Specific gravity of Stingray feces
- Thread starter Reedmaster16
- Start date
I've heard of some cichlid people using FW skimming...... It this what you're thinking? Or more of a settling/vortex idea?
Poopology......
Ken we want to know what you know in regards to this feceology. Surely this is something you can share your opinion on!!!
Haha poopology, wish I would of though of that one.
DB, the skimming is more for suspended solids that are buoyant or neutral. Lately I have been working on trying to settle the heavier larger solids out of the water column before my primary mechanical filtration. This helps in two ways. One it keeps the large mucous sheathed waste from clogging up mechanical filtration so fast. Second removal of the waste from the water column at this stage will increase biological filtration efficiency per gram of food fed. When the corkscrew poop breaks up and dissolves it releases ammonia, phosphate, and fine particulate organic matter which is harder to remove and leeches quicker than when the waste is whole.
Drag coefficient is the other variable that would be useful, but I believe I can test this with enough accuracy to get a usable number.
Problem with vortex is turbulence can break the waste up changing the density, and with settling chambers is flow rate and footprint required making it difficult to tie into an existing system. Bottom drain to settling chamber flushing on a timer would be ideal but the poop is still in contact with the water column until it is flushed by the timer.
A pressurized parabolic screen filter (sieve), placed before the pump (so the solids wont be chopped up) seems great. It removes solids from the water column and can maintain a descent flow rate dependent upon SS screen hole sizing. I just have been unable to build one properly yet that can go before the pump and create no resistance on the suction side of the pump.
Sorry started rambling a bit there haha.
I don't have rays. Illegal in Cali
Just got to know that:
Poop SG < 1 = Floater
Poop SG = 1 = Neutral
Poop SG > 1 = Sinker
You ray guys tell me, is the mucus part < 1 and the inside matter > 1? Can someone put some ray poop in your GF's cup and tell me? If it ends up >1, then should be a piece of cake right?
Thanks for chiming in Ken. Catching it before the mucus sheath is broken would make everything much easier. But with the higher flow rates of many ray tanks the turbulence can break it up in a short period of time before a BD or gravity flow can pick it up. Thats why in addition to testing votrex/settlement chambers as an option, ive been looking into putting something before the pump can chop it up, that can separate solids from the water column with minimal resistance on the suction side of the pump. Could just be spinning my wheels but I still need to do alot of math to see how feasible this may be.
This thread really needed a picture
Haha yep it does. Thanks.
Sorry just actually read in full. Bit ott ain't it. What ever floats your boat I suppose or turd in this case
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I've heard of some cichlid people using FW skimming...... It this what you're thinking? Or more of a settling/vortex idea?
Poopology......
Ken we want to know what you know in regards to this feceology. Surely this is something you can share your opinion on!!!
well as we all know FW skimmers dont work unless they are MASSIVE so then cichlid guys must have skimmers bigger than there tanks
FW goesnt hold a bubble as well as SW if they did work we would all have them
I know better then to argue with you. Your narrowmindedness doesn't allow you to see potential for anything to work except what has worked for you in the past.
I'd go dig up the thread where a guy made it work but you'd just poke holes in it and the thread would go south from there......
But thanks for chiming in to assure us all that it won't work......
Bead filters work, but we don't all have them.
The original post mentioned the sg of fish waste. To measure this accurately would only be possible in a situation with many dozens of rays and also thousands of pounds/dollars worth of laboratory equipment. Not functional or practical for a hobbiest. This would also only be possible when dealing with a biomass of fishes that measures in the tons, which would produce kilos of "poop" as you want to call it. Hence the article dealt with trout farming.
On the subject of freshwater skimming, for once I agree with Richard, that it is near impossible to work. I have tested nearly every commercial freshwater skimmer available, on koi ponds with massive amounts of waste and have only succeeded in getting good results for a few hours at a time.
Freshwater does not have the surface viscosity of saltwater, thus not enabling an efficient fractionation of protein matter to occur.
Vortex separation is the best option combined with a timed mechanical purge valve to rid the system of solids at regular intervals. Again hard to achieve on a small system.
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On the subject of freshwater skimming, for once I agree with Richard, that it is near impossible to work. I have tested nearly every commercial freshwater skimmer available, on koi ponds with massive amounts of waste and have only succeeded in getting good results for a few hours at a time.
Freshwater does not have the surface viscosity of saltwater, thus not enabling an efficient fractionation of protein matter to occur.
Vortex separation is the best option combined with a timed mechanical purge valve to rid the system of solids at regular intervals. Again hard to achieve on a small system.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
I know better then to argue with you. Your narrowmindedness doesn't allow you to see potential for anything to work except what has worked for you in the past.
I'd go dig up the thread where a guy made it work but you'd just poke holes in it and the thread would go south from there......
But thanks for chiming in to assure us all that it won't work......
Bead filters work, but we don't all have them.
please show me that FW skimmers work as i would like to see it
i have seen more proof they dont work in FW than they do work
FW water doesnt hold a bubble as well as SW meaning the FW skimmer would need to be 10 x bigger than a SW skimmer to even get a little effect
as you ask i have used this one to give it a go after someone else was getting poor results from it
http://www.absolute-koi.com/subcat601.html
people have been trying for years to get a skimmer that works WELL in FW
as you and aquaman seam to get on so well i think he will confirm that Alan has used most bits of kit on the market with no expence spared
