Acrylic Aquariums - Do It Yourself
March 24, 2009
Aquarists have a choice of aquarium construction material. There’s glass which is probably the most popular, then acrylic. Aquariums can also be constructed from plywood with a suitable lining.
Glass is the material usually targeted when DIY is involved. However, is it possible to use acrylic? The answer is ‘of course, provided there is sufficient information to do it properly.’
So the link given will permit this ‘do it properly’ to be achieved. The link is to an expert website where the subject is understood thoroughly.
Here’s the link:
http://www.sdplastics.com/acrylic.html
(Aquaristsonline.com does not have any contacts, personal or commercial, with the link given)
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Building Your own Calcium Reactor
December 23, 2008
Those aquarists that own a fish only system are not overly concerned with calcium levels as it is mainly the captive reef where the level needs monitoring.
Even an aquarist with a reef aquarium could be able to maintain a sufficient calcium presence by the use of commercially produced additives or even by routine seawater changes. The former options would usually apply to small aquariums and perhaps those containing soft corals only.
The larger aquarium, particularly one that houses SPS (small polyp stony) corals, is more than likely to find that routine seawater changes do not maintain a high enough calcium level. The use of commercial additives will maintain the level but the ongoing cost is likely to be prohibitive. So what’s to be done?
There are ways to automate the provision of calcium, and one of these is the calcium reactor. This works on a simple principle, and that is that if calcium rich media is placed in a chamber where the pH is low (slightly acidic) then the media will dissolve.
In the calcium reactor aquarium seawater is slowly moved through a chamber by a pump. Inside this chamber is the media. Also fed into the chamber is carbon dioxide, which reduces the pH causing the media to slowly dissolve. The seawater is then re-directed to the aquarium carrying with it the additional calcium.
The device needs to be a little more complicated as the carbon dioxide has to be fed into the chamber at a fairly precise rate which requires a control valve. Also, the output from the device, the seawater returning to the aquarium, needs to be controlled. These controls are necessary so that in the first place the media dissolves to a sufficient extent, and secondly so that the aquarist has control over the speed of delivery of the enriched seawater. This allows more precise control over the level of calcium in the aquarium seawater.
The trouble is, a good reliable calcium reactor is not a cheap device. (Is anything I hear someone cry?) If the aquarist is not sure of his/her DIY skills then the device is still worth the price as it saves time and labour with additives, in the long term probably costs less than using additives, and affords a better way of continuously feeding calcium to the aquarium to maintain the selected level.
If the aquarist is reasonably good at DIY, or knows of someone who is and who is willing to undertake projects out of interest, then a home built device is a definite possibility.
The link provided gives good detail on material requirements and procedures with lists, instructions and pictures. There are even suggestions where the materials could be sourced. If DIY is being considered, do not be initially put off by what appears to be fairly complicated - when studied for a while it isn’t.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/articles/DIYCalciumReactor.htm
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My Diminutive Algae Scrubber
December 2, 2008
I had my glass aquarium built for me with a few additions inside. At the left end is a small triangular area which contains four pumps and also the intakes for canister filters, an anti-phosphate filter, a denitrator (not now in use), and a protein skimmer.
The skimmer is a hang-on type which fitted except that the outlet, which flows down a flat surface, was not long enough. Anyway, the supplied flat plate outlet wouldn’t go down into the aquarium as the side-strap got in the way.
“Hmm” I thought, engaging super Do It Yourself brain cell.
After doing a few measurements I went to the LFS and had some bits of glass cut to act as barriers to seawater. When these were supplied I siliconed them into place on the side brace on each side of the skimmer outlet and also behind it.
Then I obtained some rigid plastic and cut a piece of the correct length to reach the seawater after bending over the side strap. Easily done, however I was left with a length of straight plastic when I needed a bent one.
A piece of cardboard was obtained and bent to the angle required. Then I got my blow torch out (normally used for plumbing) and carefully heated the plastic at the bend point, with the plastic over the edge of a piece of thin metal. This was the part where I thought the plastic would be ruined. But no, keeping the flame of the burner away from the plastic I managed to bend it correctly. Now it was cup of coffee time - very pleased.
The old plate outlet was cut off leaving only a fairly short flat piece close to the skimmer, and the new plate was then glued to the remaining part. When the glue was fully set, the skimmer was switched on and everything worked, with the returning seawater going into the aquarium silently.
I realized that this run of seawater over the flat plate would be a good air/water interchange and so be useful in ensuring a good oxygen level. The original need though was just to get the seawater back into the aquarium properly and quietly.
The return plate sits close to the bank of fluorescent tubes, and what I hadn’t considered was algae. This began to develop on the plate and I managed to keep the plate clean for quite a while as part of normal maintenance.
I noticed that the algae developing was not the green and hairy stuff but much darker, wiry and short. So I stopped cleaning it to see what developed.
The algae developed all over the slope of the plate and as said was the short dark wiry type often called turf algae. I kept a very close eye on it but it didn’t get out of control. In fact, once it had got to 1/4″ or thereabouts it didn’t get any longer. There wasn’t any die-back either. The alga hasn’t entered the aquarium area at all.
The photo I’ve taken is rather ‘blue’ probably because it was taken directly beneath the fluorescent tubes which include actinic types.
The aquarium has been running for a bit over six years and the skimmer the same. There has never been a problem generated by the algae on the skimmer return plate.
I do seawater tests for nitrate and phosphate, and these are usually done monthly. The tests indicate zero, though of course with hobby test kits it is better to say ‘undetected’ as the kits are not of a scientific standard. The algae on the skimmer outlet plate must be finding nutrients of some sort to survive, so perhaps there is a very low presence of nitrate and/or phosphate. The seawater flow is clearly to its liking and there must be a high oxygen presence.
Algae scrubbers are a well known method of nutrient control. The modern type is the sump which is planted with Caulerpa macro algae. They are bigger than my little algae covered plate!
I never intended to have an ‘algae scrubber’, but have now got one of sorts. It is very small but nevertheless will be doing something towards maintaining seawater quality.
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DIY Metal Halide Lighting
November 30, 2008
Do It Yourself (DIY) with a project of any kind is not for everybody. However, there are large numbers of people who do complete various projects successfully, and there is a lot of satisfaction to be had never mind the financial saving. Often the only requirement to start a project is a guide or laid out plan of action.
Marine aquarists have a lot of scope to demonstrate their skills with DIY. For example, some construct their own filters, protein skimmers, lighting hoods and aquarium stands etc. Some make the aquarium itself.
The lighting for a reef aquarium is very important for the health of the corals. Failure to provide proper lighting, both intensity and spectrum, is the road to failure. Different coral groups require different intensities of light. Where the aquarist requires intense light then metal halide systems are often chosen.
The aquarist could consider DIY for the metal halide system. There isn’t a requirement to be a qualified tradesman, just a need for a basic capability and the care to complete the job. With electrical items of course the aquarist needs to be aware that electricity and misuse are dangerous. Having said that, there isn’t any reason why a DIY project cannot be completed in this area also. However, if there is doubt, don’t attempt it. If the job is in progress and there is doubt, obtain qualified advice.
As already said, all the DIY aquarist really needs is the guideline and advice to follow. So below is a link which provides that. Using a search engine on the internet will no doubt find more sources.
There is another way for a DIY project to commence, though this one is even easier because the parts don’t have to be searched for. This method is called ‘retrofit’ and there are kits available that provide all the parts and the instructions for construction. They are very straightforward.
Before the aquarist starts it is necessary to research the intensity of lighting that is required, that is the power (watts shown by a ‘W’) of the bulb(s). This intensity depends on the type of corals to be kept and also the depth of the aquarium. This applies whether the lighting is a DIY project, a ‘retrofit’ kit, or ‘off the shelf.’
http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/mh/mhlighting.html
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DIY Aquarium Stand Resources
November 12, 2008
There are quite a few reasons as to why an aquarist would consider building their own aquarium stand.
- The current financial climate is one that springs to mind. It is a lot cheaper to build your own than purchase ‘off the shelf’
- The challenge and satisfaction of designing and building your own stand
- The actual enjoyment of doing a bit of do it yourself
From a personal point of view I believe that I am a mixture of the above. I like to save a bit of money where I can, I like the challenge and I enjoy doing it.
There are some people who are capable of building things without the need for plans or looking at ways in which other people have built similar items however I believe that it is a good idea to see how other people have done things. There may be a better way of achieving the same result. An example that springs to mind is the creation of an aquarium stand for an in-wall aquarium - does this need to be made from wood - it could be made from builing blocks, metal etc.
Anyway for this reason I thought it might be useful to create a list of website resources where information on DIY aquarium stands can be located. Some of these site detail plans to build your own stands, others detail how the owner of the site actually built their stand and others simply give ideas.
I hope that you find this list useful. If you know of any other sites which provide this type of information which is not listed either let us know so that we can add it to the list or leave a comment below so that others can benefit from it.
Anyway on with the list…
Aquarium Stand Plans - Cost Associated eBook
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Building Your Own Aquarium Stand For Tanks 10 To 125 Gallons
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DIY Protein Skimmers
July 27, 2008
The protein skimmer is considered to be an essential piece of equipment nowadays and assists greatly in the maintenance of high quality seawater. The device removes much of the dissolved organic material (DOM) that could accumulate. Anyone who has seen the dark stinky ‘yuk’ in a protein skimmer collection cup will never be without one.
All protein skimmers work on the same principle and manufacturers do not have any secret methods. What they do have is the expertise and mechanization to mass produce. There isn’t a need to buy a commercial unit however, provided the aquarist has some confidence in his/her DIY ability, and also has access to the required materials. Most have this access nowadays, if not locally through the internet.
If the aquarist takes a little time and carefully looks at a protein skimmer in a shop or at a friend’s it will be seen that they are basically simple. Seawater is moved from the aquarium and through a bubble chamber where the DOM is removed and collected in a cup. The method of moving the seawater and creating the bubbles vary.
This is not an attempt to advise that commercial products are poor - many are very good indeed and do the job well. However, they’re not the cheapest devices on the market! A basically competent DIYer can save money and still have a skimmer that does a good job, and also have the pride of ‘I did that.’ Most aquarists go for the commercial products and fair enough, but some…well, why not?
Seeing some of the skimmer plans for the first time can be a little daunting, but they’re not as bad as they first appear. Here’s a link and there is useful information here too in addition to plans:
http://saltaquariums.about.com/od/diyskimmerplans/DIY_Protein_Skimmer_Plans.htm
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Save Money and Have Fun By Making Your Own Live Rock
July 2, 2008
Live rock is a wonderful bio-filtration media. The shapes of the individual rocks are attractive and very useful in the construction of an ‘open’ reef structure. There is a disadvantage however, and that is cost.
Though different types of live rock vary in weight, this weight causes transportation to be expensive. In addition, the rock is usually transported uncured, and further cost is added for the curing process (curing is where organisms that are dead are dying are cleared from the live rock so that pollution will not occur).
Another downside to live rock is the collection itself. Hopefully collection is done responsibly and only rubble and other loose rock is collected, and nothing is prised from the reef itself. There are companies that are creating live rock in the wild by leaving non-reef rocks in the sea near a wild reef until the rock is seeded. This has to be applauded, but the cost of transportation is still there.
There is a way that hobbyists can get around the high cost of natural live rock and that is to make it themselves. There are two ways to do this.
The first way involves the purchase of live rock from the retailer. However, the quantity is ¼ to ½ of what would have been purchased if the aquarium were to be furnished with all natural live rock. When the live rock goes into the aquarium, the shortfall is made up with inert porous ordinary rock. Given time, this inert rock will become live - bacteria will take up residence and other marine life will also do the same. It is a very satisfying process but is slow and that certain virtue is required - patience. 6 months plus is the time scale being looked at. If the aquarist is to use live rock as the sole bio-filtration method, for a period care is needed to make sure there is sufficient bio capacity for the livestock. It could be that if the aquarist is concerned about the size of the bio load a canister filter could be incorporated to assist for a while. When the canister filter becomes redundant it can be used for mechanical filtration.
The second way is to make the rocks themselves. This is not as difficult, or perhaps as silly, as it could sound. For this method a link is provided so that the idea can be investigated:
When at the website, expand the ‘How To Pages’ on the left hand side list (click on the + sign). Then click on ‘Aragonite’ or ‘Aragocrete’. A list will appear and a selection can be made.
It would really be good to view a healthy, vibrant fully stocked captive reef and be able to say ‘I made that, entirely, A to Z.’
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