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Twinstar..what is it?

I had a thought today that it would be nice to have someone open the diffuser and the IC like what is happening with Apple's new phone all the time.
So it would be visible what is inside. I am short on stock :) So who will open up the item? :)

That what I was thinking, but didn't comment it. :thumbup:

Regards
Alan
 
has anyone found anything about replace parts, given unit has shelf life, will the whole unit need replacing or just the disc...

I think i pasted this earlier.

The diffuser what you have in the tank need to be replaced after 6-12 months.
The replaceable unit has a jack plug and you can connect it to the IC controller easily.
No need to screw etc. Just unplug the jack with the old diffuser from the IC and plug in the new one.
The cost is not cheap somewhere around 50USD or so.
 
I think i pasted this earlier.

The diffuser what you have in the tank need to be replaced after 6-12 months.
The replaceable unit has a jack plug and you can connect it to the IC controller easily.
No need to screw etc. Just unplug the jack with the old diffuser from the IC and plug in the new one.
The cost is not cheap somewhere around 50USD or so.

Thxs viktor, 50usd dosen't sound to bad, If it's only yearly... Guess you would need to contact the malufacturer directly for replacement. Give the results you've had, I might take the plunge and get me self one... btw thanks for the reviews you provided. I dont know how it works but the same could be said for many things, all that matter is it works.

Was also looking at some of your scape a moment ago, simplely amazing!
 
Nobody is saying it doesn't work. Why don't you read above post? It VERY CLEARLY works in Viktors eyes and others.

It's the fact we want to know what's going on.

Call it inquisition. Call it trying to understand what it is actually doing to the water In our aquariums, so we can learn what's happening and why it's having such a positive effect on nuisance algae. We can Then take this logic and apply, to improve our pretty little tanks even further.
I did not complain about people saying it does not work. I am fed up about people calling it snake oil or anything else really and even more about people saying shops are trying to sell snake oils. That is was what it read.
Sorry if I got it wrong.
 
I really do not know how long this stuff will live or will spread around the hobby. Maybe other "stars" will appear shortly and we just realize they are in every store around us just like the UV or Ozone, aquarium computers.
Shortly will have ANSStars and GUSHStars too :)

The full topic is about accepting or not accepting a product which has or not has some effect on some of our issues.
I also seen similar feedback on our boards when i shared the experiences. This is ok of course.
We're different, and honestly it's not too smart to run to a shop to buy any new thing because we see a photo of a tank which is getting nicer. :) we're all smarter than that.
The smart thing is that now many different people testing this kit around the world so you see many different cases, tanks etc. Gets attention from other industry people too so might open up new areas too.

Why i do test it? Looks like fun :)
Also i am open to any new thing. Love my pH computer and Profilux machine, love Purigen or some electronic filters like Fluval or the Eheim ones. VUPPA etc - actually an expensive Vuppa needed to have a cheap Eheim skim i guess :)
New things are nice. Some of them maybe useful and will drive the hobby into a very different direction.

At some point i would be glad to fully throw out all algecide including carbo, H2O2 etc and use a device or 2 which helps on a different way.
Did you ever think about how much algecide we buy in a shop? I am working in a store. And you can't believe it. Almost as much as fertilizers.
Just to fight with algae, spot dose, prevent etc.

There are many different feedback like if a device clean the algae, the user will never learn the basics etc. Which is true. But we loose so many people in this hobby because they need aquariums like they see everywhere in the aquascaping scene, and they fail shortly as they do not have that time to go through on all the learning curves.

We're harder when we need to accept new things. But just look at the car industry. 20 years ago there was not any electronic guide, assistance. Now we drive with GPS and our car almost drive itself just to keep it on the road. Park assistance etc.
They are not evil just helps on some issues. And at the end your car wheels will not spin like mad, you will stay on road, speed is controlled etc and you can focus on many other things - hopefully not watching a TV meanwhile driving. :)

But for the future the aquascaping hobby needs to be changed. Its not good that we need a board with hundredthousand topics and posts to read it to be smart enough to run a tank.

So many issues, so many problems, so many variants. Hard to give one perfect instruction to anyone. Some people just fight with the algae for months til they give up.They do not want to be a scientist or a biologist. They just need a nice scape, but never meet a beauty tank in their home. Our goal is not to fight with algae but to enjoy the scaping or the growing part or just watching the live interior decoration. Whatever makes it easy is a good thing.

Electric carpet trimmer? Auto filter cleaner? Soil refreshener? auto CO2 refiller? many stuff which would be nice :)
I would not mind to not meet algae anymore. Would read a book how that looked in the past :) or would tell a tale how the mighty Vik fight with diatom to my daughter. :) meanwhile browsing my old flickr page for examples :)

I would not like to be a promoter here. But i've read so many nice articles in the past from you guys on CO2 diffusers, EI fertilizers, TMC LEDs and LEDs at all before anyone used it for plants.
This is just another sharing thing. Take it easy and we will see what it does. Shortly we will see what is inside of these things, George mentioned that we may will have better understanding too on how this works from an expert. This is good.
Meanwhile we all learn and have fun.

I try to not spam this topic. So will wait another week or more to see what happen with my tank and will post it, but will not do other examples :) There are so many and others will come too.

How amazing the modern age and the scaping scene otherwise.? A new product comes out. Shortly find a way to some local expert like Dave Chow. Passes some tests and now the device is there in UK, Germany, France, Brazil etc etc.
And the network is testing this and you can buy it before the PFK would even write about it :)

ops sorry long post. stop here :)
 
Why I cannot edit the post :( shows blank field when trying to edit.

The forum engine is outdated. May need some work. Til then use the preview button when you edit the post. There you can see your post and make changes in it :)
There's a nice extension what we're using in our community. Multi-quote. Would be awesome to have it here too sometime.
 
Wow:) cracking bed time reading, maybe I'm not too old to ask Santa for a twinstar this year;) cheers Victor, great stuff

Sent from my LT30p using Tapatalk
 
Ok, so for now we do not know much how it works, just that it does.. :)

So around £150 for unit, then about £25 yearly for difusser..

I setup aquariums on school and hospital environments, and I try to avoid liquid carbon as much as possible.. so I could try this on a customer site, under real conditions that most customers will face, such as no more than a weekly review of the tank, moderate flow, ferts and light..

Now, which shops in the UK sell this? and more importantly, do they also sell the replacement diffusers?
 
Been watching this thread with great interest, seeing the sceptics and the optimists doing battle.

Im a bit of a sceptic and my first thought were along the snake oil lines but i do try to keep an open mind. Being a bit of a sucker for a gadget i was intrigued and now seeing that it does have a positive effect on our aquariums im pretty sold, certainly enough to give it a go.
While i dont have any real algae issues, like most of us it is in our tanks and being that i lust after a perfect tank if this gizmo can eradicate the little fuzz algae at the top of my cyperus leaves nearest the light, keep the stones clean and increase growth rates then its a welcome addition to the hobby in my eyes. No doubt the price will fall significantly once other manufactures reverse engineer it but that true of everything.

I would really like to see this in action in a poorly maintained tank to see how well it will fair, how much maintenance will it compensate for? Personally i quite enjoy maintenance day but agree wholly with Viktor, some people just want a nice tank and dont have the time or energy to spend learning the basics.

It could certainly be a great addition to most LFS display tanks and even plant holding tanks!

Now if they could just make one that works on BBA too....
 
I would really like to see this in action in a poorly maintained tank to see how well it will fair, how much maintenance will it compensate for? Personally i quite enjoy maintenance day but agree wholly with Viktor, some people just want a nice tank and dont have the time or energy to spend learning the basics.

If I get one it will be used on a 120L poorly maintained tank.. really curious if it will work as well on a regular customer tank.. If it does, then this is a great tool, irrespective of how it does its magic.. :)
 
Following on Viktor recent reviews, i just puchase myself one of these devises, from Freshwater Shrimp, i spoke to Edward who seemed to suggest they would be getting replacement diffuse, so took the plunge...

This will be going in my recently set up Iwagmui, so not quite from begining, bu i recently change filter media so filter is pretty clean and give the tank a once over before put diffuse in. I wouldn't go as far to my tank is poorly maintained but i am certainly no experts, i would say i'm what you would called a caual scaper.

In my tank there is a bit of alage particular on the one of the peices of rock which despite my bests effort wont scub off...

Device arrive tomorrow, so will have over weekend to try... finger crossed.

Will post my own review.
 
I wouldn't go as far to my tank is poorly maintained but i am certainly no experts, i would say i'm what you would called a caual scaper.

I am looking for updates on this.. :) although I am in SA I have contacted Ed to enquire about purchasing, but I would like to also buy difusers at the same time..
 
H all,
I don't think any-one needs to open one up, from what Viktor and Alan have posted it is an oxygen nano/micro-bubble generator. From page 9. of this thread
The device uses technology to create micro-bubbles that destroy the cell wall of the algae in the end they can not grow. This technology is non-toxic and harmless for aerobic bacteria.
OK there is quite a lot of scientific work on micro and nano bubbles <Principle and applications of microbubble and nanobubble technology for water treatment>). That would also account for the high cost of the unit, and why it wears out, in both cases because of the erosion of the platinum/palladium electrode set.
This is from: Patent US6689262 <Patent US6689262 - Microbubbles of oxygen - Google Patente>
An oxygen emitter which is an electrolytic cell is disclosed. When the anode and cathode are separated by a critical distance, very small microbubbles and nanobubbles of oxygen are generated. The hydrogen forms bubbles at the cathode, which bubbles rise to the surface. The very small oxygen bubbles remain in suspension, forming a solution supersaturated in oxygen. .........The electrodes may be formed into open grids or may be closed surfaces. The most preferred cathode is a stainless steel mesh. ....... The most preferred anode is platinum and iridium oxide on a support. A preferred support is titanium.
cheers Darrel
 
H all,
I don't think any-one needs to open one up, from what Viktor and Alan have posted it is an oxygen nano/micro-bubble generator. From page 9. of this thread This is from: Patent US6689262 <Patent US6689262 - Microbubbles of oxygen - Google Patente>
cheers Darrel


Excellent info Darrel, thank you very much.

From what you are quoting here, I gather that using a syringe to dose H2O2 onto rocks etc would have a similar effect?

However, I know that H2O2 is not 'fish safe' if directed at them or heavily dosed.
How does this unit differ? Just a low dosage?
 
Great I just paid for a very fancy air stone…:) Oh I’m always one to give new technology a try, and if means a little less work for me all the better.

I currently using an Söchting Oxydator D in this tank to provide additional oxygen using hydrogen peroxide solution, but don’t like the size of the unit, it much bigger that the mini version. I haven’t notice that the amount of algae has reduce in my tank since using. Thou perhaps I should be treating algae directly with solution.

If the twinstar reduces the level of maintenance, if only a little it would still be appealing for me. While I love this hobby I really struggle to find as much time for it i would like. Working fully time and a young son dosent leave time for much else.
 
Thanks for your concise explanation Darrel.. really appreciate it..

I know that high oxigen in a tank means a cleaner tank, and I saw that with the addiction of an air pump at night time.. interesting take on the microbubles.. if it affects algae, why is not affecting plants?
 
Hi all,
if it affects algae, why is not affecting plants?
I'm not sure, the bubbles don't look like hydrogen, so I think they must be micro-bubbles of oxygen. I also think the nano-bubbles (which are ~10nm & much too small to be seen) are meant to adhere to surfaces, and stop algal cells from adhering themselves.

If you have a look at the waste water link < Principle and applications of microbubble and nanobubble technology for water treatment >, it has an explanation.
I currently using an Söchting Oxydator D in this tank to provide additional oxygen using hydrogen peroxide solution,
This was popular 20 years ago, particularly for Rift Lake cichlids etc. I like high oxygen levels, but I'm not sure that any of these methods add very much long term, and I commented on this under REDOX values earlier in the thread <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/twinstar-what-is-it.28335/page-5>.

It really depends what you want, I want a low maintenance jungle, and I don't care if I have some algae, in fact I'd be worried if I didn't. I'd really stand by
I use a related concept for tank management, maintenance of a low BOD and ensuring that oxygen levels remain high, but I don't worry about humic compounds etc., in fact quite the opposite I actively add them. If you have plants (and to some extent efficient microbial filtration) you don't need anything else.
from <http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/twinstar-what-is-it.28335/page-3>.

cheers Darrel
 
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