Algae growth

ponokareefer

New member
I am looking at setting up a system for growing algae out of my display. I have a refugium, but I don't feel it is big enough. I don't have much more room under my tank to set up something different. I saw a thread on here a while ago that I can't find now where the individual had set up a flow of water along the back top rim in a self made container, along the whole rim. The displays lights supplied the light and I think they set up a pump to supply the water at one end and there was a hole at the opposite end that drained back into the tank. It was only about 3-4 inches wide. I have an enclosed top so it wouldn't be seen. What I was hoping to find out is how much water flow I should have. Has anyone else done a similar setup?
 
I had a similar system (acrylic trough across the back of a 10G with a red LED bar on top) that was a river scrubber and it worked, was easy to service and produced a lot of algae. The small pump was attached directly to the bottom of the trough to mitigate head loss and the whole thing lifted off for service. Ran for a year or so with zero problems. I’ve used several types of ATS systems on various tanks without mechanical filtration (most of the time) with success.
 
I had a similar system (acrylic trough across the back of a 10G with a red LED bar on top) that was a river scrubber and it worked, was easy to service and produced a lot of algae. The small pump was attached directly to the bottom of the trough to mitigate head loss and the whole thing lifted off for service. Ran for a year or so with zero problems. I've used several types of ATS systems on various tanks without mechanical filtration (most of the time) with success.

Trough, that's the word I was looking for. I think I might actually have more of the equipment for an ATS, so will give that a try first.
 
An ATS can be really simple and fit into your sump or overflow box. You just need the plastic mesh and a grow light. An overflow box is great place to incorporate one. Hang some mesh so the water flows over it and light it.
 
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