DWC - Light Proofing & Cooling

[stonedstump]

Hi all

 

 

What is the best way to light proof bubbler buckets and nutrient tanks?

 

I am thinking I will spray in a matt black and then wrap in duct tape.

But then I thought about putting white tape on to reflect heat, is there any truth in my theory?

 

How do you light proof your own systems?

 

 

Also, what do you guys suggest cooling wise to keep my water temp down

So far I have been told to put frozen water filled coke bottles in the tank but that will take too much maintainence, any suggestions? I want the temp at 21c of course

 

 

:smoke

treestump

[flipster]

Hello Mr Treestump,

 

There are several things you can do to reduce your res temps and to light proof them.

 

Firstly starting with an opaque plastic container would be a good start. Even then light may get through. Personally I don't like the painting thing. Way too messy and sometimes it just doesn't stick quite right to the surface. I think just stick with lots of duct tape. After wrapping the whole thing gazzilions of times, you can lay that panda plastic, white side up, over you resevoirs. That'll eliminate a fair bit light absorbtion which eventually equals heat.

 

So in answer to your question, yes, there is truth in your theory. If you put 2 objects in the sun, 1 being white, the other being black, the black one will be far hotter in a x amount of time.

 

Regarding your res temps, you could try insulating them in the duct tape attack process. If you want to get some foam you can go to somewhere like http://www.clarkrubber.com.au/website.nsf/...33;OpenFrameSet

 

Otherwise, an expensivish suggestion would be to use eskys.

 

If you're really keen, you could get one or 2 or more of these thingies: http://www.aquariumimports.com/micro-chiller.htm

 

Hope this helps a bit.

[thc24]

spray on auto body deadner for outside of tub with astro or panda will stop all light.

[WantDaChronic]

frozen water bottles are meant to work a treat and if you use duct tape and panda film, you should be able to avoid any exposure to light :smoke

[Gazza2001au]

i dont really see any point in covering ur tubs unless its white... ive never covered my res with a lid and i have this system the lid has hundreds of holes it was original designed as a soil syphoner i have used this with a 1000 watter plenty of good ole light getting into the water nothing happens i think blocking out light is over rated blacking a white bucket is another thing :smoke

[Aquaponix]

Light encourages algae and too much light coupled with a good P supply you'll see it soon enough.

 

For cooling get a computer fan and mount it in one end of a pvc elbow. Now rig it up so it's attached to your res lid blowing in and round the curve down onto your res water. The curve saves the fan from splashes and the res from light. The cooling effect is from transpiration and should knock a couple degrees off your res easily. Added cooling can be made by rigging wicks off your res lid into the solution that the fans airstream will blow across. This WILL raise humidity, have your room vented. Rig fan to an old cellphone charger works fine.

 

The auto deadener is awesome, only on the outside of your res.

[thc24]

Algee is also the problem when growing in clear cups with coco also roots that are to the outside are not white but slowly browning off.

[Gazza2001au]

a little algae stabalizes PH heres my system this isnt a home made job all tho it looks like it :: you can clearly see how much light enters my tubs ive never had any algae problems no signs what so ever when draining the buckets this is why im skeptical of this rumour i have had algae problems in flood and drain trays where the water sits still for long periods of time but in DWC the water is constantly moving

[stonedstump]

Sound deadener, now thats one I didnt think of

 

that stuff creates a layer of foam sort of, doesnt it?

yeah i might do that with white film wrapped around it afterwards

 

what temps do you guys get (queensland pref) in your water?

[stonedstump]

okay well today I got some matt black spray paint for $3 and I sprayed my bucket with about 3 layers after letting each layer dry before putting the next on

 

it looks very nice i must admit and not only that but its 99% light proof i'd say

 

now I just need to put one layer of duct tape over it and then one layer of reflective insulation tape

 

I think that should do the trick just fine and that auto deadener stuff is too expensive for me its like $15 a can

 

 

 

treestump