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TheDukeAnumber1

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Posts posted by TheDukeAnumber1

    USB Nano Air Pumps deaths, teardown, and (apparent) fix

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 1/25/2022 at 6:00 PM, Guppy Guy said:

    I haven’t taken apart a coop air pump, but I have taken apart an aqueon pump to reposition the diaphragm and change the air filter. I didn’t know that anyone was still using air pumps with electric motors, other then the linear pumps and compressors. As far as I know, most new pumps use a dc electro magnet connected to ac power so it silently oscillates back and fourth.

    I have personally used dc motors in dozens of projects, including under water, in extreme heat/cold, banged all around, as well as many other unreccamended spots without issue. @TheDukeAnumber1, you said that your motor burned out. Unless is wasn’t turning at all, or was in a ton of heat, I doubt it was the motor that burned out. If you still have it, take apart the air pump and connect the motor to a 9 volt battery for a few seconds. If it turns on, then it is the electronics, if not, either it is jammed in some way other then shredded plastic, a bad internal motor connection, or melted brushes. Let us know what happens!

    I've done misc projects with DC motors too. With my usb air pumps I did the whole tear down of the pump and tested the motors alone and they would not turn over. In my case I believe the motors themselves died. I don't have a data sheet for these motors but in the realm of brushed DC motors getting 8000 hours of life isn't outside of what is a normal range for brushed DC motors. You seem to be talking about extreme temps or spots for the motors to be in, but increased torque demmands (potentially caused by back pressure in this case) over many hours is what's going to wear down a motor and cause failure.

    • Like 1

    Best time to fertilize?

    in Plants, Algae, and Fertilizers

    Posted

    From PPS Pro

    Quote

    The best time to dose is any time before lights go on so the nutrients are available for photosynthesis. Daily dosing before lighting period starts, helps maintaining better balance, higher plant uptake and healthier plants.

    IMO this will only matter if you're really dialing in setup.

    • Like 1

    Aquarium smell

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 1/10/2022 at 9:08 AM, Krish said:

    Hi guys,

    I'm getting bad odour from my aquarium.

    It was very bad untill I changed around 30% of the water.

    Even after watch change  bad odour still persists.

    Please advice me what should I do?

    If you could let us know a little more, like a brief history of the tank, size, fish stock, feeding and maintence schedule, it would be easier to help.

    IMO step 1 of diagnosing a smelly tank is to start feeding less.

     

    • Like 1

    Jungle Tank Log

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    On 1/1/2022 at 2:37 PM, PedroPete said:

    Very nice!

    I also do Medaka outside in tubs, too, both outdoors and indoors, so maybe I will try my hand with some H formosa this year (I just ordered 2 trios to be delivered this week! Very excited!). Playing with 100 gallon stock tank would be awesome, though. How did you catch out your Hformosa at the end of the season - besides extremely carefully with a fine net?

    Neat, I may lean on you for some medaka advice next summer since last summer was my first time keeping them. I caught some of the Hformosa out with a normal aquarium net but getting them all would have been impossible in a reasonable amount of time. So this winter I'm experimenting with leaving the pond out and seeing how the fish do weathering an IL winter with me making efforts to keep it from freezing solid. The medaka are fine so far, it has been fun to see them swimming under inches of ice, but unfortunately it looks like all the Hformosa died out quickly when the cold snaps started hitting. Next year I'm planning to either bring in as many as I can or move them to a pond closer to the house that I can keep warmer.

    Jungle Tank Log

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    On 1/1/2022 at 1:09 PM, PedroPete said:

    I really like the look of the Hformosa and platinum medaka together! Have they also coexisted in your outdoor ponds?

    Thanks, I had them together last summer in a 100g stock tank and they did well. The Hformosa bred very well and I was able to collect medaka eggs from a spawning mop throughout the summer.

    • Like 1

    Jungle Tank Log

    in Photos, Videos & Journals

    Posted

    This next update has weighed on me for a while now, feeling that I owed it to the log, and now even more so that you asked @PedroPete 🙂  The Jungle Tank as of a month ago is no more. The last update was the peak of the jungle look and I was able to maintain it for a few months, but hair algae began to take hold and become more and more of a problem. Over time the dwarf sag slowly won the battle with the val until the entire tank was carpeted with it becoming so thick that the substrate was locked in and my ability to suck out the mulm layer was very limited. The hair algae kept growing faster and faster rivaling the duckweed. I generally don't mind algae and even like some in the right spots, but when it comes to hair algae.... the stuff is pure evil IMO.

    I tried individually and in combination a UV sterilizer, excessive amounts of Easy Carbon, salt, photo period adjustment, hard/soft water, and fertilizer adjustment to combat the hair aglae with no success. I ended up removing as much hair algae as I was removing duckweed. It finally got to the point where the tank needed a hard reset, I pulled all the plants and gravel vac'd the substrate until it was clean, took about 15 gallons to do it. I redecorated with tank with flag stone and replanted some of the dwarf sag. After some thought I decided to move the tank to the 'dungeon' of my house. Lately I've really fallen out of enjoying keeping a tank looking good for 'company' and have been enjoying the natural cycle however it looks, minus the hair agae of course. Anyways this is getting long, it has been a while, but here are the update pics.

     

    First photo shows the tank shortly after the hard reset, in the corners are "bubble sticks" my wife named them. Just PVC with airstones inside that acts as a flexible filter I can put heaters, UV lights, or filter meda in. They also control where the bubbles pop which made it easier to keep the top clean.

     

    Second photo, shows a colony of bryozoan I discovered on my heater! There were present in the very beginning of the tank setup and appeared to die out early on. Seeing them again felt like being greeted by an old friend.

     

    Third photo shows the current setup of the tank. I have been very much enjoying just keeping the fish happy until pond season starts up again.

    20211226_170933~2.jpg

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    20211228_173052~2.jpg

    • Like 3

    Pest snail population decreasing??

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 12/28/2021 at 8:46 AM, Sandra the fish rookie said:

    I know.. weird topic.. but I have a small 2.5 gallon that I use just for my pest snail overflow (AKA Gazoo the pea puffer lunch box). For some reason they are just not populating/breeding in there??? I have a sponge filter, heater and live plants in there.. I do water changes but for some reason they just don't do great in there.. 

    What could be the issue? 

    Would want to see a water test and know the substrate, feeding schedule, lighting ect to help diagnose an issue. Often a photo helps. Personally I've seen improvement in my snail tanks when I have a long light cycle or window sunlight for the plants and algae to grow, feed well, and keep an aragonite substrate or have plenty of crushed coral in the tank.

     

    @Tanked

    I've also had the issue recently with my trumpet snails competely dying out in a tank while the ramshorns survived. Still trying to puzzle out what the issue was.

    • Like 1
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