Algae Scrubber Basics
- Thread starter srusso
- Start date
srusso
Active member
The idea is getting the lights as close as possible, so mounting them from the top will not really work....
I think it can work well in a HOB or in a remote box or canister of some sort. Others have already gone this route, I will ask them to contribute their test tanks also.
OodleyBoodely
New member
hmmm....interesting. So, how's the salt creep from all those bubbles? This looks like an interesting way to do it, but, looks like it will have just as many issues as the other downflow type scrubber. Interested in seeing how it works out, though. 
srusso
Active member
hmmm....interesting. So, how's the salt creep from all those bubbles? This looks like an interesting way to do it, but, looks like it will have just as many issues as the other downflow type scrubber. Interested in seeing how it works out, though.
No creep on my test tank so far, but I am sure that will be an issue that needs fixing for the future.
The UAS will have it's own set of hurdles to jump there is no doubt about that. I don't believe the UAS will perform much differently when it comes filtering the water, then the waterfall design has... I see the UAS as a "design option" and makes using algae as a filtering export possible for more tank setups.
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srusso
Active member
UAS Pros:
- Continuous 3D growth without waiting for the mat to expand
- No slot tube means no clogging, and no need to CLEAN the slot tube
-Less flow means cheaper pumps, maxijets should work for a remote box
- If running an enclosed remote box, much less chance of overflow due to detachment as flow rate is much lower
- Extends the time between need for cleaning (no drain to block, or see above)
- Single sided screen is simple on a sump or in tank, with screen submerged there's a better chance the roots won't die. (Extremely easy addition to almost any sump, esp. with using LEDs and single LED heat-sinks)
-Screen can live much longer if power goes out, as its submerged under water. (Tank will definitely be in worse shape than the screen by the time power comes back on if it's out long enough for the algae to die off.)
- Greater propensity for green growth, less chance for brown/yellow/black (pretty much none, that stuff will not grow under water)
- Can put the lights pretty much as close to the screen as you can feasibly get them without burning
- In most cases you will not have to turn off pumps to remove screen for cleaning/harvesting better for pumps.
-New design a lot easier to add to existing setups, and can easily be used as a secondary filter to polish out N's and P's and reduce water changes, eps. on larger setups
- Anyone can build this one...
UAS Cons:
- not pretty for the quick and dirty DIY version, (but the first bucket waterfall scrubber wasn't exactly a looker either)
- Air pumps suck (noisy, have issues)
- containing bubbles can be problematic
- bubbles popping at surface make for lots of salt creep or calcium deposits in FW
-Coraline algae may also be an issue, however the lights maybe too bright for coraline. (time will tell...)
- Continuous 3D growth without waiting for the mat to expand
- No slot tube means no clogging, and no need to CLEAN the slot tube
-Less flow means cheaper pumps, maxijets should work for a remote box
- If running an enclosed remote box, much less chance of overflow due to detachment as flow rate is much lower
- Extends the time between need for cleaning (no drain to block, or see above)
- Single sided screen is simple on a sump or in tank, with screen submerged there's a better chance the roots won't die. (Extremely easy addition to almost any sump, esp. with using LEDs and single LED heat-sinks)
-Screen can live much longer if power goes out, as its submerged under water. (Tank will definitely be in worse shape than the screen by the time power comes back on if it's out long enough for the algae to die off.)
- Greater propensity for green growth, less chance for brown/yellow/black (pretty much none, that stuff will not grow under water)
- Can put the lights pretty much as close to the screen as you can feasibly get them without burning
- In most cases you will not have to turn off pumps to remove screen for cleaning/harvesting better for pumps.
-New design a lot easier to add to existing setups, and can easily be used as a secondary filter to polish out N's and P's and reduce water changes, eps. on larger setups
- Anyone can build this one...
UAS Cons:
- not pretty for the quick and dirty DIY version, (but the first bucket waterfall scrubber wasn't exactly a looker either)
- Air pumps suck (noisy, have issues)
- containing bubbles can be problematic
- bubbles popping at surface make for lots of salt creep or calcium deposits in FW
-Coraline algae may also be an issue, however the lights maybe too bright for coraline. (time will tell...)
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TheFishMan65
New member
Keep an eye on those easy off hooks. Some (all ?) of those use the same compounds as the bio pellets. So they may dissolve slowly over time.
Questions:
1) Why not just have a box about three inches wide. Lighted on both sides. Then have the water come in on one side (maybe with a baffle do direct it down). Then have an overflow pipe on the other side. This could then be lightly covered so the salt creep remains inside the box (hopefully).
2) Is there a spec on liters of air per inch of screen?
Questions:
1) Why not just have a box about three inches wide. Lighted on both sides. Then have the water come in on one side (maybe with a baffle do direct it down). Then have an overflow pipe on the other side. This could then be lightly covered so the salt creep remains inside the box (hopefully).
2) Is there a spec on liters of air per inch of screen?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
you mean like this
2 weeks growth
2 weeks growth
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
TheFishMan65
New member
Yes, seems like using most existing setup will put the light to far from the screen, at least if you try and do 2 sided.
redneckgearhead
Active member
Is size the only advantage to this type?
Dustin1300
Reefaholic
Bud, what LEDs are lighting that scrubber?
jacob.morgan78
New member
UAS design ideas... feedback welcome
UAS design ideas... feedback welcome
First, I've never had an algae scrubber of any type and have a one year old "typical" reef tank. I plan to keep my skimmer running at first but want to have it on a timer to only run during a certain time of day. I would eventually phase it out hopefully. I also have the typical reactors: GFO, GAC. I would phase out GFO but keep running carbon more than likely. I currently have a stand alone 10 gallon refugium with some LR, chaeto, and gracilaria... no sand. It's fed with a small MJ style pump and drains to my sump into the return section, skipping the skimmer. The UAS would go into the stand alone refugium. At first, what time a day do you think would be best to schedule my skimmer to be on? and for how long?
Now to my plan for the UAS. I'm trying to decide between two ideas. First, I could just use the airstone and tie the screen to it. I'd rather do the second idea I think.
My second idea would be to feed my refugium with a MJ1200 with the venturi hose attached. The water/air output of the MJ would go through vinyl tubing to the bottom of my refugium. I would attach a small diameter (undecided on size) pvc to the vinyl tube. I would cut a slot in the pvc for the water/air to be pushed out of. I would attach the screen to the pvc (undecided on how) for the water/air to move up the screen. I'm also undecided on screen size and bulb wattage. The screen would be lit from behind the refugium and be one sided for now.
My main concern here is bubbles and salt creep. I plan to insert a thin, flexible piece of acrylic into my sump to act as a baffle before my drain. It would fit snuggly into the tank against each side and rise above the water line but not above the height of the tank. I'm also going to get a piece of glass cut to fit perfectly on top of my refugium above the section before the baffle (the only part that should have bubbles in it). This glass top should keep most (I hope) of the salt creep from getting out of the tank.
I would keep the rock in there along with the other macro algaes. I would expect the UAS to out-compete them for the nutrients and things would kind of take of themselves.
A couple of things. I have a one year old and my wife is less than thrilled with me spending a bunch of time with my tank (which I'm fine with because I'd rather spend time with the family anyway). What I'm getting at is don't expect this to move along very fast. I do what I can, when I can. And, I'm battling an issue with my Apex at the moment which demands my free time. Second thing, feel free to rip my ideas a new one!!!
I'm okay with constructive criticism and welcome it seeing how I'm new to algae scrubbers and not an expert (yet) on reef tanks
Thanks for taking a look!!!
UAS design ideas... feedback welcome
First, I've never had an algae scrubber of any type and have a one year old "typical" reef tank. I plan to keep my skimmer running at first but want to have it on a timer to only run during a certain time of day. I would eventually phase it out hopefully. I also have the typical reactors: GFO, GAC. I would phase out GFO but keep running carbon more than likely. I currently have a stand alone 10 gallon refugium with some LR, chaeto, and gracilaria... no sand. It's fed with a small MJ style pump and drains to my sump into the return section, skipping the skimmer. The UAS would go into the stand alone refugium. At first, what time a day do you think would be best to schedule my skimmer to be on? and for how long?
Now to my plan for the UAS. I'm trying to decide between two ideas. First, I could just use the airstone and tie the screen to it. I'd rather do the second idea I think.
My second idea would be to feed my refugium with a MJ1200 with the venturi hose attached. The water/air output of the MJ would go through vinyl tubing to the bottom of my refugium. I would attach a small diameter (undecided on size) pvc to the vinyl tube. I would cut a slot in the pvc for the water/air to be pushed out of. I would attach the screen to the pvc (undecided on how) for the water/air to move up the screen. I'm also undecided on screen size and bulb wattage. The screen would be lit from behind the refugium and be one sided for now.
My main concern here is bubbles and salt creep. I plan to insert a thin, flexible piece of acrylic into my sump to act as a baffle before my drain. It would fit snuggly into the tank against each side and rise above the water line but not above the height of the tank. I'm also going to get a piece of glass cut to fit perfectly on top of my refugium above the section before the baffle (the only part that should have bubbles in it). This glass top should keep most (I hope) of the salt creep from getting out of the tank.
I would keep the rock in there along with the other macro algaes. I would expect the UAS to out-compete them for the nutrients and things would kind of take of themselves.
A couple of things. I have a one year old and my wife is less than thrilled with me spending a bunch of time with my tank (which I'm fine with because I'd rather spend time with the family anyway). What I'm getting at is don't expect this to move along very fast. I do what I can, when I can. And, I'm battling an issue with my Apex at the moment which demands my free time. Second thing, feel free to rip my ideas a new one!!!
I'm okay with constructive criticism and welcome it seeing how I'm new to algae scrubbers and not an expert (yet) on reef tanks Thanks for taking a look!!!
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I've got 6 660nm Epistars and 1 455nm Epiled on each side, from SatisLED (china)
srusso
Active member
First, I've never had an algae scrubber of any type and have a one year old "typical" reef tank. I plan to keep my skimmer running at first but want to have it on a timer to only run during a certain time of day. I would eventually phase it out hopefully. I also have the typical reactors: GFO, GAC. I would phase out GFO but keep running carbon more than likely. I currently have a stand alone 10 gallon refugium with some LR, chaeto, and gracilaria... no sand. It's fed with a small MJ style pump and drains to my sump into the return section, skipping the skimmer. The UAS would go into the stand alone refugium. At first, what time a day do you think would be best to schedule my skimmer to be on? and for how long?
Now to my plan for the UAS. I'm trying to decide between two ideas. First, I could just use the airstone and tie the screen to it. I'd rather do the second idea I think.
My second idea would be to feed my refugium with a MJ1200 with the venturi hose attached. The water/air output of the MJ would go through vinyl tubing to the bottom of my refugium. I would attach a small diameter (undecided on size) pvc to the vinyl tube. I would cut a slot in the pvc for the water/air to be pushed out of. I would attach the screen to the pvc (undecided on how) for the water/air to move up the screen. I'm also undecided on screen size and bulb wattage. The screen would be lit from behind the refugium and be one sided for now.
My main concern here is bubbles and salt creep. I plan to insert a thin, flexible piece of acrylic into my sump to act as a baffle before my drain. It would fit snuggly into the tank against each side and rise above the water line but not above the height of the tank. I'm also going to get a piece of glass cut to fit perfectly on top of my refugium above the section before the baffle (the only part that should have bubbles in it). This glass top should keep most (I hope) of the salt creep from getting out of the tank.
I would keep the rock in there along with the other macro algaes. I would expect the UAS to out-compete them for the nutrients and things would kind of take of themselves.
A couple of things. I have a one year old and my wife is less than thrilled with me spending a bunch of time with my tank (which I'm fine with because I'd rather spend time with the family anyway). What I'm getting at is don't expect this to move along very fast. I do what I can, when I can. And, I'm battling an issue with my Apex at the moment which demands my free time. Second thing, feel free to rip my ideas a new one!!!
Thanks for taking a look!!!
FIRST! Welcome to the Scrubber Club!
I should say, to setup an algae scrubber you do not have to remove your skimmer, as you know... As for having a skimmer turn on and off, I know your at least safe to do it. Others here have posted no difference when doing the same thing. However I have never used a skimmer so I cant directly vouch for it . You could go back and search for those posts or maybe someone can speak to that. That seems like your main goal, sorry I cant help any further...
Before we start talking about removing equipment, etc. What type of tank are we talking about here? Do you have any algae issues currently? What are your N and P readings? Time is on your side then, we still need to test the new UAS design anyway...
jacob.morgan78
New member
I have a 125 mixed reef, about a year old. I use red sea pro test kits and I'm getting 0 for nitrates and .08 for phosphates. No real algae issues in the display except for the bubble algae that pops up here and there. In my fuge, I have an algae that's growing well and that I'm able to export fairly frequently. It's much finer that chaeto and seems to bunch up at the surface and get air bubbles formng within its tangles. It's a light green color. I have no idea what it is and I haven't been able to get a positive I'd on it. Below is an old picture. It's gets denser now and bunches up at the surface. I've let it be and grow now for over a couple months with no issues or spreading so... We'll see... I can't help but be curious about its ability to grow well on the UAS screen!
I like the idea of changing over to keep more of the living, good stuff, in circulation without the skimmer running. I was going to start an ATS a while back but decided to wait until the new design came out... And wouldnt mind helping the design come along I guess. I definitely won't take anything off abruptly. The main thing I'm looking for guidance on with the skimmer is, for ph reasons, when would be the best time to turn it off seeing how there would not be the additional gassing off of co2. I know the UAS would be bubbling too but didn't know the correlation. I was thinking about turning it off at night just due to more pods out and about during that time...
Anyways, wrote way too much... Thanks for taking a look!!!
TheFishMan65
New member
A question on the UAS design. It seemed like the first design had the benefit of no water on the separator between the screen and the lights. Seems like the UAS desgin will have an issue with algae growing on the sides of the box?
srusso
Active member
Possibly, Floyd's started that way. It remains to be seen if in remote box units once the break in period happens if it grows cleanly or not. That will be answered within the next few weeks, or at least have some clearer answers.
srusso
Active member
I have a 125 mixed reef, about a year old. I use red sea pro test kits and I'm getting 0 for nitrates and .08 for phosphates. No real algae issues in the display except for the bubble algae that pops up here and there. In my fuge, I have an algae that's growing well and that I'm able to export fairly frequently. It's much finer that chaeto and seems to bunch up at the surface and get air bubbles formng within its tangles. It's a light green color. I have no idea what it is and I haven't been able to get a positive I'd on it. Below is an old picture. It's gets denser now and bunches up at the surface. I've let it be and grow now for over a couple months with no issues or spreading so... We'll see... I can't help but be curious about its ability to grow well on the UAS screen!
I like the idea of changing over to keep more of the living, good stuff, in circulation without the skimmer running. I was going to start an ATS a while back but decided to wait until the new design came out... And wouldnt mind helping the design come along I guess. I definitely won't take anything off abruptly. The main thing I'm looking for guidance on with the skimmer is, for ph reasons, when would be the best time to turn it off seeing how there would not be the additional gassing off of co2. I know the UAS would be bubbling too but didn't know the correlation. I was thinking about turning it off at night just due to more pods out and about during that time...
Anyways, wrote way too much... Thanks for taking a look!!!
Looks like a type green hair algae to me. With permitters starting that low it may take up to 4 weeks for your screen to mature, just an FYI.
We always like photos around here, some full sump and tank shots would be great...
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I have a lot of pics on my photobucket album for my UAS. Rather than posting all the pics here just go there, they are dated so you can see the progression
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/FloydRTurbo/2012 Algae Scrubbers/UAS Test/?start=all
I took this pic on Wednesday night, this is 2 days after cleaning.
I didn't clean any of the green off on Monday, I just cleaned out the box and gently rinsed the screen to get the slime off. What I am interested it is if it continues to grow a layer of the stringy brown slime (looks kind of like dinos) if the screen is growing thick and green.
I had a fair amount of algae growth in the box as well, on the acrylic and the bulkhead/drain.
As far as the benefit of no water to penetrate, that's true, but I think with LEDs the light is driven better and for me there's still not much to penetrate. The bubble and water probably diffuse the light a little, but that probably helps blend the light as much as it hinders intensity so that actually may be a good thing.
Oops I forgot the photobucket link
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/FloydRTurbo/2012 Algae Scrubbers/UAS Test/?start=all
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/FloydRTurbo/2012 Algae Scrubbers/UAS Test/?start=all
I took this pic on Wednesday night, this is 2 days after cleaning.
I didn't clean any of the green off on Monday, I just cleaned out the box and gently rinsed the screen to get the slime off. What I am interested it is if it continues to grow a layer of the stringy brown slime (looks kind of like dinos) if the screen is growing thick and green.
I had a fair amount of algae growth in the box as well, on the acrylic and the bulkhead/drain.
As far as the benefit of no water to penetrate, that's true, but I think with LEDs the light is driven better and for me there's still not much to penetrate. The bubble and water probably diffuse the light a little, but that probably helps blend the light as much as it hinders intensity so that actually may be a good thing.
Oops I forgot the photobucket link
http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt191/FloydRTurbo/2012 Algae Scrubbers/UAS Test/?start=all
jacob.morgan78
New member
That stuff grows pretty quick so I think the N n P are low because that stuff is using it up possibly. Thanks for taking a look.
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