Last night i was struck by inspiration and have formulated a design for a cascading planktonic feeder system (but dont get too excited because its not finished).
The system will consist of two chambers. The first will be used to cultivate Phytoplankton and the second Zooplankton. Now the size of the chambers would of course be relative to the size of the aquarium / feed load.
Phytoplankton cutures can double their biomass in a day, so ultimately this means that this chamber can be emptied to half its total volume every day and refilled with new water.
Zooplankton cultures can increase in biomass by 1/4 each day, and therefore can supply a quantity equivilent to a 1/4 of its total volume each day.
This makes the math for the compartment size ratio very easy because the Zooplankton compartment needs to be twice the size of the Phytoplankton compartment. So that the result in addition of half the Phytoplankton compartment will result in the Zooplankton compartment exchanging roughly a 1/4 of its total volume.
One very important consideration in the design of these compartments is to eliminate the chances of cross contamination of cultures. Should one of the zooplanktons make its way into the phytoplankton cultivation chamber the end result will be one big ass mutha of a zooplankon and no more phyto's.
There are two possible areas where cross contamination could occur. The first being the Inlet of water from the aquarium into the Phyto chamber, and the second would be the outlet from the first Phyto chamber into the second Zoo chamber.
To avoid contamination from the zoo chamber through the outlet of the phyto chamber it has to be insured that sufficient space comes between. This is very simply achived by ensuring that the outlet of the second zoo chamber (back to the aquarium or sump) is sufficiently below the outlet of the phyto chamber. This will result in the water cascading from one chamber to the other while eliminating any cross contamination against the flow of the cascade.
The main problem i have yet to overcome is contamination through the addition of aquarium water into the first phyto chamber.
In my limited knowlege of Planktonic cultivaion methods it is suggested that any cultivating units of this sort be refilled with freshly mixed salt water so as to avoid and contamination of cultures. But as you can see this would represent a problem in creating an automated cascade system because the water being added to the phyto culture would have to come from a resivoir and not the aquarium. And to automate a system of this sort would mean that somehow we would have to remove the same volume of water from the aquarium that was being added by the Cascading Planktonic feeder system. If not it would have a derogatory effect on the s.g. or ultimately overflow the system.
So what i propose as a measure against this would be to have the inlet for the Phyto chamber T'd off a U.V. filter. This would ensure that any microbeal or planktonic life present in the aquarium water would be eliminated/sterilized before introduction to our Phytoplanktonic culture. and therefore avoiding contaimination and destruction of our culture.
Would U.V. meet our needs in ensuring this. If not there is a possibility of employing Ozone and carbon to enable the first Phyto chamber a supply of sterile water.
The inlet to the Phyto chamber irrespective of how we ensure steriliseation, would be controlled by a peristaltic pump and computer. The computer is neccessary to turn of the U.V. filter immedeately after the full dose of Planktonic nutrients had been added to the aquarium, and the protien skimmer could be de-activated immedeatley on activation of the feeder unit. This ensures that all of our efforts in producing this food are not wasted by having it removed immedeatley after introduction. But as i explained erlier the U.V. would have to remain active to ensure no cross contamination occurs whilethe unit is in opperation.
The other consideration is how to light the first Phytoplanktonic culture, im sure this could be acived with a P.C. flourecent of some sort. Or if the reacor is big enough a regular flourecent tube would do.
I also think that every compartment souldbe equiped with an air stone to add circulation to the comaprtments when the cultivation unit is not in use or dosing. You could even supply the Phytoplanktonic compartment with C02 to aid cultivation. There is even a possibility of a third chamber for brine shrimp. And you could allso have a dedicated Phyto unit for direct addition of Phytoplanktons to the aquarium bypassing the zooplankton.
So guys what do you think of my idea
< me being a smug bastard.
[ October 05, 2001: Message edited by: Mouse ]
The system will consist of two chambers. The first will be used to cultivate Phytoplankton and the second Zooplankton. Now the size of the chambers would of course be relative to the size of the aquarium / feed load.
Phytoplankton cutures can double their biomass in a day, so ultimately this means that this chamber can be emptied to half its total volume every day and refilled with new water.
Zooplankton cultures can increase in biomass by 1/4 each day, and therefore can supply a quantity equivilent to a 1/4 of its total volume each day.
This makes the math for the compartment size ratio very easy because the Zooplankton compartment needs to be twice the size of the Phytoplankton compartment. So that the result in addition of half the Phytoplankton compartment will result in the Zooplankton compartment exchanging roughly a 1/4 of its total volume.
One very important consideration in the design of these compartments is to eliminate the chances of cross contamination of cultures. Should one of the zooplanktons make its way into the phytoplankton cultivation chamber the end result will be one big ass mutha of a zooplankon and no more phyto's.
There are two possible areas where cross contamination could occur. The first being the Inlet of water from the aquarium into the Phyto chamber, and the second would be the outlet from the first Phyto chamber into the second Zoo chamber.
To avoid contamination from the zoo chamber through the outlet of the phyto chamber it has to be insured that sufficient space comes between. This is very simply achived by ensuring that the outlet of the second zoo chamber (back to the aquarium or sump) is sufficiently below the outlet of the phyto chamber. This will result in the water cascading from one chamber to the other while eliminating any cross contamination against the flow of the cascade.
The main problem i have yet to overcome is contamination through the addition of aquarium water into the first phyto chamber.
In my limited knowlege of Planktonic cultivaion methods it is suggested that any cultivating units of this sort be refilled with freshly mixed salt water so as to avoid and contamination of cultures. But as you can see this would represent a problem in creating an automated cascade system because the water being added to the phyto culture would have to come from a resivoir and not the aquarium. And to automate a system of this sort would mean that somehow we would have to remove the same volume of water from the aquarium that was being added by the Cascading Planktonic feeder system. If not it would have a derogatory effect on the s.g. or ultimately overflow the system.
So what i propose as a measure against this would be to have the inlet for the Phyto chamber T'd off a U.V. filter. This would ensure that any microbeal or planktonic life present in the aquarium water would be eliminated/sterilized before introduction to our Phytoplanktonic culture. and therefore avoiding contaimination and destruction of our culture.
Would U.V. meet our needs in ensuring this. If not there is a possibility of employing Ozone and carbon to enable the first Phyto chamber a supply of sterile water.
The inlet to the Phyto chamber irrespective of how we ensure steriliseation, would be controlled by a peristaltic pump and computer. The computer is neccessary to turn of the U.V. filter immedeately after the full dose of Planktonic nutrients had been added to the aquarium, and the protien skimmer could be de-activated immedeatley on activation of the feeder unit. This ensures that all of our efforts in producing this food are not wasted by having it removed immedeatley after introduction. But as i explained erlier the U.V. would have to remain active to ensure no cross contamination occurs whilethe unit is in opperation.
The other consideration is how to light the first Phytoplanktonic culture, im sure this could be acived with a P.C. flourecent of some sort. Or if the reacor is big enough a regular flourecent tube would do.
I also think that every compartment souldbe equiped with an air stone to add circulation to the comaprtments when the cultivation unit is not in use or dosing. You could even supply the Phytoplanktonic compartment with C02 to aid cultivation. There is even a possibility of a third chamber for brine shrimp. And you could allso have a dedicated Phyto unit for direct addition of Phytoplanktons to the aquarium bypassing the zooplankton.
So guys what do you think of my idea
[ October 05, 2001: Message edited by: Mouse ]
