Algae Scrubber Basics
- Thread starter srusso
- Start date
Thanks for the photo's and the input Flyod I am going to start my ATS tomorrow. I have a 70 gallon cube that is starting an algae outbreak I think I should have cooked my live rock. Got it from a fellow reefer and I am pretty sure it must of had a hair algae problem before he took the tank down. But with the help of the ATS I am building I will nip it in the bud.
srusso
Active member
It will not hurt at all to have a larger screen, be sure to light the screen for the size scrubber you want to build also.
FYI my tank is a 70 gallon and I have a scrubber double the size needed for my tank and everything works out fine.
mrbncal
New member
Set up yesterday
Nice looking, very cool idea. Where did you find those light fixtures?
srusso
Active member
Please watch this inspiring video I watched that was the nail in the coffin for me when I was on the fence about building a scrubber.
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srusso
Active member
This video explains that the following is removed by algae when using a scrubber.
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Nickel
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Vinyl Choride
Trichloroethylene
Dichloroethylene
...and goes on to explain that this is list is growing as fast as they can test for it. Today I am looking on their site for an updated list.
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Nickel
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Vinyl Choride
Trichloroethylene
Dichloroethylene
...and goes on to explain that this is list is growing as fast as they can test for it. Today I am looking on their site for an updated list.
salty joe
Active member
I think the offsetting effect is advantagious. I'm hoping for rock solid PH.
The lighting will be 24W T5. The lamps should be here real soon.
Who knows how effective a scheme like this might be? If that link is any indication, it could be amazing.
I won't be doing this for awhile. I had everything planned out-built a house with a fishroom designed on the first floor- got into building the house and that's when the economic SHTF. Took quite a hit as I had to sell several properties, took another hit when my work slowed way down, it's still way down, it looks like we're about to take a third hit from where my wife works.
Anyway, I have a 96"x45"x30" plywood epoxy tank (minus the glass) and a big sump/fuge in my garage. We have to wait until the dust settles before moving any further. It's funny how uneven this mess has affected people. I have friends who have been unscathed. Don't get me wrong, I know it could be WAY worse than having to put off a hobby.
When I do try this, I'll post results here. I have the scrubbers almost finished, kinda just nickle and diming this reef project for now. But I will get it. If nothing else I'm stubborn.
srusso
Active member
http://www.chesapeake.org/stac/agconservationtools/kangas.pdf
This is a great 28 page presentation, read through it. Its brief and helpful in understanding how ATS systems are used in large scale applications.
Lots of pictures too...
This is a great 28 page presentation, read through it. Its brief and helpful in understanding how ATS systems are used in large scale applications.
Lots of pictures too...
The species of chemicals listed are of interest from EPA perspective. They are highly toxic metals and by-products of chlorination.
Copper is well known to be absorbed by algae. At low levels it can be exported, whereas high levels will kill it. Therapeutic levels for parasites kill algae in 1-2 weeks.
Copper is well known to be absorbed by algae. At low levels it can be exported, whereas high levels will kill it. Therapeutic levels for parasites kill algae in 1-2 weeks.
srusso
Active member
http://www.physicsegypt.org/epc08/epc823.pdf
Another great document, short only 10 pages. It was written by Walter Adey, Phd, Jeffrey Bannon, MESM and Longenecker and Associate.
My favorite quotes and highlights
"it is important to note that this is a modular system, capable of expanding to any size."
I don't think they realized how small we would take it...
"A 2005 independent study of ATS, by the South Florida Water Management District and the IFAS Institute of the University of Florida, certified ATS as 5-100 times more cost efficient at removing nutrients from Everglades canal waters than the next competitor, the STA, a managed marsh system."
a marsh looks a lot like a refuge doesn't it?
"ATS and STA were the final contestants in a 15-year study of nine technologies, and ATS was the only technology that created a usable byproduct."
We are green both literately and figuratively!
"ATS removes heavy metals, break down toxic hydrocarbons, and oxygenates treated waters."
...but we already knew that...
"Depending upon season and temperature, the resulting algal turf must be harvested every 5-15 days to maintain high levels of productivity."
I have reason to believe that my system may benefit from a 5 day cleaning cycle. I will soon began testing this theory. I notice the algae on day 6 and 7 darken considerably. Yet on day 5 it is bright green in color.
Another great document, short only 10 pages. It was written by Walter Adey, Phd, Jeffrey Bannon, MESM and Longenecker and Associate.
My favorite quotes and highlights
"it is important to note that this is a modular system, capable of expanding to any size."
I don't think they realized how small we would take it...
"A 2005 independent study of ATS, by the South Florida Water Management District and the IFAS Institute of the University of Florida, certified ATS as 5-100 times more cost efficient at removing nutrients from Everglades canal waters than the next competitor, the STA, a managed marsh system."
a marsh looks a lot like a refuge doesn't it?
"ATS and STA were the final contestants in a 15-year study of nine technologies, and ATS was the only technology that created a usable byproduct."
We are green both literately and figuratively!
"ATS removes heavy metals, break down toxic hydrocarbons, and oxygenates treated waters."
...but we already knew that...
"Depending upon season and temperature, the resulting algal turf must be harvested every 5-15 days to maintain high levels of productivity."
I have reason to believe that my system may benefit from a 5 day cleaning cycle. I will soon began testing this theory. I notice the algae on day 6 and 7 darken considerably. Yet on day 5 it is bright green in color.
fraggleRocks
New member
http://www.physicsegypt.org/epc08/epc823.pdf
Another great document, short only 10 pages. It was written by Walter Adey, Phd, Jeffrey Bannon, MESM and Longenecker and Associate.
My favorite quotes and highlights
"it is important to note that this is a modular system, capable of expanding to any size."
I don't think they realized how small we would take it...
"A 2005 independent study of ATS, by the South Florida Water Management District and the IFAS Institute of the University of Florida, certified ATS as 5-100 times more cost efficient at removing nutrients from Everglades canal waters than the next competitor, the STA, a managed marsh system."
a marsh looks a lot like a refuge doesn't it?
"ATS and STA were the final contestants in a 15-year study of nine technologies, and ATS was the only technology that created a usable byproduct."
We are green both literately and figuratively!
"ATS removes heavy metals, break down toxic hydrocarbons, and oxygenates treated waters."
...but we already knew that...
"Depending upon season and temperature, the resulting algal turf must be harvested every 5-15 days to maintain high levels of productivity."
I have reason to believe that my system may benefit from a 5 day cleaning cycle. I will soon began testing this theory. I notice the algae on day 6 and 7 darken considerably. Yet on day 5 it is bright green in color.
love it. and thanks for posting that video a few pages back. Its interesting to see what other kinds of things ATS pulls out of the water.
srusso
Active member
"The above information is supported by dozens of experimental studies and hundreds of years of operational time (i.e., multiple ATS over 25 years of operation). Moreover, ATS systems have received over 15 years of research and development testing followed by a ten-year history of pilot plant construction and operation for water quality control. This not only includes ATS systems for water treatment, but also for aquaculture."
Tested for quite some time now...
"As in most photosynthesis, algal turfs abundantly release oxygen; in ATS systems, oxygen is dissolved into the overflowing water. It is not unusual for water flowing off an ATS plant in the afternoon to be highly supersaturated."
"ATS systems are well known for their abilities to “scrub” nitrogen and phosphorus. Their lack of sensitivity to nutrient concentration, until extremely low levels are achieved, provides the ability to accomplish high water purity."
"It has been known for a half century that algal cell walls adsorb heavy metals, and it is a characteristic of ATS phytoremediation, that heavy metals are removed from treated waters and sequestered into the algal biomass. This is an added value of ATS water cleaning, especially in waters with an industrial or urban component."
"ATS systems with high oxygen supersaturation break down entrained hydrocarbons. There is an extensive general research literature on this process, and a single ATS research study in the late 1990’s demonstrated that when combined with artificial ultraviolet, ATS systems have considerable capability of breaking down a variety of chlorinated hydrocarbons."
Hey that's us! ^^^
Tested for quite some time now...
"As in most photosynthesis, algal turfs abundantly release oxygen; in ATS systems, oxygen is dissolved into the overflowing water. It is not unusual for water flowing off an ATS plant in the afternoon to be highly supersaturated."
"ATS systems are well known for their abilities to “scrub” nitrogen and phosphorus. Their lack of sensitivity to nutrient concentration, until extremely low levels are achieved, provides the ability to accomplish high water purity."
"It has been known for a half century that algal cell walls adsorb heavy metals, and it is a characteristic of ATS phytoremediation, that heavy metals are removed from treated waters and sequestered into the algal biomass. This is an added value of ATS water cleaning, especially in waters with an industrial or urban component."
"ATS systems with high oxygen supersaturation break down entrained hydrocarbons. There is an extensive general research literature on this process, and a single ATS research study in the late 1990’s demonstrated that when combined with artificial ultraviolet, ATS systems have considerable capability of breaking down a variety of chlorinated hydrocarbons."
Hey that's us! ^^^
srusso
Active member
Another very interesting video, not a direct ATS system, but more of a production line approach with an algae scrubber feel.
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I have found that speciation of the turf changes with time and nutrient levels in the tank. I am getting a turf on screen finally and also what looks like blue green algae also suggesting the screen is nitrate limited. I will add calcium nitrate as an equivalent of 0.05 ppm daily to 700 liters and watch closely for a few weeks. Attempt is create further phosphate limitation, not directly affect algae. I really don't like the idea but directly affecting with food is impossible.
River or waste water may never see this happen as it is nutrient rich.
River or waste water may never see this happen as it is nutrient rich.
srusso
Active member
We may see an upraising of commercial ATS system being built for aquarium use. I found this article posted on reef builders website.
"Adey's Algae Turf Scrubber patent will expire this year
Posted on January 16th, 2010 by Jake Adams 12 Comments
The Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) is a method of aquarium water purification that was patented by Walter Adey in 1992. With this patent Adey prevented others from building or developing ATS filters which effectively stopped any independent development or innovation of this method of filtration by the general hobby community. We are pleased to learn that this patent will soon expire as explained by this contribution from Sara Allyn Mavinkurve. Thanks for the write-up Sara!
My fellow aquarists, mark your calenders. Dr. Adey's U.S. Patent No. 5,097,795 will apparently expire on October 30, 2010. Where is this date coming from? Well, the patent was filed on Feb. 2, 1990 and issued on March 24, 1992. At that time, patent terms were 17 years. This would have set the expiration date on Feb. 2, 2007. However, note that, for whatever reason, the patent termination date "œstamped" on the patent itself is Oct. 30, 2007. A patent term can be extended a bit for any number of reasons (for example, in some cases, for a delay in responding to the application). Don't get too excited though. The patent didn't expire on Oct. 30, 2007. Something called the "Uruguay Round Agreements Act" extended patent terms. It did so in such a way that, for patents filed prior to June 8, 1995, the new patent term is either 20 years from the earliest filing date or 17 years from the issue date (whichever date comes later). In the case of Dr. Adey's U.S. Patent No. 5,097,795, assuming that Feb. 2, 1990 is the earliest filing date, the patent term would expire on either Feb. 2, 2010 (20 years from the first filing date) or on March 24, 2009 (17 years from the issue date). Since Feb. 2, 2010 is the later date, that's the one the statute suggests applies. Now, if Feb. 2, 1990 is not the earliest filing date, and there's an earlier one, then the patent might expire even sooner than Feb. 2, 2010.
Oh, but wait"¦ again, there might be a bit of a "œcatch." Remember when I mentioned that a termination date of Oct. 30, 2007 was initially "œstamped" on the patent when one would think it should have been initially determined to be Feb. 2, 2007? Well, that might indicate that the patent term was extended by a few months because of delay or for some other reason. If this is the case, at the time the patent was issued, the term was extended just under 9 months past the then-applicable 17 year term. So, just to be "œsafe," we might add another 9 months to the new expiration date. That would mean that the patent expires on October 30, 2010.Thus, baring any unforseen term extensions, it looks like the patent on this method for aquarium filtration expires on October 30, 2010. I'm marking my calander.
by Sara Mavinkurve, written exclusively in her capacity as an aquarist, and for entertainment purposes only"
"Adey's Algae Turf Scrubber patent will expire this year
Posted on January 16th, 2010 by Jake Adams 12 Comments
The Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) is a method of aquarium water purification that was patented by Walter Adey in 1992. With this patent Adey prevented others from building or developing ATS filters which effectively stopped any independent development or innovation of this method of filtration by the general hobby community. We are pleased to learn that this patent will soon expire as explained by this contribution from Sara Allyn Mavinkurve. Thanks for the write-up Sara!
My fellow aquarists, mark your calenders. Dr. Adey's U.S. Patent No. 5,097,795 will apparently expire on October 30, 2010. Where is this date coming from? Well, the patent was filed on Feb. 2, 1990 and issued on March 24, 1992. At that time, patent terms were 17 years. This would have set the expiration date on Feb. 2, 2007. However, note that, for whatever reason, the patent termination date "œstamped" on the patent itself is Oct. 30, 2007. A patent term can be extended a bit for any number of reasons (for example, in some cases, for a delay in responding to the application). Don't get too excited though. The patent didn't expire on Oct. 30, 2007. Something called the "Uruguay Round Agreements Act" extended patent terms. It did so in such a way that, for patents filed prior to June 8, 1995, the new patent term is either 20 years from the earliest filing date or 17 years from the issue date (whichever date comes later). In the case of Dr. Adey's U.S. Patent No. 5,097,795, assuming that Feb. 2, 1990 is the earliest filing date, the patent term would expire on either Feb. 2, 2010 (20 years from the first filing date) or on March 24, 2009 (17 years from the issue date). Since Feb. 2, 2010 is the later date, that's the one the statute suggests applies. Now, if Feb. 2, 1990 is not the earliest filing date, and there's an earlier one, then the patent might expire even sooner than Feb. 2, 2010.
Oh, but wait"¦ again, there might be a bit of a "œcatch." Remember when I mentioned that a termination date of Oct. 30, 2007 was initially "œstamped" on the patent when one would think it should have been initially determined to be Feb. 2, 2007? Well, that might indicate that the patent term was extended by a few months because of delay or for some other reason. If this is the case, at the time the patent was issued, the term was extended just under 9 months past the then-applicable 17 year term. So, just to be "œsafe," we might add another 9 months to the new expiration date. That would mean that the patent expires on October 30, 2010.Thus, baring any unforseen term extensions, it looks like the patent on this method for aquarium filtration expires on October 30, 2010. I'm marking my calander.
by Sara Mavinkurve, written exclusively in her capacity as an aquarist, and for entertainment purposes only"
BluScrnOdeth
Darin Schmidt
I think we will see some, but not many. Its too cheap to DIY one at home. They will want to charge as much as a skimmer because its a "green" idea for the most part and cant because they cost 30-40 bucks at home. But i know a lot of people prob would like a nice box made for safety reasons.
srusso
Active member
Like with anything, at first costs will be high to make up for completing product line profits. Once companies begin to complete for market share on this new product line, effectiveness goes up because of continued R&D is completed. Cost will than be driven down by R&D as well... Thus making a good and cost effective product. Additionally if people can make their own scrubbers for rather cheap that will also drive cost down. However a very important thing we are doing with this thread here is spreading the word on how well this type of filtration works.
fppf
New member
So I'm going to give this a shot.
My tank IS an algae scrubber currently. My fish are very healthy and my water quality is awesome. But not being able to see in the tank kind of sucks.
I made this out of a sterilite file box, its 12x12x8 inches. The screen ended up a little smaller then I wanted after I put it all together. The screen is 9x9. I needed to seal everything in my basement filter system to prevent heat loss and high humidity in an already humid basement. Because the bin is 8 inches wide it placed the lights perfect at the suggested 4". I'm using an 1 1/2" inch drain line placed 1" off the bottom so there is very little splash. I used a 1" feed and a huge Mag 9.5 to run it. The flow is as high as I could get without seeing actual jets of water, LOL. If the first one works out I already planned ahead for a second one. That should give my about 180 square inches on a 125 gallon DT.
My tank IS an algae scrubber currently. My fish are very healthy and my water quality is awesome. But not being able to see in the tank kind of sucks.
I made this out of a sterilite file box, its 12x12x8 inches. The screen ended up a little smaller then I wanted after I put it all together. The screen is 9x9. I needed to seal everything in my basement filter system to prevent heat loss and high humidity in an already humid basement. Because the bin is 8 inches wide it placed the lights perfect at the suggested 4". I'm using an 1 1/2" inch drain line placed 1" off the bottom so there is very little splash. I used a 1" feed and a huge Mag 9.5 to run it. The flow is as high as I could get without seeing actual jets of water, LOL. If the first one works out I already planned ahead for a second one. That should give my about 180 square inches on a 125 gallon DT.
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