Let me just clarify.
I was not trying to spark a global warming debate in peter's thread. I do consider myself to be a "green" person but would love to have an aquarium of this size and complexity. I was more concerned with with the amount of power that he was expecting to require to run his reef with what has been determined to be the best practices with current tech.
One day when I'm nit a poor college student I would live to upgrade my 65g to something much bigger. I do however need to rationalize even the small impact that a reef of the size that I am thinking of operating impact on the environment. So things like having pumps that only consume 500w to move water for the system is something that I'm very interested in. These numbers are very important because if Peter were to run the pumps that were originally purchased I would bet that he would not be in the place where he is without a chiller and heaters.
I'm am not accusing Peter of killing the environment, far from it I think that it is very interesting that the current best practice and as such Peter's system tend to be more energy efficient than is the norm.
So to clarify my question. Peter when your system is up an running for a while could you give us the numbers for an average month before and after your system is operational? That way I can take what it is that you have done with your system and see how I can adapt it for my needs and wants.
Thanks for asking the question Brian. I have to admit before I started this project I would have rushed to cost as a simple qualifier for the size of the carbon footprint. However as I have learned that's not necessarily true. Many if not most technological measures to reduce or optimize energy consumption are initial high cost initiatives with long term benefits. Pumps are a great example and I know you are probably familiar with lighting and the considerable dialog around LED's. I also know that I did not anticipate the impact of the HRV properly architected into the design of the fish room. My HVAC system feeding the main house environment works considerably more efficiently due to the recycling of the lighting heat back into the house.
This is not a 'green' initiative Brian, at least not yet. It is an attempt to define best practices that eventually can become green. I do plan to make the appropriate environmental impact analysis available when the entire ecosystem is in place and the practical experience is sufficient to appreciate and take advantage of many of the important subtleties of maintaining a healthy marine environment and still respecting the planet earth.
To answer your first question I return to the opening principle regarding costs and budgets for an aquarium build of ANY size or description:
1. Take your worst nightmare scenario;
2. Double it and you will be half way there;
3. plus one.
This algorithm is valid for costs, time estimates and in some cases marital bliss..............
Peter
I didn't take it as an environmental audit. It was an honest question.
If you are looking for the most environmentally friendly methods of operating a large reef tank, then consider the following...
1) Sola tubes or skylights for natural light collection.
2) Solar and wind power with batteries and DC pumps.
3) Geo thermal climate control.
4) Wave making devices.
5) Well insulated and vented home.
6) Ecosystem filtration.
7) Air lift filtration and water movement.
Some of these come at a high cost so you need to decide if paying the extra money will ever pay off. You may be better off investing that money in other areas that will have a greater impact on your carbon footprint. You can find a balance in any system.
Peter & Mr. Wilson - I commend your thoughtful; objective; and thru & thru professional address to Brian's questions. He is a college student, and many of us can certainly remember trying to align theoretical thinking with practical living at one point or another in our own life development, so kudos to you both for giving Brian the benefit of the doubt.
Brian - very mature clarification. I should tell you that I've been there, and to as large a degree as possible, am still developing my practical application of environmental considerations. I did an architectural degree a number of years ago, and because of my love for aquariums and environmental design/brainstorming, I naturally went in the direction of sustainable design; at that time referred to as green architecture. In the end my architectural thesis topic was to design an environmentally sustainable building for a First Nations community in Central Ontario. I'd also taken on independent studies to support my forays into the world of environmental thinking, one in particular was to develop a set of architectural [sustainable] design principles as a kind of initial or generic resource against which sustainably approached buildings can be considered...
The point I'm trying to make here is that it was initially due to my general interest in nature (life); and a practical result of my aquarium experience as a hobbyist (much like all of you), that guided my enthusiasm for sustainable design. This enthusiasm has led me to write the 200 page book on environmental architecture which I submitted as my thesis; and later win an award from the Toronto Design Exchange for the theoretical design of a residential community here in Ontario. I've always contended that multidisciplinary interrelationships are not only important, but crucial to the evolution of knowledge (my use of the word evolution is not whimsical btw).
My personal contemplation with environmental sensitivity; and captive aquarium (reef) environments ultimately yielded the following position:
Aquariums provide us access to elements of life; concepts of balance; and their fragility in a way that would be otherwise hard to personally experience. This aspect alone works to educate us urban, rural, or otherwise land-dwelling folks in a manner that I believe will in fact come full circle by ultimately adding to the level of appreciation for that which environmentalist seek to protect.
I too am passionate about life - all of it. The driving force for me personally came as a direct result of being able to access and understand fish-tanks at an early age. So Mr. Wilson is absolutely right, in saying that there are ancillary, even intangible benefits associated with the investments made toward perfecting our little microcosms we refer to as reefs.
Very good question Brian. When I was growing up I remember teachers telling me that the only stupid question is the one that was not asked... this is the place for asking all questions reef!
Oh btw just for sh?ts and giggles; here are those (architectural) sustainable design principles I came up with in 1997:
1) The constructed environment must be connected to the larger natural environment;
[a little elaboration: water changes on fish tanks]
2) Provisions must be made for natural processes and accommodate the flow of energy from one biome to the next;
[at the time cutting-edge technologies such as 'Waterloo Biofilters'; 'Living Machines'; and 'Breathing Walls' utilized the same biological natural phenomena that we as aquarium stewards take for granted everyday]
3) Sustainable technologies must focus on the transition between constructed and natural biomes, as opposed to recreating autonomous systems;
[Biosphere2 experiment in Phoenix began to falter because it attempted to achieve full isolation - in my opinion sustainable environmental thinking is about connection and movement between environments built and/or natural]
4) The constructed environment must employ indigenous resources and natural systems before importing or exporting from "specialized" sites;
[i.e. use composting toilets, or for that matter, composting as opposed to landfills; generate solar energy (similarly; use Mr. Wilson's skylights and solar tubes for aquariums); use wind energy; many municipalities are warming up to the concept of reversible electric meters; etc]
5) 'Sustainable' design should not be interchanged with 'autonomous' design since absolute autonomy can be approached, but never fully acheived.
[as we know here, water changes connect our aquariums to the larger environment as a benefit (economy of scale) no matter what type of reactor technology we use]
This is by no means the end-all and be-all with regard to environmental or architectural design, but it was a good kick at the can back in my 4th year of University... many things can be added to for certain.
By bringing aquariums (of all varieties) into residences and offices/buildings, even people who consider themselves apathetic toward environmental thinking have the opportunity to interact (at least at a subconscious level) with this phenomenon of natural balance. When approached via a guidance system of "best practice", as Peter, Mr. Wilson, and all others who regularly visit this knowledge depot we call RC continue to pursue; reefs can truly become the best educators, the vast majority of our population will ever come in contact with....
Not to get too philosophical, but in my thinking reef keeping is like a college degree for anyone who takes the time and spends the effort (and cash Peter) to understand its true inter-workings.
Anyway; it was nice to reminisce back to the good ole days.
Regards,
Sheldon
