Algae Reactor
- Thread starter OhMatic
- Start date
wildman926
Active member
Converted Aquamaxx biopellet reactor. SMD 5050 lights, Sicce Syncra 1 pump. It complements my ATS.
Germanwerks
New member
Converted Aquamaxx biopellet reactor. SMD 5050 lights, Sicce Syncra 1 pump. It complements my ATS.
How is your cheato growth with your diy setup?
It looks pretty good to me...
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/.../Chaeto Reactors/150g CR ATS2_zpsdwaaxv0z.jpg
wildman926
Active member
It grows quite well. Remember, algae growth is based upon light and nutrients. If you have both, it will grow. Once the "initial hit" of removal of excess nutrients happened, as in the picture below, the growth has slowed based upon how I feed.
The pic bellows shows 2 months of growth from the reactor, and 2 weeks of growth from my ats. The ats's are cleaned biweekly with the same amount removed.
It grows quite well. Remember, algae growth is based upon light and nutrients. If you have both, it will grow. Once the "initial hit" of removal of excess nutrients happened, as in the picture below, the growth has slowed based upon how I feed.
The pic bellows shows 2 months of growth from the reactor, and 2 weeks of growth from my ats. The ats's are cleaned biweekly with the same amount removed.
Do you run the same light cycle for your ATS and Algae Reactor?
How long on/off?
wildman926
Active member
I actually run it during the same time my blue lights are on, for 8 hours, 3-11pm.
The ATS runs 16 on, 8 off. They are off when the chaeto reactor is on.
so is this the LEDs you used (or simmilar type) on your reactor, wildman?
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00D2OHWVG/
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00D2OHWVG/
wildman926
Active member
We fought hair algea and high nitrates and phosphates the whole time we have had a reef tank...about 5yrs. We feed heavily and i like the lights on, want to be able to see everything when i look at the tank and those are not something i wanted to sacrifice to lower the nutrients. Came across the ats, we chose the waterfall one, researched and built one. Tank is 109 gal, custom built with 20gal sump. Screen is 8" x 6". Cant remember the name of the pump but it is rated at 800gph. Lights are led hydroponic grow lights mounted in a 8.5" clamp light, one on each side..will attach a pic of the bulbs...paid about $60 for everything and built it in about 1/2hr and building things is not my talent. Got it running, has been running about 6wks now and hair algea is gone, parameters are perfect, we got one sps coral which isnthriving, before the ats couldnt keep one alive. We run it from 6p to noon. We grow algea like pros lol and have a great pod factory. There is a site, algaescrubbers.net that is dedicated to building and using them and they were all very helpful about walking us through the set up etc. We will never have a tank without one again, i cannot say enough about how incredibly well this thing has worked. Attached pics of ours right after we built it and the bulbs we are using. I know this isnt a reactor but wanted to share our experience with the ats. I imagine anything that does something similar, grows algea in a controlled fashion, would have the same benefits.
wildman926
Active member
The Advanced section HERE on RC has a couple of threads concerning ATS's. Here is mine built by an RC member that sits on top of a converted wet dry -
wildman926
Active member
I feed both ATS and Algae Reactor with separate Sicce Syncra 1 pumps, 251 gph. I have only a foot of head on the output of the pumps. The ats pump is directly under my overflow pipe, with the output pointing away. It creates a slow swirl on the live rock in the sump.
The reactor pump is sitting in the sump behind my output of my skimmer, and the output of the reactor is plumbed for the tubing to sit in front of the return pump.
