The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Wolfgang

LINK? this sounds amusing.

I found this. It looks like a blast.

Here's where I found them for sale.
It's a new product and there's a patent pending, so apparently they're hard to come by. That first link has the inventor's email where supposedly you can contact him directly and buy one.
Waiting to see where Steve got his...

[SteveH]

Hrmm - that one looks interesting ! Here's where I got mine:

http://tropicalreefcorals.com/produc...id_product=155

Quite honest, I am on the fence with what design I like better. The one that Scott found is nice - because both electrodes are on the same wand. The one I ordered the electrodes are separate; which may mean that its easier to replace/maintain in the future.....Granted I don't think you'll go through electrodes anytime soon - but it IS saltwater; and damn these things are expensive.

[shilala]

I found a DIY thread for one like the one you have, Steve.
I only looked at the initial pics, haven't read the thread yet. It'd definately very easy to make. Not so easy right now with my shop in boxes, but it will be once I'm unpacked.

I should have my zapper finished today. I used RTV silicone to seal it up which takes longer than hot glue but I trust it more. I made it 100% from parts that were just around.
Some chemistry facts:
Oxygen and chlorine end up as the gas on the (+) electrode that you are zapping with. That is probably the way it is killing.
Hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, calcium, etc. go to the (-) graphite electrode. I'm thinking this will mess up that electrode after a while.
I don't think the electricity by itself is killing anything.

Finished the zapper and tried it in some salt water. It bubbles pretty good. Can't wait to get home and try it on some anemones.
A little more I figured out about the chemistry. The chlorine you can smell. There must be some sodium being produced on the graphite electrode. This would react instantly with the water to produce NaOH (lye) and more hydrogen. It also would produce a lot of heat. The chemicals are not a problem as most tanks will buffer them away but the heat could get to be a problem if you were to use a switch that stayed on instead of a momentary switch. Then again, the water may keep it cooled. Just a thought.

[shilala]

Lance, I did a bunch of forum reading when the zapper first got mentioned. The only thing they said that you didn't say is to re-up your carbon to buffer the chlorine.

I tried the zapper on about 20 majano. They shriveled up at least as bad as injecting them with kalkwasser would have done. I didn't zap any aiptasia yet, they are more fragile anyway. In my experience majano can come back from being almost gone, but aiptasia disappear quickly. Now to see if the majano recover or not. This is still easier than injecting them.

[shilala]

Lance, one of the guys who built his own said you could jam the wire right through the anemone, zap it, and it'd lift right away. I guess that depended on the size, I suppose? It'd be nice to get them out of there rather than have all the dead stuff, I was thinking.
Other guys said one zap would turn them to jelly, which is contrary to what the videos showed.
Let me know what happens exactly, will ya?

Maybe an Aiptasia might melt but Majano are pretty sturdy. Mine shrivel up as if I put Joe's Juice on them. My probe is a little too thick to be poking through some of the small ones and if I could get to them easily I would scrape them out with my custom built scraper. I am not going to kill more than 15-20 at a time so the bristle worms, serpent stars, hermit crabs, and who knows what else can take care of the clean up.

[shilala]

Good thinking, Lance.
I was gonna ask you to make me one cause I don't have time, but I also don't have a problem yet, so there's that.
I'll make one later this Fall if it's necessary. I kept the DIY plans, so I'm good. I remember how to make it, anyways, so the plans don't much matter, even.

Yep, the plans are pretty flexible. Just remember to hook the + to the zapping end. I tried to pull some out and it does make them release. My tip is already getting eroded. It was 308 stainless welding rod. I will have to look up that alloy and see if there is a better one.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Yep, the plans are pretty flexible. Just remember to hook the + to the zapping end. I tried to pull some out and it does make them release. My tip is already getting eroded. It was 308 stainless welding rod. I will have to look up that alloy and see if there is a better one.

Tungsten oughta work, yo?

Originally Posted by shilala

Tungsten oughta work, yo?

I have tungsten.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

I have tungsten.

I have no idea how it'd break down chemically, but it's gotta be a lot more stable, oxidation-wise.
Will you please let me know what you find out, Lance?

A quick search of "tungsten salts" comes up with tungsten chlorides of all sorts. Maybe not a good choice. I have some platinum wire that may work. Not something everyone may try.

Edit: Tungsten may work as it needs elevated temps to react with Cl. Common welding tips (TIG).

[shilala]

Lance, maybe try the tungsten in some salt water apart from your tank?
I'd just like to see if the surface oxidizes. I have no idea what the temp would be where the water meets the electrode. It could be high, it's just the low voltage that doesn't press the catalysm?

Tungsten doesn't bend either, so I will come up with a new way to make the angled tip. And yeah, I will try it apart from the tank first. Tungsten chlorides are blue.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Tungsten chlorides are blue.

Odd and cool. It isn't making magnesium chloride, is it?

Magnesium ends up on the graphite with the hyrodgen and probably ends up as a metal, oxide or hydroxide. The calcium for sure doesn't end up as a metal in the water.

A cool site for elements.

[shilala]

That really is a nice site. Thanks, Lance.