Possible To Use Diy Biorock(tm) In The Reef Aquarium

[Revision17]

http/www.biorock.net/

If you google around a bit, there are quite a few real news articles which talk about using biorock to grow hard coral in the ocean. There are a few sites with posts like this, asking if anyone has done it, attempted it, or even thought about it.


Here's a link with some technical details about the electrical parts: http/www.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/...q1545FY0607.htm

Physically the project consists of a few parts. A DC power source, such a transformer, solar panel, windmill, etc. supplies DC at low voltage (1.5 to 6V), equivalent to a flashlight battery. This will be mounted on the pier. Two ordinary insulated electrical cables run from the power source to the project. One is connected to the reef itself, and the other runs to a metal mesh attached to the bottom a few yards away. The cables and structures will be firmly attached to the bottom. The low voltage current that flows is completely safe and can't be felt by divers or swimmers. The reef structure will be made of 6-8 units, each a half cylinder, made of an open frame of welded 1/2" steel reinforcing bar, 6-10 feet long and a two feet high, that will be anchored to the seafloor by rebar driHed into the sub-sand bedrock, which will them cement itself in place as limestone grows on it.

It seems like someone could use a 5V DC line from a computer power supply, a solid state breaker (or not, depending on the current load required and what the PS can put out), and some steel link fence mesh (which hopefully wouldn't contain anything toxic to aquarium life) to create this.

How possible would it be to set this up in a coral tank for the purpose of growing hard coral frags quickly and cheaply? Might the lower volume of water in the aquarium affect this in a negative way?

I'm interested in hearing what more chemistry/biology educated folks think of this

 

[showjyr]

I don't know about the use in an aquarium but to others who may read this, if you follow the second link and go to the Global Coral Reef Alliance page cited in the proposal it will tell you a ton about this project. Go to the photo section on their site.....some amazing pics.


Sorry to hijack the thread Revision17 but what this non profit organization is doing is pretty cool.

EDIT: Thought I would throw in a link to their home page. GCRA

 

[SkiFletch]

It seems like someone could use a 5V DC line from a computer power supply, a solid state breaker (or not, depending on the current load required and what the PS can put out), and some steel link fence mesh (which hopefully wouldn't contain anything toxic to aquarium life) to create this.

Ummm, can't do it that simply with a computer powersupply . Remember, if you try this, you HAVE to include a resistor in the line, otherwise you'll just be dead-shorting the 5V rail on the powersupply and you'll fry it

As for using it in our aquaria. Biggest challenge I see is keeping up with calcification. Even if it's half as rapid as the article suggests, you'll have trouble supplying calc/alk/mg