Does anyone have/know about coldwater marine aquariums?

[eatyourpeas]

Thank you, @Essjay !

 

[madmark285]

I will leave it here unless someone offers to move it.

I am a big fan of your project, this is so cool (pardon the pun).

You can create a journal entry and keep all discussion in one big thread.

For a cooler, a used drinking fountain might work. I believe they have compression refrigeration unit. Something I would look for, can they be recharged with coolant ie: some type of connection to add more refrigerant.

 

[eatyourpeas]

I am a big fan of your project, this is so cool (pardon the pun).

You can create a journal entry and keep all discussion in one big thread.

For a cooler, a used drinking fountain might work. I believe they have compression refrigeration unit. Something I would look for, can they be recharged with coolant ie: some type of connection to add more refrigerant.

Thanks @madmark285 ! I will look into that as I get further into the build.

I think @Essjay has the right idea. Not many people do temperate aquariums, so this is as good a place for it since a lot of the components are similar to tropical setups.

 

[Essjay]

I agree with Mark - when you start on the project, the Journal forum would be the best place. No-one can object to that as it's for all types of tank builds

But for getting ideas, this is the best place.

 

[eatyourpeas]

A pH of 7.0 is too low for a marine tank. It should be around 8.2-8.6.
Take the pH test kit to the beach and test the water there. Maybe get a pet shop to check the pH too.

I do not know how I got pH 7.0 the last time. The test at the beach and inside the tank show between 8.0 and 8.5, but I will call it 8.0 for now. The fact that it is the same as the ocean puts me at ease.

 

[Colin_T]

@Colin_T I just learned an interesting tidbit. My macro algae might be the culprit in lowering the pH. I will test a few things tomorrow and if that is the case, will remove it from the tank. I am not sure I need it.

Macro algae won't lower the pH. They do the same as plants in a freshwater tank, use nutrients and light to grow. When there's light they use carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which can raise the pH a bit but in a tank with aeration, it won't make any difference.

The low pH would have been a faulty test. Good to see it's a bit over 8.0 where it should be.