and there's no telling what will come through it! :)

Does anyone think Jonathans idea # 2 work work towards a savings in energy?..even with modifications?
 
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