My Greenhouse FARM In the making!

[Piero]

I've been lurkin here for a while. Great job! Now i just want email reminders when this thread is updated!! ;)

[scubadude]

Well its been over a month since I have put SW in these systems...and the hair algae is finally starting to slow down, thanks to a freind of mine who gave me 4 very large fighting conchs

about 3 days ago I put some frags in my rubbermade which is plumbed to one of the systems...the rubbermade hasnt been growing the hair algae in it at all...probably because it doesnt have any LR in it to speak of...heres the pics

[reefhead]

looks great scuba!

[lightning]

wow i have been reading this forum for abot 2 days and i only have one thing to say:
I WANT TO BE YOU!!!!

[vtec si]

Rocky,

I haven't been on the site for about two months due to a FAST AND AWSOME SUMMER I will get to that later. But as for you my friend, I have only to word for you. YOU ROCK !!!!!!! The last time I was on you had Just got enough hardware to get started.
Keep up the good work! Also keep the pic' coming. This is the most awsome project I have ever seen in this hobby. Next time I am back in st. Augustine, We should hook up!

Laters,
VTEC SI

PS. My wife thinks your nuts but daring!

[NewMariner]

All I can say is WOW

Would you care to dig a radiator system to link yours to mine here in Texas? We both could benefit from much more water...heh heh that would add about what...a million or two gallons in just the system from Fl to Tx? Heh heh...Great Job by the way...

Once I get my reef up and goin...I will come to FL to purchase some frags from you...you better get some ready....I might also bring a few as well

Keep on Reefin....
Tony

[NewMariner]

Forgot to ask...Hows your Frags doin in your tanks? Do they appear to be growin any? You have any signs of any coraline growin?

[scubadude]

Originally posted by NewMariner
I might also bring a few as well

Keep on Reefin....
Tony

Wooooohooo....I love it!

Some of the frags are ok some of them died because of heat and flow issues. The rubbermade above that you see the frags in do not have the flow the main tanks have, nor do they have the cooling....So I moved the frags that where still alive into the main tank. So far from my test Xenia and Montipora Digitata are very tough....of course most of us already knew this I will be plumbing the rubbermaid with more flow/cooling as well as setting up maybe a couple of other systems soon

[NewMariner]

Wooooohooo....I love it!

Trust me...its not alot right now...actually nothin...as I sold all my tanks to get One Big Huge Tank...but anyway...that day will come..

Whats the temp getting up to in the Rubbermaid container? Another question came to mind...I dont live in FL...never been there...so I dont know what your winters are like...but if it gets cold enough how are you gonna keep your frags warm? Is that greenhouse gonna keep it 80 degrees year round?

[scubadude]

Well I have been finally working more on the greenhouse....Believe it or not there are corals in the system and have been now and are doing incredible! Here is a pic of one of the systems...you can see a large table acropora to the left and that Deresa is about 13" I had to move him the other day and he clamped down on my finger I thought I was gonna have to go to the hospital! :eek3:



Here is the project that I just got done with today...I can see that selling LR is going to be a big part of my business so I had to make a system solely for LR So I bought a 300g. rubbermad tub and took out the piece of junk bulkhead they use and replaced with a good one
Rubbermade bulkhead is on the left


I also had to cut some of the lip off of the rubbermaid cuz I wanted the spraybar up as high as I could get it


Here you can see the bottom has two intakes at opposing corners, and the spraybar which has bulkheads on each side and attached on both ends (one is capped) for stability


And of course you guys have probably guessed it already on which pump I used to drive this setup....an AM3K

[scubadude]

Here is a pic of the end of the spray bar...I capped it but always could plumb another rubbermaid to this if need be



and here you can see how I drilled holes in the spray bar...the way I set this circulation up it just makes a big circular current in the tub, it worked out pretty nicely and was fairly easy to compose.

[Reefland]

That is a fine looking spraybar there! Is this tub solely used for LR and is it plumbed alone or with another system? What kind of skimmer are you using on that daddy?

Scott Z.

[organicreefer]

so are the big clam /table for sale?

[Lunchbucket]

scuba you crazy mo fo.

yeah is it plumbed into something else? what skimmer?

MORE PICS ;) ....please

Lunchbucket

[Chadillac]

Hey Scuba,
I live up in Sarasota I would love to be able to check out your whole setup. Please e-mail me if I could possibly come down and check it out. I am getting ready to set up another tank so will be needing lr. I have a friend that is getting ready to do a reef setup, I am sure he would love to checkout everything too. Let me know Thanks just found your thread and couldn't stop readding...lol That thing is awesome!!!!!

[H2OENG]

Scubadude,
Had to come to reefland to check out your system. Sweet!
Any #s as far as the amount of cooling you get with the geothermal loop?
Chris

[H2OENG]

Did you convert your skimmers to air driven yet? You are correct about the water pumps being inefficient. Most air pumps (regenerative blowers) that move enough air for a big skimmer are out of reach for most hobbiests, though. A good blower is about $500-700. But it sounds like youve got one, so foam away!
I read an article about using car smog pumps as blowers for Briggs and Stratton dragsters. (!) I dont know what kind of power they require, but could be rigged with a small motor and belt driven. Hmm.
One more thing, keep your fans lubed good. All that salt air will crust them up right quick!
What a kick **s project!
Chris

[scubadude]

Scott,

Yes the new tub w/ the wicked spraybar is used solely for a rock tank.
I do not have a skimmer on it yet but it should be ready to put online in a few days. The skimmer will be 8'-9' tall and will be incremented from 8" PVC to 6"PVC to 4" Clear Acrylic. These skimmers will be CC (counter current) skimmers based on Snailmans design which can be found HERE

Organic,
Sure they are, email me if your serious :P

LunchBucket,
Actually no it is not plumbed into anything else.....atleast not yet...and havent really planned on plumbing it into anything else but the option is there if need be Pics will be more limited because my time has become more limited, but I will try and get the right pics

Chadillac,
Thanx bud! I will email ya!

H2OENG,
Dude! You sound like someone i would like to have a beer with! And pick your brain I was planning on using a sweetwater for many applications in my GH such as 18-20" airlifts (lots in each tank) as well as supplying all my air needs for my 2-8' CC skimmers. I am unsure on exactly the size of blower I need but I am stuck on figuring out the calculations for all my applications. Any help would be appreciated in this subject matter. I really like the idea of a car smog pump but I really think it might be better for me to just find a used sweetwater blower for sale...I was thinking along the lines of 100-200 bux...no more. Great tip on the fans (i have been thinking about that though) you are so right! as far as the Cooling I get the greenhouse has been well over 116 but the water temps havent gone over 84-85. A buddy of mine (also a coral farmer) is gonna help me put a bypass on one of the u/ground radiators and we are eventually gonna see what the u/ground temperature of the water is. This will basically let me know with all my other calculations how much pipe will cool how many gallons during a given temperature....thus I will be able to put together some sort of chart (atleast for my area) of the u/ground radiator system you will need for a given system.

[scubadude]

First I must say thank you GEO!

After I started building these I realized that I was taking the wrong approach for these systems....I should have made the tubes much larger and taller (I built them for standard systems not 500g+). Oh well im still learning..(Anthony if your reading ;-) )..what can I say. FWIW this is still wayyyy too much fun

[Lunchbucket]

holy crap man...you are getting into everything!! you are hard core man!

if you ever need to test one you could throw one my way ;) LOL

dang, huge green house reef, multiple DIY skimmers, DIY calcium reactors....what next??? your own tank!! hmmm....bet your mind is just churning w/ ideas!

keep it up buddy
now i really really need a reason to come to FL and see this!!
Lunchbucket