Algae Scrubber Basics

[Mrs. Music]

Originally Posted by Twinfallz

Thats how i do it. The tank overflow to the sump, through the scrubber.
As long as the flow rate is correct for your screen width - 25 to 50 gallons per hour per inch of screen width.

do you have any images of your set up?

[Scrubber_steve]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Music

do you have any images of your set up?

Its simply a 1 1/2" overflow pipe going into the scrubber, which sits on top of the sump.

[SantaMonica]

50 gallons per hour per inch of screen width

That's a very large amount, for a regular plastic canvas screen. Probably not needed that high because it would detach slime and therefore maybe delay startup.

[homer1475]

Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo

Staggering the cycle between the 2 sides seems to have helped, but it's almost like something else is going on here...strange that your screen is starting up so slowly. You might go to the extreme here on the light cycle and alternate sides with shorter bursts and a dark period inbetween. If you have one of those Hamilton timers with the tabs that allow you to control in 15 minute increments, try this: side A on 30 minutes, then off 45, repeat. Side B the same, but try to adjust the dial so that the 30 minutes of "on" falls in the middle of the side A's 45 minutes off. Then run that such that each side gets ~6 hours.

I'm running them off an apex, so I can program them anyway I want.

I'll give this lighting scheme a shot. Thanks for the help Floyd.

PS.
The screen might look weird because I took some algae from the display and ground it into the screen in hopes to kick start it.

[sensei]

Can anyone tell me how can you boost an algae filter??
I have 2 ATS in my 600g system and they grow but the ATS in my oldest 150g growth more that double of what I get in the 600g system.
I wonder if there is a way to boost the ATS in the 600g

thanks for your answers

[biecacka]

3 weeks of my set up and no growth. maybe i am not feeding enough? or lights on too long or not long enough.
nutrients have remained stable though.

corey

[Scrubber_steve]

Originally Posted by biecacka

3 weeks of my set up and no growth. maybe i am not feeding enough? or lights on too long or not long enough.
nutrients have remained stable though.

corey

Nothing,,,, at all?

[SantaMonica]

Without pics:

Sensei's sounds like growth has not attached yet. Or something else.

Biecacka's sound over-illuminated.

[karimwassef]

I'm going to experiment with these lights...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017GX6USY



just 5 of them ~ 500W

[karimwassef]

as far as why I'm experimenting. The 12V 500W LED fixture I DIY'ed is still working, but the refurbished 900W power supplies I've been using (~$20 each) burn up every 6 months.



Even when I isolate them from any water, the fact that they're air cooled and my tank generates a salty mist = internal salt-mist powder buildup.





I would have to put them into an externally ventilated safe-box to work (next project).

[karimwassef]

only 4 lights came in... so

[karimwassef]

why so much light? my scrubber needs to process the output of my fish at 4 bananas a day

[karimwassef]

[SantaMonica]

Weekend growth pics

[homer1475]

Just a couple pics on my 3 week old scrubber.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[homer1475]

Sorry for the double post, Tapatalk hates me sometimes.

Anywho, this is my screen after 3 weeks. I did not realize I should have been cleaning it every week regardless of the amount of algae on the screen. Of course it helps when you actually read the thread and not just skim it.

The screen seems to have taken off since I switched to the opposite light schedule Floyd had me try. Now do I go to a normal light cycle, or leave it be until the screen fills in better?




And this is the screen after just scrubbing it a bit with my fingernails and running it under tap water.




Is this appropriate or should I clean it less or more?

[Floyd R Turbo]

Looks like a good start. Just don't over-clean. I.E. no brushing, no scraping - rub with fingertips while rinsing. You only want to loosen the diatoms & any slime growth to allow GHA to get a good foothold.

Go 10 days minimum to next cleaning (probably 14 or more). If you do feel the need to clean before them, rub & rinse & let it grow.

You can really follow the no-brush/no-scrape concept for several months...

[catman78]

What do you guys think of this design?

http://www.fish-street.com/ats_algae..._filter_system

[Floyd R Turbo]

Junk

[catman78]

Why?

[Floyd R Turbo]

I should just dedicate a section of the basics website to why that product and a few others from that area of the world are just useless and/or poorly designed. It's horizontal which means that by default, it needs to be huge to be effective - it's way too small to be of much use realistically.

That product has been around for quite a long time, relative to the more recent resurgence of the ATS over the last decade. But you don't see anyone posting any results they got from using it. Probably because it yields very poor results.

But for $50 for a 10x25 horizontal, it's not like it's a total ripoff. It's just that you could do better by DIYing a slot pipe (even a bad one) and roughing up a screen that is 1/4 the size that one would need and slapping 2 Warm White LED floodlights from Home Depot on it...you would literally come out ahead on price and effectiveness.

[z3speed4me]

Well I am jumping into the scrubber world!

Got one for a real good price from a local guy that built a tank that never got it up and running and just parted out. It's from 302 Aquatics, so not as good as Turbo's unit (which will likely be what I purchase later if this attempt goes well). But it should still work for what I need.

I'll try to remember to take some pics of my progress. Just hooked it up last night. Only thing I have noticed with this design is these flood lights get quite warm when in my cabinet closed all day, wondering if it will have any impact on water temp, thinking of adding a fan or two in there to provide some airflow.

Look like these, but are white light not red (maybe swap them??)
https://www.amazon.com/Floodoor-Ligh...nt+flood+light

[Floyd R Turbo]

302 claims to have tested a bunch of fixtures and determined that the LightingEver WW fixtures yields the best results. I can't say that it's the "wrong" fixture, it very well could be that that particular fixture (brand and color temp) does yield good results but that also does not imply that WW is the "ideal" color temp.

So I would just use what you have since you have it, it will grow algae. If you want to try WW on one side and red/blue on the other, wait until one fixture burns out and then get the one you linked to.

As for temp, circulation never hurts.

[SantaMonica]

these flood lights get quite warm when in my cabinet closed all day, wondering if it will have any impact on water temp, thinking of adding a fan or two in there to provide some airflow

They get warm because the power supply is inside the light. Whereas separate/discrete LED setups have the power supply farther down the power cable. Separate also keeps 120v from being next to the water.

but are white light not red (maybe swap them??)

Red is best, but they like to use white because the boxes are open and the light escapes.

[Wally.B]

Originally Posted by Wally.B

I agree. But there is enough no-coralline areas on screen to start up.
I'll replace/clean the one or more screens later, once I get scrubber going.

I think I figured things out.
I did a review of all my Logs.
Posted Tank Log Review details at the end of my Tank thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...636608&page=14
Summary:
-> Various Improvements to Tank lowered my N&P to much lower levels (over time). P especially
-> Scrubber Slowed down significantly (as it should)
-> Corwie and Snails cleaned Screen to Like New.
-> Screen can't start up since they keep it too clean.
-> I removed Snails. Will remove Cowrie.
-> I have to restart the screen like I started in the beginning. (15 hours, Full Power)
-> I have small head start with some algae on there.

Does my theory make sense?

What is better for restart. (High Power, Less Time) (Lower Power, More time). (Doesn't matter?).

Quick update on that Scrubber Shut Down.

I got it started up again.

But just before it kicked in I solved a MAJOR problem in my System. Probably nothing to do with Scubber but who knows.
I feed my Skimmer Fresh Air via a Pipe. I found the seal to my skimmer tube coupler was ruptured. That made by PH Jo-Jo like crazy. I thought it was my PH probe (expired), but when I replaced it PH swing was still happening.

Two day after I found and seal my Airline tube, my tank made a 360 Degree recovery. All Dying SPS started recovering and continue to this point.
(Swing on PH was 7.45 - 7.8) After sealing (PH 7.79-7.81).
That swing was caused by airline opening an closing, since it was at water level.
That swing was many times a day and it was killing my SPS Corals.
I check my APEX Fusion Graphs (knowing issue) and found the AIRLINE Break (when PH dropped quickly).
Date of AIRLINE SEAL rupture is almost same time when Scrubber shut down and Corals started dying.
Not sure if it's related, but my Scrubber started working again.
I haven't pulled out the Screens, but there is a good harvest brewing in there.
I just pulled out an Airline tube and it's covered in a nice Macro Ball.



The Screen in the picture is a brand new Screen I seeded, since the Original Screens got all covered in Coraline (but they are growing anyway. Loose Macro, that falls off easy).

Makes me think. Why not seed more airlines like this.
Harvest are easier than a Screen Scrub.
I just pull out the ALGAE POPSICLES. TRIM Into Garbage Can and put back.