Algae Scrubber Basics

[BluScrnOdeth]

Well, look at skimmers. Hardly anything to them, yet they want to charge roughly 100 for the cheapest one (and thats prob on sale) and all it does is inject microbubbles into water and collects the foam in a tray. They will prob make some kind of bulb with its on min configuration so that you have to buy their bulbs too... Its marketing and greed.

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

fppf
Nice design. Like how you used the container and mounted the lights on the side.

 

[fppf]

fppf
Nice design. Like how you used the container and mounted the lights on the side.

Thanks
I just used the standard elcheapo lights, some self tapping #6 x 1/2" sheet metal screws. There does not seem to be any splash, so we will see how they hold up. I don't have anything separating them from the screen, good and bad. If they last a year that is good enough, there $8 to replace.

Oh, and I put it near a window for added effect, LOL

 

[srusso]

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.

Not bad, I don't like the use of metal anything in salt water aquariums. Always keep an eye out for even the littlest bit of rust. You maybe about to seal them with some silicone. However.. you have one big problem...

Your scrubber is undersized, I would build another one straight away. It will work trust us... Your screen size is for an 80 gallon tank.

1.0 square inches of screen per gallon, with bulbs on BOTH sides (10 x 10 = 100 square inches = 100 gal)

You maybe able to split the flow from your mag 9, should be enough to feed both screens.

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

Thanks
I just used the standard elcheapo lights, some self tapping #6 x 1/2" sheet metal screws. There does not seem to be any splash, so we will see how they hold up. I don't have anything separating them from the screen, good and bad. If they last a year that is good enough, there $8 to replace.

Oh, and I put it near a window for added effect, LOL

LOL, nice. I'm sure the algae will apreciate that. I wanted to do the same thing but i dont have a window close by my tank. Plus then i'm not sure if i would be able to use gravity to feed it and would have to waste energy on another pump.

If using the sun would allow you to not use lights for the 16hr period, i would totally get a pump since then i wouldnt have to use lights....

 

[fraggleRocks]

Tank looks good, love the athenas!!
One comment on your scrubber, the lighting too close at the top and too far away at the bottem. Any chance you could increase the length of PVC that way the lights could be angled better?

Ps... How the help did your camera just go scuba! Is it water proof?

im trying to raise it more. planning on building an acrylic box design down the road

yes, fujifilm cam. Its waterproof. i take it to the beach. its great. lol. all i have to do is rinse it off with freshwater when im done.

 

[fppf]

Yeah, I knew it was going to be a little undersized, that is why I plumbed in for 2. But I told my wife it would only cost $40 and after everything was said and done it was more like $80. So I need to let the first one settle a little and blow over before I show up at home with another bin, 2 more lights that will be on 16 hours a day, and more fittings. I split it into to for alternate cleanings.

I don't know if the window will help at all, it was more the only good spot. I have as much water in the basement now as I do in the DT.

I don't like anything metal either, unless its 316L or Titanium. I did not have any stainless screws that size at home. They are plated though, I will keep an eye on them and replace with stainless when they start to rust a little. Or if they last as long as the reflectors just replace them all at once.

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

your the one that used the stainless for heating your water with your water heater right? How long ago was that and is the stainless still holding up? Wondered how the corrosion of the steel (i know its very very slow) effects corals and such.

Sorry for going off topic. Maybe i should PM you next time.

 

[fppf]

Yes, PM Sent

 

[Christian J]

algae, like any other plant, takes in CO2 and gives off O2 when lit, and the opposite when dark

Same goes for zooxanthellate corals, so maybe it's beneficial to run an ATS at night to avoid oxygen depletion in the tank? Especially if no skimmer is used.

 

[Christian J]

When it comes to roughing up screens, I recall Paul B mentioned that he used cement in his trough. How about using things like kalk wasser to make the the screen more algae friendly substrate? Maybe that would even make roughing up unnecesary?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I'm not sure what Kalkwasser has to do with it. Roughing up the screen provides a physical area for the algae to attach and hold on. It has nothing to do with chemical reactions, and it is not a substrate from which the algae grows.

 

[srusso]

I'm not sure what Kalkwasser has to do with it. Roughing up the screen provides a physical area for the algae to attach and hold on. It has nothing to do with chemical reactions, and it is not a substrate from which the algae grows.

Thank you for taking that one Floyd, I didn't know how to answer that one.

Christian, maybe you could elaborate?

 

[fppf]

Woohoo!!! Only a day in and there are little green specs!
Never thought I would be happy to see algae!

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

I know this is for phytoplankton, but they are all algae and i think would constitute them to being the same. I remembered reading this a while back because i'm about to get into growing my own phyto. This is why it is needed to have a 6hr dark cycle.

"Remember cellular growth and protein production occurs during the plants dark cycle and if we were to illuminate for 24hrs we would not increase our yield of phytoplanktons proportionally"
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/breeder.htm

 

[kdirk]

Nice looking, very cool idea. Where did you find those light fixtures?

Staples


http://www.staples.com/Black-Gooseneck-Incandescent-Clip-Lamp/product_571213

 

[g8gxp]

how is everyone making the slit in the pvc pipe? i used a dremel and cut a 1/8 inch slit but i don't seem to be getting full coverage down the sheet. the water sheets well in the middle, but the sides seem to just get a bunch of little rivers of water. I've tried 4 or 5 different designs, the one i am using now is where i drilled little holes all the way across which seems to work, but the problem is that the algae is growing into the holes making it a pain to clean.

I know the slit is the right way, but i can't get the full coverage, is it because the pump isn't powerful enough? it's a maxijet 1200. or maybe it's that i'm using 1/2 inch pipe? too small diameter?

 

[CLINTOS]

I really like kdirk design

Maybe a little bit of a thinner box so the light's are closer. unless it would increase the temp too much.

 

[fppf]

Yeah I wonder if being near that window was a bad idea now.
I have my cycle reverse of the DT as everyone recommends. I wonder if the little bit of light that actually comes in the basement window will hinder the dark side, LOL. I was going to wrap the container in some foam insulation to prevent the condensation I'm getting now. That should block out most of the light.

I used 1" pipe for my cross tube.
To cut the slot I use a rotozip. The bits are 0.125" in diameter so it makes a perfect slot in one pass. I made a jig with a little 2x4 and 1x4 and clamped the pipe to the 2x4. One straight pass and done.

 

[srusso]

how is everyone making the slit in the pvc pipe? i used a dremel and cut a 1/8 inch slit but i don't seem to be getting full coverage down the sheet. the water sheets well in the middle, but the sides seem to just get a bunch of little rivers of water. I've tried 4 or 5 different designs, the one i am using now is where i drilled little holes all the way across which seems to work, but the problem is that the algae is growing into the holes making it a pain to clean.

I know the slit is the right way, but i can't get the full coverage, is it because the pump isn't powerful enough? it's a maxijet 1200. or maybe it's that i'm using 1/2 inch pipe? too small diameter?

I would say the flow is not strong enough. Also some times when your screen is roughed up unevenly it becomes a little wavy. This could also create even flow. Please post some pictures of your setup that will help us get a clearer understanding of what maybe happening.