Ace Malawi And Cycloptics Greenbeams: Caught In The Under Current!

Nice. .. looks like your 3 banger is hard plumbed to your pump, which is hard plumbed to your chiller (both of which we can't see and are probably outside the room), which returns hard plumbed back to your rez.

Yep. I gotta get out the hole saw and finish the plumbing to the chiller outside the room. Also need to get the supply line from the large top off res to the epicenter. I'll post up more pics when complete. I also upgraded the return pump to a Reef Octopus VarioS. It's rated @ 792 GPH which is a bit more than the 500 GPH pump that came with the system, but will be about right with the added 90 degree elbows, etc... Besides it is variable speed so I can adjust it down if needed.

Sorry, I got to ask... And you may decide you need to change it...

I noticed that the lines coming from your three bangers are not connected to a Y- fitting, and from there, turned and connected to your pump.

What you have there, is certainly more elegant, but I am wondering if the flow from the outside feed will be restricted because most of your draw will come from your inside feed... Hence the reason for a Y that is turned, instead of a T that flows straight to your particular pump location.

Just wondering... I'm no expert on flow ratios and pressures.

timmur said:

I'm thinking that I can adjust the flow to equalize by using the ball valve at the other end. Do you think that will work?

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Actually, I don't think so... I think you need equal draw from both feeds, which is why they use a splitter in the stock systems.

I think if you try and restrict the flow from one of the ball valves, you may indeed achieve equal flow, but I have a feeling it will be greatly reduced from the eight gallons per minute that the systems should produce.

Just a heads up...:)
I would give Current Culture a call and see what they say.

I wouldn't even mention it, but after I realized that you hadn't finished the plumbing yet, I thought now would be a good time to change it if you decided you were going to.

You bet... :)
It would be a real pain in the ass to do after everything was finished up.

;).

timmur said:

Just another quick update. The lights are completely wired and operational. They have about 12 more hours of burn in. I finished the last bit of plumbing and tried to test out the UC and chiller last night. I mounted the return pump a little too high and didn't have enough head for it to pump. Lowered it this morning and it is pumping great. Testing the chiller now to see how low I can get the temperature. I need to go get some pipe insulation for the hard plumbed return line. The next bit of testing will involve the probes and dissolved O2.

The next big project is the Lumacept paint. The loss of PPFD is significant. After that I need to get water to the foggers. I'm hoping that will be easy as that is all that's left to crank this thing up! :cool:

Click to expand...

A few questions please:
What kind of DO meter probe are you using, polarographic, galvanic or Clark electrode?
Specifically where in the nutrient circulation are your DO probes located, i.e. before or after the water pump outlet, where in the water column, where in the piping.
Where is the O2 Grow emitter specifically located in the circulation?

Are you using more than 1 emitter?

I would like to echo R Dawgs' comments.:)

Picture update! Popping seeds on Sunday! I'll post up pics when they sprout.

Still a little cluttered and I'm putting Orca on the floor, but it's finally time to go!

@timmur did you get temperature readings yet?
Curious to what they might be once everything is running a couple days.
Would you be willing to test that and let us know?