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08/29/2011, 02:17 AM
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#1 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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Solar powered aquarium from Italy
The biggest problems for an aquarist are:
1 - The need to work sometimes to earn money and pay aquarium costs 2 - The energy cost to properly manage a big reef tank  I tried to solve them both by: 1 - placing the tank into my office 2 - installing solar panels on the roof ...but let me start from the beginning... I actually own an ELOS 160 (550 litres - 160*60*60cm) berlin method sps dominated... the corals grow so fast and I don't want to give tham away, so I needed a bigger tank. My wife denied the pesmission to install it at home (2 small children and power cost are prohibitive), so I decided to place it into my office... this way I can watch at it more than 10 hous per day!!!  In the last month the government launched new incentives for the installation of solar power plants so.... why do not use solar energy to supply the aquarium?!? The solar panels: (ok, they do not just supply energy for the aquarium...): Last edited by Paolo Piccinell; 08/29/2011 at 02:27 AM. |
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08/29/2011, 06:32 AM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,609
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Sounds very interesting!!.... more pics please....
Mo |
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08/29/2011, 06:37 AM
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#3 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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Pics coming!
1 - The iron tubes for the stand 2 - stand assembly and welding 3 - 4 - Structure welded and grinded 5 - painting with epoxy coating Last edited by Paolo Piccinell; 08/29/2011 at 06:57 AM. |
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08/29/2011, 06:43 AM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Segrate
Posts: 2
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08/29/2011, 06:45 AM
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#5 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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More:
The stand set in place, I fixed the lighting cables on the concrete beams of the ceiling; fixtures and lighting ballasts will be hidden by ceiling insulating panels. In the following pictures You can see the fixtures used and the zync-plated frame that will hold 3 400W MH lamps (lumenarc III) and 4 blue led bars (12 x 10W royal blue). |
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08/29/2011, 06:49 AM
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#6 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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Once the stand was set in place and the lighting structure fixed, I placed the 400 litres (100 gals circa) sump, PVC made, dimensions 140x70x40 cm.
Moving and washing 300 Kg of carbonate sand was a very long and tedious task, it took an entire day (and two days of bad backbone pain!!!) The last two pictures show the first drop of water and the sump completely filled for leak testing. |
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08/29/2011, 06:52 AM
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#7 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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First pic shows "vertebra team" while placing the tank in place... half ton of glass and silicone glue!
The tank is finally in its place!!!  The dead rock basement for future rockwork the last pic shows the tank finally alive... water starts running in circle and sand bed maturation begins! |
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08/29/2011, 06:54 AM
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#8 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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The first guest!
After 24 hours After 96 hours... For the next month DSB will be left its own... then live rocks, corals and fishes will be gradually added 
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08/29/2011, 09:20 AM
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#9 |
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yes
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Fort Collins, Co
Posts: 364
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It looks like your off to a great start! I would love to know more about how your sump was constructed. From the pictures it looks like a PVC bottom, baffles and sides and glass front and back viewing panels.
__________________
Merlin Current Tank Info: 180gal rimless peninsula build in progress. |
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08/29/2011, 11:11 PM
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#10 | ||
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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Quote:
Quote:
First area will be dedicated to a cryptic zone... a grid will hold rocks 5 centimetres above the bottom to help cleaning. The central area will be dedicated to skimmer, calcium reactor, activated carbon. The small compartment will contain the circulation pumps and the floating switches for RO system. I will connect RO system in line with a floating switch and a safety timer to prevent flood; it is a system I used for years and it works; you can avoid the refill tank and you do not need to add water anytime... Electrical connections will be fixed on the back wall, I left a lot of space between wall and tank. |
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08/29/2011, 11:22 PM
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#11 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: italy
Posts: 7
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ss
Seguo
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08/30/2011, 09:03 PM
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#12 |
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Red Dragons!
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 5,897
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Along for the ride!
__________________
The planet needs a 50% water change. Current Tank Info: Pacific Ocean |
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08/31/2011, 02:03 AM
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#13 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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The tank is running with bare sand to leave the infauna free to reach a good density in the sand bed.
Next october I will add live rocks and animals. I do not have more pictures for the moment... sorry. But I can tell you more about the solar power plant! The system is composed of 520 solar panels and has a peak power of 100 kW. It will produce yearly more or less 120 MWh of alternate current, saving 72 tons of CO2 emissions each year for a lifetime of 20 years approx. This way I'll have free power from the sun fo my workshop and for my aquariums... at the same time I will indirectly protect the natural coral reefs in the oceans. I'll be back next week, as I will receive the pumps and the PVC piping... |
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08/31/2011, 01:54 PM
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#14 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,076
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Amazing
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09/01/2011, 01:27 PM
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#15 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1
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seguo
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09/01/2011, 03:45 PM
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#16 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Italy
Posts: 54
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seguo
Hi Paolo, what are the dimensions of the tank? How many gallons? it looks like mine, i'm curious to know your equipment plan. keep us uptodate |
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09/01/2011, 11:00 PM
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#17 |
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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The tank is 2 metres x 1 metre x 75 cm - 1500 litres (400 gals circa).
Equipment? For the moment: - skimmer ati powercone 250 i (light skimming, I vill relay on BIG dsb) - calcium reactor BM 150 C - 2 pumps NJ 6000 - cooler TECO TR 20 ( the room is conditioned) - 2 heathers Schego 600W Titanium - circulation pumps.... 2 x vortech MP 60 ES |
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09/02/2011, 08:50 AM
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#18 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 4
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Amazing, I will be following.. I'm based in Europe and it's always great to see tanks from around here.
__________________
Preparing to set up a reef tank... Current Tank Info: I'm new to this hobby, no tank so far. |
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09/02/2011, 11:42 AM
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#19 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: San Diego
Posts: 22
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Cant wait to see more!
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09/02/2011, 04:21 PM
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#20 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 23
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wow very nice build, how thick is the glass ?
Is it going to remain rimless ? Superb work, is their much of a bow on the front screen ? Looking forward to more updates |
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09/02/2011, 04:49 PM
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#21 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 9,103
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100kW of solar power? WOWZER!! I think you went too small on your tank then
 I did something similar, city of San Francisco and all it's lovely tax paying residents managed to fund most of my solar panels (Federal tax payers funded almost the entire other chunk too ), however mine is a meager 3.26kW it does do a number to take a chunk out of the electric bill though.
__________________
Mike |
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09/03/2011, 04:32 PM
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#22 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Cape Town , South Africa
Posts: 822
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what does a solar system of that size cost?
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09/05/2011, 12:17 AM
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#23 | ||
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insatiably curious
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Northern Italy
Posts: 159
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Quote:
It will remain rimless, a piece of art from a leader workshop. Bow on 200 screen is 2 mm Quote:
My bank gave me money, as the government will pay very good incentives |
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09/05/2011, 07:10 AM
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#24 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 674
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My friend has the exact size rimless starfire tank. Check out Amfynn tank in the Large Tanks section.
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09/05/2011, 07:11 AM
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#25 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Athens, Hellas
Posts: 684
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You are off to a great start neighbour!!!!!!!!!!You ve done some amazing preparations there!
Your tank is a masterpiece!However i am always getting very confused on what thickness glass is used to each tank!I mean you can see tanks half your volume using 19mm glass. If you have experience I would like to hear your comment on that! Tagging along anyway and waiting for the next update!!!!!!!Please take a lot of pictures of evry work caried out in the tank!!!!!!!! best of luck amigo!!!!!!!!!! |
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