Reef Discussion

[Sam Parker]

Just read this article on Reef Builders and cant help but think, who wants to make one???

http://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/24/arid-chaetomorpha-macroalgae-scrubbers-paxbellum/#

 

[Wrangy]

@CodyS we know you have the technology :P but we should definitely build these! I would love to find out how much one of these costs lol

 

[Sam Parker]

I'd just use PVC pipe (no need to see inside it anyway) for the outer, some clear acrylic tube for the inner and get someone with a nice router (hint hint) to whip up some lids and bases. Glue it together with some strip led light in warm white twisted through the centre and your done!

Flow straight out of the cal reactor through it and your cooking with gas :P

 

[jayellul]

That's very interesting. I would like to incorporate a 24w 6000k T5 personally. Would be a lot harder to accomplish though

 

[Sam Parker]

That's very interesting. I would like to incorporate a 24w 6000k T5 personally. Would be a lot harder to accomplish though

Basically make it like a UV steriliser, but with an accessible body and a different tube?

 

[jayellul]

Basically make it like a UV steriliser, but with an accessible body and a different tube?

YES!

I think using PVC like you said would be bettter also to eliminate light spill.

 

[jayellul]

And I would make it like the spinning biopellet reactor to spin the chaeto around too

 

[RobbieMVFC]

With a clear cylinder it wouldn't take long for it if become coated with Coraline algae.
I like your idea Sam ,
some PVC and some water proof LEDS and your done.
with all these 3D printers around China is going to have a ball.

 

[jayellul]

looks like they would match well with CaRx

@CodyS make a combo bro!

 

[Sam Parker]

@CodyS was the person I was hoping would take my hint :P

 

[Agent M]

I love this idea. Could you just have the lights at the top so that you can have more space for the chaeto in the tube?

 

[jayellul]

I love this idea. Could you just have the lights at the top so that you can have more space for the chaeto in the tube?

That would defeat the purpose. This design floods the chamber with light and with rotating water flow you would get mass macro growth i reckon!

 

[Wrangy]

I may have just sent Pax-Bellum an email to find out pricing and shipping because why not lol

 

[Buddy]

I may have just sent Pax-Bellum an email to find out pricing and shipping because why not lol

These are pointless on our Zeovit tanks though?

 

[Wrangy]

These are pointless on our Zeovit tanks though?

Pretty much haha I figure if we're talking about them, it might be worth knowing prices and such anyway

 

[MagicJ]

One of the other pictures actually uses a white body - it helps to reflect the light internally.

Where would you get the PVC to use for the top and base?

 

[Rob]

Why not a TLF550 reactor and wrap the LED's strips around the outside. Seems like too much trouble with an internal light tube when you could get more LED's wrapped around the outside. Especially if you are thinking of using std LED's. I think you can probably get a 1m strip of LED's quite cheap.

I know @macca_75 has a TLF550, and I have a 2m strip of lights to wrap around it so he can give it a try.. only problem with this it obviously has to be external

 

[Webb]

Interesting, old idea new again.
Used something similar to this as an algae scrubber many years ago when parents also used a under gravel filter along with a canister filter for our marine tank as an add on. Only it looks a million times better :)
Although our DIY attempt may have looked like a left over plumbing mistake, it was easily hidden and kept the display tank surprisingly free of algae for years (and things alive!) with caveman technology and poor water change habits.
Pretty simple to make and used fluro tubes too. 3' large outer sewer PVC pipe (~6"D from memory) with endcaps, drill ~20mm hole in centre of each cap, 3' of 20mm clear pipe, silicone to bottom end cap, use a bulkhead on top endcap to hold the inner tube but remember to have it 'backwards' to what you'd expect so you can unscrew the top T5 fixture without removing the bulkhead else it'll leak, and short the power to your house (Father may have done this the first time around). Other than that a couple barb ends and silicone for the rest. I recall we had to make a base out of to bits of wood to mount the lower fluro tube fitting and the power cable was silicone'd down the side of the outer tube which was a mistake, makes pulling apart the whole contraption a problem to clean. Cut cable and bullet plugs wired to the top took care of that.
It was plumbed/fed by the outlet of the canister filter into a barb on the bottom of the tube then would dump back directly into the tank from a barb on the top. The main tube had a mesh rolled around inside of it and some filter floss was on the top which was meant to keep the bits of algae from being pumped into the tank. But we only ever knew to clean the thing when we noticed small chunks of algae jetting into the tank from the return bar...

 

[Sam Parker]

Why not a TLF550 reactor and wrap the LED's strips around the outside. Seems like too much trouble with an internal light tube when you could get more LED's wrapped around the outside. Especially if you are thinking of using std LED's. I think you can probably get a 1m strip of LED's quite cheap.

I know @macca_75 has a TLF550, and I have a 2m strip of lights to wrap around it so he can give it a try.. only problem with this it obviously has to be external

That is good thinking

 

[Wrangy]

Well I have to say I'm genuinely impressed with these guys, sent the email yesterday arvo and the response was here at 6am this morning :) and boy has he explained things in detail along with a way to work around the costly shipping here to Aus which is nice haha but enough nonsense, here's the email reply I got last night:

"
Hello Dominic,


Thank you for your interest in the ARID system. We are selling direct to end users. We have six models currently. Each one is made to order right here in Connecticut, designed by aquarists for aquarists. If you would like to place an order, please send me an email with your shipping and billing address, phone number, and the items you would like to purchase.

For your 50 gallon reef with a plan to move up to a larger tank (3ft ?) I would recommend the E18 or C18. They're identical except for the material they are made out of. If you want to keep the aesthetics of all acrylic equipment the E18 is for you. If you want an impact resistant tough as nails construction, that minimizes light escape, the C18 is for you.

Yes, I'm willing to ship to Australia if you are willing to pay the shipping. I actually do shipping for another company into Australia to a franchise we have there. I may be able to combine ARID reactors into a larger shipment already going there. If this is possible you would only have to pay customs duties and shipping within Australia.


The N12 (nano) is a cast acrylic 4" ID x 12" chamber, 17.5 overall height HOT / standalone model. It's rated to 60 gallons and can be run with a maxijet 600 or equivalent pump 150gph

The E24 is all cast acrylic construction and is based on a 5" ID x 24"chamber, footprint is (8"x10") and stands 30" tall. It requires a flow rate of 180 gph-250 gph. We recommend a maxijet 1200 or equivalent. The E24 is rated to 240 gallons. It comes with barb fittings, for ease of cleaning we offer optional quick disconnects (bottom valved, top un-valved).

The E18 is a 18" tall chamber version of our E24 model and is rated to 180 gallons. This model will fit under most aquarium stand. Overall height is 23.5"

C18 same as E18 but all PVC construction

C24 same as E24 but all PVC construction


The C30 is rated to 400 gallons and is constructed of PVC except for the lid and light assembly (acrylic). It has a chamber dimension of 8" ID x 30", footprint is (12"x14") and stands 36" tall. The C30 comes standard with 3/4" un-valved quick disconnects. The C30 requires a 400-600 gph flow rate. We recommend a Pan World (Blueline) 40px or 50px.

For E and C series models we offer an optional calcium reactor feed / injection assembly. This is a plumbing device that uses excess pressure from your ARID's feed pump to direct water to your calcium reactor. Effluent water coming from the calcium reactor is directed back into the device through a check valve and drip counter where it is mixed with water coming into the ARID. This allows the Chaetomorpha contained in the ARID to take up any excess CO2 and PO4 from the effluent before it reaches the rest of the system.

Pricing;

ARID N12 incl. supplements $199 (2-3 week lead time) rated to 60g
ARID E18 incl. supplements $495 (2-3 week lead time) rated to 180g
ARID E24 incl. supplements $595 (1 in stock) rated to 240g
ARID C18 incl. supplements $495 (1-2 week lead time) rated to 180g
ARID C24 incl. supplements $595 (1-2 week lead time) rated to 240g
ARID C30 incl. supplements $795 (2-3 week lead time) rated to 400g

options;

E-series top and bottom quick disconnect sets $49
E-series Ca feed / inj. assembly $49
C30 Ca feed / inj. assembly $59

Note: We do not recommend the use of GFO, carbon dosing, bio-pellets, de-nitrifiers, or ozone in conjunction with the ARID system. Skimmers and activated carbon are fine to use but not necessarily needed.

If you have any further questions, I'm here to answer.


Regards,

Tristan Wilson
"

Prices are in USD as far as I know :) Here are some more shots of the reactor as well that I got sent (out of the 16 along with the info brochure and instructions lol)

And a layout of the flow/connections with regards to CaRX