Algae Scrubber Basics

[Floyd R Turbo]

In the BlueZoo video they state that they do a 5% PWC each year.

 

[tyler91913]

Will you be using the SantaMonica plans? Or are there other designs out there for T5 scrubbers? Also, where might you get your acrylic cut for a project like that?

Sounds pretty good to me except for 2 things. First thing is I would not use a sponge for bubbles. If your bubble trap is done correctly you won't need it and it is a trap for detritis and nutrients. Second would be that you shouldn't need to worry about "clumps" of algae. As long as you clean your screen at least once a week it won't be a problem. You can clean it more often if needed. I am still running my skimmer for now also and probably will for the forseeable future. At least till I redue my scrubber that is. Goin to go a little bigger and going to T5's I think. Only due to better light coverage.
I think your good to go otherwise. You won't regret it. Best thing I have ever done for my tank. Just to easy......

 

[JohnnyB in SD]

Sure, they are

pH 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates 0-5
Mg 1420
Ca 440
KH 8.4
no way of measuring phosphates right now. but I hear good things about the Hannah checker. is this something I need to be measuring in order to do ATS right?

But my main question, as I said already, is about getting switched over to an ATS from a skimmer as a primary mode of filtration. I should also have mentioned that I have my 30 gallon sump out right now on the opperation table in case there is some ideal way to set it up with both ATS and skimmer. I was thinking something like this:

Water comes in via Herbie plumbing system to a bar with mesh screen hanging vertically; baffle, water flows over top of baffle to skimming compartment (I don't want my skimmer pump to get jammed up with fallen algae clumps--will I need to put "teeth" on the top of my baffle?), water goes over and under baffles spaced one inch apart, with a bubble-killing sponge, and into the return pump chamber.

By the way, what do you mean by "virtually unlimited, free, filtered natural seawater"?

Plenty of people report running their systems with ATS and no skimmers, after a couple/few months of using an ATS I can see where it would certainly be possible if you want to go that route. But I wouldn't consider taking the skimmer off line until you have good consistent growth established on the screen.

Your nitrates are already pretty low, probably because you're underfeeding.
Phosphates are another nutrient you should have a clue about, especially if you have creatures sensitive to them like SPS.
I've been using test kits with regents & color charts for Phosphate measurements, can be difficult to read in the low range. I'm not sure I need to go with a meter though, if the current method does not or barely detects Phosphates then it's good enough for my purposes.

I live in San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography in conjunction with UCSD was a system set up to provide massive amounts of filtered Pacific seawater to their research facilities and the Birch Aquarium. They are nice enough to provide a public spigot for local aquarists to fill up containers for personal use as well. I get a 55gl drum per week.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I've been using test kits with regents & color charts for Phosphate measurements, can be difficult to read in the low range. I'm not sure I need to go with a meter though, if the current method does not or barely detects Phosphates then it's good enough for my purposes.

I live in San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography in conjunction with UCSD was a system set up to provide massive amounts of filtered Pacific seawater to their research facilities and the Birch Aquarium. They are nice enough to provide a public spigot for local aquarists to fill up containers for personal use as well. I get a 55gl drum per week.

And here I thought SD meant South Dakota.

The Hanna Checker Phosphate meter is pretty good. I am becoming much less concerned with P levels. Mine self-regulate to about 0.09 and the past consensus says that's coral-death levels. Not from what I've seen, or maybe it's the corals I keep.

I have no nuisance algae and have not for a long time, and have never had P=0, so to me, if you use a liquid reagent kit and it's really, really low, it's good enough. If you have no algae in the display tank and your fish and corals are doing fine, then no worries over P (or N for that matter, as long as it's under 20)

Anthony Calfo I guess has even said that he keeps his N on his tanks around 10. I think it's in one of his books. One of our local club members said he either read it there or heard it from him firsthand. I'll get a chance to ask him next weekend during MACNA

 

[pskelton]

I personally have not done a water change in 6 months ever since I implemented my scrubber. long story short my tank was a mess, kid dumped container of food in tank. I got a snow flake eel that dug up my sand bed and I was running a very under powered cheep skimmer. This lead to my nitrates peeking at 160. I did water changes for a while but the nitrate just keep coming back up to 160. The water changes were getting expensive and I was about to give up when I tried the scrubber. Within a few weeks nitrate dropped to 60 and slowly came down from there. As of my test last week I am finally at 0 nitrate and I haven't done a water change in six months. The protean skimmer has been removed and my tank is healthier than ever. I am just waiting for the algae on my rocks to finish dieing off.

 

[srusso]

Water changes are simply not needed with a scrubber system, although dosing is required. But if you use kalk maintaining alk and cal is dead simple... A little mag and your done...

Just feed your tank good food and clean your screen. The rest will just happen naturally.

 

[Robert Patterso]

Will you be using the SantaMonica plans? Or are there other designs out there for T5 scrubbers? Also, where might you get your acrylic cut for a project like that?

Nope not using Santa Monica plans. Just going to be the water fall style with good reflectors and acrylic splash guards. I am sure that where ever you bought your acrylic they would cut it to the sizes you wanted

 

[pskelton]

what is everyone's thoughts on running carbon in an ATS filtered system?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Whether carbon is necessary or helpful at all is a topic all to itself. Running carbon helps occasionally, supposedly, but I've never run it and seen any difference/benefit.

So I guess that's a non-answer

 

[Robert Patterso]

I would say yes run it. If anything to keep the water clear. While the ats does a good job of removing nutrients the carbon will take any color out of the water. Over time a yellowish color will be there and you may not even know it. I run it 24/7

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I have been running a scrubber on a reef for almost a year and the water has absolutely no yellow whatsoever. If you have yellow water, it's not because of the scrubber, unless you scrape the screen in the tank, which is a big no no.

 

[Robert Patterso]

I have been running a scrubber on a reef for almost a year and the water has absolutely no yellow whatsoever. If you have yellow water, it's not because of the scrubber, unless you scrape the screen in the tank, which is a big no no.

By no means was I blaming the scrubber for yellow water. As stated if you clean the screen in the tank/sump then yes you would get yellow/green water. I am saying that you might be suprised at how much clearer the water would be if you run carbon. Even if its only for a few days a month. In my opinion the scrubber can't take out all the color. Just my .02.
I am a firm believer in ats otherwise I wouldn't run one. Best thing I have ever put on any of my tanks in over 25 years of being in the hobby

 

[rehype]

Just made an upgrade to my ATS..I was initially using (2) 25 watt JBJ macrogro CF lights but i just switched to (2) Coralife T5 mini-aqualights. I switched the the stock T5 bulbs to 3,000K bulbs.i guess ill see in a few days if theres a difference in algae growth(the CF lights were 6400k)

 

[tyler91913]

So I've just plumbed the ATS into my system, and when I started it up I noticed a problem. Water source is the top left side of the screen, and the bottom left side of screen is not getting wet. So the water cascades in the direction of flow, not straight down, leaving wasted space on that corner of my screen. What is the solution? Should I widen the slot in the PVC on the side where the water is entering?

Other than this one hiccup, I'm pretty pleased with how this is shaping up. Will post pictures when I get all the pieces put in.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

If it's a new screen, the water will tend to channel a little. When the screen starts growing some algae or brown slime (usually the first week) then the flow should even out a bit. If it doesn't, that's generally a sign that your slot is not straight and even width. But cross that bridge in a few weeks if the problem is still there.

 

[tyler91913]

Thanks Floyd. Pictures to come...

 

[gark666]

Quick question for all you turf scrubber aficionados, so I finally build a turf scrubber for my 75gl tank using the instructions provide in this thread the screen is 12x12 and has two 23watt 27000k spiral bulbs one in each side with roughly 400GPH going threw it the scrubber has been running for five days and as of right now the screen is cover in brown alge so my question is? is the alge going to stay brown or will it eventually turn to hair alge in time! sorry my English is not that great!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Hey Floyd. I just wanted to let you let you know that I measured the overflow drain on my tank and it turned out to be something like 225 gph (filled a four-cup container in four seconds). After I cleaned it, it rose to about 300 gph (filled a four-cup container in three seconds). I guess I've been grossly overestimating the drain (I thought it was around 400 gph). So with this flow, I should have a screen no larger than 8.5 inches wide, right? If it was 10 inches high, I would need at least 80 watts, right? So would two 42 watt bulbs still be a good choice?

Should be fine. You may have to play with distance from the screen and the time interval to avoid yellow growth.

Quick question for all you turf scrubber aficionados, so I finally build a turf scrubber for my 75gl tank using the instructions provide in this thread the screen is 12x12 and has two 23watt 27000k spiral bulbs one in each side with roughly 400GPH going threw it the scrubber has been running for five days and as of right now the screen is cover in brown alge so my question is? is the alge going to stay brown or will it eventually turn to hair alge in time! sorry my English is not that great!

Do you have reflectors and a picture of your system?

I don't know where you got 12x12, that's 144 sq in which is double the size you need. 2 23W lamps is only 46W so you have less than half the wattage you need, and just over half if the screen was the right size. 400 GPH over 12 inches is about the right flow, so that is good. Your brown algae is because your light is not intense enough for the area you are trying to filter.

Shave your screen down to the right size (I would do 10 wide x 8 tall, and leave the flow the same) and get 2 42W CFLs with 10" wide reflectors and put them about 4-6" from the screen. That should help. If you start to get yello growth, start cutting back the light period until you get green growth.

 

[tyler91913]

I live in San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography in conjunction with UCSD was a system set up to provide massive amounts of filtered Pacific seawater to their research facilities and the Birch Aquarium. They are nice enough to provide a public spigot for local aquarists to fill up containers for personal use as well. I get a 55gl drum per week.

That's awesome. I used to live in San Diego (before I got into reefing) and had no idea that Scripps offered that to the public. Jealous!

 

[gark666]

Should be fine. You may have to play with distance from the screen and the time interval to avoid yellow growth.



Do you have reflectors and a picture of your system?

I don't know where you got 12x12, that's 144 sq in which is double the size you need. 2 23W lamps is only 46W so you have less than half the wattage you need, and just over half if the screen was the right size. 400 GPH over 12 inches is about the right flow, so that is good. Your brown algae is because your light is not intense enough for the area you are trying to filter.

Shave your screen down to the right size (I would do 10 wide x 8 tall, and leave the flow the same) and get 2 42W CFLs with 10" wide reflectors and put them about 4-6" from the screen. That should help. If you start to get yello growth, start cutting back the light period until you get green growth.[


Here is pic of my built I do not have reflectors on my bulbs they are the ones
built in reflectors, anyway the only reason why I left the screen 12x12 was because I though that the bigger the better it will be, but i guess that only works for skimmer anyway I will follow your instructions and cut the screen and add 42w bulbs with reflectors, thanx for the advice!