New and Improved Steriliser

[Zebra]

This is the new and improved steriliser. 

its basically just 40mm pvc pipe end cap with spacers made from 40mm pipe.

2 wires connected to mesh close together in the water.

Splits the H20 on a molecular level, pretty cool for how simple it is. 

Normal copper wire will work but it will dissolve within a few minutes, ive just used stainless steel BBQ skewers, these also worked well to just hang the whole unit from the side of the tank, and the stainless steel mesh from a tea strainer.

Then air line tubing to prevent the rods touching, and some heat shrink to hold it all together, 

You just have to do tight connections like unless you have a SS welder, 

?

I'm just using 12v DC so in theory I could easily add a fader to control the intensity of the steriliser just like the fancy ones.

I might do an actually write up on it later or something. For now I'm getting this bad boy in my zeb tank.

its working great, now how long should I have it on for? Haha

I was thinking starting at 15min per hour. Lol yeah it's pretty damn ghetto.

Cheers

Edited January 3, 2017 by Zebra

[jayc]

That looks great. But step by step instructions for us dummies would be great, including what sort of power supply.

I don't get how you have connected up the wires in the pvc pipe. Doesn't it cause an electric current in the water? 

[Zebra]

Haha looks like this got its own thread, thanks @NoGi

 

I'll have to do a proper step by step for it now.

I just used a 12v dc power supply not many amps. Maybe 500ma

It doesn't create an electric current in the water, it might if you touch the wires together. 

Stainless steel has a relatively low level of conductivity.

Connect 1 rod to each piece of SS mesh and then just set them a few mm apart without touching, and it will start to create "electrolosys" I think it's called. 

This will happen without the mesh, It just increases surface area.

This device is also entirely dependant on waters tds and conductivity, I noticed it still works in my zebra tank but not as intense as the other tanks. 

Im running it 15m every hour. 

Just fed them some blood worm and they've come out to play 

 

The airline tubing isn't to insulate the rods from the water it's only to stop them touching each other. 

I think electrolosys occurs where there is the most conductive area haha I'm not sure what the scientific term for it is.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Zebra

[Zebra]

Update: 

One small area of the SS mesh is rusting slightly probably cause it's just low grade cheap SS mesh from a tea strainer I found in my house lol

So some proper 304 or 316 grade stainless mesh should fix that, it's still a huge improvement to "the king of diy" build where he uses copper speaker wire then doesn't explain that it corrodes and dissolves within a minute producing what looks like blue battery acid lol, he's normally great and I like his videos but yeah. The BBQ skewers are holding up fine. Shrimp look really happy and healthy after it running for a night on 15min/ Hr.

I thought about using just steel speaker wire or even aluminium, but I think the key to this build is the stainless steel rods.

You can buy SS electric wire but it's dear as. I'll eventually find something better and make them slimmer as well. Apparently if they ever need cleaning you just use boiling water with some citric acid, and it cleans them right up, well that's the cleaning for the chihiros and twin star. It's funny reading all the Twin star reviews now when I was looking for advice on running times, people keep saying things like "This technology" haha It's literally 2 wires in water, when you make one you'll laugh at how simple it is haha.

Makes me really further respect chihiros as they are producing elite level products for a fraction of the price to the customer time and time again. Their unit that is basically the same as any other or the one I've made is only $100 compared to like $250 for the twin star. 

When you make one you'll understand what I mean when I say the ONLY thing they can do to actually make the unit cost more is use a better grade stainless steel so it is more resistant to corrosion. Even then they can't pack $250 into what they sell, that's a rip for what it is.

Some stainless steel wire, Mesh, some form of timer and a 12-18vDC power supply. If you want to get really fancy SS weld it together, even then they could sell it soooo much cheaper. If your a company making them in bulk I can't imagine it costing more then $10-20 ea to produce really nice looking units. 

 

 

Get your BBq skewers and bend a shape in them that will slide into holes in the pvc pipe and kind of secure itself tight against the mesh. You have to unbend them once your done to feed them through the pvc, it's a bit tricky.

Bend a "D" shape into the top to hang over the edge of your tank.

 

Cut one end off a 40mm end cap.

Then cut thin spacers out of 40mm pipe, these will hold your mesh in place.

The spacers need to be cut pretty straight to clamp the SS mesh well, If they aren't perfectly straight try sanding them, this is a ghetto design and is based on everything just holding itself together, As my dad used to say: 

"Its not meant for jumping up and down on"

You have to do it like this unless you can weld the rods to the mesh. So cleaning once a month or 2 in boiling water with citric acid to ensure a clean connection between the rods and mesh is going to be needed, might not be that often.

Make 2 more spacers,

one on top like the picture, then mesh, then a thin spacer about 3-4mm so the 2 pieces of mesh are very close together but not touching.

Then add the second piece of mesh and the last spacer.

Now drill one hole on top and one hole on the bottom through both the end cap and spacers, 

Needs to be wide enough to fit airline tubing.

Fit airline tubing over both rods, 

Then insert them one at a time and bend them so one is touching each wire, this is a bit tricky and I'm still nutting out an easy method that can be explained and done time and time again.

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by Zebra

[Zebra]

Most of this working well is based on the quality of SS, you need good quality stuff or it will rust within a week or faster. 

So after messing around with making a diy steriliser, I have calculated by the time I get a digital timer to run the minute incriments required for an aquarium steriliser to work well, and decent SS I'll be at around $50 or so anyway and for the sake of my own valuable time, and knowing it's a renouned trusted product being used in my tanks, for this price I just bought the chihiros shrimp doctor- I really shouldn't have, now I'm broke again haha.

Chihiros shrimp doctor in any size from Hinterfeld.com.au:

$76

Mine suits 250-600L

Edited January 9, 2017 by Zebra

[jayc]

On 04/01/2017 at 0:34 PM, Zebra said:

copper speaker wire then doesn't explain that it corrodes and dissolves within a minute producing what looks like blue battery acid

That's a very valuable tip.

I think I saw that same video where he used speaker wires. And I have some handy as well. Was going to use it until I read your post.

 

But $76 and free shipping really is a good deal. I used to remember they were like $300 when it first came out.

[Zebra]

ALways glad to help.

"Hinterfeld and chihiros give me free stuff" haha