My Greenhouse FARM In the making!

[Lunchbucket]

ok, lets see the nasty...the FOAM!

looks good man
Lunchbucket

[H2OENG]

Scubadude,
Looks like you have a 90 after your compression fitting. You may want to replace that with a tee, so it is vented (think Hartford loop). With the 90, if it ever air-locks, it'll be one big carlson surge. It will siphon your whole skimmer out.
You may already have it vented, I can't see all of it from the pic. If so, sorry for the doubt
While I am spouting off... I would support your air manifold. The compressors vibration along with the hanging manifold will eventually crack it. Do you have an air filter on the inlet? What air stones did you end up using- Aquatic eco white ones?
PS: Nice ride, that skimmer.
Chris

[scubadude]

Originally posted by H2OENG
Scubadude,
Looks like ....................... using- Aquatic eco white ones?
PS: Nice ride, that skimmer.
Chris

Totally thanx for the heads up dude...The only one that I wasnt aware of was the air filter on the inlet side....THANX I did support the manifold and You are right there is just an elbow on the output sides, which I am aware it needs a T w/a hole drilled for vent....Havent done that yet im just testing right now, any advice on an airfilter? Oh on the diffuser I just made a large one out of Basswood....KW's design off of Snailmans website (which is on the same website that I got the skimmer design off of)

[jeff967]

hi dude, a ez diy air filter, take about 12in. of 2in. pvc, adapt one end down to thread into pump intake, stuff two circles of fiberglass window screen into the bottom and fill with carbon, change carbon mabe 2 times a mouth

[H2OENG]

Get a chrome K&N!

Any homemade filter will do. But you don't want particulates and you want to catch the salt air vapor so as to not corrode the inside of your pump. The carbon idea is good if you suspect contaminates. I would draw air from OUTSIDE the greenhouse- it'll be drier. Warm air holds more moisture and I'll bet your greenhouse is moist inside, no?
On a big blower we had, I made a PVC manifold and put on 3 generic air filters. They were from aquatic ecosystems, or mc master carr- like $6 each. And they WERE chrome!
Also, let us know how your diffusers hold up.
Chris

[da_hamburglar]

Does the film on your greenhouse have any type of UV blocking coating? I've noticed that the films with long (3-4 year) ratings all have a UV blocking coating. I am wondering how much of a difference that would make.

[skylsdale]

How about some updated pics?

[Lunchbucket]

yeah come on what gives

Lunchbucket

[Reinhold]

Hey scubadude!

Any news on your coral farm? It's been a while.

[scubadude]

Hey Guys!

The greenhouse is good, my budget $$ has been exhausted and I have been spending more time working now instead of playing .....that is why I havent had time to post lately, also the weather is starting to get a bit cooler which makes workin in the GH much more funner :-) I have a pretty good selection of species of corals im working on and I do not want to show any of the pics because I tried it on a few of them and ppl bombard me to sell them which most of them need to grow out. The temperatures are starting their downfall (much more apparent at nite) and I have totally shut off my exhaust fans for the past couple of days and my temps are still about the same actually a couple degrees lower just checked this am and they are about 81. A couple of small frags did not make the acclimation process from my conversion of my SPS tank from 55% shade cloth to 33% shadecloth, but its no biggie cuz I have well over a 100 pieces a couple is nothing really. I have actually been running my softie system w/out a skimmer for quite a while now I just grow LOTS of macro algae in the systems and I literally have to pull it out and fill 5gal buckets full of the stuff every couple of weeks.

da_hamburglar,
Nope, not really any UV blocking except the shade cloth im using, gotta remember the transmission propertys on the glazing are over 90% if memory serves me correctly (its back there on one of the earlier pages somewhere) The softie sys in essence is i guess cuz of the 55% shadecloth, but the SPS sys is getting very little and might I add no ill effects, cept the 2 frag losses....thats cull %'s IMO

[da_hamburglar]

Thanks Scubadude,

I have been thinking realy hard about doing this on a smaller scale. I have been looking at the available greenhouses on the market and noticed that a lot of the 3-4 year rated films have a UV-Blocking coating. I figured that sps need UV light so they wouldn't grow well if it was blocked.

All of the film's without the UV-Blocking coating are rated for 1 year. Is your film one of these 1 year films, or one of the longer lasting one's?

I have really enjoyed looking over this thread. I want to thank you for documenting this great project for all of us. I don't have available space for another reef in my house. I hope to one day have about a 12'x12' greenhouse to play in.

[eddie]

scubadude a few/several ??

do you find that the poly you use condensates much.(im sure this winter will be a better test)thus lowering light levels.

is the anti condesant poly worth the extra money for these type greenhouse's?

also the prob's with the beckett skimmer you had overflowing....would the auto shut off collection type cups prevent the skimmer from overflowing ?

& do you have the same type prob's with the new CC skimmer?

if the air was drawn into the skimmer from a area with a constant temp would that help?

any skimmate pics from the new CC skimmer yet?

do you think a 75watt Medo ACO902 pump with 2.12cfm & 2.89psig rated & 6.31psig max would be enough for atleast 2 CC skimmers like you have?

if I went with beckett skimmers they'd be the same as the CC you have only with a gate valve at the bottom & no extra pipe with 2 becketts tapped in 6-8 inches from the bottom of the skimmer body.(mabey a little shorter body like 4 ft)the guy who posted the thread forest of my dreams on RC had a 4" beckett skimmer made like that on his system.but only 1 beckett.

sorry about all the questions but I wanna try to get this as close to right the first time as possible.

also do you know where to get a large culture of brown turf to seed a screen for a ATS.

[Unresistible Blue]

Eddie:

Here's some data that might help answer your question about air pumps. I have a DIY Snailman skimmer rumming on my system, which in total holds about 300 gallons. The skimmer, from the floor to surface of the foam overflow is about 6'6", and the body of the skimmer is 8" in diameter.

I run a Medo 0502, with 2 KW diffusers. I bleed off only a little bit of air. The 0502 has an output of 0.9cfm.

So as a conservative estimate I use 0.9 cfm for one large skimmer; I think 1.8 cfm should be enough for 2.

[eddie]

thanks ..

I wasnt able to locate the 502 on the model search on medos web site it gos from 501 to 602.

[Unresistible Blue]

I asked the folks at Medo the same question:
Me: Why doesn't your website contain information regarding Model 0502? Discontinued? Same specs as 0501?

Chris Gates at Medo at 800-843-6336, ext 105: The AC0502 pump has not been mass produced for a couple of years. We would
be able to reintroduce this model if the volume justified it. If, however,
your looking for just a few units I would recommend the AC0401A. It, more than the AC0501, matches the footprint and performance of the AC0502. We have AC0401A's in stock, List Price, $198.00 each.


Me: As of now, I only have one apparatus I want to run off the 0502.
There will be more later. But for now, will I damage the pump via back
pressure if I use a valve to throttle down the pressurized line, and run the pump continuously?


Chris at Medo: That depends on how much you throttle the pump, they are pretty robust and will withstand running against a deadhead pressure (maximum pressure, no flow) without damage for a while, but it will last longer the more flow you can put through it. It would probably be better to vent the excess air your don't need as opposed to blocking it off.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by eddie
scubadude a few/several ??

do you find that the poly you use condensates much.(im sure this winter will be a better test)thus lowering light levels.

You lost me eddie...you mean by poly the shadecloth? If so then NO I dont see it condensating much at all....of course I have 9000 CFM blowin thru the GH too ;-)

Originally posted by eddie
is the anti condesant poly worth the extra money for these type greenhouse's?

Here again im assuming you mean the shadecloth....I dont really think in my climate and situation it matters much, or it is much more different then your situation up in NC. I have a feeling you are gonna be in a catch 22...you will need to vent alot wich may over cool some? Here again im just thinking outloud bro!

Originally posted by eddie
also the prob's with the beckett skimmer you had overflowing....would the auto shut off collection type cups prevent the skimmer from overflowing ?

Absolutely! but then they would stop skimming to wouldnt they....Im going after the best of both worlds

Originally posted by eddie
& do you have the same type prob's with the new CC skimmer?

Nope not anymore...I put an oversized cap ontop of the collection cup with a riser so the sun/heat wasnt beating down inside the collection cup this causing probs, also the CC skimmer is totally sealed w/no transmission except for a small section of the collection cup (for functioning purposes) thus I believe this to keep the inside somewhat cooler compared to totally viewable and translucent beckett skimmers that I made previously.

Originally posted by eddie
if the air was drawn into the skimmer from a area with a constant temp would that help?

Probably :-)

Originally posted by eddie
any skimmate pics from the new CC skimmer yet?

No...You see how tall that skimmer is? I get up on that shaky ladder and stick my head between the skimmer collection cup and the top of the greenhouse....almost getting my head stuck Now throw into the mix a $1000 camera....Doesnt sound good does it, be patient and I will devise some type of mount that will give you a quality birdseye view of the mucky muck

Originally posted by eddie
do you think a 75watt Medo ACO902 pump with 2.12cfm & 2.89psig rated & 6.31psig max would be enough for atleast 2 CC skimmers like you have?

Ya know what....I didnt really study the specs to well on the Air compressor that Im using but they are posted above, The compressor I got is driving the skimmer GREAT and I could probably drive one more skimmer but it would be a smaller 6" diameter one probably (cuz im not bleeding off as much as im using). Here again bro your asking questions that I have no experience with but use the SPECS I have posted ....go off of that and what I have said, and of course others experiences w/that air pump...that is a popular air pump from what I have heard.

Originally posted by eddie
if I went with beckett skimmers they'd be the same as the CC you have only with a gate valve at the bottom & no extra pipe with 2 becketts tapped in 6-8 inches from the bottom of the skimmer body.(mabey a little shorter body like 4 ft)the guy who posted the thread forest of my dreams on RC had a 4" beckett skimmer made like that on his system.but only 1 beckett.

Uhhhh...has anyone ever told you that you may be overanalyzing things? hehe dude slow down and take it easy. I understand what you are trying to do...you want to make a hybrid Beckett/CC skimmer...thats kewl and all but you are still defeating the purpose of the CC skimmer and thats EFFECIENCY I didnt convert to CC skimmers because of the problems I was haveing with heat and overflowing...the Becketts work FINE its just that they are energy hawgs!

Originally posted by eddie

also do you know where to get a large culture of brown turf to seed a screen for a ATS.

I would try Florida Aqua Farms, it might help a bit too if you had a scientific name for what you want as alot of ppl will call byropsis brown turf

Keep on plugging away buddy....You will get where you want if you want it bad enough!

[eddie]

thanks for taking time to reply..

by poly I ment plastic

thats what most around here call their greenhouse covering

thanks agin

[eddie]

ohh.. dont know the scientific name guess I'll have to do more research but is supposed to be way more efficant than byopris or any other alge.

[Sylock]

*in a very slow speech* "Wow"

I have to say that I'm extremely impressed. I'm going to link this thread to from a few of the forums I frequent if it's ok. You are a credit to the hobby. If there were just a few more people like you then captive SPS would be the only business and we wouldn't have to worry as much about the raping of natural reefs.

Fantastic work and dedication. This buds for you!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Sylock
*in a very slow speech* "Wow"

I have to say ................

LOL thanx Sylock :-)

Here are a few of the things I have been working on lately.
3 More CC skimmers for the GH. Notice the IO bucket as collection cup


I think I will be playing around in my garage with some other lighting, and doing some test here are my VHO tanks that I built, they are 48" long x 18" wide x 15" deep. They will have a 6" DSB and will have eggcrate racks to rise frags up near the water line, and the VHO bulbs will be about 1/2" away from the water line, and Im gonna try and put surge buckets on these tanks too

The stand for these two tanks