Your Craziest Invention or Idea

[MightyMike]

If my fridge is going to make ice no matter how many ice cube trays are in the freezer, I was thinking in lieu of or additon to a chiller one could insulate a sump with some kind of cold-thermos type pocket on a few (2?) sides with a large sump-shaped RO-ice "cube" insert, or maybe L shaped. This would keep the temp down and with some help might be worked into an ATO unit so that the melting "cube" would replace evap ... still rudimentary I know, but I'm not great with this kind of thing ... maybe a hang-on kind of set up for different shaped/sized sumps ?

 

[cb747]

Thinking more about this i think any detrius that may make it under the starboard would make no difference in the tank overall. I may mess around this weekend. Ill cut a few pieces of PVC to elevate the starboard and then silicone it in place after drilling many holes every few inches. Then i think ill convert it into my refugium for awhile. I always get detrius in my fuge!

 

[richiewwhite]

Mighty Mike you stole my idea. Last night i had this whole big thing typed up about a flow through compartment that holds a water tight bag of ice. or a big ice brick. and you can make ice bricks in your freezer to have them on hand. it would have to be right before the return to the tank so that when it returned and mixed with the warmer water it wouldn't be to drastic of a change in temperature. It wouldn't be hard to make. it would be similar to an air/water intercooler for a turbocharged car. I didn't think of the ro/di cubes I was thinking if you freeze them it would do something to the water like when you heat it. I would just stick with regular tap cubes in a thicker bag or even those icee brick things. if you were sure it wouldn't leak or even put them in a bag then into your sump.

 

[EmilyT]

ellebelle one problem- salt doesnt freeze with water :sad2:
good idea though!
heres mine....
a fish hamster ball!!!!!! :sleepy:

 

[EmilyT]

i dont think that the fish will actually move it but you could always give it a nudge!

 

[JHOV2324]

:scratch: i dont get it...^
l
l

 

[digitalreefer]

ellebelle one problem- salt doesnt freeze with water :sad2:

Sure it does... it just has a lower freezing point. I freeze my live food in saltwater all the time.

 

[EmilyT]

there goes my year in chemistry!!!!
i though when ice freezes in oceans its freshwater no?
haha dont listen to me anymore im just a kid :sad2:

 

[ming]

The more salt in the water mixture, the lower the freezing point will be.
Heres a fun little thing I google'd up
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=426

 

[TimberTDI]

Just to clear up some confusion...

The idea that DRZL and I were talking about are for bare bottom systems. They would be ineffective on sand beds.

Steven

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Iceberg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dead ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Thinking more about this i think any detrius that may make it under the starboard would make no difference in the tank overall. I may mess around this weekend. Ill cut a few pieces of PVC to elevate the starboard and then silicone it in place after drilling many holes every few inches. Then i think ill convert it into my refugium for awhile. I always get detrius in my fuge!

I sensed World War III :tank:

beacause you really steal my idea :argue: .

I have using this all along. :shhh:
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For support stabling, don't use silicone, it will age and not work too good with pvc nor star board. I used plastic ties


Just messing you :grouphug: .


If you want to see something similar(plus a minor mistake I run into) came over to my cafe.

Oh also forget to tell you if you don't want to make your tubing for the water channels at the bottom of the tank, you can buy something, I believed, called " S tubes" from fish farming supply companies. I just being cheap and DIY my own with PVC.

 

[bad coffee]

If you're looking for something plastic with tubes, look for gatorboard. It's corragated plastic. It looks like cardboard, but it's plastic. You can get different thicknesses.

MY idea? evaporating used salt water and reclaiming the salt.

 

[Harif87]

MY idea? evaporating used salt water and reclaiming the salt.

Wouldnt nitrates and phosphates and the stuff your trying to get out of the tank via water changes, not evaporate either just like the salt?

 

[cali_reef]

MY idea? evaporating used salt water and reclaiming the salt.

How are you going to do that cost effectively in NYC without contaminating the salt? That would save me about $300 a year if it is zero cost.

 

[DRZL]

Checking out the gatorboard, thanks for the suggestion. It looks like a good candidate for some modding.

 

[cali_reef]

OK guys here my crazy idea:

How about a mh reflector with a built in motorized aperture or louvers that slowly open to simulate sunset and sunrise?

I think restricting the area of light output by blocking the light will not simulate the dawn and dusk effect, it will make your MH into a spot light instead. The best way to simulate dawn and dusk is with a electronic controlled VHO\T5 dimmer, then a MH dimmer. There are already commercial products that can do that, at about $2,300 for the two MH ballast and a VHO dimmer.

 

[cb747]

Wingo thanks for the advice

 

[inline6]

I think restricting the area of light output by blocking the light will not simulate the dawn and dusk effect, it will make your MH into a spot light instead. The best way to simulate dawn and dusk is with a electronic controlled VHO\T5 dimmer, then a MH dimmer. There are already commercial products that can do that, at about $2,300 for the two MH ballast and a VHO dimmer.

I happen to think that a simple system very much like a mag light flashlight would work. Sure there are products out that does the same thing, however not everybody has a unlimited reef budget such as yourself.

 

[cali_reef]

I happen to think that a simple system very much like a mag light flashlight would work. Sure there are products out that does the same thing, however not everybody has a unlimited reef budget such as yourself.

I am not saying its not a cool idea, I wish there is a safe and effective way to dim the lights my self since I don't think those particular MH ballast are worth $1000 each and I don't have an unlimited reef budget. I am only pointing out what I feel people may want to know before they start on a project that someone with experience should have told them it would not work.

The mag flashlights does not "close" an aperture at the light source, it changes reflective pattern by moving the concave reflector away from the bulb. I am sorry but it does not "dim" the light, it just changes the light spreads to different\bigger pattern. In any case, I am not sure how you would come up with a moveable\rotating concave MH reflector with a fix mogul to get the same spreading effect. I am guessing the reflector(home made, since there is no such type of reflector on the market) would have to be moved at least 4" to get the same effect due to the length of a typical 175w/250W bulb. Placing the MH bulb vertically is also challenging as to the reflective efficiency and gas release.

You might want to consider using an EVC dimmable 250W MH ballast with some type of servo mechanism to turn the built in dimmer. I wrote a product review on the ballast, it is not very efficient in producing PAR when compared to icecap ballast. I stop messing with the idea of adding a servo after the disappointing PAR results, I didn't want to spend another few hundred dollars to waste electricity ..

FWIW, I been growing corals just fine for eight years now without having a properly simulated sun rise and sun set. I am not sure they mind as much as us to the effect of someone turning on a MH over our head while I am sleeping.