Air Injection System for my 300 DT

[Spinner]

Working on the build again thought i would share one of many ways a hobbiest can add air injection if wanted. I built mine this way because to ties in with other parts of my build. I have one of these set ups on each side of my DT feeding two of my four close loop pumps. Once you see my manifold you will understand why i only needed two for four pumps..........thats a mouth full...lol
Air stone was lowered so you could see it when running it will be hidden by the tee and also can be removed to clean or replace.

Thanks for looking

 

[Peppie]

Injecting air into your closed loop will help your system in "WHAT" way????

 

[Spinner]

Injecting air into your closed loop will help your system in "WHAT" way????

It will add oxygen, binds with suspended particulate matter bring to surface to be removed by overflow, it stimulates corals and helps them shead their waste. My test will be ran at night first when oxygen levels drop system will be set up with an air pump and timer/controller.
Also running at night my pumps will be set on low and fish will be sleeping") I will start with one minute every hour from the time my lights go off to when they come back on. I like to learn and just started messing with this back in the day so now i can try some things and see what turns up
Would enjoy hearing any views/thought's good or bad pics would be nice too!

 

[TJL]

I like it Spinner and believe it's one of the added benefits of Surge Tank systems. I'll definitely follow along to see what your findings are.

Cheers, Todd

 

[Peppie]

Damn you Spinner, I thought I had just finished thinking out how I wanted to hook up my CL with my OM. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I am so glad I have not yet cut,glued,or painted anything yet, let alone drawn it on paper.
I really like the concept. Hurry up and get it running so you can troubleshoot it before I need to re-mod it for my build. LOL seriously!

 

[Spinner]

There are two kinds of divers the ones who have trained and know what they are doing. And then there is my kind of diving with a life jacket on holding a strong drink.....with an unbrella while tied off to the pier of a 3 to 3.5 rated hotel. And what i noticed between blackout's is.............waves breaking and oxygen bubbles going everywhere and all over the corals?
That's where the idea came from I know, people can only dream to have a life like mine..:decision:

 

[Peppie]

There are two kinds of divers the ones who have trained and know what they are doing. And then there is my kind of diving with a life jacket on holding a strong drink.....with an unbrella while tied off to the pier of a 3 to 3.5 rated hotel. And what i noticed between blackout's is.............waves breaking and oxygen bubbles going everywhere and all over the corals?
That's where the idea came from I know, people can only dream to have a life like mine..:decision:

LOL
Obviously the paint fumes talking

 

[kpiotrowski]

I Def am on board with your theory and reasons for doing this. Having said that, what are the cons? like won't it kill sponges? what types of coral will be negatively impacted by the micro bubbles? do you anticipate a gathering of sludge on the rim and lid of the tank and how will you combat this? I may employ one myslef!

 

[Spinner]

I will post what little i know today after work and give my thoughts with hope that we can all learn something new with this option FYI......several ways to add this feature so drilling tank as i have done is not needed.

 

[TJL]

The worst thing I have noticed about Surge Tanks is that there is quite a lot of salt creep from the bubbles coming to surface. You would also need to have your lighting elevated with a shield I'd imagine. Reefcrests and shallow Reef Flats have HUGE amounts of bubbles scouring them continuously from breaking waves and Corals do extremely well there, obviously. Even Reef Faces/Walls receive large quantities of bubbles several meters down.

Cheers, Todd

 

[blk822822]

I love this hobby........one day everyones saying you should not have micro bubbles in your tank , then comes along Spinner and adds them on purppose......Can't wait to see how it works.

 

[Spinner]

There is a big difference in a system that injects as to a system with micro bubble problemlol
OK here is what i am thinking...........
Water that is clearer?
Healthy fish and corals higher oxygen levels?
Better skimming?
Help maintain PH between water changes without buffering?
Better light penatration?


Some good things to see if it does help...thoughts welcome pics too Other ways to do this option? MO FLOWS or like is another way. There was a tank of the month that had a nice set up several years ago i will see if i can find it.

 

[kpiotrowski]

There is a big difference in a system that injects as to a system with micro bubble problemlol
OK here is what i am thinking...........
Water that is clearer?
Healthy fish and corals higher oxygen levels?
Better skimming?
Help maintain PH between water changes without buffering?
Better light penatration?


Some good things to see if it does help...thoughts welcome pics too Other ways to do this option? MO FLOWS or like is another way. There was a tank of the month that had a nice set up several years ago i will see if i can find it.

I will all of the above alone ( for now) except the air injection helping to maintain ph between water changes. help maintain ph at night by blowing of co2 fine but without dosing alkalkinty your ph is going to do what its going to do and the lower the alk levels between water changes the bigger the ph swings. How about a DIY baking soda injector! it could be on a mini convayor belt and run REAL slow beneath your halides to cook it off first even!

 

[Spinner]

Mine are questions too i see it happen in the wild what all does random extra air shots do around our reef areas?

 

[kpiotrowski]

Please allow me to be Devil's Advocate here and pose some questions. I really love this idea and can see myself doing it also. So, would there be any negatives as far as mass air accumulation under all your live rock and would that air seep into the rock comprimising anerobic layers in the rock. what about the inhabitants in contact with those bubbles like snails and the fishes gills and how much is too much? it may be that in the wild it is not an ideal for the critters and for as benifitial as it may be, it could be equaly possibe to be a bad thing? Adding air bubbles to water makes things LESS boyant, this is not a skimmer where it is breaking down waste and attaching protiens to air bubbles. Is it possible that the reverse of affect you are trying to acheive will actually hold true as far as rising detritus up and out of the DT?

Regardless.... ILOVE IT!