Algae scraper

cellingson · 02/20/2018, 01:42 PM

Question: what do you guys think about converting this outlet from my UV light into an algae scraper.
I was thinking of extending the pvc and attaching the plastic knitting mesh to it. Water from the UV light will flow down for algae growth. Leave the light as is. Think it would work?

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HBtank · 02/20/2018, 06:03 PM

I think that is a great idea that you could definitely get to work! Taking advantage of efficiencies like that is a cool approach.

I think some may recommend making a cover with LED lighting to really blast the screen though. I am no ATS pro, but I think the intensity (from both sides) is important to get the right kind of algae going, but maybe that is fine.

cellingson · 02/21/2018, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HBtank

I think that is a great idea that you could definitely get to work! Taking advantage of efficiencies like that is a cool approach.

I think some may recommend making a cover with LED lighting to really blast the screen though. I am no ATS pro, but I think the intensity (from both sides) is important to get the right kind of algae going, but maybe that is fine.

I'll give it a shot

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aaronpentz · 02/22/2018, 07:01 AM

Depending on the wattage of the UV and the water flow through it the water might be sterile.

If so you won't get anything to grow on the screen. The only way it could possibly work with sterile water is if the screen was touching the sump water level and the algae spores were able to creep up the screen.

It would be better to use the flow for a carbon or GFO reactor and feed an algae scrubber from the overflow or dirty water part of the sump.

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HBtank · 02/22/2018, 10:55 AM

UV does not remove inorganic nutrients, which is the point of ATS, and what it is fueled by. Plants are not feeding directly on microorganisms, which is what UV destroy.

aaronpentz · 02/22/2018, 12:15 PM

That's very true but no algae spores will make it through. So you'll have to start with a Seeded screen.

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HBtank · 02/22/2018, 12:27 PM

Yeah, great point!

I have not used a scrubber, but once established the the residual on the screen after cleaning does most of the re-seeding right?

So maybe get it going with the UV off?

aaronpentz · 02/22/2018, 05:33 PM

At some point he's going to have to remove something. Either the UV the fuge or the scrubber. Unless the tank has a huge bio load he's going to have a hard time with all three running at the same time.

He could use the UV for a couple hours a day to keep parasites away but the fuge and scrubber will fight each other for nutrients. He could run the scrubber during the day the fuge at night with some UV mixed in there at some point during the week

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cellingson · 02/23/2018, 03:20 PM

Great discussion.
I went ahead and added the scraper, pretty basic design and missing some elements.
The uv light is 27w and the flow is pretty low. I hope all algae and parasite is killed by it but the algae scraper sits in a tank of algae so I think it should work. I'll post some updates.
I am mostly hoping that algae grows better on the scraper then in the current refugim.

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HBtank · 02/23/2018, 03:51 PM

Nice, this is how we learn what works and not

cellingson · 02/25/2018, 04:53 PM

And we have algae.

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02/20/2018, 01:42 PM	#1
cellingson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 58	Algae scraper Question: what do you guys think about converting this outlet from my UV light into an algae scraper. I was thinking of extending the pvc and attaching the plastic knitting mesh to it. Water from the UV light will flow down for algae growth. Leave the light as is. Think it would work? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02/20/2018, 06:03 PM	#2
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I think that is a great idea that you could definitely get to work! Taking advantage of efficiencies like that is a cool approach. I think some may recommend making a cover with LED lighting to really blast the screen though. I am no ATS pro, but I think the intensity (from both sides) is important to get the right kind of algae going, but maybe that is fine. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/22/2018, 07:01 AM	#4
aaronpentz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pingree Grove, IL Posts: 952	Depending on the wattage of the UV and the water flow through it the water might be sterile. If so you won't get anything to grow on the screen. The only way it could possibly work with sterile water is if the screen was touching the sump water level and the algae spores were able to creep up the screen. It would be better to use the flow for a carbon or GFO reactor and feed an algae scrubber from the overflow or dirty water part of the sump. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk __________________ "Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling it brings" Current Tank Info: 67 Long

02/22/2018, 10:55 AM	#5
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	UV does not remove inorganic nutrients, which is the point of ATS, and what it is fueled by. Plants are not feeding directly on microorganisms, which is what UV destroy. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/22/2018, 12:15 PM	#6
aaronpentz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pingree Grove, IL Posts: 952	That's very true but no algae spores will make it through. So you'll have to start with a Seeded screen. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk __________________ "Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling it brings" Current Tank Info: 67 Long

02/22/2018, 12:27 PM	#7
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Yeah, great point! I have not used a scrubber, but once established the the residual on the screen after cleaning does most of the re-seeding right? So maybe get it going with the UV off? __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/22/2018, 05:33 PM	#8
aaronpentz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pingree Grove, IL Posts: 952	At some point he's going to have to remove something. Either the UV the fuge or the scrubber. Unless the tank has a huge bio load he's going to have a hard time with all three running at the same time. He could use the UV for a couple hours a day to keep parasites away but the fuge and scrubber will fight each other for nutrients. He could run the scrubber during the day the fuge at night with some UV mixed in there at some point during the week Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk __________________ "Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling it brings" Current Tank Info: 67 Long

02/23/2018, 03:20 PM	#9
cellingson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 58	Great discussion. I went ahead and added the scraper, pretty basic design and missing some elements. The uv light is 27w and the flow is pretty low. I hope all algae and parasite is killed by it but the algae scraper sits in a tank of algae so I think it should work. I'll post some updates. I am mostly hoping that algae grows better on the scraper then in the current refugim. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02/23/2018, 03:51 PM	#10
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Nice, this is how we learn what works and not __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/25/2018, 04:53 PM	#11
cellingson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 58	And we have algae. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk