!!!7000+ POUNDS OF GLASS!! YOU GUYS UP FOR A BUILD OR WHAT??

[Battlecorals]

This build is amazing but this really got me thinking. What's your plan for Co2 build up during the winter months?

Great question

And believe me I am still very much streamlining lots of things , and humidity control/ventilation is a big one. I am running air exchange for most of the day, with an exhaust fan and a custom motorized louver i had made by Duravent in Canada. Great company by the way.

This is extremely effective at keeping humidity in check, but at night I found out was not efficient at all to do this, because my heat ran hard all night. So, I run my Dehumidifier now at night. Both are on opposite timers, and I let the exhaust fan run for about 15 minutes every 3 hours to help bring in fresh air.

However, I am planning on ducting my dehumidifier and incorporating a fresh air intake, so when it runs at night it'll suck in a little fresh air and warm that air up even as it flows through the unit. Hopefully solving two problems in one fell swoop.

Heres a pic of the Duravent Louver. pardon the crooked cover plate I had a wire to contend with in that exact spot lol. And I am going to hold off on trimming it out for a bit yet as well. The exhaust fan intakes are on the very far side of the room in the ceiling.

 

[JoeIII]

There are heat exchangers that bring in fresh air and try to "suck in" heat from the building before bringing it in - might one of those help?

 

[dcmartinpc]

Heat Recovery Ventilator is what you are looking for! Larger whole home models should do the trick. Pulls in fresh air from the outside, and expels room air to the outside but keeps most of the heat in the room! (Retains roughly %70 of the heat) I have one in my basement and it definitely goes a long way to keeping CO2 in check. Works opposite in the summer if needed.

Don

 

[Battlecorals]

Heat Recovery Ventilator is what you are looking for! Larger whole home models should do the trick. Pulls in fresh air from the outside, and expels room air to the outside but keeps most of the heat in the room! (Retains roughly %70 of the heat) I have one in my basement and it definitely goes a long way to keeping CO2 in check. Works opposite in the summer if needed.

Don

definitely going to look into this. not sure if it could complete with the dehumidifier to control humidity though. The thought of having to run both is not a good one lol. Very cool insight. I remember taking about these with my heating man long before we started the project, and that conversation got lost along the way for sure .

 

[dcmartinpc]

It really depends on the outside air. With an HRV, moisture is transferred, so as long as the humidity outside isn’t ridiculous it will help and your dehumidifier will run much less frequently. If the humidity outside is higher than your room, then maybe an ERV would be in order. But I am willing to bet your inside humidity is higher

 

[dcmartinpc]

Also, an HRV is typically very inexpensive to run. Just a blower and a heat exchanger mostly.

 

[Battlecorals]

Also, an HRV is typically very inexpensive to run. Just a blower and a heat exchanger mostly.

really good info man I apprieciate it a lot. even if one of thee would extend the life of the dehumidifier it would almost pay for itself.

 

[dcmartinpc]

Happy to help! I plan on making a trip out your way in a few months (I am in Michigan). Just need to finish the fallow period in my display and move everyone back in.

Don

 

[Battlecorals]

Cool Looking more into these already. Seems like Pretty efficient way to exchange air. I was under the impression that there was some kind of heating element involved, meaning ultimately more electrical cost, but it doesn't look like it. They just use inside air to warm up the outside air before it goes in.

Very cool concept and i like it a lot

 

[Brew12]

Cool Looking more into these already. Seems like Pretty efficient way to exchange air. I was under the impression that there was some kind of heating element involved, meaning ultimately more electrical cost, but it doesn't look like it. They just use inside air to warm up the outside air before it goes in.

Very cool concept and i like it a lot

I'm thinking of installing one of these in my office with the fish tank. Regenerative heat exchangers are great things. My only concern for your application is that they may not have enough air exchange to be effective. You will definitely still need the dehumidifier.

 

[markstubb]

They’re literally just a fan with a honeycomb HX inside. Nothing fancy at all. Pretty efficient

 

[bubbaque]

I installed one of these in my home about a month ago. I'm in Florida so I used an ERV instead of the HRV. The ERV keeps cool air in while exchanging stale inside air for outside air. It just uses two fans. I think my unit uses a total of 23 watts.

 

[nitrodude]

What is the purpose of filtering the ca rx feed and what kind of filter did you use single double or triple ?
I am almost ready to pull the trigger on the deltec skimmer I messaged you about also

HI there, Only reason is to keep detritus out of the reactor. I like to top off the media rather than take everything out and refill, so things can get pretty filthy in there after a few years. The filter is a standard 2 high lifeguard with the pleats as well

What prefilter are you referring to you using on your calcium reactor?

thanks!

 

[A_game43]

What he said ^

:>

Dido Dido

 

[Battlecorals]

What prefilter are you referring to you using on your calcium reactor?

thanks!

well, another good question. thanks a lot for the post.

I had intended on using pentair lifeguard I had laying around from the start, that I plumbed off the return. However i got lazy and ended up using a small Tunze pump I also had laying around. fed straight in no mech filter. Its still set up this way lol.

I like the tunze on there. Seems very consistent and reliable.

Here's what it looked like with the filter in place. The color scheme really went well. lol. This filter is now acting as my effluent degassing chamber. And doing a great job. Will get a pic of that set up, up here soon.

 

[nitrodude]

Ah I see thanks for the reply!
I wouldnt mind getting a prefilter for my ca reactor to keep gunk out of it-But that may be a bit on the large side for me lol.

 

[Battlecorals]

Ah I see thanks for the reply!
I wouldnt mind getting a prefilter for my ca reactor to keep gunk out of it-But that may be a bit on the large side for me lol.

In the past I have used old Di canisters with an emptied out cartridge filled with filter floss. I cut a bunch of slots in it is well. worked great for years.

 

[nitrodude]

In the past I have used old Di canisters with an emptied out cartridge filled with filter floss. I cut a bunch of slots in it is well. worked great for years.

Thats actually a great idea. Currently im using a masterflex to pull water through the reactor and no filter. I wonder how it would work once the floss starts to get clogged up (or how long the floss would last between replacements)

 

[RUNVS]

This is the first I am hearing of a filter for the Calcium Reactor neat idea, I got fed up cleaning my needle valve every week and fluctuation of Alk because of it that I just took it off and run a full effluent and just moved the PH in the chamber up a little bit to not dissolve as much of the media and this has worked for me so far. Maybe I need to just add a filter not sure which is better at this point

 

[Acro maniac]

Wow just 2 months from start and you were able to put all your coral in?
I have a new system i setup and im at about that 2 month mark. What was the indicator you used to fill comfortable adding sps?