To be honest Peter I was a bit concerned about this project from the standpoint of complexity and the necessary experience to deal with it. Having Mr. Wilson on board will go a long way in minimizing wrong steps. However it is the nature of this hobby that blunders are inevitable and even the pros get "wet". On the other hand the complexity is what makes it such a challenge and enjoyable. Just expect a few bumps along the road. Ok, maybe large pot holes
Your first line scared me a bit, then I read on... Thanks for the confidence in my abilities.
Sometimes it's hard to convey that I do know what I'm doing when there is a large project with so many aspects coming together from every direction all at once. Last night I managed to glue two valves onto the same length of pipe by accident. I can't even blame the fumes this time
I cut the part off and discovered it had to go anyway because the plumbing inside the water storage vat I was working on was completely nonsensical. I felt a little better about myself when I saw I wasn't the only one thinking backwards
I made on huge, very well planned plumbing purchase, then six more trips for just the right part :0 If anyone tells you they can get the parts order right on the first trip they are either MacGyvering it or shaving strokes as we say on the golf course.
I don't need to tell you guys how much is going on here as you have been reading the soap opera every day for six months now. We have some really exciting developments not only in Peters tank build but in advancing the hobby as a whole. I can't take credit for the advancements, as I'm just the messenger. With the help of the community in this thread, we went with plasma lighting that will be here in the next week or so. You guys also sent us to a supplier of DC brushless pumps that actually work. ChingChai sent us a miracle epoxy putty worthy of the silly names they brand the stuff that doesn't work (Wacky Glue, Super Glue, Ultra-Fast-Bond 2000 etc.). AS Peter keeps mentioning, these are best practices that we will continue to test and improve upon, as we all know the best practice of today can quickly be shunned tomorrow
We are aiming at a platform of technology and methodology that has stability, reliability, and longevity. We don't want the flavour of the month LED lights, and we plan on using the DC pumps we have ordered for at least 10 years. There may be a new impeller or control software update along the way, but we won't be swapping it out for the next big thing that has a 30 second video showing it running on some ones desk. We want solid equipment that will pass the test of time... and a little abuse
After some thorough research we have established that plasma lighting is head and shoulders the best practice for refugia and mangrove culture. We are going to use a "spare" plasma light to test it directly against the lighting we have in house (250 watt HQI MHL with electronic ballast, 400 watt mogul based MHL, 150 watt HID MHL ceramic Powerball, and even the neighbours Solaris LED fixture). I'm not sure what we will do if the Solaris wins the contest
We have a LUX meter in house and we have ordered our Apogee UM-200 UV meter, and MQ-200 quantum/PAR meter.
Our ODSB (overflow deep sand bed) will be a fun addition, along with our benthic zone in the sump and mangrove estuary walls in the fish room. We are hoping to improve air quality along with water quality, and in the process brighten up the fish room in more way than one. One thing Peter isn't prepared for is the dramatic transformation that a fish room makes once living organisms are added, other than the but crack crew I'm so happy to be part of
Those sterile, static Mars systems take on a whole new life once colourful fish are swimming around. The room will actually appear larger and much more inviting. Right now it looks like a University lab that just got a big grant from BP
I got our quote from Aqua-Digital for our Profilux controller and I'm waiting for my heart rate to return to normal before telling Peter. I can assure you all that there are no freebies to be found. We are however getting a discount on the SMS unit that you will all be looking at in the display case at MACNA. Needless to say we have a tall order for the controller as we are controlling a main display, two fish systems and a coral system. Man that stuff adds up!
