Aquarium Pump Research Articles

An Inexpensive Aquarium Pump Water Recirculator for the Teaching Laboratory

An Inexpensive Aquarium Pump Water Recirculator for the Teaching Laboratory

HYKYHT: A versatile, affordable, and open-source 3D-printed liquid aspiration system

This paper aims to provide the details for making affordable single and multichannel liquid aspirators for wet labs. A liquid aspirator is a basic laboratory device that can cost several hundred Euros. We present a < €25 3D print solution that performs equally well in daily lab routines and is compatible with various vacuum sources, including an aquarium pump or household vacuum cleaner. Presently, commercial aspirators cost more than a decent entry-level 3D printer capable of producing all the parts listed in this manuscript. The models were designed with Tinkercad, with easy printing and minimal support in mind. The versatility and the ultra-low-cost solution we presented could ease the daily workflow of researchers in various research fields. Furthermore, it is valuable to high school or undergraduate student labs and community wet labs for science enthusiasts, where funding is generally limited.

Increased Multiplication Rates of Vriesea hieroglyphica (Carriere) E. Morren Through a Temporary Immersion System.

The main difficulty for the cultivation and conservation of bromeliad species is the reduced number of propagules and slow growth of many of the species, resulting in a low propagation efficiency. Bromeliad plants are hardy and relatively easy to cultivate, with a high ornamental and ecological importance. Aiming at efficient micropropagation rates of V. hieroglyphica, a highly valued bromeliad, with very low propagation efficiency, a temporary immersion system was used and compared to semisolid and liquid static medium. Cultures obtained from in vitro germinated seeds were used as explants, maintaining their genetic diversity. Micropropagation with this simple temporary immersion system, composed of two autoclavable flasks, each with one opening for the attachment of 22μm syringe filters, connected by a rubber stopper and an inner glass tube. In the bottom flask, an air valve is attached to the filter, which is subsequently connected to an aquarium pump and a timer and plugged to an outlet. This simple temporary immersion system showed improved micropropagation efficiency and is a method that can also be evaluated for other species.

Response of germination and seedling growth of Jute plant (Corchorus olitorius L.) on three different substrates in the tilapia aquaponic system

The merging of fish farming and crop husbandry in a mutual system forms aquaponics. In this system, the nature of the planting substrate plays a significant role in the germination, establishment, and growth of the plant. In the current experiment, the germination and growth of the Jute plant ( Corchorus olitorius L . ) in an aquaponics system with tilapia fish was investigated using three different substrate types: gravel, rice husk, and palm kernel shell. Five hundred-liter plastic tanks containing tilapia fingerlings at initial stocking densities of 250 fish m −3 were used. One gram of Jute seed was sown in a 1 m 2 planting trough, which contained the three substrates separately in triplicates. The troughs were flooded with water from fish holdings by an aquarium pump. The germination percentage of the jute plant on gravel substrate (84%) and rice husk (72%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to the palm kernel shell (55%). A lower velocity of germination was also recorded in the palm kernel substrate. The rates of growth in height (centimeters per day) of jute plant and fresh shoot biomass yield were significantly lower on palm kernel substrate (P < 0.05). Growth and yield parameters of jute showed comparatively higher agronomic efficiency of gravel and rice husk substrates compared to palm kernel substrates in this research. The results indicated that substrate nature significantly affects the germination and productivity of C. olitorius in aquaponic systems and that rice husk has the potential to serve as a planting substrate in aquaponics. • Response of germination and seedling growth of Jute plant ( Corchorus olitorius L.) on three different substrates in the tilapia aquaponic system. • Influence of substrate types on the germination and productivity of C. olitorius in aquaponic systems. • Potentials of rice husks as planting substrate for Jute in the aquaponic system.

Effectiveness Of Water And Air Pumps On The Growth And Production Of Lettuce (Lactusa sativa L.) On Various Kinds Of Media With Hydroponic Systems

Lettuce (Lactusa sativa L.) is one of the vegetable commodities that can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas. This research was conducted in March-June at the Green House of FP.UTP. This study uses the factorial method with a completely randomized design (CRD), a factorial pattern consisting of two factors. 1) Use of a Pump (P0: Without a Water Pump (Aquarium Pump) and Air Pump (Aerator), P1: Using only a water pump, P2: Using only an air pump, P3: A combination of using a water pump and air pump. 2) use of planting media (S) Rockwool; cocopeat, moss, repeated three times. The results showed 1) Pump use treatment (P) had a very significant effect on the parameters of plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), number of leaves (strands), leaf width (cm), fresh plant weight (g), dry weight plants (g), consumption weight (g), number of leaves consumed (strands), and root length (cm) on the growth of lettuce (Lactusa sativa L). 2) The treatment using media (S) had a very significant effect on the fresh weight parameters of the roots (g). It significantly affected the root volume parameters (mm) on the growth of lettuce (Lactusa sativa L). 3). The combination of pump and media treatment had a significant effect on the root volume parameter (mm) on the growth of lettuce (Lactusa sativa L). 4). The best result, namely the consumption weight, was achieved in the P3S2 treatment (Combination of treatment using a pump and cocopeat media) with a value of 119.33 g.

Combination of electrocoagulation and adsorption processes to remove methyl orange from aqueous solution

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of an integrated EC–adsorption system to remove methyl orange from aqueous solution. In this study, the integrated EC–adsorption system consisted of two electrodes, which were kept at 2 cm, and an iron electrode used as the cathode and stainless steel sieve box as the anode which filled by modified pumice as an adsorbent whereas the effective surface of electrodes was 3 × 10 cm. To improve the performance of the anode, pumice was used as an adsorbent due to its characteristics such as low specific gravity, porous and light structure, impermeability to sound and heat, and high abrasive power. The surface of pumice was also modified with Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant to improve the anode performance. The main process variables including initial concentration 50–150 mg/L, pH (3–11), adsorbent dosage (0.5–1.5 g) and voltage (30–50 V) were examined to find an optimum condition. Each run took 1 h, and the volume of the system was 1.5 L also during the experiment an aquarium pump for aeration and mixing was applied. The experimental design was conducted by Design-Expert software, and the Box–Behnken method was used to examine the four variables at three levels. The 3-D diagrams were analyzed for interaction between parameters so, the best optimal conditions for the removal of methyl orange was obtained at C i = 50 mg/L, pH = 7, adsorbent dosage = 1 g, V = 40 V, which result of removal yield was 93.1 %. According to ANOVA result’s, initial concentration and interaction between initial concentration and pH have the most impacts on the methyl orange removal among other factors which the coefficients are 9.16 and 7.10, respectively. • A novel combined electrocoagulation–adsorption system is prepared to remove methyl orange. • Adsorbent modified by CTAB to increase the adsorbent capacity, and SEM tests are taken before and after the modification. • The ranking of the importance of the parameters was determined. • The maximum methyl orange removal efficiency is obtained at neutral pH and accurate adsorbent dosage.

Stereoscopic PIV measurements using low-cost action cameras

Recently, large progress was made in the development towards low-cost PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) for industrial and educational applications. This paper presents the use of two low-cost action cameras for stereoscopic planar PIV. A continuous wave laser or alternatively an LED was used for illumination and pulsed by a frequency generator. A slight detuning of the light pulsation and camera frame rate minimizes systematic errors by the rolling shutter effect and allows for the synchronization of both cameras by postprocessing without the need of hardware synchronization. The setup was successfully qualified on a rotating particle pattern in a planar and stereoscopic configuration as well as on the jet of an aquarium pump. Since action cameras are intended to be used at outdoor activities, they are small, very robust and work autarkic. In conjunction with the synchronization and image pre-processing scheme presented herein, those cameras enable stereoscopic PIV in harsh environments and even on moving experiments.Graphic abstract

Design, construction and optimization a flexible bench-scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) for enhanced production of bacterial cellulose by Acetobacter Xylinium.

In this research a bench scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) was designed and constructed to produce BC. The effects of variables including rotation speed of the disk, distance between disks, disk type and external aeration on BC productivity were investigated. Results showed that the highest weight of BC produced on the surface of integrated polyethylene discs which rotated at 13rpm. It was also found that the highest amount of BC was obtained when the space between two adjacent discs was adjusted to 1cm and the disk number was 16. An aquarium pump was used to investigate the impact of aeration on RBC made of 12 integrated polyethylene discs and operated at optimal rotation speed of 13rpm. Disk spacing distance was adjusted to 1.5cm to consider the possible increasing of the thickness of BC film by aeration. Wet weight and dry weight of BC resulted from aerated fermentation increased more than 64 and 47%, respectively as compared to non-aerated RBC. In comparison with static culture, wet weight and dry weight of BC produced in aerated RBC fermentation increased more than 90.7 and 71%, respectively. Nanoscale structure of produced bacterial cellulose was confirmed by SEM analysis.

Rancang Bangun Penyiraman Tanaman Pintar Menggunakan Smartphone dan Mikrokontroler Arduino Berbasis Internet of Thing

Everyday busy making plant owners leave their plants, this causes their plants to wither or die, in this study aims to build a smart watering system for plants using the Blynk smartphone application that has been integrated with the Arduino Uno R3 mikrocontroller because it is connected through software Arduino IDE program input to run as desired an which is equipped with a Relay 5V tool deliver voltage, and Aquarium Pumps so that water can flow to plants. Then for Thingspeak it self, it useful to display the moisture value in the soil that will be displayed on the web that has been connected with the Arduino Uno R3. Soil Moisture Sensor to let you know if the soil content is below 400 then the soil is most moist and if the soil above 900 the soil status dry, trough this Smartphone can water the plants with time or use the on / off button that is already available in the Blynk Smartphone app view

An Innovative Inexpensive Portable Pulmonary Edema Intubation Simulator.

An Innovative Inexpensive Portable Pulmonary Edema Intubation Simulator.

A Flexible, Low-Cost Hydroponic Co-Cultivation System for Studying Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Symbiosis.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a widespread symbiosis between plant roots and fungi of the Glomeromycotina, which improves nutrient uptake by plants. The molecular mechanisms underlying development and function of the symbiosis are subject to increasing research activity. Since AM occurs in the soil, most studies targeting a molecular understanding of AM development and function, use solid substrates for co-cultivating plants and AM fungi. However, for some experiments very clean roots, highly controlled nutrient conditions or applications of defined concentrations of signaling molecules (such as hormones) or other small chemicals (such as synthetic inhibitors or signaling agonists) are needed. To this end, hydroponics has been widely used in research on mechanisms of plant nutrition and some hydroponic systems were developed for AM fungal spore amplification. Here, we present a hydroponics set-up, which can be successfully utilized for experimental root colonization assays. We established a “tip-wick” system based on pipette tips and rock wool wicks for co-cultivation of AM fungi with small model plants such as Lotus japonicus. A larger “Falcon-wick” system using Falcon tubes and rockwool wicks was developed for larger model plants such as rice. The hydroponic system can also be employed for growing L. japonicus hairy roots after transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, thus circumventing the laborious cultivation on agar medium-containing Petri dishes during hairy root development. The tip-wick and Falcon-wick systems are easy to use and can be built with low cost, conventional and reusable lab plastic ware and a simple aquarium pump.

Grapefruit Training Model for Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery Side-to-Side Bypass

Simulation models enable trainees to master microsurgical skills before performing surgeries. Vascular bypass is a critical component of cerebrovascular and many nonneurologic procedures. However, most available bypass training models lack important spatial, tactile, and physiologic aspects of real surgery. Animal and placental models provide true physiology but are expensive. While some models adequately simulate superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass, there is no model for side-to-side distal anterior cerebral artery bypass. The objective is to create a realistic and inexpensive training model for this important procedure. The depth of interhemispheric fissures in cadaver brains was compared with the grapefruit radii. Grapefruits were dissected to simulate the operative field within the deep and narrow interhemispheric fissure. Pericallosal arteries were mimicked with chicken wing vessels or synthetic tubing, with an aquarium pump providing closed circulation. Twelve board-certified neurosurgeons who were given bypass training using the grapefruit model were blindly surveyed on model realism and training suitability. Grapefruit depths from pith to central column were comparable with interhemispheric cadaveric fissure depths. Approximate preparation time of grapefruit training models was 5-10 minutes. Surveyed neurosurgeons rated the model a better replicate for cerebral artery bypass (P<0.02) and more challenging than common training models (P < 0.01). They also rated the grapefruit model as likely to be superior for improving surgical skills before surgery (P < 0.05). This grapefruit model provides a realistic simulation of side-to-side distal anterior cerebral artery bypass procedure that can be inexpensively and easily implemented in nearly any resource environment.

Optimization and performance evaluation of microbial fuel cell by varying agar concentration using different salts in salt bridge medium

Purpose: Comparative study of various agar-agar (C14H24O9) percentage and different salts concentration in the salt bridge is carried out to check the efficiency of microbial fuel cell. Design/methodology/approach: Dual chambered microbial fuel cell was used for the overall experiments. Anode and cathode chambers were made of 500 ml plastic jar. Salt bridge was fabricated with agar-agar technical and 3 M NaCl in a PVC pipe of 2 cm long. Chemical Oxygen Demand, pH and electrical conductivity of wastewater were examined. Oxygen was supplied in the cathode chamber using the aquarium pump. Voltage (open circuit voltage) was observed using digital multimeter. Graphite rods were used as anode and cathode electrodes. Findings: Salt bridge was constructed of 3 M NaCl with 5, 7.5, 10 and 12 percent variation of agar amounts in MFC. The maximum outputs were observed 301, 306, 325 and 337.25 mV with the variation of agar 5, 7.5, 10 and 12 percentages respectively as well as chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was observed 47.92, 56.25, 52.08 and 64.58 percentages respectively. The optimum agar concentration was found to be 12 percent and a maximum voltage of 337.25 mV and COD removal of 64.58 percent was achieved. After the optimization of agar percentage two salts i.e., Sodium chloride and potassium chloride were analysed. This study also reveals that the NaCl salt bridge is more efficient than KCl salt bridge for the same agar concentration. The maximum voltage for NaCl and KCl were 319 and 312 mV respectively. Research limitations/implications: The amount of electricity production is low and field scale implementation is difficult using microbial fuel cell. The research is still on progress in this field. Originality/value: here is very little research with salt bridge and MFC. Comparative study of different mole of salt is available but agar variation is not yet studied.

Cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa as a raw material for the production of biofuels in palm oil mill effluent medium with the addition of urea and triple super phosphate

Background: The utilization of microalgae as a renewable energy is an important aspect in solving shortage of future oil reserve in 15 years. One of the renewable energy sources is microalgae biodiesel. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a wastewater that has a high content of organic materials. These organic materials can be used as growth nutrients for microalgae. Chlorella pyrenoidosa is one of the most potential microalgae used as a raw material for the production of biodiesel since it contains lipids (8%-35%). Methods: Chlorella pyrenoidosa was cultured on the POME medium with concentrations of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%v with addition of synthetic nutrients (urea: TSP) at the ratios of 2:1 ; 1:2 ; 0.5:1 in a 500 mL Erlenmeyer flask, at pH 6-8, aeration using aquarium pumps, and using LED lights (3000 lux). Results: It was revealed that at POME concentration of 25% and with addition of urea: TSP at a ratio of 2:1, the optimum specific growth rate (0.306/day) with the highest number of cells was 3.530 × 107 cells/mL and the highest lipid content was 36% of its dry weight. The removal efficiency of POME could be obtained from the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, and orthophosphate (P-PO4 ), which was 70, 90.42, and 81.12%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, under appropriate culture conditions, C. pyrenoidosa can produce lipids with good use of nutrients contained in the POME medium.

Use of an Aquarium and Pump to Demonstrate Cardiac Function

Abstract Student learning was facilitated by using an aquarium and pump to demonstrate advanced cardiac function. Evaluation of the teaching strategy was accomplished via pretest and posttest using an audience response system and students’ self-report of content comprehension. Students were asked to troubleshoot cardiac function problems demonstrated with an aquarium pump. Following the activity, students demonstrated an understanding of concepts and terminology. Overall, higher posttest scores were obtained after this demonstration.

Competitive Survival of Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella dysenteriae in Riverbed Sediments.

Studies on the survival of bacterial enteric pathogens in riverbed sediments have mostly focused on individual organisms. Reports on the competitive survival of these pathogens in riverbed sediments under the same experimental setup are limited. We investigated the survival of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium, Vibrio cholerae and Shigella dysenteriae in riverbed sediments of the Apies River. Experiments were performed in flow chambers containing three sediment types and connected to aquarium pumps immersed in river water to maintain continuous water circulation. Each chamber was inoculated with ~107CFU/mL (final concentration) of each microorganism and kept at 4, 20 and 30°C. Chambers were sampled on days 0, 1, 2, 7, 14 and 28. At 4°C, only E. coli and S. typhimurium survived throughout the 28 experimental days. V. cholerae had the shortest survival time at this temperature and was not detected in any of the sediment chambers 24h after inoculation. S. dysenteriae only survived until day 7. At an increased temperature of 20°C, only S. dysenteriae was not detected on day 28 of the experiment. At 30°C, V. cholerae and Salmonella survived longer (28days) than E. coli (14days) and S. dysenteriae (4days). Vibrio cholerae was shown to have the highest T 90 values (32days) in all sediment types at 20 and 30°C. We conclude that the sediments of the Apies River present a favourable environment for the survival of indicator and pathogenic bacteria depending on the prevailing temperature.

English

Reef HQ Aquarium (Townsville, Australia) pumps its new exhibit seawater from a tidal inlet. This study presents the in-house calibration of a bioassay based on juvenile mysids to do a rapid assessment (presence or absence) of toxicity in the new seawater. Calibration tests were carried out for several substances: copper, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS or SDS), ammonia, antifouling paint, bilge oil from a yacht, oil from a dive compressor, seawater cooling effluent from a commercial ferry vessel, and aquarium tank water. Results were compared with two other bioassays already in use at Reef HQ Aquarium, based on (a) artemia hatched from aquaculture cysts and (b) Vibrio fischeri bacteria (Microtox&reg;). This study determined (a) that the juvenile mysids bioassay yielded meaningful results and was viable operationally, (b) its sensitivity with respect to likely local pollutants, and (c) how it compares in terms of sensitivity with the artemia and the Microtox&reg; bioassays. &nbsp; Key words: ARTOX, bioassay, mysid, Microtox&reg;, Reef HQ Aquarium, seawater, toxicity.

Development and Evaluation of Solar-Powered Instrument for Hydroponic System in Limapuluh Kota, Indonesia.

This solar-powered instrument utilized in plant cultivation in hydroponic system was developed to minimize operational cost, to maintain continuity of electrical source and to release dependency from electric utility. The instrument consist of solar tracker to adjust photovoltaic panel position, aquarium pump to distribute the nutrition, humidity and temperature meter to measure humidity and temperature, respectively. To support the function of this instrument 40 watt energy should be provided per hour in average. Following power measurement conducted in 50 Kota, 200WP of solar panel will produce roughly 70 watt at peak hour. The solar energy is stored to a couple of 100AH deep cycle battery, Arduino board microcontroller as brain of the system plays roles to control dc motor and timer and to calculate data signal from RTC, humidity and temperature sensor. The data are then sent to LCD matrix 2x16 which will display the measurement. This instrument is expected to be used by hydroponics farmer in remote area.

Growth of Chlorella sp. on Flue Gas

Aims: To use the ubiquitous dirt scavenger, Chlorella sp. as an affordable, low tech transducing device in the interplay between energy utilization and extreme climatic and ecological impacts which is a key to sustainable development. Methodology: Chlorella sp. was isolated from effluent samples of a fertilizer company in the Niger Delta. The Chlorella sp. was cultured using a mixture of effluent and river water and supplied with 2%, 5%, 10% and 15% flue gas from a 3.0 kW TEC gasoline powered generator. The cultures, in triplicate, were aerated with an aquarium pump and the growth conditions were monitored as cell density (OD 600nm), cell number (cells/ml), lipid (mg/g), dry matter (mg/l) and CO2 utilization (g/l) for 14 days at an ambient temperature of 29±2oC. Results: The flue gas solution supported the growth of the Chlorella sp. with no lag phase. The CO2 removal in the culture was quantitatively measured as 0.0428g/l, 0.1214g/l, 0.2094g/l and 0.3219g/l for the 2%, 5%, 10% and 15% flue gas concentrations respectively. The highest increase in cell number was recorded with the 15% flue gas concentration. Dry cell weight of 3.30mg/ml, 4.40mg/ml, 5.40mg/ml and 5.60mg/ml were obtained for the 2%, 5% 10% and 15% flue gas concentrations respectively. Lipid yields of 45mg/g, 47.5mg/g, 52.5mg/g, and 57.5mg/g of cell dry weight were obtained on the 14 day for the respective flue gas concentrations. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that an inexpensive growth medium can be realized from the flue gas, the effluent and river water for cultivation of the Chlorella sp. Original Research Article British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 4(5): 749-763, 2014 750 for biomass and lipids. The biomass can be used as food supplements (nutriceuticals) and biochemicals while the lipid can be converted into biofuel as biodiesel. The flue gas is sequestered reducing environmental pollution (a clean development methodology) which could mitigate the effects of global warming in an environmentally friendly way.

Optimization of A Small Scale Dual-Axis Solar Tracking System Using Nanowatt Technology

The solar module will be positioned first in North, East, West or South. Then, the PV array will automatically search and stop at the highest current gained by the solar cell. This will occur every 30 minutes from 0600H up to 1800H. In these positions the values of current, voltage and power were measured. The design focuses on different applications in a small farm setting with fan, incubator, aquarium pump motor and lightning. In essence, highlighted are the technical concepts of solar energy for electricity generation. 