Ripper Hollow » Upgraded To NOOKcolor

Upgraded To NOOKcolor

Beau — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:38:53 +0000

I upgraded to a NOOKcolor from the original NOOK. I’m glad I decided to upgrade. Not only can I now read in lower lighted areas, but I can view magazines in full color and view full websites.

The original NOOK didn’t display images and websites all that well. One drawback on the color version though, is that it doesn’t have 3G. No bigger, as I can tether it to my Droid X for 3G when I don’t have wireless available.

I hope Barnes & Noble adds more apps in the future, because this is a great tablet.

Product Review: AquariumPlants.com Electronic CO2 Regulator

Beau — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:26:21 +0000

About 8 months back, I purchased the Electronic CO2 Regulator from AquariumPlants.com. Instead of using a needle valve, this regulator uses an electronic valve that opens and closes in fractions of a second. You can adjust the bubbles per second, and the size of the bubbles. It’s accurate from 4 bubbles per second all the way to 1 bubble every 10 seconds. Since there’s no solenoid in this regulator, you won’t have to replace one when it overheats and fails (which is what happened to my old regulator). There’s a build in check valve, though I use two of my own (can’t be too careful), and you don’t need a bubble counter, as it has an LED that flashes to indicate bubbles.

This regulator can be used by itself, or with a pH controller. I have mine on a timer instead of a pH controller. AquariumPlants.com also has this regulator with an optional LCD 8 digit resettable counter instead of the LED. The digital counter also has a backup battery, so it won’t lose its count. They also recently started offering the counter by itself, so you can use your own regulator.

Overall, I’m very happy with this regulator. It’s super easy to setup and use. You can see how I have mine set up here. I plan on getting another one of these regulators in the future, when I get a large aquarium.

Product Review: Fluval 205

Beau — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:54:09 +0000

I’ve been using the Fluval 205 for a little over a year now, and I love it. I have it installed on my 26 gallon planted aquarium. I use the Fluval foam sponges, Fluval Pre-Filter and the Fluval Bio-Max. This cannister filter is for aquariums up to 200 litres (40 US gallons), and pumps a hearty 180 gph. It has a total of 3 media baskets, and holds 4 foam sponges. I also have a pre-filter sponge on the intake to protect my small fish from accidentally getting stuck to the intake.

Maintenance is a snap. All you have to do is close the suction/discharge valve, unplug the filter, and disconnect the Aqua-Stop Valve. I only clean my filter once a month, and I don’t clean the whole thing. I clean 2 sponges, and one media basket, and I always rotate which baskets and sponges I clean. That way, I’m not destroying all of the beneficial bacteria that lives in the filter media. After I clean the filter, I reconnect the Aqua-Stop Valve, open the suction/discharge valve, and the filter automatically fills itself with tank water. Once all the air is out of the filter, I plug it back in and I’m done. Very simple.

Each filter comes with: Instant-prime system; single-motion lift-lock clamps; clog-proof intake strainer; dual-layer foam screen; and instructional DVD to ease set-up and use.

Fluval has plenty of other filter media available, including carbon, peat, Zeo-Carb, ammonia remover, nitrate remover, and water polishing pads. For my planted aquarium, I do just fine with the foam sponges, Pre-Filter, and Bio-Max.

I definitely recommend this product. Lots of flow, great media, and easy maintenance.

Disclosure: I did not get paid to review this product. However, the image above does link to my Amazon Affiliate account.