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Twinstar..what is it?

Having read bits of this I feel so much better. I purchased sight unseen a 2nd hand Twinstar Nano+ claimed to have had 6 months use. Didn’t run it before cleaning with double strength 8% cleaning vinegar for 2-3hrs. Thinking the vinegar was too strong as cleaning produced a nice clump of silicone. After rinse it producd pretty bubbles for a bit & then just didn’t. Light on different settings blinks for a minute then goes solid with no change.
Anyway moral of my story is I feel better because reading your posts I realised it’s not just me that suffers from “I’ll just try this it’ll be fine…” 🙄
So thanks for that 👍
 
I've not read this whole thread and not even sure what they do but I stumbled across some DIY twinstar prints on Thingiverse whilst looking for something else: Search Thingiverse - Thingiverse

Might be worth a look if you have a 3D printer and want to make one.
 
just to note make sure you use the correct ratio of vinegar to water as mentioned above. I used too much vinegar in mine and killed the probe :(

Whats the correct ratio? I just bought a used twinstar nano plus. Want to clean the existing reactor and use it for a few months before I replace it with a new reactor.
 
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Is it not just electrolysis, releasing hydrogen and oxygen, in the same manner as this device:

Interestingly the above was marketed for plant root health (hydrophonics), not fish, in fact in the YT comments they specifically say it shouldn't be used with livestock.
 
Twinstar..what is it? by foxfish

This is a lengthy tale spanning millennia, character progression is good and some of the main characters will continue to pop up from time to time as the tale progresses, keeping you totally engrossed.

I particularly liked the many twists and turns of the underlying plot, as well as the tales of love and hate.

Given it was written way back in 2013 some of the language used could, perhaps, be a little difficult to understand for the younger generation, though it didn't really pose me any issues.

I'm glad I finally got round to finishing this one as it had been sitting on my DNF pile for a while now.

If I had to give negative feedback, I'm still slightly confused by the ending and what REALLY happened!

Mat [owner of Twinstar yet to be used]
 
Ha ha well I am working on an audio version that might help with pronunciation, I need to find a suitable narrator who can carry through the emotion and be capable of emphasising the multiple accents.
The story has yet to be completed and a follow up thread has been promised ……
 
Hi all,
I am working on an audio version that might help with pronunciation, I need to find a suitable narrator who can carry through the emotion and be capable of emphasising the multiple accents.
The story has yet to be completed and a follow up thread has been promised ……
Interestingly the above was marketed for plant root health (hydrophonics), not fish, in fact in the YT comments they specifically say it shouldn't be used with livestock.
Hold the back page, I just found this <"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsestengg.3c00344">
  1. Micronanobubble Aeration Enhances Plant Yield and Nitrification in Aquaponic Systems​

    Kyle Rafael Marcelino, Sumeth Wongkiew, Ty Shitanaka, K. C. Surendra, Bongkeun Song, and Samir Kumar Khanal
    ACS ES&T Engineering 2023 3 (11), 2081-2096
    DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.3c00344
cheers Darrel
 
Nice find Darrel. I’m sensing a pattern here. It always seems to be O2 availability that is key. Knew the Twinstar was good for something, just perhaps not direct algicide.
 
What about one of these as a replacement for Twinstar?

 
I have the much cheaper Chihiros Dr Mate. It’s for nano tanks.
It puffs out a mist of tiny bubbles that look like a white cloud that drift around instead of float directly up.
Way way waaaay smaller bubbles than my nano air bubbler (aquario air) where the air bubbles go straight up.
Supposedly the reactors only last 3 months or so but can either be cleaned in bleach or replaced for £12.
 
Well I started reading and made it to page 26 before getting restless and just needing to know what happens. I skipped to the end. Was disappointed as I still have no idea what it is, what it does or how it works.

4/10.
 
t drains money out of your wallet. The end...
That sums it up... You don't need it in a stable healthy aquarium... and if your aquarium is unstable and unhealthy there is no magical gadget that you can add that will make it healthy and stable. Nothing beats a well maintained tank.

Cheers,
Michael
 
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Nothing beats a well maintained tank.
With the possible exception of a rich tea biscuit and a cup of the finest tea on a cold and windy night. ;)
 
I personally think they are beneficial for a month or so at start-up purely as a source of oxygen until the plants get going, Aquarium Gardens, Green Aqua and the like use them, but they are most definitely not needed.
 
Hi all,
That sums it up... You don't need it in a stable healthy aquarium... and if your aquarium is unstable and unhealthy there is no magical gadget that you can add that will make it healthy and stable.
I personally think they are beneficial for a month or so at start-up purely as a source of oxygen until the plants get going, Aquarium Gardens, Green Aqua and the like use them,
That is the one for me, no <"magic bullets">, I think you are right, it might be useful in the start-up, but there is some evidence that a "Twinstar" <"damages mosses"> in the longer term, probably by the <"same mechanism"> that kills cyanobacteria (BGA) etc.
With the possible exception of a rich tea biscuit and a cup of the finest tea on a cold and windy night.
Dark chocolate digestive and a <"filter coffee">?

If you ever feel tempted to buy a Twinstar, just remember this picture, don't buy it and then make a small <"donation to the forum"> instead.
I don't like the white colour, but <"time is a great healer">.

9287587372_2cf785daf2-jpg.jpg
cheers Darrel
 
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