oh yea bra, i forgot to tell you, if you do decide to get one... make sure you look at its prerequisites
as some require you to have a pump for it as well... some want a water pump, some want an air pump...
i got one of the JBJ lines because i was comfortable and highly pleased with their line of chillers, so i figured what the fuck... try their other shit...not to mention it had already came with a pump, unlike other kits
http://www.marinedepot.com/uv_ultraviolet_sterilizers_ozonizers_jbj_submariner-ap.html
i like the JBJ 13, one guys testimonial said it knocked out his algae in a 75 gal fish tank in 3 days. my res is 80 gal, plus my bins and pipes gets me up to 200+.
im thinking i like these for my system
http://www.marinedepot.com/pond_pro...rilizers_clarifier_danner_submersible-ap.html
the single ring or double ring would work for me. i dont mind buying a pump to control flow, i could take the water from the pump via hose or pipe up to a cylinder full of bio balls and let it splash down through to oxygenate it and let it fall back into the res, bwahahahah!! :rasta2:
my understanding is the algea and bacteria exist, and they can enter the grow in a myrad of ways. they WILL get into your water. whether or not they can reproduce enough to bloom and wreck your crops depends on a number of factors including:
-the size of the origional contamination will matter greatly
-how long your strain takes to mature. the longer it takes the higher the risk.
-how often a how thuroughly your equipment is cleaned.
-the overall health and resistance to disease of your strain. this includes intrusions into the root zone and extreme contitions above the root zone that cause damage to the plant and give the pathogen a foot in the door and a food source.
-conditions in the water including DO2, temp, pH, nutes availability and i have a theory that there is such a thing as TOO much aggitation in the root zone. (see above)
-light leaks will contribute to the growth of green algae, not sure how it affects bacteria but i dont think its good.
i am convinced that these DWCs can perform wonderfully without the need for a bacteria colony to safe guard against other bacteria and aid the digestive process of the plants. the things were BEASTING before i added benies, and then they just stopped. i agree i think i over did it with my application, and in a way i guess im saying "i dont know about using benes, and until i get it figured out could UV accomplish the same thing for me."
i have the benefit of being able to drain and rinse my roots as well as inspect via the hatches and a watering wand and hose. i can drain out the waste root tips etc from each site weekly to keep the dead matter from accumulating.
i have zero light leaks EXCEPT the sch.40 (or whichever is the thinner walled stuff) PVC i used for my distribution. i am sure there is plenty of light so i need to deal with that. im thinking about wrapping the tubes in panda. that would keep it cool and dark.
i have dramatically reduced the flow through the chiller and that has helped with the temps a bunch.
now i am just trying to PREVENT a bloom on the next round and go without bio-life. i am thinking i might be able to control pathogen levels from the start with a good UV light and proper sized pump.