What did I build now? updated Dec.1.2008

[chefkeith]

Is it a river tank manifold?

Nope. This goes on top of the tank.


It has 6 fog/mist spray heads


The paludarium sump is now a rainforest.


This fog/mist manifold is connected to a python hose going to the faucet. The bypass valve allows me to use the python for whatever way I need to. I've been testing this set-up for the past few weeks and I haven't had any measurable chlorine in the tank water yet. Maybe the misting/fogging action is making the chlorine in the tap water gas out?

Lastly, I’m using some white garbage bags as a dome to protect the lighting from the mist and to protect the plants from the lighting.
I don’t know how this is going to work for the long term, but for now besides being a rainmaker, it also replaces my continuous drip water change system.

[Rocco]

Thats niiiiiiiice!

[loachmom]

Wow!!! That is brilliant!

[Mark in Vancouver]

Very cool.

[Keith Wolcott]

Very nice! You have a really interesting setup and experiment going on here. Please keep us posted on how it develops.

[Tinman]

Chlorine will disipate. Chloramine will not. You should carbon filter the feed to be safe,whole house filters can be added pretty cheap, replacement filters needed every three months or so......

[mistergreen]

you'd probably need a glass cover... The white plastic bag deflects a lot of light the plants would need or use a clear plastic cover instead..

[chefkeith]

Thanks all.

Tinman- There is no chloramine in the tap water. Do carbon filters really remove chloramins though? I've read at a few websites that they don't. I don't know 1st hand though. If so, adding a carbon filter would be a very good idea just in case.

Mistergreen- Yes, I want to deflect the light. I needed to either reduce the brightness somehow or build a new higher hood.

The emersed plants were getting toasted from the direct lighting no matter how I adjusted the lighting cycles. The lights are only 4 inches from the top of the tank. Some of the emersed plants were nearing the top of the tank. I have 2 - 2 x 55 watt cp light fixtures (and 2- 1x95 watt cp lights which I'm not using).
I thought I'd try using the translucent white bags because many greenhouses I've seen use translucent white panels. I tried this white plastic dome idea for about a week last month and the emersed plants really seemed to perk up during that time. The white dome kind of acts like a canopy of trees shading the plants below it. The plants seem to be getting enough light.
I'll give this idea a few months of time to see if it works.

[chefkeith]

More pics-



The snails seem to like the fog and mist. Now they'll clean the glass above the water.

[tariesindanrie]

Very cool, CK. I'd call it my 'swamptank'.

Kate

[Mark in Vancouver]

That's pretty neat. You ought to get some tree frogs in there or something.

[Tinman]

Yes Carbon,
Your whole water feed will add whatever to your system. This is positive assurance whatever floats in will be captured of dissipated at the very least. I bought a whole house filter at the Big Box store and feed through it. This is the most bang for the buck and you need 4 filters a year but probably could go much longer as these are designed for a "whole house" as opposed to my trickle feed...It makes tons of long term benifits with 0 downside. A fresh carbon eased Blackspot overnight for me so I'd soap box the issue to convince you the importance.
It is your first defense on the risk alone of any water change whether over time or in percentage's.
PPM are still PPM no matter the time span.This could in fact increase the danger by evaporating so much light plain hydrogen from the flow where the metals will not evaporate and still enter your tank adding ever so microscopically to your contaminant ppm count onboard your system.... I think your set up is kick-ass completely BTW

[mistergreen]

I'm growing this little emersed aquatic plant bowl.. Some of the leaves on my plants were getting toasted too.



but it looked like it was a nutrient deficiency and me not spraying and keeping the air humid. I just have a lid to keep the moisture in.

ps...How is this working as a sump btw? Have you noticed any change in NO3 in the other tank?

[crazy loaches]

Tinman- There is no chloramine in the tap water. Do carbon filters really remove chloramins though? I've read at a few websites that they don't. I don't know 1st hand though. If so, adding a carbon filter would be a very good idea just in case.

There may be a few that claim to but most do not. Even the ones that do I think require other filtration to complete the process (like RO). I talked with a company that custom builds RO and other filters usually for reefers. Since I just have chlorine they hooked me up with a micron filter and 'chlorine guzzler' filter. They said if columbus switches to chloramines that I'd have to get a RO setup or something to that effect.


Awsome job chefkeith! Paludariums have always fascinated me but I've never tried to do one. Keep up the good work man.

[chefkeith]

Tariesindanrie- I showed my mother this tank the other day and she said it looked like a rainforest! A year from now, it might look like a jungle.

Mark- Frogs sound like a cool idea. I’ll have to research this some to see what they require. I wonder if cherry shrimp and fry are compatible with them?

Tinman- I think I might put some activated carbon inside a canister filter for now. The water flow rate through the fogger/mister manifold is only about 4 gallons per hour and I’ve been running it about 10 hours per day. The canister runs at about 300 gph, so it should be able to keep up with the 4 gph that is added. Does that make any sense?

Mistergreen- I’m not sure about the Nitrates. It usually doesn’t register with my test kits ever since I installed the drip water change system. The English Ivy and the Crypts are growing, so I think they are getting enough nutrients. I need a few months more to evaluate the changes.
Crazy Loaches- Thanks for the info. I think I’m ok for now. Later on, I’ll probably get a special pump for the fog/mist manifold and just pump tank water through the system. Then I’ll just go back to my old drip system where I pre-treat the tap water in a 95g tank. Those pumps cost about $200, which I won’t have until after the holidays. Regular powerhead pumps won’t produce enough pressure for the sprayheads, they need atleast 15 psi to work.