Algae Scrubber Basics

[DamonG]

Just updating pictures from some of the growth I mentioned I was getting that is very thick.. I added a little gfo to clear out my tub (pond), so it has changed a little on the scrubber.. But these are from today and this is the growth from when I cleaned it completely.. And I only began getting this growth after I upped the pump to the 1000gph unit..

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[Hefner413]

Hey guys. I'm thinking of putting in an algae scrubber in the middle section of my 29g biocube as this guy did here: https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/top.../?_fromLogin=1. I need to get a light for the back side of my tank. Do you guys think this will work well / strong enough?
https://www.amazon.com/Hoohome-Indoo...+red+led+light

If not, what would you recommend?

[karimwassef]

looks like you got a big hermit crab in your ATS?

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

looks like you got a big hermit crab in your ATS?

Lol, who me? Yes, that's "nutjob".. The strawberry hermit, about 3.5 to 4".. He's insane, but comical! I also have a spotted eel in that area.. It used to be my fuge, but now, it's my scrubber section, that must happens to house the eel and the crab..



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[karimwassef]

Ok. My scrubber is in trouble.
Somehow macroalgae and Xenia got a foothold and now they've decimated my turf.





http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2631042

Why do I care?

Because I believe that turf is a better filter for more elements and creates a healthier environment for life without getting clogged like macro. Macro will eventually become a trap for waste and that's just more pain imo.

I can rip it up and feed it to my fish but it grows back faster than the turf can reestablish itself.

Anyone know what caused the shift? Was it just the macros reaching a critical mass?

My lights are on 23 hours and the flow is very high. I don't know how to reset conditions back to favor my turf.

[karimwassef]

Here's what it looked like when it was healthy

[karimwassef]

Would more iron help or hurt the macro? More zinc?

[DamonG]

Why not simply get a few emeralds, depending on your tub size (u cannot remember the size).. But they would take care of the bubble algea quickly..

The xenia is a little more difficult if you wish to keep them in the main system or display tank.. Otherwise, a fluke tab would take care of that in your whole system.. Quickly and Permanently!

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[karimwassef]

It's grape caulerpa not bubble algae. I can just feed it to my tangs but something has changed in my tank's water chemistry that is stopping the hair from growing and instead prefers the macro algae. Does anyone know what would do that?

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

It's grape caulerpa not bubble algae. I can just feed it to my tangs but something has changed in my tank's water chemistry that is stopping the hair from growing and instead prefers the macro algae. Does anyone know what would do that?

Just trying to help dude.. Grape and most calerpa is like that in my experience.. That and the sexual thing is why I decided to never use it again.. It's very invasive.. Me personally, I don't know why anyone would try to keep it at this point, because sooner or later, either what your experiencing or sexual happens.. It's kinda like drug addicts who say it will never happen to me..

Best of luck with it though because your in for a fight..

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[Hefner413]

I'm putting my algae scrubber in the mid section of my biocube today. I got a generic grow light I posted a link to a few posts back that is supposed to be 45 watt total and then also the JBJ Nano glo 4x 1w LED fixture. Which of the two do you guys think would grow my algae scrubber better?

[karimwassef]

Originally Posted by DamonG

Just trying to help dude.. Grape and most calerpa is like that in my experience.. That and the sexual thing is why I decided to never use it again.. It's very invasive.. Me personally, I don't know why anyone would try to keep it at this point, because sooner or later, either what your experiencing or sexual happens.. It's kinda like drug addicts who say it will never happen to me..

Best of luck with it though because your in for a fight..

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Appreciate it. I didn't even know there was any in my system. I've never seen it anywhere else (not even my sump) before this. I'm struggling with the sudden pivot that crushed all my turf algae. It won't go sexual because my day cycle is 23 hours and macro needs an extended dark cycle to go sexual.

I also see my DT struggling a little with reduced growth rate in these last couple of weeks. I've been fragging a lot so I don't know if it's related, but the coincidence with losing my turf is troubling.

The reason I'm posting in this forum is that it goes back to getting a scrubber to thrive... has anyone else seen this problem where macro (anywhere in the system) limits the growth of turf algae? Is the macro putting out chemicals that kill the turf?

I've started feeding again, but it seems like it just accelerates the macro.

So my turf and corals have less to eat because the macro is soaking it all up.

I'm going to start cutting it out and feeding it to the fish in larger quantities and stop feeding them turf.

[karimwassef]

Originally Posted by Hefner413

I'm putting my algae scrubber in the mid section of my biocube today. I got a generic grow light I posted a link to a few posts back that is supposed to be 45 watt total and then also the JBJ Nano glo 4x 1w LED fixture. Which of the two do you guys think would grow my algae scrubber better?

Depends on the size of your scrubber and how much you feed but I doubt 4W can grow much?

[Hefner413]

Yeah, the bigger seems less intense, but more overall. It's 12x12. My scrubber prob will be 8x8 or so. The smaller JBJ is "designed for a refugium" because it has a magnet on the opposite side to hold it against your sump/refugium wall. Maybe I'll try em both and see how it goes. Thx

[karimwassef]

Is it really just 4W?

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Is it really just 4W?

Yes, I had one of those.. And it's a pretty weak light.. Not too mention, I wouldn't trust the backing on it (is it still just cardboard)?

It didn't have enough power to do anything at all work my cheato, so I'm sure it wouldn't do too much with a scrubber..

And jbj, I no longer trust their products.. But, of the two, the jbj is probably a better bet..

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[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Appreciate it. I didn't even know there was any in my system. I've never seen it anywhere else (not even my sump) before this. I'm struggling with the sudden pivot that crushed all my turf algae. It won't go sexual because my day cycle is 23 hours and macro needs an extended dark cycle to go sexual.

I also see my DT struggling a little with reduced growth rate in these last couple of weeks. I've been fragging a lot so I don't know if it's related, but the coincidence with losing my turf is troubling.

The reason I'm posting in this forum is that it goes back to getting a scrubber to thrive... has anyone else seen this problem where macro (anywhere in the system) limits the growth of turf algae? Is the macro putting out chemicals that kill the turf?

I've started feeding again, but it seems like it just accelerates the macro.

So my turf and corals have less to eat because the macro is soaking it all up.

I'm going to start cutting it out and feeding it to the fish in larger quantities and stop feeding them turf.

For me, with turf, you have to shoot for different parameters.. Every time I was able to get turf, the water flow was high, very high and lots of light and oxygen exchange.. It started on the current scrubber at points that tended, at first to spray water.. But once I changed the pump to the larger one, now, it's turf all over the scrubber..

For me at least, and I'm not sure if this helps, but it grows under conditions that the slime and hair type of algae doesn't thrive in.. I in part heavily because of the very much increased flow..

That's just my theory, or hypotheses.. But try increasing your flow a lot, and see what happens.. I've got 1000gph going less than a foot to the screen full blast of that helps any..

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[karimwassef]

I'm running 6000 gph in a loop in a 50gal container...

Two Jebao DCT12000... full blast. It's like a cyclone and the turf was doing great until this invasion.

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

I'm running 6000 gph in a loop in a 50gal container...

Two Jebao DCT12000... full blast. It's like a cyclone and the turf was doing great until this invasion.

Lol, it might just be that dude.. Just an invasion that like I mentioned was bound to happen.. It's that aggressive of an algea. That's why I don't touch it with a 10 foot pole.. 9 is almost near to impossible to completely get out ,without a complete system breakdown and rock scrub.

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[karimwassef]

The extra flow is preferential to the macroalgae vs. the turf? I would think turf is better at handling the very high flow and it was thriving before...

Maybe the turf strands just breaks up under the extreme flow when they get too long and I need to harvest more frequently to keep the turf algae healthy enough to thrive.

[SantaMonica]

The reason the macros took over was because you don't have a high turbulence air/water interface. Since the nutrients were available to all, macros could get them too.

A a high turbulence air/water interface will consume the most nutrients the fastest, and therefore keep nutrients unavailable to other macros and nuisance algae. It the basics of scrubber function as described in Dynamic Aquaria.

[karimwassef]

I do have very high turbulence.. I'll make a video to show how much surface agitation and air interaction there is.

I'm rotating 6000 gph around an oval shallow 50 gallon tank that's only about 4' long.

I turned off all flow to take those pictures. The surface is completely white otherwise. That's why I didn't see the macro taking over until it peaked up over the foam.

[Hefner413]

Well... Nano algae scrubber running. We'll see...

[DamonG]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

The extra flow is preferential to the macroalgae vs. the turf? I would think turf is better at handling the very high flow and it was thriving before...

Maybe the turf strands just breaks up under the extreme flow when they get too long and I need to harvest more frequently to keep the turf algae healthy enough to thrive.

No, I agree completely, the turf prefers higher flow.. Definately,

But.. I think the crux of it is, the macro is just aggressive dude... Extremely aggressive.. Cheato is aggressive too ,but that calerpa ,it's something else when you get it under light and it decides to grow finally...

Lol, I can't lie, what you have in got tub "looks" cool.., but I can see your frustration.. And in the back of my mind, I keep saying "time bomb, time bomb dude"...

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[iced98lx]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

I do have very high turbulence.. I'll make a video to show how much surface agitation and air interaction there is.

I'm rotating 6000 gph around an oval shallow 50 gallon tank that's only about 4' long.

I turned off all flow to take those pictures. The surface is completely white otherwise. That's why I didn't see the macro taking over until it peaked up over the foam.

I think SM may have been emphasizing the air/water part of the high tubulance statement. Because waterfalls have so little water vs a full tub or submerged system (even an upflow probably has a high volume of air around the screen/media) it's likely harder for the macro to take hold. If you had a 1/8 inch sheet of flowing water over rock or screen there are only so many algae types that will be able to take hold.



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