ESHOPPS Mariner 70 Build

[tbrown]

F/2 and Phyto arrive today! Originally it was set for Saturday but apparently USPS heard the grumblings from a lot of people recently and bumped it into high gear!

 

[tharbin]

I actually have really good experiences with USPS. Almost everything I order that comes USPS comes on time, and often early. Last time I order phyto/copepods from @Eldredge they came two days early BUT they were delivered to our parcel locker and the key was damaged so we couldn't get them and the local PO doesn't have the keys. Next morning we went and found our mailperson who was making package deliveries. He stopped his route and followed us over to the parcel locker to recover the package and then went back to his deliveries. I couldn't ask for better or nicer service.

 

[tbrown]

I actually have really good experiences with USPS. Almost everything I order that comes USPS comes on time, and often early. Last time I order phyto/copepods from @Eldredge they came two days early BUT they were delivered to our parcel locker and the key was damaged so we couldn't get them and the local PO doesn't have the keys. Next morning we went and found our mailperson who was making package deliveries. He stopped his route and followed us over to the parcel locker to recover the package and then went back to his deliveries. I couldn't ask for better or nicer service.

I had USPS deliver a Betta to me. For whatever reason the seller chose 2 day shipping but USPS decided to take 6 days to deliver a box that said "Live Fish" in the middle of summer. Needless to say, I could smell the box when I opened the front door...

 

[tbrown]

Got the Phyto set up this morning for the variety that came yesterday. I lost my refractometer though so I need to find that so I can split it. I premixed saltwater but I need to make sure it's still good to go.

 

[tbrown]

Found the refractometer. Good thing I checked, it was at 1.025. Per @Projects with Sam's advice, I diluted it down to 1.018, added F/2, and cut the Phyto.

Nannochloropsis growing has begun! Currently I'm running 2 x 16 oz bottles. When I draw off the first one I'm planning on just upgrading to a 32 oz bottle and adding f/2 and saltwater. The second one I'll keep as a 16 oz as my backup culture.

Once we've got this one doing decent and things warm up enough for a delivery from TSA I'll grab a few other varieties from them and do the same thing - start with 2 x 16 oz bottles and upgrade one to 32 oz at the first cut.

 

[MrsBugmaster]

Found the refractometer. Good thing I checked, it was at 1.025. Per @Projects with Sam's advice, I diluted it down to 1.018, added F/2, and cut the Phyto.

Hmmm, maybe that’s what I need to do. Mine will crash after 2 or 3 times. Can’t seem to keep it going long term.

 

[tbrown]

Sorry, dirty glass but if you're curious who wins in the battle of the Stylos:

Styloconiella wins against Stylophora.

 

[tbrown]

I haven't officially tested it yet BUT it looks like the Hydros Sole, Minnow, and X10 dosers can be programmed to go forward AND backwards if you use them in a second dosing program.

@Stang67 @JoJosReef I'm going to test this out on my Minnow but it looks like, set a dose program with the speed set positive, run the forward dose (plus whatever the empty tube should contain) however many times daily you want to feed live/liquid, then run a second program for a few minutes later with the speed set negative.

I was thinking I could have a second container of fresh saltwater and use that to back flush phyto and retop off the container, but it would have to be a very precise measurement of how much the tubing holds or risk overfilling or draining the phyto container.

I imagine doing this would likely crash a phyto or pod culture but it might be a cool experiment.

 

[luis angel]

I haven't officially tested it yet BUT it looks like the Hydros Sole, Minnow, and X10 dosers can be programmed to go forward AND backwards if you use them in a second dosing program.

@Stang67 @JoJosReef I'm going to test this out on my Minnow but it looks like, set a dose program with the speed set positive, run the forward dose (plus whatever the empty tube should contain) however many times daily you want to feed live/liquid, then run a second program for a few minutes later with the speed set negative.

I was thinking I could have a second container of fresh saltwater and use that to back flush phyto and retop off the container, but it would have to be a very precise measurement of how much the tubing holds or risk overfilling or draining the phyto container.

I imagine doing this would likely crash a phyto or pod culture but it might be a cool experiment.

Could you put a T or Y so that when the liquid returns it goes to an empty container and not to the same one where the phyto or pod culture is?

 

[tbrown]

Could you put a T or Y so that when the liquid returns it goes to an empty container and not to the same one where the phyto or pod culture is?

Yes. I would put in a Y and a pair of check valves. If I'm flushing with air, it would just be a short piece of airline hose with a check valve on one side of the Y and a check valve with tubing going to the tank on the other side.

I'm more considering this forward/backward for alkalinity testing - I now have everything I need except the acid so I just have to buy that and set up a "safe" place to test.

I've been working more on getting the 110 ready to go for my wife's freshwater tank and then the Coralland 8 gallon. Once those are both in place I'll have additional storage so I can move some of the "clutter" on the shelf next to this tank and have room for the testing area.

 

[tbrown]

Could you put a T or Y so that when the liquid returns it goes to an empty container and not to the same one where the phyto or pod culture is?

The point of flushing would simply be to get the live Phyto or pods out of the tubing back into their container. They're more likely to spoil the batch if they stay in the tubing and go stagnant although I imagine if it's a daily or even every two day dose they wouldn't likely die.

 

[Stang67]

I haven't officially tested it yet BUT it looks like the Hydros Sole, Minnow, and X10 dosers can be programmed to go forward AND backwards if you use them in a second dosing program.

@Stang67 @JoJosReef I'm going to test this out on my Minnow but it looks like, set a dose program with the speed set positive, run the forward dose (plus whatever the empty tube should contain) however many times daily you want to feed live/liquid, then run a second program for a few minutes later with the speed set negative.

I was thinking I could have a second container of fresh saltwater and use that to back flush phyto and retop off the container, but it would have to be a very precise measurement of how much the tubing holds or risk overfilling or draining the phyto container.

I imagine doing this would likely crash a phyto or pod culture but it might be a cool experiment.

Yes please do because I'm still looking for an auto feeder/flush option for thawed frozen.

 

[luis angel]

The point of flushing would simply be to get the live Phyto or pods out of the tubing back into their container. They're more likely to spoil the batch if they stay in the tubing and go stagnant although I imagine if it's a daily or even every two day dose they wouldn't likely die.

It's going to be difficult to achieve this, but I know you'll do it, because you'll also have to calculate the time it takes to dose the desired amount and then immediately put it in reverse, so that it doesn't stay in the tubes for too long, but what you're trying to do is very interesting.

 

[luis angel]

Not a very good ( not good at all ) drawer lol but more or less my idea @tbrown

 

[tbrown]

Not a very good ( not good at all ) drawer lol but more or less my idea @tbrown

Yep, with a one way/check valve at the RODI as well or you risk pushing Phyto into the RODI chamber.

What Becky is talking about would likely not require the RODI, just an air flush for non-live (don't want to water it down). Or, if she wanted to waste a little it would be another Y above the Phyto with two more check valves and a "waste" container.

I don't have a drawing app on my phone, just the photo editing so I'll see what I can do to draw this up.

 

[luis angel]

Yep, with a one way/check valve at the RODI as well or you risk pushing Phyto into the RODI chamber.

What Becky is talking about would likely not require the RODI, just an air flush for non-live (don't want to water it down). Or, if she wanted to waste a little it would be another Y above the Phyto with two more check valves and a "waste" container.

I don't have a drawing app on my phone, just the photo editing so I'll see what I can do to draw this up.

What worries me is that if the doser does not have any liquid, how can it calculate how many ml are passing through

 

[tbrown]

Phyto can be replaced with any liquid feed. If live Phyto is used, swap RODI with fresh salt water and f/2 and the green line would be removed and no check valves would be installed on the line between the doser and the Phyto.

 

[tbrown]

What worries me is that if the doser does not have any liquid, how can it calculate how many ml are passing through

It doesn't actually calculate ml, it calculates rotations which equate to ml of liquid.

 

[luis angel]

It doesn't actually calculate ml, it calculates rotations which equate to ml of liquid.

Silly question maybe, but how can the doser calculate by rotation between a 10 inch tube or a 30 inch tube to dose the same ml?

 

[tbrown]

Silly question maybe, but how can the doser calculate by rotation between a 10 inch tube or a 30 inch tube to dose the same ml?

When you calibrate the doser you tell it how many rotations equals how many mL of liquid. When you tell the doser "5 mL" it reads it as "4.78 rotations".