Cody's Algae Panel

I build a prototype algae panel to experiment with before making bunch more.
Help me make videos by donating here: / codyslab
Follow me on Facebook: / codydonreeder
SubReddit: / codyslab
Twitter: / codyslab

[@JayBe1992]

I started following Cody when he was literally mining. Now he is making automatic algae farms. Seriously, you are my favorite minecrafter.

[@Roonnam]

Huge supporter here also..

[@liftsalot]

Dude you just blew my mind.

[@HarekaTysiri]

same here! he's a genius!

[@therealmustii]

same

[@MoneyMeNow]

😂

[@Macakiux]

Him explaining with a straight face while showing green teeth got me laughing real hard.

[@SilohEthIRL]

Man's has iridium nuts 😂💪

[@antman7673]

No need to be ashamed of a temporary state. Was original.

[@midgetman4206]

My brain skipped the word "laughing"

[@MuzikBike]

Some people are said to have green fingers; Cody, on the other hand...

[@yewsengcheong1637]

The green puff when he coughed. Lol!

[@ZennExile]

The main problem with algae is the entire system can become infected and kill all the algae or poison you if you are consuming it. You might consider separating the algae generator into multiple discrete units to allow for direct comparisons to ensure safety and redundancy as well as protection from accidental contamination.

[@Personnenenparle]

Spirulina is better for that. It grows in a solution almost as basic as bleach. Pretty hard to contaminate bleach!

[@dino6627]

It is a great environment to grow bacteria and mold too. For non-food use the risk of legionella is greatest problem, but for food use there are a large number of organisms that could be dangerous.

[@MrNoobed]

If you separate it you could also use it to select for more effective strains. Like as select for carbs if you want ethanol or select for lipids if you want oils.

[@dmarsub]

May i ask how a closed system can become infected? What are the weakpoints? What would you nees to filter in order to make it foodsafe?

[@instanoodles]

@@dmarsub You are assuming that the closed system was 100% sterile before it was closed. Very hard to do even when you are trying really hard to clean everything.

[@bensilbaugh654]

I cant get over him eating the algae powder at 0:43 and then coughing up a green cloud right after. Hilarious. Keep up the great work though, Awesome content.

[@typo1345]

it reminds me of what happens when my mother takes cinnamon capsules - they dissolve in her throat and she'll cough a brown cloud a little bit later lol

[@phdtobe]

It is Cody’s version of the cinnamon challenge.

[@Jawst]

😆😆

[@danieldevito6380]

Then him talking with the green teeth...I'm literally CRYING right now LMFAOO..

[@chucktaylor4958]

Cody’s way of dispersing alga spore.

[@forgetfulpriestiv14]

When Cody came into frame for the first time I thought he had a guest. It never ceases to amaze me how much a hair cut changes someone, and I'm a barber lol

[@1Shignog]

HE has put on some weight as well.

[@frogz]

@@1Shignog too much fatty algae

[@demons99ify]

and he shaved his goatee.

[@GP-qi1ve]

he looks much worse.

[@GashimahironChl]

He's got himself a haircut and also a widescreen patch!

[@Yref]

it's the green puff of algae when he coughs that does it for me haha

[@bastienpabiot3678]

@@duckintheheadlights7906 had you hatin 🎶🎶

[@crackedemerald4930]

0:50 lol

[@darraghchapman]

Cinnamon challenge 2.0

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Week later: cody update: Hi guys, I'm in hospital with a fungal lung infection, but I'll be back with more videos in two weeks time, see you then *thumb up - wave*

[@migry]

@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 ROTFL

[@randaranatunga7259]

I love how enthusiastic this man is about science, really makes this channel so interesting and fun to watch.

[@agamemnon8163]

@@AxxLAfriku no. Cringe

[@depausvandelilithkerk5785]

He blew it with the compensation for his CO2 ofsett.

[@daisuketremonte2863]

If you're new to his channel you should watch some of his oold stuff

[@joecolvin4203]

That's why I watch him lol.

[@userblame632]

@De paus van de Lilith Kerk how? That’s not really political, if anything, it’s cool to see how much CO2 a person gives off. I totally thought that algae would’ve offset more

[@pannekook2000]

You should grow botryococcus! it is similar to chlorella, but the difference is that it doesn't make edible fats - it makes diesel fuel! it makes C34 hydrocarbons in its extracellular matrix, and that lets it float on water. It outproduces almost all other algae in terms of biofuels. I have been doing biology research on both of these algaes for the past couple years, so it's exciting to see someone else as enthusiastic as I've been!

[@toddberkely6791]

how is the research going?

[@pannekook2000]

@@toddberkely6791 this was a long time ago, and i moved away from that research because i finished undergrad. Now i’m doing analytical chemistry at a pharmaceuticals plant! haven’t kept up with the literature since i left unfortunately

[@stasi0238]

​@@toddberkely6791good question

[@simonmasters3295]

Hi. Biologist here. Botryococcus app? Where would you get some? Do you share?

[@Nighthawkinlight]

This is a super cool project. I'd really like to give it a try

[@gingernutpreacher]

Can you make it explode?

[@DUKWAK]

Do it! I’d definitely tune in to watch.

[@chadatchison145]

These types of projects give me hope for humanity lol I'd love to see you give this a try on your channel.

[@darkvader2611]

When my favorite youtubers talk to each other, it makes me soooooo happy. Ive been watching you both for YEARS now. I have been wanting to start my own channel for as long as I can remember and youll see me soon, hopefully I will be able to collab with you guys both in the future.

[@DannZylman]

yeah I would love to have a Diesel making panel haha

[@icaleinns6233]

I think my most favorite part was the paper of algae directed into the mouth, followed by a cough that expelled a green mist, followed by a choking/gagging sound, followed by GREEN teeth. I was laughing so hard after that that I don't remember how the rest of it went! Nice one, Cody! Oh, I'm guessing this isn't going to be on the list for steak substitutes? 😂

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

followed by "Its not that bad"

[@leonardgraf2908]

By far one of the best scenes I've seen on this Channel!!

[@droolingfangirl]

Same

[@MultiReinforced]

Cody knows what crushed up grass and walnuts tastes like, doesn't surprise me.

[@gisli12]

"Its good for the environment and its ok for you" (sic)

[@napiton]

Chemist here: I would recommend not to use vinyl or pvc for food usage. They can leetch phatalates. Expeacially the soft tubing is full of softeners. It is good for testing, but not for final product. Phatalates are known to be bioactive and harmful.

[@cheyannei5983]

Signal boosting comment here! PET is also pretty porous. ABS is food safe but not transparent.

[@imbrudedsoul]

What would you recommend?

[@olivermatich2818]

@@imbrudedsoul HDPE pretty sure

[@zachalexander963]

@@imbrudedsoul Acryllic polymers or borosilicate glass are viable FDA-approved options for a project like this. He could use regular glass tubes but they wouldn't be as sturdy as lab grade borosilicates. Another plastic option would be clarified polyethylene, like clear or nearly-clear HDPE. I disagree with napiton, PVC is generally recognised to be safe for human biological use. Millions of miles of PVC pipe are used to transport water to the homes of many industrialized countries. My only issue with PVC is that it will itself degrade with exposure to UV and become malleable, potentially causing leaks in a system like this. Concerning the toxicity of the degradation, I would argue evidence is largely unavailable to support a claim like that.

[@imbrudedsoul]

@@zachalexander963 I definitely agree with the PVC comment, PVC would be a MASSIVE improvement on the lead lined plumbing all over the United States. Thanks for the info!

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

Hey Cody, I just want to say thank you. I’m so glad you didn’t decide to leave KZbin. The wholesomeness you bring to people is something to never be understated and seeing all your cool experiments are a joy.

[@whatdamath]

great to see you in such good spirits, Cody sounds like an incredibly interesting project! can't wait to see more

[@DustyCircuits336]

Way to go! The man behind my favourite astronomy channel is here too. 👍 I love to hear those reassuring words "hello wonderful person!" Greetings from Australia. 🇦🇺

[@Gumbowl.]

glad to see great minds gathering together

[@lawliet2263]

This should have more likes

[@Killbayne]

you could say he's a wonderful person

[@fernandoacgp]

Love your content too, bro! Amazing to see you supporting Cody's content! Keep up the amazing work you guys!!!

[@snortymcsnortface]

Wow, when you jumped into frame i immediately thought, someone is looking fresh. Looking good Cody! haven't been on your channel for like 4 months or so. i'm liking the project, something i might have to use in my food science degree i'm starting now :D

[@Controlled01]

My man is looking a little thick

[@snortymcsnortface]

@@Controlled01 seems like the good kinda thicc, i atleast feel better with a little layer of fat on me :D

[@kunjupulla]

Yeah me too. I was also surprised 😊

[@Viraus2]

Man went from desperado to Mr Incredible

[@ghettomining]

its his cousin cody is currently half way to mars in a terrarium rocket

[@aedenskelton9789]

Always a good day when Cody uploads

[@EverythingButSorted]

I was about to say the same. 👍

[@thefixitgal]

YES

[@skintightskinnyjeans]

For real

[@neil8045]

yeah best channel ever

[@MyChrisable]

Agreed!!

[@christianbetancourt1784]

The memory I had of you was during a rough patch years ago. It broke my heart. I’m so happy to see that you’re back up on your feet and you look healthy and bright! Keep going man!

[@Toastoffire100]

Cody's that one guy who put his points into every stat. Mining, chemistry, metallurgy, electronics, mechanics, woodcrafting, farming etc. Lets hope he's on our side 😳

[@Reth_Hard]

Seems like he didn't have any points left for the control of his arms, I have more control over my nuts than this guy have over his arms... lol

[@MajaroReal]

Also strength, our guy is bulking up like crazy

[@StrokeMahEgo]

Cody is 100 stat man

[@alessandrosimongini2312]

@@Reth_Hard Italian origin?

[@Reth_Hard]

@@alessandrosimongini2312 C'mon mate, are you trying to insult me?

[@beaconstrips]

This is arguably the absolute best channel on this platform. Even the worst of days get better when Cody uploads!

[@karthikwasudevan]

Only channel that i keep notifications on!

[@beez1598]

100%

[@SharkLaserz]

Absolutely agreed

[@dogchow99]

What about Nile man..

[@antongrey3495]

This is the only channel where the creator clearly cares for content more then being famous. Just about every channel out there that gets to this size pivots in a poor way. Except for Cody whos been a true dedicated dude since day one. Cheers, hope he keeps the show going for the next 50 years.

[@War-Jac]

It's been a minute since I've seen Cody with short hair. He looks like a different person. Cody. If you read this at any point I hope whatever prompted this change has set a positive spin on your life. I know you've had some rocky bits these past few years so again. I hope whatever made want to change up your look is a good thing. You look happier and I hope that happiness lasts!

[@ggoddkkiller1342]

He is a lot more muscular as well, i guess he has been working quite hard or it is a radioactive animal bite..

[@jessewilson8676]

And looks like he has hit the weight and bulked up massively

[@Platypi007]

I thought I had mistaken another channel for Cody's when he first jumped into frame, lol

[@ianmanners3605]

It's the algae

[@tyler-iy4jk]

What "rocky bits" ?

[@AKiDNAMEDLAX]

"glass can be pretty expensive so I'm using plastic for my prototype" suggested video: Cody making a solid gold railroad spike

[@Ewr42]

Well, he had more gold than money to buy glass tho I don't think they accept gold just like that

[@naihwong8504]

"If it's good enough for fish, it's good enough for me." Cody has a simple and humble air about him that is extremely charming.

[@songofrest]

I'll just eat the fish

[@oystersoupkitchenfloorwaxm1457]

nice to see you look energized and happy cody. the past year or two might've had some bumps and life wasn't all that nice to you sometimes, but it's always darkest before dawn and eternal happiness is not natural. i want you to remember all the people you have influenced for good and have changed their lives drastically (including me), it hurt to see you in sorrow and am sure me and an insurmountable amount of people out there would help you in time of need. you are the best person on this platform and i don't say that lightly, please keep on being passionate and being you

[@Apric0tJams]

The government replaced him that’s not cody

[@netkv]

robocody

[@mastergecko1178]

I love how Cody went from literally mining to larping as a mars explorer to building a fully automated algae growing system lol

[@ItsMeHammie]

Forgot mushrooms

[@fluffykittynoodles]

He was larping because he was accepted as one of the people who would be the first to explore Mars years ago.

[@vladimirvikentije5202]

What’s Larping?

[@carbunky6098]

@@vladimirvikentije5202 LARPing is short for Live Action Roleplaying, which is basically like a tabletop RPG (e.g. dungeons and dragons) without the, uh, table

[@williamsprout925]

Mars? We can’t even land on the moon...

[@user-jap84tlv24sq]

In a few years he's gonna discover actual farming and i love it.

[@N8Dulcimer]

He already has a lot of videos of "gardening" that show his large "garden" planted in the ground outside. aka a farm xD

[@user-jap84tlv24sq]

:D i know i love Cody, it was just a joke ;) @@N8Dulcimer

[@tr3boz528]

shit in a few years he’s gonna emerge from the wreckage of humanity and help us figure out the way.

[@lolasdm6959]

After the mutant algae consumes modern human infrastructure he will guide us to paradise.

[@nikitaw1982]

We are all going to be herded into mega city's so this is farming in that scenario.

[@dazplayz8375]

He’s looking super healthy, took a break on yt for about 4 months and wow does he look like he may be in a better place mentally etc! Love the content! Catch up for me

[@timesthree5757]

No he looks worse. He is of European heritage. Not native American. STOP SHAVING!!!

[@collection6062]

awesome

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

@@timesthree5757 lmao. Shave, it looks tidy.

[@timesthree5757]

@@dimitrijekrstic7567 shave it looks disgusting.

[@PaulMab9]

He's looking sharp and healthy!

[@JerryRigEverything]

This is awesome. I still have those glass slabs btw when you want to expand.

[@mikekreis3189]

So cool to see you actively supporting fellow KZbinrs. You are one of my favorite KZbinrs!!!

[@TheGroundedCoffee]

Just remember, glass is glass, and glass breaks.

[@theterribleanimator1793]

unlike cody's indominable radioactive will.

[@DarrinDarwinacious]

This is so cool!

[@popbobreal2023]

@@TheGroundedCoffee but it also scratches at a level 7 with deeper grooves at a level 8

[@putteslaintxtbks5166]

I've wanted to grow blue algea(spirena(sp)), it is just slightly better in food value, but more important, it grows in a high PH so little other life could ever invade the medium, making raising it to eat much safer. Still, best to view under a scope from time to time.

[@charleslambert3368]

The other benefit of high pH is that carbonates can deliver CO2 to the cells more efficiently than in neutral or acidic water

[@trollmcclure1884]

it also tastes like old fish tank water. Chlorella is a delicious spinach like green tea compared to Spirulina

[@awesomestuff9715]

@@trollmcclure1884 i wonder how people found out what old fish tank water tastes like

[@kelpsie]

@@awesomestuff9715 By siphoning water out for cleaning. Getting a little water in your mouth is kind of typical when doing that. Or, more realistically, by simply assuming you know what it'll taste like based on the smell.

[@trollmcclure1884]

@@awesomestuff9715 sometimes stuff tastes as it smells (no pun intended 😀)

[@couchdweller9364]

Cody talking about the panel freezing up being bad reminded me of a commercial solar water heating job i installed the structula suports for. The job was being finished up in late January in the far north. The panels had all been hooked up, and the technition filled them up with the glycolic. Everything was running fine at the end of the day. That night temps.droped to -30c..... the crew i was working for was the first in every day before sun up. When we got to the roof there was green snow everywear. About half the tubes had froze the night before and burst and as the sun came up, it started to unfreeze in the panels but only the parts the sun was hitting so you had boiling hot glycole venting out of vents everywere. 1 million in damage all because the tech didn't read the labels and cut the glycole down with water when it was already mixed

[@LaPapaMollido]

Oh wow it's been a couple months since I've watched Cody regularly. When did he get absolutely YOLKED??? Dude is built like a boulder now. That algae must be treating him right!

[@elliottvader2377]

He was always really strong he just looks so different without a beard and glasses

[@Tender_BootyStrokes]

hes gotten really fat not really muscular, look at his neck and his chubby fingers

[@LaPapaMollido]

@@Tender_BootyStrokes ehh as a fellow chubby-strong guy, I know a layer of muscle under a bit of fluff when I see it lol. Weight moves weight.

[@DC_DC_DC_DC]

I've never seen Cody look better than this. Nohomo.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@@Tender_BootyStrokes nah, theres definitely something under that.

[@Fate.s-End]

I feel like you're going to want to be more careful about sealing the holes in your system - especially the algae tub. You do have bugs in your greenhouse, and if there's one thing I know about bugs, it's that they love to get into open water sources. Dead bugs aren't something you want floating around in a food source. Also some way to avoid any spores or microbes from creeping in through the air intake. Like with mushrooms, you're going to want the system to be sterile and sealed to avoid contamination. Might also want to look into ways to isolate the starter algae culture from any contaminants too.

[@MPIronmanJC]

Using clear PVC pipe for the panel, tubing and even large diameter like 12" for the reservoir would keep the entire system sealed. Air intakes could use bacteria viral (BV) filters like the ones used on medical ventilators would keep the air supply clean. I also wonder if there is some antiseptic that could be kept in the algae solution without killing it to prevent microbes from colonizing.

[@trollmcclure1884]

@@MPIronmanJC iodine comes to mind. It's a sweet water algae tho

[@t_g_gamerftw5075]

Drilling holes, the exact size of the tubing, then using silicon sealant should fix most of the algae tub issues. As for contamination, he could honestly take one of the filters from the mushroom grow bags and put it over the air intake and that would keep most stuff out. One other improvement I think Cody should do is take a cap from one of the water bottles, and glue it into some tubing and drill a hole in it for sealed water input and output by screwing on bottles. When not in use, to keep it sealed just leave empty bottles on it.

[@oakiemouse]

Isn't most algae commercially grown in open concrete pools and not sealed systems?

[@Fate.s-End]

@@oakiemouse Not when intended for human consumption, I don't think.

[@y__h]

One of the coolest project you've ever started Cody, along with the Chickenhole base.

[@maltezz]

And the mine :D

[@SwampyColorado420]

Dude is weird. He is like a 7th grader with an IQ of 60 role playing a scientist.

[@glenmorrison8080]

2:09 Small correction: Plants don't pump water. It moves through capillary action and evapotranspiration. It is fairly passive energy-wise.

[@Sp3c9000]

I'm glad to see you're still around, youtube would be a pretty boring place without you :) I know this past year was a tough one for you but you're looking much more healthy and happy lately, whatever you've been doing it's definitely working! Keep up the great work, Cody, and stay awesome! ❤️

[@slaytronic]

right like he looks like a whole new person without the glasses and it looks like he jacked up some weights woah

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

@@shipwreck9146 Hahaha Dont be so silly ben. He is clearly just happy to be back on earth after his isolation on fake mars

[@wrongturn09251984]

@@slaytronic His neck is huge compared to his arms.. wonder if he hoped on TRT… bout the age and circumstances where it’d be one or the other… or both.

[@thomasloots4039]

The "which I've kind of been planning on doing" at 19:39 made me chuckle. I admire your drive to try new things. You are an example for all scientists. I wish you the best.

[@electronicsNmore]

You look good Cody. A friend of mine many years ago was also hooked on algae. LOL

[@1sSnippy]

he looks like he's gained about 40lb due to covid. He should probably start exercising

[@augurelite]

@@1sSnippy mind your own business

[@BrAiNeeBug]

its a latex mask

[@theokman399]

@@augurelite he had ligma,he's recovering

[@iansun42]

@@1sSnippy I think I know where you got that number from lol

[@Ironclad17]

1:20 You're not doing a great job selling this.

[@fpsfein]

Ohhhh, so that's why my friend has burnt spoons in his room. He's making algae oil.

[@maltezz]

Sure xD

[@sonofeloah]

I remember back in the 70s when this idea was first taking off (Prevention and Organic Farm and Garden magazines talked abut this back then, around 1974, I believe) and a friend and I tried growing and processing this algae that we then made muffins with and it was ok. As you said, not gourmet. But, edible. I later tried it in some borsht as the beets would over power the flavor of the algae and it worked nicely. Now that you have rekindled my thinking on this and the need for self sufficiencey, I will set up my system again. We used a waterfall runway to our fish pond and that produced a fair amount of algae. Since we were not planning on eating it raw but only in cooked foods, it did not bother us that it was fed fish waste. So, the algae grew very fast and very thick. Since the spill way was of hard wood, it clung to the wood and was easy to scrape off. Now, I will build several so when one is off to dry, the others are still going. Maximise my production and harvest ability.

[@justinhicks6816]

sounds like a good idea

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

imagine if u bought into super blue green algae MLM way back then u be a multi millionaire now

[@sonofeloah]

@@feelinghealingfrequences7179: That requires a cooler climate than what we had in the bay area.

[@calebbelac8335]

Nice one sir, thank you for sharing your experience. I like the double function of the hard wood spill way, very efficient and practical!

[@sonofeloah]

@@calebbelac8335: Thank you.

[@BlueMoonFuzz]

I would’ve never clicked on this vid without your positive opening/personality. Now I’m hooked

[@barbarictearemedy]

Cody, you look so healthy mentally and physically. I’m really happy to see you looking so well. I hope you’re feeling happier and healthier, as well 😊

[@stumbling]

He eats his greens! *baddum tsh*

[@whogavehimafork]

I couldn't put my finger on it but you're right he has a healthy glow about him

[@Eto_Kusay]

@@whogavehimafork he just had no shadow on his face, new lights I suppose

[@Lesardah]

Damn, Cody. You haven't looked this pumped in years. I told you we'd all still be here when you got back :) Awesome project!

[@lancesoza9717]

Must be the algae

[@patrick71495]

thanks to the good bud :D

[@magipp]

If these were set up vertically along the northern wall of a greenhouse, they'd be useful for doing double duty as a thermal stabilizer for the internal air temperature!

[@speedbuggy16v]

and as a bonus you could use IBC totes for the storage, of both heat and algae. Though you would have to have it set up to limit the amount of heat gain while maintaining the light it receives to keep it alive.

[@marxkartredge]

Bump

[@KingOhmni]

I like your thinking OP. What do you call steam punk living that also involves lot of neat uses of algae?

[@FortySixandTwo595]

@@KingOhmni Biopunk?

[@zaesrvnge9584]

@@FortySixandTwo595 you're onto something

[@empanada65]

Last time I watched a Cody video, he looked exactly like the kind of prospector that would dig around in the mines he always used to make videos about. At the risk of sounding shallow, Cody has made immense progress on his appearance and looks fantastic. I almost didn't recognize him!

[@smoking_monk3257]

This Cody looks sooooo weird to me, like he's CGI. Or he's been replaced by a guy who sounds like him and stole his channel lol.

[@SelectKiko]

He reminds me of the dad from incredibles becoming uncany meme

[@profwaldone]

You can use volume to your advantage here. Building a 10m2 panel 50 cm thick will be cheaper than building 20m2 at 25cm. Obviusly its not endless but in the ocean sunlight doesnt realy deminish untill like 50 meters. You can also add a mirror underneath to have the sun pass through the mix twice. I would also recomend a head exchanger both to cool the selution and to heat it if it gets too cold. If you collect enough heat of it you could heat a shower with it. Or atleast your greenhouses.

[@DFPercush]

In the Gulf of Mexico it's more like 8 feet... but the mirror idea is good. It doesn't have to be a smooth specular reflector, but something vaguely reflective, or very, very white, would get more light to the algae, assuming that much light makes it through. It's also a thermal management issue. You might want more of the light to be used for heat in the winter, and during summer bounce it back. Of course with adequate power production you could rely on the active heating in the tank. I'm kinda thinking the ideal system would have the thickness of the pipe based on the occlusion of light at the bottom, and in that case, there wouldn't be enough light to worry about reflecting. How dark is the water going to get at full saturation before you harvest it? It would be interesting to see how industrial algae farms do it though.

[@baseddino]

Fr the advantage of water is it's insulation so the temperature won't fluctuate as much between day and night

[@hytecmobile]

Hi Cody, Keeping ur water temp near ideal growing conditions (21C +-3C) is challenging and appears to be your determinant growth variable. Its a common issue with outdoor bioreactors. I'd suggest putting the tubes indoors and submerged in a clear thermally stable liquid (or just water) to maintain a relatively constant temp. I know that doesn't fit your theme. You could eventually use solar panels/cells/battery/LED grow lights to maintain 24hr growing and stable growing temps/conditions. Yes, that's pricy. With stable temps, You should be able to max-out your bio-reactor within 5 days. Please check your algae variety often, like daily, and have backup virgin species on hand to start new clean reactors as needed. Back in the 2000's, when I was looking at this (for biodiesel/coal flu gas treatment/food/cattle feed source, etc), foreign or 'local' algae would be take over the bioreactor within 90 days. We simply just don't have a filter capable of 100% contaminant prevention... maybe we do now, or you could invent one? Safety tip: The foreign algae can be toxic to humans/animals. It can kill you, or destroy your kidneys, liver, ect. Also, I strongly suggest that every part of your bioreactor that is exposed to algae (storage basin/tubes/hoses/fittings) be easy to access for cleaning. Because of the foreign Algae introductions, you can expect prolonged contamination issues. The predominant joke at the time was that anyone that could run a stable independent bioreactor for longer than 4 months would become a billionaire. I was inspired by a guy named Isaac Berzin out of MIT. His research papers are a great place to start for info on the topic. I think he ended up being funded to do a full scale project in South Africa or somewhere, I don't know him personally and it was along time ago. Any hoo, Looking good so far. I used T12 lightbulb covers from H.D. as a cheap tubes. However flexible clear PVC (UV stable) tubing's now the more common (used for product packaging) and dominant tubing material. I lost interest and stopped all this after a pear reviewed paper definitively showed all diesel fuel including biodiesel & its exhaust were carcinogenic. Hope that helps, Good luck :)

[@fantasticomanga]

Hey, just in case you are interested, in Spain there's a research facility that uses microalgae as a way to treat waste water, use algae as an edible product and as fertilizer for crops. It uses a local strand so that they don't have to fight it and they produce an economically viable product. The algae just grows thanks to the great amount of sunny days they have. If the algae is consumed by humans they have it in tubes, but if it's to feed insects or to be used as fertilizer they can get away with open-aired containers.

[@hytecmobile]

@@fantasticomanga Very cool, also Hawaii has similar program :)

[@BossOfAllTrades]

@@hytecmobile its amazing to see people interested in these super plants if you want more check out azzola, duckweed, and wolffia globlosa

[@nero-sb8uq]

I'm curious about the diesel study you mention at the bottom?

[@theaman1786]

Also, Solar Foods is a startup that's making the most sustainable food using algae... I guess they use a completely closed system and advanced air filters to prevent foreign algae contamination that you pointed out... Also, the fact that burning the oil it produces is carcinogenic shouldn't dampen your interest in it, after all, even without the oil it has so many other use-cases such as making food and even bio-degradable manufacturing materials (for instance, there's one company that's making flip-flops out of them).

[@XavierXonora]

Wow man, you're looking so happy in this video, I know you've had some tough times the past few years but this is fantastic to see!

[@foopadr9076]

It's great idea man. Im building a pond on my property for similar reasons. Will grow algae, duckweed and fish. Carp fish last all winter and if you clear the water, algae can grow under the ice even in winter. As long as you stir and airate the water somehow. Using windmill and solarpanel should work most of the year. Collect some staple food before harsh winter tho as here where I live, wintertime has 24h darkness cycle. No light, no life. It's stagnated at least. For about 1 month it's total darkness, then it's doable again. So food for at least 1 month prior is essential. Unless you have land to hunt for gain or dig for food in tunnels under the frostline.

[@wakeup3583]

Growing up and watching Cody go through his life with such determination, fills me with great joy. Good to see you in good spirits.

[@chewey3231]

I've been thinking about doing something similar in the future: living off of algae, but I've been running into some problems regarding hypervitaminosis. Especially with chlorella, living off of algae alone can actually be dangerous because the vitamin and mineral content in it is so high. Just the vitamin A content in chlorella, using conservative estimates, is ten times higher than the absolute maximum considered to be safe by most medical professionals (assuming 2000 calories worth of it per day). That's not even considering how much iron, zinc, and other vitamins are in it. The effects of this can be more severe than you might think, especially if you plan to take this much daily, so I would definitely talk to a dietician or substitute caloric intake with less nutrient-dense food or algae before actually moving on with this plan.

[@zakuro8532]

Can't you cook it until the vitamins break down?

[@emariaenterprises]

Raise tilapia and shrimp too.

[@VerbenaIDK]

algae is superfood such a great food in fact, that we humans arent prepeared for it.

[@e.m.2408]

Vitamin A from a plant source will go out in your pee without any problem. Other vitamins could be an issue.

[@tamatea_]

No one wants to live off algae, thats like eating food brick rations

[@robotsmoke204]

Learned so much from you over the years. From making gun powder out of urine, refining gold from spark plug dust off the road all the way to growing algae. Amazing.

[@lazertroll702]

Actually it was platinum (and irridium) from just the spark plugs, then another video mining platinum again but from the road dust (which actually assayed to be a viable platinum ore) 🤓

[@charlesc.9012]

It was platinum from catalytic converters, which is why he liked the exits of bends because engines are under higher load when accelerating out of corners.

[@BJL2142]

man I'm back to watch this video again!!! I'm inspired to start cultivating it myself and want to offer my observation, your temps began to fall sharply when your water began sucking all that air from outside into it which then looked like it ran to your reservoir, if you could build a cap with a small hole to act as a restriction to limit the amount of air introduced into the system and still easily remove it to add water, awesome project :D

[@Warriorcat49]

Checked in to see if there was anything new I'd missed after a month or two, saw someone claiming he was sick or something so I checked his Twitter, and watched the new post appear as I was looking at the algae progress. Couldn't have been more wonderful timing.

[@benwolfe1301]

Wow that algea going from the test-tube to the flaming oil on the spoon was such a great demonstration

[@allanwalker5305]

very interesting build. 19:00 i hope you manage to deal with that foundation damage, avoid water ingress.

[@travisandzeski6009]

This comment is too far down, I really hope he sees this before it costs him more to repair

[@simonduffy99]

Glad other people are spotting the crack in the foundation too.

[@ddobry21]

I know right? Doesn't look good.

[@WhoCares2509]

😬 I couldn't stop staring at that crack the whole video thinking the same thing. Maybe he could find a way to live off of consuming the mold in his basement. ;)

[@LARAUJO_0]

Slap some Flex Paste on there

[@Anamericanhomestead]

Can you please do a quick video on the minerals that you poured in for the algae? More importantly can we source these minerals ourselves rather than buy them making the system less reliant on supply chain issues. My 15 year old is getting ready to build a similar system very soon. THANKS!

[@MisterMosfet]

Hey Cody LOVE this project! Just a heads up, silicone isnt the best option for sealing plastic to plastic as, from my experience as a tradesperson, it has a tendency to allow water to track between the plastic after a few good sun and cold cycles, try a foodsafe cement, although even those arent too good for potable liquids after a time as most contain heavy metals, even the ones that say they don't.

[@Relatablename]

Some plastics like PP and HDPE won't stick to anything but themselves. As a thermoplastic PET should be ok to weld with other thermoplastics, so that could be an alternative solution.

[@elitearbor]

If the bottles are PET/PETE then the cheapest option is likely solvent welding via DMSO.

[@colhammer1]

Plastic welding.

[@Inanedata]

Should be ok for a prototype, right?

[@TheFanatic340]

Or you just buy some plastic food grade tubing and don't use any silicone

[@ey4226]

Never thought I would see Cody heating black tar heroin on a spoon.

[@johntrevy1]

You should know by now that Cody will do anything for science :D

[@mortenrl1946]

really out of character for him huh i guess it really can happen to anyone

[@msdos5355]

Hey mom it was algae I swear.

[@jock-of-ages73]

I'm an ex addict and as soon as i saw it I'm thinking the same thing.

[@TheExplosiveGuy]

@@jock-of-ages73 congrats on staying sober, that's a tough battle to win. I figured the spoon would trigger a few people lol.

[@ThomasSmartt]

I was watching this on my Apple TV but came to KZbin just to mention how good you’re looking man! I know these past few years have been difficult, but thanks for sharing your projects with us!

[@NoR3m0rs3]

Noone gives a shit about your apple tv

[@ThomasSmartt]

@@NoR3m0rs3 ok

[@yoshiisme]

5:25 Cody just teleporting into the room to tell you about how good algae is

[@BimmerWon]

He used a ender pearl

[@AwesomeCrackDealer]

It's been fun watching Cody grow as an engineer. Compared to his older projects, he's much more mature, thinking forward, fixing mistakes and improving his design. I just love this channel so much

[@dhawthorne1634]

In terms of processing the algae into fuel, I'm curious what a fractional distillation would produce. You'd want quite a lot of it to start so you can have long enough fractions to isolate. Since it hasn't had a chance to be processed with all the heat and pressure underground, it would likely be mostly smaller chains equivalent to Naphtha, Kerosene and Propane.

[@TheAttacker732]

Even kerosene would be a boon. It's heavy enough to run most diesel engines with a minor retune.

[@BTheHeretic]

Biodiesel is basically produced just by mechanically compressing the algae mush through a filter to separate oils from the solids. Some filtering and chemical processing is done to make it more suitable to engines. Distillation takes far too much energy and destroys some of the product.

[@S3l3ct1ve]

@@TheAttacker732 Kerosene has more energy density than diesel it is used in jet fuel.

[@TheAttacker732]

@@S3l3ct1ve I am aware. I'm referring to how flexible kerosene is as a fuel, able to fill in for everything from diesel to bunker oil.

[@dhawthorne1634]

@@BTheHeretic Biodiesel is not suitable for ALL applications, though. Kerosene is jet fuel. It can burn well in low oxygen, has a higher freeze point and burns cleanly in a lantern. Biodiesel can gel in cold temps and produces much more soot. The only advantages of a biodiesel are cost and lubricity. Kerosene just can't compete with diesel when it comes to lubricating cylinder walls and valves.

[@Aelfraed26]

Cody looks like a jock now but he still talks like the nerd we all know and love.

[@SonicBoone56]

I remember being in high school and some of the football players were fellow nerds in science class and whatnot

[@konigstigerhart455]

Finally embraced his Aryan roots.

[@RedSntDK]

Hank Hill, but instead of propane it's algae

[@Aelfraed26]

@@konigstigerhart455 What do you mean?

[@metalizerprime2]

lost a beard, grew a neck instead

[@jonathantrekallover9369]

This is great! I designed a panel like this 15 years ago while I was building earthships. As a way to produce shade and food.

[@noob19087]

I'd love to see an algae cooking video some day. The first thing that comes to my mind would be combining it with flour, to make something like algae bread, for example. Maybe replace the spinach in green pasta with algae? Or put some algae in pesto, or use it as a base for a soup? Or just hot water + algae to get algae tea?

[@trollmcclure1884]

It's best consumed as solid tablets. The taste is not something you'd crave. Green barley on the other hand...

[@noob19087]

@@trollmcclure1884 A lot of ingredients taste bad by themselves but can be made delicious with a little trial and error. I imagine it would be a pretty good investment of time if you plan on having that be your primary source of calories for the rest of your life.

[@visusdeiveri]

Rather than having tubes, I would suggest using two panes of glass (or acrylic, plexi, etc) sandwiched together with a bead of silicone around the edges, with an inlet and outlet port for the media to flow through. This way, the algae can spread out through the large surface area, fill it up to the top, and then outflow back into the tank. That would greatly reduce the amount of time and energy spent on building each panel.

[@gonun69]

Awesome project! Maybe you could try to give it a reflective backing so you effectively get more light in winter. Maybe a space blanket on a roll that can retract in case the algae gets to hot.

[@dudelookatree]

I was thinking a black backing for heat. maybe black for the winter and reflective for the summer

[@AvramBlackmith98]

Im amazed. Every time I check codys chennel, I learn 500 new things. Thank you Cody!!

[@BloodBoss94]

How it started: “wow he made nitroglycerin” how it’s going: “hmm yes Cody tell us more about the algae please”

[@stopthismadness649]

You could also combine this with a shrimp farm since they have similar and simple requirements and eat algae directly

[@OtherDalfite]

I want to see Cody do aquaponics. Such a cool system that uses nature as it's driving factor

[@woosix7735]

Yes, however it would not be as efficient, since the shrimp also produce co2

[@graegoles8382]

@@woosix7735 true, but pure algae contain way too much vitamin A and other substances to live off directly. Also the Feed Rate Conversion for shrimp really isnt bad, so even if it was just because shrimp taste good, it might still be worth jt.

[@victoriavongate7208]

@@woosix7735 the CO2 the shimp produce will be used by the algae

[@justcausee]

Much better use of it. I hate seafood but I guarantee shrimp would taste better than pondscum.

[@gulliverwright2962]

I always love coming back every couple months to see what you’re working on Cody. Yet another super cool project. I can’t wait to see how it goes.

[@king_james_official]

wow that's so awesome!!!! and it has so many uses! you get oil, which you can use later, you get wood gas, which you can use later and you get charcoal which, just like the wood gas, you can use later!!!! genius!

[@Nefi424]

This may be the coolest DIY project I've seen so far, and there's some stiff competition in this channel alone. I can't wait to see you go past this prototype and incorporate it into CHB!

[@OpenSourceLowTech]

Nice work, efficient use of materials. Would it be possible to increase the algae's production by giving it some kind of feedstock, possibly derived from kitchen scraps and or animal waste?

[@SwampyColorado420]

I heard if he shared some of the crack he smokes with it he will be able to keep it in the sweet spot. Then he can smoke the algae and it will be stronger crack.

[@SuPlanu4Ever]

@@SwampyColorado420 😂😂😂

[@Thomy-xo3uw]

No, that's because algae make their own food. I think an euglena would be able to do that, because euglenas make their own food when they don't have any food, but when they have food they just eat it. Maybe you could compost the food waste to give the algae some minerals.

[@johnmarston2527]

@@SwampyColorado420 What are you talking about?

[@sam-hn4uc]

He could also increase efficiency by lowering the number of times in that panel, have 3 thicker tubes instead of 9 smaller ones as it would Power wasted space.

[@Guffy1990]

When you said that it "only does around 2%" of your calorific needs, I was immediately astonished that just 50 of these systems would - in theory- sustain you! I find that incredible, and that isn't even an unreasonable task at all. Obviously simplification will help with costs, and as low-tech a solution would be absolutely ideal to mitigate failure points as much as possible, but 50 of these PROTOTYPES is all you need*? Absolutely phenomenal really. As soon as you set up the timer system, I could see that being an issue instantly, as the whole "what if it's cloudy/raining?" question comes up. We both came to the same solution though, so that's brilliant. A little side-project of it could be powering things off of your already in-place solar panels, where you could set up a relay to monitor how much wattage the solar panel is taking in, while also being able to power the pump and heater from it. That's a simplification right there, as it's a reasonable assumption that, if a solar panel is greater than X amount of power, then there is a good chance that it's sunny, and, therefore, providing enough light that, when absorbed by the comparatively "dark" algae, it would provide enough heat to sustain constant flow. That removes the timer and thermostat from the whole system, and, providing you have large enough tanks, the thermal energy should sustain it for extended periods of non-thermal days (remembering, of course, not to put all your eggs in one basket so to speak).

[@mjstecyk]

Also comrade, if he were to scale up the size, it would be a lot more productive than building more individual systems. Maintaining a small amount of large systems is probably easier than managing many small systems, and would probably simplify refinement.

[@tylerhale8679]

I'd just like to add that for a small system like this where power is already available, you don't need a solar panel to trigger the system. A simple (cheap) photo diode would suffice.

[@smithgamer0767]

I love this so much. How did you learn to do this? You are literally that guy that could be placed almost anywhere, in any point, at time and survive. The mad scientist

[@tonyoliver4920]

I’d recommend having the air in/out connected to your mushroom growing area as they also use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. The require oxygen to fruit!

[@nicholasagaman3701]

Your channel is an incredible resource for gaining an intuition of how things are in the world:)

[@nicholasagaman3701]

What if you piped in exhaust or another source of concentrated co2 for the plants to absorb?

[@ElbowTV]

I loved watching you take a huge bite of the algae w the dust popping out. You’re awesome cody been watching for 6 years dont plan on going anywhere.

[@xploration1437]

Are you in love with him?

[@philard]

I'm looking forward to a new algae update.

[@Vulporium]

Dude this is incredible, you're always doing the most interesting things I'd never heard of. Can't wait to see how this goes, hope you get a good yield!

[@bluemamba5317]

Cody: Chlorella is edible Also Cody: Almost dies eating it

[@vadirajjoshi4793]

Well you can die eating chicken tendies the wrong way..

[@3ormore887]

Cody: *coughs once* Blue Mamba: This is what dying looks like.

[@LordDragox412]

Cody: Oh wait, they sent me cholera solution instead of chlorella solution. Guess I'll die.

[@MthaMenMon]

Wouldn't dissolving it in water help? It looked like if he ate chocomilk dust lol

[@bluemamba5317]

@@MthaMenMon Yes, you usually drink it/blend it with something.

[@pablowentscobar]

Refugiums were always my favorite part of my salt water reef aquariums. I love algae, so simple to grow, cultivate and utilize, and such a powerful tool when used correctly. Fantastic experiment. Great work fren.

[@peterjf7723]

When I was studying microbiology we got to look round a couple of sewage treatment plants. They removed the sludge for processing in an anaerobic digester that provided methane to run the site generators. One site allowed the untreated waste water to run down a long wide slope to local stream. This was in the 1980s not sure if it's still allowed. Anyway the slope the water ran down was covered in reeds but also many tomato plants from seeds that had survived people's digestive systems. The site workers harvested the tomatoes. Given that they were irrigation was by sewage water I would have been concerned about bacteria and viruses, and would hope that the workers vaccinations against Diphtheria, Typhoid, Tetanus, Polio, Leptospirosis and Viral Hepatitis were kept up to date.

[@ObliviouslyGifted]

You do know what manure is?....😒RIGHT THERE BIFF TANNEN!?? *YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOUR GROCERY STORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE WATERED WITH, RIGHT BIFF!?!???😒😒🙄

[@rubyneo9674]

16:10 i think the temperature falling rapidly might be partially due to the radiator like design of it, after all, if your not absorbing heat from the sun then your going to just as quickly radiate heat out, especially from the exposed pipes you mentioned at 16:45, maybe put a pipe insulation sleeve over it like the ones that are used under houses on water pipes?it would definitely help retain heat on the trip to and from the panel. you are also probably pulling in cold air from the air intake, since the air intake is under the panel it is going to be in the shake where its colder, maybe put the air intake in direct sunlight where it can also get warmed up and add heat rather than remove it. and maybe spray the panel with something to make the ice less likely to form or slide off better on its own so you dont have to scrape it off. i hope we get to see you make improvements on it! i love watching you and your experiments!

[@1224chrisng]

maybe 2 layers of the clear plastic would help, kind of like 2x insulated windows, but IR would still pass through unfortunately I'm also thinking about maybe an emergency heating coil, powered by something energy-dense, for if the main tank falls below a certain temperature

[@chillbaby2x]

"And I only poked myself about 3 times." thanks for keeping yourself safe, cody! we love you! Nice shave, by the way!

[@KingNik1994]

Cody, you're a legend. I also started watching you when you were doing mining, and the level of the stuff you're doing now is mind-boggling. Great stuff!

[@MrRowskey]

I'm sad someone new has taken over this channel. I miss Cody.

[@roylarsen7417]

yes , this Orange man is new

[@kamalyousry2697]

I work with Algae in a research center , while you can use the sun for energy it's not very efficient way , instead you can put about 4-5 fluorescent bulbs " the long bulbs " , it can provide energy 24/7 and this will be efficient , and the photosynthesis will always be on not just during the day light + algae can provide a huge amount of O2 comparing to a plant , but it also breathes o2 and Obv the breathing is also high with there no light because it can't produce o2 at this situation , so if u have the light 24/7 it can provide much more o2 and much more bio mass

[@Personnenenparle]

Led grow lamps do an amazing job. More expensive at first, but less wasted energy, more compact, less heat and isnt full spectrum!

[@GamerDuDimanche1456]

Yes, but you would need to power those lamps, and since he's basically trying to do an off-grid project, that won't work. Unless you harvest some energy with a solar panel, or from the algae by burning it in an electric generator, but that might not be sufficient.

[@kamalyousry2697]

@@Personnenenparle the place that i'm in has been using CFL for over 30 years with great results , in the summer it could go over 40 Celsius - In Egypt - but we didn't have a problem with CFL , I know it could waste Energy much more than the LED grow light but at a small scale like 12-15 columns of algae you only need about 12 bulbs ," the heat wouldn't be a problem at all in his case its freezing out there with Cody LOL " , but he can use LED or CFL or whatever works for him best , but he can't rely on the sun light only , and since he's at a freezing temp in his area it would be better if he has his columns indoor , its more warm and he will have more control

[@kamalyousry2697]

@@GamerDuDimanche1456 that's a good idea , solar panel and batteries could provide enough energy for the bulbs at the night , so he can use the daylight to grow the algae and the solar panels to charge the batteries and at night the bulbs turns on from the energy that have been saved during the day in batteries

[@AlldaylongRock]

@@GamerDuDimanche1456 I'd say that a system with some LED lights, a solar and wind generation rig, a battery and just in case a generator (pretty sure that this would be a feasible system for Mars). In the Mars colony pretty sure that the generator would be Nuclear, but for this case a gasoline/ethanol genny works okay. You can even make a heat co-gen system to heat up the algae tank by putting a sort of a radiator picking up heat from the gennys exhaust, so the aquarium heater wouldn't consume as much energy, especially when there's not enough sunlight. The LEDs would turn on at night or during periods of low sunlight, and when the batteries were depleted, the genny would turn on, supplying heat and energy as needed. This way the algae would be replicating pretty much all the time.

[@pk_xiv2856]

I made a photobioreactor (the scientific name of the algae panel I guess?) in january of 2020 for my second year of uni, and I can tell you that your design is by far the best I have ever seen! It is SO practical and straight to the point while staying simple. I wish I had seen that video at the time... I can't wait to see the following videos, keep up the good work!

[@bernardo00124719]

how did u do it? lol link a picture just curious.

[@nerofl89]

Wouldn't a flat panel be more optimal? It would increase the surface area that the sun interacts with algae, thus with more sunlight you would increase the overall energy absorbed by the algae in the system.

[@babygorilla4233]

One concept I've considered for a while is if it's possible to have an algae plain feeding zooplankton feeding fish. Maybe a larger filter feeding crustacean would thrive in a tank periodically flushed with daphnias and green water.

[@1978SOOTY]

Dude, have you put on muscle mass? You're looking beefcake these days, good on you mate. Keep the content coming!

[@gonun69]

Looks like robo Cody is down for maintenance and he had to do the heavy lifting himself.

[@tonytan0]

I was thinking the same thing

[@Bro1774]

the method of extracting oil from the algae that cody did can be done to other organic things aswell and get the same results, i did that a long time ago using dry leaves and chicken feeds and the oil i extracted is still with me, its kind of like a tar and crude oil but once its exposed to fire it ignites

[@Thunderstormworld]

Cody glad to see you recycle plastic bottles and great idea, another solution is to drill a hole slightly smaller than the bottle screw neck in the bottom of the bottle then glue the screw neck and screw it into the bottom of the other bottle done this and no leaks it also creates eddy currents in the bottles. Also those plastic bottles works great in ceilings

[@montaguecardwell-jacobs6414]

could you explain why an eddy current might be useful in this scenario? Thanks!

[@Cinual]

Cody, you're one of my favorite people on this planet. I love that your passionate about all these separate projects, and are very informative. You're absolutely great man, keep it going.

[@koukouzee2923]

Baby face cody

[@koukouzee2923]

@Grim FPV or the mine ;)

[@jonodan1]

Hardly baby faced, he looks about ten years older than he was 6 months ago. Also he has STACKED on some bulk!

[@markbrown3587]

Wonderful setup and information. I can imagine water cooled clear solar panels growing algae. Infra red absorbed for electricity and the rest for the algae. Heat disapated in summer and used to keep water warm in winter while increasing panel efficiency. Cant wait to see what comes next.

[@kadenphillips3224]

I find this absolutely fascinating I'm going to see about starting to experiment with this and using the algae for biofuel to power a more economically sustainable coffee shop

[@tamasmihaly1]

Was it the Foundation series where they had yeast farms? Apparently they could make it taste like anything with a wide range of textural possibilities. Cody is so next level. I love how innovative he is. So very creative. This is a damn good idea!

[@beskamir5977]

The Expanse seems to have something similar too. Also Justin from the Thought Emporium made modified yeast about a year ago that produced vitamin a which is probably even more epic.

[@Lunatic5306]

My ex-girlfriend is a walking yeast farm.

[@earthisacube_lul]

@@Lunatic5306 def underrated comment lmao

[@TridentTrue101]

Was definitely Asimov, I'm not long after reading the Caves of Steel where they had yeast farms

[@matt-jv8gh]

i think it was the 100 that had algae farms

[@raymundoii]

This is an awesome design, looking at the thumbnail I thought it was a solar water heater or similar. Would having a just two panes of plexi/glass just stuck near enough to each other (like a flat aquarium), with some standoffs for flow agitation, be more efficient? I know it's supposed to be a proof of concept, but having a sun roof that doubles as a algae farm just seems awesome.

[@macklinmollard4045]

My big concern with a roof setup would be the weight of water putting a huge load on the roof trusses, that and if they did fail, you'd now have a large quantity of water ready to fall in your collapsing roof

[@raymundoii]

@@macklinmollard4045 I guess I'm imagining them to be on one of those rooftop sunroofs. Being a whole other floor on top of the house means they could support greater weight.

[@tomleech9753]

I was wondering how you were going to control for light and temperature, if you were going to make some complex arduino solution, but no, you're clearly smarter than me, because you went solar panel powered relay into thermostat, which is the most stupid simple and elegant solution I would never have thought of. :) Thanks for that.

[@theamazingsolt]

Dude same I'm all like so you have to temperature reading you'll have to analyze that data and add some kind of motor controller for the pump... Nah you don't.

[@Linus-qe8po]

Same, I would've used a photo resistor + relay for this since its cheap (and I don't have a solar panel lol)

[@richhagenchicago]

I was thinking a solar powered pump with maybe a capacitor and a FET voltage switch to activate the pump. Possibly additional panel to speed the growth by increasing the temperature to optimum or as close as reasonable when light energy allows, would give more of a capacitance for cooling if there was heavy snow while away without so much grid energy requirement. Could always use a grid backup set to heat to a much lower temperature to save the system if there was an extended cold spell with not enough light.