l4nsky's Dedicated Room & Upgrades

[l4nsky]

Hola,

I'm going to give this post a little bit of a preface so there's some context behind what I've done here, why I went down this path, and the general method behind my madness. I guess I'll also keep this as sort of a build diary going forwards as I work to improve and future-proof the logistics of my hobby.

On 12/28/21, I managed to pull a P. sp Sabah Blue eggsack (https://arachnoboards.com/threads/achievement-s-unlocked.351180/post-3247500). It was the second eggsack I had ever pulled and my first time breeding this species. Consequently, I had also pulled my first eggsack (P. sp Akcaya) about a month prior and those slings had just been separated a few days prior. I can talk openly about this now, but IIRC, about a week after pulling the Sabah sack, we had a power outage during a cold snap in the teens. The power company managed to get power restored in a relatively short time, but it wasn't quick enough. The temperature in the incubator bottomed at 66°F for an hour or so. Out of the 120± eggs/EWL that were in the eggsack, only one managed to make it to 2i. Luckily, there were no other losses in the collection.

Still though, that was a massive loss not just for my collection and pocket, but for the US market availability and price point as well. In the aftermath of that event, I realized several facts.

1. I had just lost 5 figures worth of specimens and I still had another 5 figures at risk.
2. My collection was only going to expand in the future as I was planning on getting deeper into breeding and expanding to vertebrates.
3. The value of my collection was going to potentially grow at a disproportionate rate to the specimen count as I acquired breeding groups of rarer and rarer species.
4. The value of a heater, humidifier, air circulation fan, and generator for a small room was less than the retail value of almost any eggsack of any species in captivity.
5. With the species that I'm working with and plan to work with, if a backup power/environmental control system could prevent just one loss on this scale again, the whole system would've paid for itself several times over.
6. And, most importantly, I didn't want to have another preventable loss on this scale again.

At the time, I already had a room the tarantulas were taking over and I was controlling RH in it as well. It was at that point I decided to take the full plunge. Immediately after that fateful night, I purchased an indoor safe kerosene heater and CO alarm as a stop-gap solution that was better than my previous blankets and heatpack method. I then started researching, planning, and saving for the future upgrades, keeping in mind the need to future proof these plans. Over the past few weeks, I've been making purchases and putting the pieces together. This is the result so far:


Here's the environmental control system I've managed to piece together. Room RH, temperature, air quality, and air circulation are all addressed here. Starting up top, there is a 1500w wall mounted convection heat panel from De'Longhi. I chose this model because it throws heat out of the top and out of the sides with fans while staying cool enough to the touch so that it can be moved while running. There are overheating and tip over safety features programmed in and the unit is rated for a room up to twice the square feet of my current one. What's important to note is this unit will rarely be on. I keep my place at 74°F during the winter and the unit is set for 72°F, just incase the room gets colder than the rest of the place or the furnace goes on the fritz.

Moving down, there is a Lacidoll humidifier with a 4L reservoir that is rated for something like 5x the square feet of my current room. This model also has a UV light inside used for sterilization while running. I've chosen to use the hose output attachment to focus the mist towards the air circulator and I've modified a shelf from Walmart to hold the humidifier and a 7g water jug for quick refills. The humidifer is also resting in a shallow basin in case it is accidently overfilled and two spare jugs of water are kept, one the shelf and one in the closet to the left.

To the right of the humidifer is the air purifier/circulator. That unit is made by Vornado with precision aerodynamics to both circulate and clean the full air volume of the room using a powerful blower and activated carbon/HEPA filtration. The unit is rated for more than twice the square footage of my current room and the air turnover rate is something ridiculous, like 9x an hour. It's quite effective at removing the odor of my feeder colonies. It's also quiet and positioned in such a way to throw both the water vapor from the humidifier and the heat from the convection panel into the middle of the room.

Now, all of these devices are plugged into a heavy duty powerstrip from Tripp Lite with a 15' cord. This cord is wall mounted to prevent any problems if there is a water spill and is run safely out of the way of the convection panel, up and around the doors, and finally ending by the lightswitch. This was intentional, as I wanted to be able to split the power cord at the door in case of a power outage. That way, I could unplug the whole circuit for the environmental control system, run a separate extension cord under the door and outside, and plug it into this:


This is an inverter generator made by Westinghouse and it's size is currently overkill. It's more than enough for what I need now, will probably cover the power demands of all future upgrades, and has enough juice to spare for my freezer full of wild game . I chose an enclosed inverter type for the very low levels of noise compared to the open frame or standard generators on the market. I also chose one with a remote start feature and an optional aftermarket kit to convert it over to dual fuel in the future (propane is safer to store in larger quantities). In and of itself, the remote start is a pretty worthless feature as it will kill the battery long before it's needed, but it just might be possible to use this capability in the future to build a computer controlled power transfer switch that can automatically switch the circuit to backup power and start the generator if a power outage is detected (I have two family members that are electricians. IF I attempt this in the future, it will ONLY be under their guidance. Be safe out there).

Finally, circling back to the T room, there is a second extension cord (this one unplugged) running from the power strip, up and around the doors, and out of picture to the left. This extension cord has one purpose. In the event of a power outage, I can plug the pulse proportional thermostat in my incubator into this extension cord, plug it into the power strip, and then be able to plug it into the generator, therefore only tying up one of the available generator outlets for the T room.

That's it for today. This week, I'll also be installing a data logging system to constantly measure, record, and push the temp/RH/barometric pressure of the room, the outside conditions, and conditions in the incubator to my phone as well as a system to alert me via text and email if the power goes out. I'll update this thread with that build and I'll probably retroactively detail some of the improvements I've made in the past as well as the progression of how this room has taken shape over it's history.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[The Snark]

Outstanding. Only three concerns.
1. How long is the run from the generator to the plug strip? While you have more than enough power at 3500 watts, did you take into account the wire gauge of that cord? 16 gauge is marginal if the run is more than 50 feet.
2. You have two plug and receptacles that are only rated at 10 amps each. Normal extension cords, regardless of their claims, have plugs /receptacles rated at 10 amps. Extra heavy duty plus will have a NEMA rating of 15 and won't go higher than that with the normal plug. Higher current cords must have positive locks. So you have a lot more current available at the generator than what is pictured can deliver. 120 x 10 - cord ampacity = <1200 watts available. Heavy duty cord, <1800 watts.
(This is the primary reason OSHA goes rabid and bans extension cords in workplaces.)
3. Minor concern. What is the CFM output of the heater and the cu. ft. of the room?

For example, a set up similar to yours. A new Blood Gas Analyzer in the lab at the hospital They plugged it into an adequate UPS which in theory had sufficient amperes available for 15 minutes of operation. But the machine required just under 10 minutes to finish running through a cycle. Due to cord length and current loss at the plug and receptacle they would get a little over five minutes reliable battery back up. Then the UPS would switch to deep cycle sending a power blip. That blip was enough to send the BGA into shut down mode, parking the p[robe wherever it happened to be. If the probe was in transit, CRUNCH. $300 probe destroyed. So whether the BGA could finish a run depended on how far along it was in that run when the power cut out. Several thousand $$$ of destroyed probes and ruined analysis runs the lab Sup went ballistic. He dumped it on me, I ran the figures as above and gave maintenance the shopping list.
A real 100% 30 minute duty cycle UPS with a dedicated circuit ran from maintenance - hardwired - no extension cords. ~$7000.

Otherwise, an excellent choice of components. The convection heater being head and shoulders above common oil filled radiant heaters.

 

[l4nsky]

Outstanding. Only two concerns.
1. How long is the run from the generator to the plug strip? While you have more than enough power at 3500 watts, did you take into account the wire gauge of that cord? 16 gauge is marginal if the run is more than 50 feet.
2. You have two plug and receptacles that are only rated at 10 amps each. Normal extension cords, regardless of their claims, have plugs /receptacles rated at 10 amps. Extra heavy duty plus will have a NEMA rating of 15 and won't go higher than that with the normal plug. Higher current cords must have positive locks. So you have a lot more current available at the generator than what is pictured can deliver. 120 x 10 - cord ampacity = <1200 watts available. Heavy duty cord, <1800 watts.
(This is the primary reason OSHA goes rabid and bans extension cords in workplaces.)

The two 120v household outlets are 20a each, not 10a each. A 50', 12 gauge outdoor extension cord rated at 15a/125v/1875W will provide the power to the 14 gauge power strip with 15a circuit breaker.

 

[The Snark]

@I4insky 1800 W is adequate but considering all the money invested, go the extra mile and put in a hardwired dedicated receptacle - centrally located, 12 gauge, and lose all extension cords. That will deliver 120 volts @ 20 amps, 2400 watts with a run of 65 feet. And plug strips are often bullcrap. Put in a dual duplex box.
I run my computer system on three heavy duty 6 gang plug strips and have 240 volts here. Regardless, after about a year of service I junk the plug strips. Contacts oxidize and become unreliable. Manufacturers of 'temporary' connections don't give a rodents rectum about quality. Plug strips are usually copper (anodized) plated steel. NEMA rated receptacles have copper alloy contacts or very heavily copper plated.

 

[l4nsky]

@I4insky 1800 W is adequate but considering all the money invested, go the extra mile and put in a hardwired dedicated receptacle - centrally located, 12 gauge, and lose all extension cords. That will deliver 120 volts @ 20 amps, 2400 watts with a run of 65 feet. And plug strips are often bullcrap. Put in a dual duplex box.
I run my computer system on three heavy duty 6 gang plug strips and have 240 volts here. Regardless, after about a year of service I junk the plug strips. Contacts oxidize and become unreliable. Manufacturers of 'temporary' connections don't give a rodents rectum about quality. Plug strips are usually copper (anodized) plated steel. NEMA rated receptacles have copper alloy contacts or very heavily copper plated.

Hardwiring, while desired, is not a viable option at present. The power distribution strip is an all metal, Tripp Lite UL24CB-15 with 6 NEMA 5-15R output receptacles, a 15a circuit breaker, and a lifetime warranty intended for industrial use. It's not your typical, run-of-the-mill, 16ga, plastic household unit.

 

[The Snark]

Tripp Lite UL24CB-15 with 6 NEMA 5-15R output receptacles, a 15a circuit breaker,

My concerns alleviated somewhat. Sweetheart set up.
As an aside, keep an eye on that generator, service and give it a run on a frequent basis. Wastinghorse farming out to the lowest bidder has given itself a questionable reputation.
Chatting with a motor winder buddy here, eyeing an aluminum wire wound generator is asked him about Westinghouse quality. His reply, "Which one? Portuguese, India, Mexico or Chinese?"

 

[Frogdaddy]

Matt, I'm sorry about your losses due to the power outage. I'm sure that hurt.
But you have bounced back nicely. Sometimes it takes a set back to move forward. Great job on providing environmentally stabilizing equipment.
This also gives me food for thought and an impetus to plan before moving into a new home myself.

 

[l4nsky]

Matt, I'm sorry about your losses due to the power outage. I'm sure that hurt.
But you have bounced back nicely. Sometimes it takes a set back to move forward. Great job on providing environmentally stabilizing equipment.
This also gives me food for thought and an impetus to plan before moving into a new home myself.

Thank you. It hurt, but no where near as bad as it could've been. It certainly made me re-evaluate some long range plans myself.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Thank you. It hurt, but no where near as bad as it could've been. It certainly made me re-evaluate some long range plans myself.

Yeah some events change your life and make you think big picture.

Just as a small anecdote, a few years ago I lived in Fort Myers, FL while I was heavily into dart frogs. In Florida I had to obtain a permit from Florida Fish & Wildlife to legally keep the frogs. One of the questions on the permit application was, what was my emergency plan in case of a Hurricane or other natural disaster. Now dart frogs most likely couldn't survive a Florida winter in the wild should there be an escapee, but FL F&W takes this stuff seriously
It did force me to think about it and make a plan of action should the unthinkable happen. I've thought about that a lot the last few months as Fort Myers was wiped out by Hurricane Ian last September.

 

[winter]

Does your humidifier require a bacteriostatic solution? I ask as my wife runs a filter-evaporator type humidifier in our room (far from the tarantulas) and it quickly starts to stink if we don't add bacteriostatic solution to the reservoir. We currently use a dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride bacteriostatic solution and so far none of the critters (her frogs and my arachnids) have shown signs negative impact. I'd love to pick your brain as to which bacteriostatic solution you've chosen, and why?

 

[The Snark]

We currently use a dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride bacteriostatic solution

What concentration? I've been using BKC but the stuff is problematic. Too low a concentration and it's ineffective on mold spores, too high and it plays hell with our sinuses and throats. Very difficult to find a happy medium.

 

[l4nsky]

Does your humidifier require a bacteriostatic solution? I ask as my wife runs a filter-evaporator type humidifier in our room (far from the tarantulas) and it quickly starts to stink if we don't add bacteriostatic solution to the reservoir. We currently use a dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride bacteriostatic solution and so far none of the critters (her frogs and my arachnids) have shown signs negative impact. I'd love to pick your brain as to which bacteriostatic solution you've chosen, and why?

That's actually one of the reasons I went with an ultrasonic humidifier instead of an evaporative humidifier. I've used both over the years, sometimes even in tandem for some mycology projects where they complement each other well. IMHO, the only pro to an evaporative style humidifier with a wicking filter is the ability to run tap water with it and not get the mineral deposits (chalky, white dust) that an ultrasonic would deposit in the room with time. Replacement filter costs and frequent cleaning to prevent just such an issue as you're describing ultimately made me lean towards the ultrasonic for this room solution.

While I do have to use R/O water and keep it stocked up, the ultrasonic has really been the best choice for my situation. I already filter and use R/O water when adding moisture in my enclosures to prevent water spots, so it was merely a matter of getting more storage. This particular model of ultrasonic also has a built in UV light as well, which acts the same as a UV sterilizer in an aquarium, killing or controlling any bacteria and mold growth in the unit itself. This means less maintenance in the long run.

 

[The Snark]

With the crud now common from overtaxed (and sometimes cheated) municipal water systems.... Depending on what comes out of the tap let's talk carbon block and catalyst for household use plus R/O for potable - at a minimum. Dissolved lead, cadmium, arsenical compounds and even mercury is becoming commonplace in the water tables. Along with microparticulates that work wonderfully in shading bacteria from UV. Put the UV after the R/O to clean up the remaining organisms.
Filters: Orange - ceramic .5 ppm, green - Carbon block, purple - backup ceramic then catalyst, two stages high density carbon block, R/O, utlra high density carbon 'water polisher', UV.

 

[l4nsky]

With the crud now common from overtaxed (and sometimes cheated) municipal water systems.... Depending on what comes out of the tap let's talk carbon block and catalyst for household use plus R/O for potable - at a minimum. Dissolved lead, cadmium and arsenical compounds and even mercury is becoming commonplace in the water tables. Along with microparticulates that work wonderfully in shading bacteria from UV.

Already did .

I already filter and use R/O water when adding moisture in my enclosures to prevent water spots, so it was merely a matter of getting more storage.

If you want specifics, the unit I have is a small, 50 gpd model that has both an inline sediment filter and carbon filter plumbed before the RO membrane. I removed the deionization resin from the setup as zero TDS isn't necessary or wanted for this application.

 

[The Snark]

I have is a small, 50 gpd model

I've choked my system to ~15 GPD, a top of the line R/O. Enough plus for potable. (Our water literally is sewage. Ground water well surrounded by dairy farms.) Whole house prefilter, 3 Ceramics in parallel then a 16 watt UV. Keeps some crap out of the laundry and shower. Kills spores.

 

[winter]

What concentration? I've been using BKC but the stuff is problematic. Too low a concentration and it's ineffective on mold spores, too high and it plays hell with our sinuses and throats. Very difficult to find a happy medium.

The stock concentration of the quaternary ammonium I have is 2.25%; It's diluted to 30ppm per the directions. At 30ppm, it's more bacteriostatic than bactericidal; I would not want to breath in the bactericidal concentration of 200 to 400 ppm. So far it's kept the evaporative filter from getting funky and not caused our pets to suffer. I did not think about irritation to human mucosal membranes; thankfully, our household have not shown adverse effects.

That's actually one of the reasons I went with an ultrasonic humidifier instead of an evaporative humidifier. I've used both over the years, sometimes even in tandem for some mycology projects where they complement each other well. IMHO, the only pro to an evaporative style humidifier with a wicking filter is the ability to run tap water with it and not get the mineral deposits (chalky, white dust) that an ultrasonic would deposit in the room with time. Replacement filter costs and frequent cleaning to prevent just such an issue as you're describing ultimately made me lean towards the ultrasonic for this room solution.

While I do have to use R/O water and keep it stocked up, the ultrasonic has really been the best choice for my situation. I already filter and use R/O water when adding moisture in my enclosures to prevent water spots, so it was merely a matter of getting more storage. This particular model of ultrasonic also has a built in UV light as well, which acts the same as a UV sterilizer in an aquarium, killing or controlling any bacteria and mold growth in the unit itself. This means less maintenance in the long run.

Thanks for sharing your thought process. We've tried using ultrasonic type humidifiers in the past but stopped using them as they leave that unsightly mineral residue all over the house. If I ever get to have my own tarantula room, I will try a ultrasonic humidifier.

With the crud now common from overtaxed (and sometimes cheated) municipal water systems.... Depending on what comes out of the tap let's talk carbon block and catalyst for household use plus R/O for potable - at a minimum. Dissolved lead, cadmium, arsenical compounds and even mercury is becoming commonplace in the water tables. Along with microparticulates that work wonderfully in shading bacteria from UV. Put the UV after the R/O to clean up the remaining organisms.
Filters: Orange - ceramic .5 ppm, green - Carbon block, purple - backup ceramic then catalyst, two stages high density carbon block, R/O, utlra high density carbon 'water polisher', UV.

View attachment 437073

That's a fancy water filtration system there. Do you have to replace the cartridges and RO membrane often?

 

[The Snark]

That's a fancy water filtration system there. Do you have to replace the cartridges and RO membrane often?

I've got most everything dialed in to minimal maintenance. At the head of the line is a 1000 liter sediment tank which catches the dirt and gravel. The first filter outisde is huge 5 micron polypro. It is solid mud in 6 months. Then the triple parallel .5 microns get plugged in about six months but they can be scrubbed with a Scotch Brite removing the outer surface. They will probably last 10 years or more. The UV gets a new bulb once a year. 10,000 hours
Then inside the first ceramic hasn't plugged up in 1 1/2 years and I just swapped the second which was redundant for a carbon block. It's coming on summer and I'll be heavily chlorinating. 200+ ppm shock then 20 ppm chlorine and that carbon block will be a write off in three months, the one after it in six. Then the catalyst, changed every six months then the two high density carbon blocks which need changing soon and last over a year. So the R/O gets near zero ionized stuff and <.5 particulates. The last one plugged up after 10 months. Haven't changed the water polisher in 2 years. Seems to be mostly redundant. And last, I need to change the 6 watt UV bulb. It's on a flow switch but is 2 years old. This super R/O is S L O W. Very low flow. When the pump starts fast cycling I'll swap it out. It's been in 5 months.

This is before the third ceramic was installed and I had things backwards. The ceramics after the UV. Mold grew in the washing machine, all sinks and the bath tub. The sight glass in the UV housing gets sunlight and grows algae. I feed it 1% BKC and let stand for an hour then run the chemical through the entire house when I see algae.. the 4 inch pipe on the far right is the pressure tank.
How bad is our water.? The big polypro filter pictured was changed after 1 year. The new filter weigh just under one pound. The dirty filter let to drain and dry for a week weighed a little over 17 lbs. The pipe from the municipal water tank actually runs above ground in places and the water delivered gets as warm as 75 degrees or so. The only filtering is aeration so nice warm aerated water to grow mold in all the pipes.
If I ever get up the money I'm going to have a well drilled. Go down maybe 150 feet. Then the major maintenance will just be a submersible pump.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

Yeah some events change your life and make you think big picture.

Just as a small anecdote, a few years ago I lived in Fort Myers, FL while I was heavily into dart frogs. In Florida I had to obtain a permit from Florida Fish & Wildlife to legally keep the frogs. One of the questions on the permit application was, what was my emergency plan in case of a Hurricane or other natural disaster. Now dart frogs most likely couldn't survive a Florida winter in the wild should there be an escapee, but FL F&W takes this stuff seriously
It did force me to think about it and make a plan of action should the unthinkable happen. I've thought about that a lot the last few months as Fort Myers was wiped out by Hurricane Ian last September.

I’m sorry I didn’t mean tooooo

 

[l4nsky]

Just had an issue overnight with my furnace blower. I woke up to 65°F, but the room stayed around 74°F and the incubator with two eggsacks in it never fell out of params. If I needed any more evidence to justify these purchases, well there it is.

 

[Frogdaddy]

Just had an issue overnight with my furnace blower. I woke up to 65°F, but the room stayed around 74°F and the incubator with two eggsacks in it never fell out of params. If I needed any more evidence to justify these purchases, well there it is.

That was a good test. The equipment just paid for itself.