This is a list of my favorite companies from 2015 that I really appreciate.

Zen Float Company is the amazing company that created the Zen Float Tent. They raised $295,000 on Kickstarter to get production going for their first version of the tent. The Zen Float Tent has been an extremely useful tool for myself and my roommates for relaxation, recovery from workouts, introspection, clarity, etc. The best part about having one of these is that we can float anytime in the comfort of our own home. I like this company so much that I’ve even started sponsoring them.
Note: clicking the image above will take you to their site and I get a portion of the sale :)

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is the awesome company that created the Raspberry Pi. If you haven’t heard of a Raspberry Pi it is basically a small computer about the size of a credit card. It costs less than $50 and you can interface with all sorts of sensors (motion, temperature, etc). Recently they released the Pi Zero which is a $5 version of the Pi. This is going to make it very easy for anyone even with a small budget to learn about software development and servers. I’m so grateful for this company for opening the doors to the masses to get involved in cool projects without spending a fortune on hardware.

Trello is an amazing software tool that can help you utilize kanban which is a scheduling system for lean production. This can be applied to software development, home improvement projects, starting a business, etc. I’ve been using Trello for over a year now and it has been extremely useful especially for side coding projects I work on. If you are a person who loves todo lists and checking things off Trello would be worth a shot. It can really help you stay on top of your work and collaborate with others on projects.

Slack is a communication tool which is designed for businesses and other organizations which can replace email. I started using slack Summer of 2014 and it really made me see how communication could be done differently. The value of having more real time communication seems to cut back drastically on how long it takes to get to the point of a conversation. Also the formality of email seems to go out the window when using Slack. It also seems to encourage group conversations better than emails. These are just a few of the many reasons why you should consider using Slack over email.

Twilio is a developers best friend if they need to send affordable text messages or voice calls over the internet. Twilio is an API used by developers at companies including: Uber, Box, Intuit, Hulu, Ebay, and more! Twilio is also used for two-factor authentication, appointment reminders, sales leads, and more. If you’re ever needing to send out texts or do any sort of communication involving software and phones I would highly recommend choosing Twilio.

Summary:
I’m very passionate about companies doing the right thing and that are making the world a better place. If you have any favorite companies that you really love leave a comment below :)

Float Geeks Podcast

Recently a friend and myself have started a podcast. It’s called Float Geeks which is a podcast all about floating. The whole idea is to interview and chat with people across the industry and really dive deep into why float tanks are so awesome. We touch on how to hack float tanks, what happens inside the tank, research around floating, and more.

You can see all of the episodes on: https://floatgeeks.io

Also we are on iTunes and Stitcher.

Here is the first episode to give you a taste of what to expect in the future.

I’ve recently written a blog post about my initial thoughts of the Zen Float Tent here. Like I have mentioned in this post I setup a custom filtration system to support the pump that came with the tent. This post is dedicated to help you setup your own custom filtration system for the Zen Float Tent.

Parts list

For a complete list of the parts needed for this tutorial please fill out the form below (which will allow you to sign up for the newsletter and receive the parts document)

Click photo to enlarge

Type of filter

For this specific setup I used an Intex pump which can be purchased from Amazon.

Setting the piping up

All of these parts can be purchased from Lowe’s for under $100 (not including the pump). Once you have all of the parts it is best to start with the tubing that came with the Intex pump and hook in the adapter which will screw on snugly (Image 3-4). You will need a rubber grommet to seal the gap between the adapter and the Intex tube(Image 3). This will prevent the water from leaking out. Once that connection is secure you can figure out where you would like your tubes to enter the tent. For my setup I had the PVC tubes enter the tent from the back close to the pump that came with the tent. This makes it easy to access since it is near a corner of the tent.

You will need to calculate how long you would like the PVC tubes to be in order to go inside of the tent and what angles you would like. Depending on how you want the tubes to enter the tent and if you are using a spill berm or not this may vary. I would recommend using a tape measure before you start cutting to get a sense of how long the tubes will need to be. The images above will give you a good idea of how I decided to get my PVC piping into the tent and notice the multiple angles (to prevent light leaks).

Keep in mind that you may want to put a small angle in the tube that pumps the water back into the tent (see image above). This will make the water ripple which can help prevent biofilm from building up on the surface of the water. Also make sure that your intake tube is not touching the tents bottom and also submerged under water.

After you have laid out how long you want the PVC pipes to be you can use the PVC primer and glue to glue the pieces together (careful not to inhale or touch the glue/primer).
It might be useful to put the Intex pump inside of a rubber container to help catch salt water in the event that some leaks when changing the filter (highly recommended). Then make sure that the PVC pipes are in place and hook the hose into the pump.

This specific pump requires you to prime it before using. There are more instructions in the Intex manual about this, but essentially you need to make sure the pump is filled with water before you start it for the first time. Also you will need to open the air valve on the top while filling it until some water leaks out. Once the water leaks out screw the air valve tight and turn the pump on. If it doesn’t start pumping water you may have to open the air valve when it is running (note water may splash, use a towel to open air valve). Once you hear the pump working and see water moving through it you can close the air value.

You should be all set!

Good luck customizing your Zen Float Tent! Leave comments below if you have any questions!