Algae Scrubber Advanced
- Thread starter maglofster
- Start date
SantaMonica
Well-known member
If you make the walls white, it won't matter because all the light will reflect to the screen.
If the walls are black, then you want wide enough to catch all the light.
If the walls are black, then you want wide enough to catch all the light.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Pny
New member
Thanks!
I'm looking for someone to review my scrubber and see what I should do differently. I have a 4x6 inch screen. Water flows over the screen. I don't know the gph but I adjust it so the water covers the screen. I feed approximately a cube a day. My lighting is supplied by 8 660nm reed 3w leds and 2 rb leds. It's 4 red and 1 blue on either side. The driver is set to 700ma and is on a dinner but the dimmer is just about maxed out.
My scrubber lights come on at 8pm and turn off at 10am. I clean my screen once a week fairly aggressively.
My issue is I am getting hair algae in my tank yet my po4 is always at 0. Even after tank cleaning. The rocks are used and could be leaching but the tank has been up and running for over a year.
I am also Having an issue with mag being used up. Calc, alk, and pH are all stable right where I want them.
Should I alter my light schedule, cleaning schedule.
After 5 days
After cleaning
Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
My scrubber lights come on at 8pm and turn off at 10am. I clean my screen once a week fairly aggressively.
My issue is I am getting hair algae in my tank yet my po4 is always at 0. Even after tank cleaning. The rocks are used and could be leaching but the tank has been up and running for over a year.
I am also Having an issue with mag being used up. Calc, alk, and pH are all stable right where I want them.
Should I alter my light schedule, cleaning schedule.
After 5 days
After cleaning
Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
karimwassef
Active member
check your salinity... where is it?
Are you physically removing hair algae from your tank? The hair algae will keep you from getting any phosphate readings because it uses the phosphate to grow. Your scrubber has pretty good growth though, I'm jealous.
Scrubber_steve
I'm really very likeable
Hi biglurr54
your screen is large enough, but if the other variables are not correct, size doesn't matter. LOL
Is the flow high enough over the screen?
Is the light intensity high enough?
If the scrubber is anything but too small, & tuned correctly, you shouldn't get hair algae growing in the display.
your screen is large enough, but if the other variables are not correct, size doesn't matter. LOL
Is the flow high enough over the screen?
Is the light intensity high enough?
If the scrubber is anything but too small, & tuned correctly, you shouldn't get hair algae growing in the display.
The flow is tough to judge. I have about 600 to 700 gallons flowing down the overflow. It's then split between a filter sock and the scrubber. The filter sock it throttled by a valve and the scrubber is wide open. The lights are, like I said before 4 3w red leds and 1 3w blue led per side running at 700ma. If anything I think the light is overkill but you guys are the experts.
Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
Scrubber_steve
I'm really very likeable
I run two screens the same size as yours. I run 6, 660nm on each side of each screen at 700mA. I don't bother with another color because the growth I get couldn't be any better and its all emerald green hair algae.
PS. I'm no expert, just a hobbiest.
karimwassef
Active member
I usually push my photoperiod, flow and screen size to the most I have room for. When my algae gets pale or yellow, I start to trim back until I find the balance point.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
You must have a lot of rock supplying a lot of nutrients to that small screen. You'll need more light, yes you can do 24 hours for now. Add another screen if you can.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
That first pic does not appear to be slimy - that's dense GHA, when you scrape it off, it might get gooey and such, but I wouldn't call the slime growth.
First, max the intensity
Second, max the photoperiod
Third, don't clean every 7 days necessarily. That's not a rule.
Fourth, when you do clean, don't do it aggressively. In fact, clean like this:
Tic-Tac-Toe on one side, cross-cross on the other. You can do this every 7 days if you like. It's more of thinning out than cleaning.
Growth sometimes comes in stages, you might be in one, The dense growth tends to shade the screen and lead to algae completely letting go, the above cleaning helps mitigate that
How old is the scrubber?
How close are the LEDs?
Pics?
First, max the intensity
Second, max the photoperiod
Third, don't clean every 7 days necessarily. That's not a rule.
Fourth, when you do clean, don't do it aggressively. In fact, clean like this:
Tic-Tac-Toe on one side, cross-cross on the other. You can do this every 7 days if you like. It's more of thinning out than cleaning.
Growth sometimes comes in stages, you might be in one, The dense growth tends to shade the screen and lead to algae completely letting go, the above cleaning helps mitigate that
How old is the scrubber?
How close are the LEDs?
Pics?
karimwassef
Active member
Max photo period = lights on all day and night
