Geosapper

[dchisenh]

Hey Dwayne

I've got to admit, when I saw the Geosapper in this month's Reefkeeping magazine, I was EXTREMELY impressed. I was trying to create sort of the same thing, but along totally different lines. This Geosapper design blows my idea out of the water.

Is there any place where I could order one? About how much would they sell for?

I'm planning on studying the designs a little more before I think about "downsizing" one for my nano-system.

Keep the ideas coming!

-Dan

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by dchisenh
Hey Dwayne

I've got to admit, when I saw the Geosapper in this month's Reefkeeping magazine, I was EXTREMELY impressed. I was trying to create sort of the same thing, but along totally different lines. This Geosapper design blows my idea out of the water.

Thanks. I'm glad you like the design.

Is there any place where I could order one? About how much would they sell for?

To my knowledge there are only maybe 3 in existence today. There are several qualified acrylic fabricators that could build one for you, this is one of the reasons for making the design public domain. I worked with George Weber from geosreef.com to help with the initial design.

It would be up to the acrylic fabricator you choose as to the cost for a Geosapper.

I'm planning on studying the designs a little more before I think about "downsizing" one for my nano-system.

That is another benefit of the design. By adjusting the diameter and length of the acrylic tube, you can build a Geosapper to fit almost any application. Calculate the amount you want to feed per surge and work the design backwards from there.


Thanks

Dwayne

[igoRluse]

Very nice work indeed. Just one small question, the surge tubes... titanium?

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by igoRluse
Very nice work indeed. Just one small question, the surge tubes... titanium?

Hmmm, sorry slight oversight on my part in the article.

The surge tubes are 1/4" rigid air tubing. I used a heat gun to bend them into shape.

Hope that helps.

Dwayne

[igoRluse]

Cool. And what diameter would those surge need to be to avoid any brine shrimp clogging?

Thanks for the help.

[Dwayne]

I made a mistake in my earlier reply to you. I cant go back and edit my response (time has expired). The Tubing used for the surges is 3/16", not 1/4".

This is small enough to easily work with, but large enough to accommodate adult brine shrimp.

Dwayne

[SeanT]

I have a question about your chamber one holding area.

How are you planning on getting the phytoplankton to reproduce in high enough numbers without using fertilizer?
If fertilizer is used, then surely there is a real possibility that some will get into the tank causing all sorts of problems to include the very real possibility of algal outbreaks.

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by SeanT
I have a question about your chamber one holding area.

How are you planning on getting the phytoplankton to reproduce in high enough numbers without using fertilizer?

I don't. The first chamber is not a phytoplankton reactor. It is only there to hold the phytoplankton while it is dripped into the second chamber. Any culturing of phytoplankton would be done external to the feeder.


Dwayne

[SeanT]

Ahh ok.
I thought that it may be an all in one bad boy.
Still pretty darn sweet.
So, no plans by yourself or Geo to produce these for sale?

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by SeanT
So, no plans by yourself or Geo to produce these for sale?

I don't have any plans to make them. Geo might be willing to make some, but I can't speak for him.


Dwayne

[snowman]

What a great design. The idea of making it part of public domain rather than using a patent and going for the big bucks speaks wonders for your contribution to the hobby.
I wonder how long it will be before we see someone try and make minor changes to the design that are so insignificant yet major enough for them to try and go into production calling it there invention.
We with in the hobby should have an annual reward or recognition for those who bring significant advancement to the hobby. I for one would nominate you for 2003. My appriciation and many thanks Snowman

[SPC]

Great design Dwayne ,

Do you envision any problems with the tubes being stopped up?
Steve

[Dwayne]

snowman - Thanks for the compliment, but dont forget Geo's help here also.

Originally posted by SPC
Great design Dwayne ,

Do you envision any problems with the tubes being stopped up?
Steve

Thanks. I 've been running a similar type setup for a few months. I have yet to clean it and I haven't had any issues with the tubes clogging. This doesn't mean eventually they will clog. Each of the surge tubes can be removed for cleaning or replaced with minimal cost or effort. The only other point to watch is the air bubblers. They may eventually develop a build up and need a lite cleaning.

Dwayne

[sharkdude]

Absolutely Ingenious!

Main Entry: in·ge·nious
Pronunciation: in-'jEn-y&s

1: marked by especial aptitude at discovering, inventing, or contriving
2 : marked by originality, resourcefulness, and cleverness in conception or execution <an ingenious contraption>

Very impressive design and execution of a working prototype!
I am already envisioning less complex diy designs with same concept. Perhaps 2 gal buckets on a stacked shelf or one of those multiple plastic container rolling units would work?

Hmmm.... maybe even a surging refugium of sorts in a upper section? Continous slow feed from sump to elevated refugium that surges periodically small volumes down to main tank?

You stated its not intended to be a phyto reactor but is it a rotifer and brine shrimp reactor of sorts?

Any worries with cross contamination and culture crash in middle and bottom sections? (through the vent/fill tubes?)

You could have made a fortune on these things! At $299 a pop retail or wholesale volume. Very generous of you to give it away.

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by sharkdude
You stated its not intended to be a phyto reactor but is it a rotifer and brine shrimp reactor of sorts?

I use rotifers and copepods in the middle section. They do seem to culture themselves. The Brine Shrimp do need to be replenished.

Any worries with cross contamination and culture crash in middle and bottom sections? (through the vent/fill tubes?)

No worries at all. The only time there is a physical 'connection' between the sections is when a surge is happening. The power of the surge is too great to allow anything to swim up stream. The vent/fill tubes are seperate and one for each lower section. Only way to cross contaminate is to pour the wrong type of live food down the wrong vent/fill tube.

Crashes may (probably will ) happen, thats when you appreciate the ease of cleaning.

Dwayne

[kkenn]

SALUTE What a good design,I hope someone could make a finish product to sell ,Thanks

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by kkenn
SALUTE What a good design,I hope someone could make a finish product to sell ,Thanks

Thanks. The Geosapper in the article is pretty much a finished product.

Dwayne

[Dag]

Dwayne, does the Geosapper have to be above the tank (gravity feed) or can some kind of pump be attached to the output?

If the former, I suppose it could be designed to fit into a tall canopy (but what about the heat?).

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by Dag
Dwayne, does the Geosapper have to be above the tank (gravity feed) or can some kind of pump be attached to the output?

Above tank is best, IMO. There would be difficulty in getting the pump to fire off at the right time with the surges to feed the tank. I think it might be possible to surge into the sump, but then you have the effects of sudden pressure changes destroying the live food.

If the former, I suppose it could be designed to fit into a tall canopy (but what about the heat?). [/B][/QUOTE]

My Geosapper sits off to the side of the tank at a level above the tank. Maybe with adequate ventilation inside a canopy could work.

Dwayne

[Dag]

The sump seems best, but I'm not sure of the concerns regarding sudden pressure changes.

I think I would also be satisfied with a steady drip, rather than the surges.

[Dwayne]

Originally posted by Dag
The sump seems best, but I'm not sure of the concerns regarding sudden pressure changes.

The problem with a pump is it kills the live food. I don't think the impeller does as much killing as the 'force' of the water. The force is powerful enough to seperate the pods from their skin.

I think I would also be satisfied with a steady drip, rather than the surges.

A constant drip will work. I just prefer the surge because its allows a better 'mix' to be dumped into the tank. This is purely a personal observation, but is a method I found that works better for me than the constant drip.

FWIW

Dwayne

[Dag]

The force is powerful enough to seperate the pods from their skin.

Pods? I thought it was phytoplankton (which should not be harmed by the pump) and rotifers (whatever those are).

[Dwayne]

The Geosapper has three sections. The top section is phytoplankton. The middle is rotifers and copepods. The bottom section is for brine shrimp.

Any drip feeder can supply phytoplankton to a tank. Rotifers and copepods are zooplankton. The addition of zooplankton is where you get the real advantage of the Geosapper.

Live zooplankton, IMO, will trigger more feeding responses from tank inhabitants than feeding dead foods of equal size.

Dwayne

[fjdevelopment]

the real question relates to - is is it really necessary to swooooo....sh it into the tank or is a continualy steady drip really not good enough. Can we really pre-predict the digestive cycles of the fish collectively? and time it perfectly to their individal needs? when is best right for each fish? or do we need to understand their individual feeding habit needs.

I think when I feel like feeding them comes closer to nature itself.

[klas]

You must have had real fun creating this thing! Very nice thinking behind this idea!

What do you you think of making the first chamber larger, and add light? Wouldn't it be possible to have an ongoing culture in this first chamber, to eliminate the need for culturing the phytos in another place?

I have no experience with phytoplancton culturing, but I'm very interested to try, and have been thinking of some kind of continous (not batch) cultivation.

Maybe there is something I have missed in basic phytoculturing(like need for fertilizer) or something that makes this kind of continous phytoculturing in your device impossible?

regards, Klas