Ideas for the "perfect" system

[Randy]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I've been out of the hobby for many years now, but now finally planning on getting back in. I'm currently buidliing an addition onto my house. As a result I'll have a 22ft x 36ft wide open area. I'm currently planning on creating a room at one end to house filters, plumbing and work area for a 300+ gal reef tank. I'm excited about have "greenfield" conditions to design the "perfect" set-up. I'd be interested from others what considerations or elements you would include in a "perfect"design.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Regards,#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Randy#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graphixx]

wow I do not know where I would start. I know I would want everything like the plumbing dosing sump fuge I wold want them in a seperate room and want the room big enough where everything is not crowded. easy to get too and clean. I wold also have a sink in there for cleaning. My dream set up would be a lot about accesability and ease of operation. And as far as the size of the tank I dont think I would go any bigger than 300 gallons for the show tank. I would go 100 gallons each for the sump and refugium. Man as far as lighting I would have to research that. I know dakar can hit that right on the head.

[Reptoreef]

Drool... 100 gl sump(skimmer), 100 gl fuge, bypass chamber for ease in water changes, gravity flush through main tank, an 8'Lx2'Dx3'H dimension show tank with 4 400 watt MH and act supplimentation... all the goodies(ca reactor, kalk reactor, etc)all controlled via a neptune and a plumbed work station to top it all off.

[perpetual98]

And make sure that the fuge gravity feeds back into the display.

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#heres another thought that I have been kicking around...whith sucha large system the power bill will be irate...as a solution you can add a partial or full solar cell aray to produce the power you need the systemcan be whats called a on the grid system meaning that the house is still conected to the grid but the solar cells will help to off set your power consumption and whenthe sun is not avalible and hte batery packs are dead the normal power grid will fill the gap. you can get a 100 Wh solar cell on ebay for about $250 this cell is enough to power all the apliances ina 1 bed apartment. as a added bonus if you by chance have a big enough aray that you are producing more power then you need the power companys in some states will actualy pay you for the power you put back into the grid. Just some thing to think about.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graphixx]

I was thinking about that when I read this post also. This is something that I think I want to research. My wife and I bought some property where I live and plan to have a house built on the property in the spring of 2007 That would be something nice to have. Has anybody researched this avenue and have anything to comment on. .......................................... dakar I am suprised you havent built your own solar panels :D

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#there are a lot of realy great sites about this sort of thing out there just run a google search youl find tons of stuff...what I did was e-mailed one of teh larger companys and asked a few questions they gave me some good contacts ...unfortunatly I dont have a link yet ...and incase you were woundering building your own solar cells is a lot cheaper then buying them but you figure a 50 wh pannel is 3'x5' and the individual solar cels inthe pannel are about 2"x 3" it could tak a while...#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Graphixx.... what makes you think I haven't built and used solar arrays? Used a few in OK to power my ham radio gear and stuff like that. :razz:

A bit rough with the snowfall in WI to keep them practical without constantly having to clear them... However a few hours ago Angel and I were lightly discussing the idea of setting up a wind turbine. Pretty sure we are in a 'buy back' state for electricity.

In Mass. wind power might be a bit more practical than solar.

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#dakar has a good point...your location might play a role in what type of alturnate engery source you use...but in the case of snow I have come across a company who's solar arays have a built in defroster unit and or a auto dump off system...meaning that in the winter every 30 minutes or so the whole aray will tip until it is perpendicular to the ground dumping off any snow.... I on the other hand am fortunate enough to live in a state where the sun shines 355 days a year....but man is it hot.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Randy]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Awesome ideas everyone.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#In response to the Solar idea, Actually I have a lot of experience in this area. I used to work for a copany called Evergreen Solar. Solar is a great form of electricity - no noise, no pollution, lasts a long time. Unfortunately, unless you live in an area where the local or federal government subsidizes solar or you live far enough off grid (i.e., a vacation home) it does not pay for itself even with net metering (i.e., you sell unused electricity back to the power company). Furthermore, if you are on grid, battery back-up makes even less sense unless you are seeking "garaunteed" uninteruptable power. Battery technology has not advanced much, reduces the efficiency of a solar system and needs to be replaced relatively frequently.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Let me know if you want more info on Solar.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Meanwhile I'll e pouring over everyone's ideas!!! Thanks again#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Randy]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#One more thought,be carefule installing your own system. Shaded cells become resistors and heat quickly and can cause fires if not properly set up. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Also fabricating your own panel in the long run will cost you more unless you know how to properly seal the cells. We used special materials for this and a large laminator that applied a vaccuum, heat and pressure to ensure a tight seal. Without tightly sealing the cells the environent will eventually destroy the efficiency of the panel and it will stop generating electricity.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Regards,#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[dakar]

Please be sure to keep us updated on the progress! I think you have lucked into the situation most of us dream to have, the ability to setup a full 'wet room'.

[graphixx]

aaaahhhh wind turbine, now that is an idea. where I live there are "wind farms" popping up everywhere Idahois a buy back state for that I know. there is a place about 30 miles away that has like 15 huge turbines they are pretty cool and the damm wind never stops blowing here. now that is somehting that is more do-able for me than the solar panels. I have the same problem as dakar.......snow