Algae Scrubber Basics

[srusso]

Also, is this a replacement to the skimmer? If so, it's not what I'm looking for. I'd use it in conjunction with my skimmer and refugium/benthic zones.

You can use an algae scrubber with any of these things.

My idea is very similar to this setup without as many lights.

I am thinking three light ballasts, two screens of the same size in this diagram.

Screens could even be smaller if you wanted. In the diagram it shows 46" x 10" screens. Two screens that size will scrub a tank almost twice your size 920 gallons...

You maybe better with 36" bulbs rather than the 48" these show. Two screens at 36" x 10" with lights on both sides will scrub 720 gallons.

 

[jeremy-40]

my first attempt at an ATS

my first attempt at an ATS

Well as the title says, this is my first attempt after researching scrubbers for over a month. I am now 2 weeks into this!!! My tank is roughly 100 gallons. My scrubber is an in sump, single sided design and consist of two separate screens, each 9 1/2 X 10 1/2. My first week I was using 2 x 23w CFL (65K) bulbs and had lots of what looked like cyano growth, it also spread all over my sump. I replaced the bulbs to 2 x 40w CFL (27K) on the second week and all cyano has disappeared and the green growth really exploded!!!!!!

The first pic is day 1, installed and working!!!!
Two and Three are before week 1 cleaning, notice the cyano.
Pic four is before week 2 cleaning, really starting to green up!!!
The last is after week 2 cleaning and reinstalled.

Any advise would greatly be appreciated. This is my first time and I believe it is working pretty good this far, but I am always open to suggestions.

 

[dogstar74]

Do you think we have reached a point of diminished returns? I mean for a 500 gallon tank, you would need 1000 square inches of surface area. Or 500sq inches lit on both sides.

Do you realize how mad my wife would be if I slapped a 4' algae rug out onto the floor so I could scrape the algae off with a snow shovel? I mean we need to be realistic about this. And to say there would not be any smell associated with this would be folly as well. I'm not sure that an entire 6' x 2' sump should be used this way.

As for the design by King richard, you could also place a cruciate shaped screen between the four bulbs in the center to utilze the middle of the lamps as well.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

My tank is 8'x4' and is about 500 gallons.

Your screen would be 500 sq inches if lit on both sides

Now, off of my right hand side 2" drain, I can T off and have a ball valve control flow before it drops across a screen into the 6'x2' sump below.

If you can get the flow from one side, that should work fine.

How big would you make my screen?

The width dimension will be dependent on the flow rate that you can provide it. I would highly suggest you build your scrubber to allow for the use of 48" T5HO lamps, so the screen would be about 40" long (the fixture is 48" lone, the lamps are a little shorter) and about 12" tall. You would probably want 1 lamp for each 3 inches of screen height, so you're looking at a 4 lamp fixture on each side. This box would require 40 x 35 = 1400 GPH of flow.

The other option would be to split this into effectively 2 separate boxes, each one capable of filtering about 250 gallons. So each one would run on 24" fixtures, and would have 20" x 12" screens, each with 2 4 lamp fixtures, one on each side, and each having 700 GPH of flow. This might be easier to incorporate, as removing one large 40" long screen would not be fun.

You could also skip the T5HOs and use CFLs. But you would need a lot of them. T5HO is way more efficient.

Flow over it?

Slot tube.

Do I need more than 2 lights on each side of the screen?

See above. It depends on your choice of box size.

How do you all make the screen 'removeable' for cleaning?

You make the slot tube so you can disconnect it and remove it and the screen. You secure the screen to the tube/slot with zip ties that can be removed to clean the screen.

Thanks!

You're welcome

Oh, and any other tips/advice would be awesome.

Plan it out. Draw it up. Scan & post for input. Post pics.

Also, is this a replacement to the skimmer? If so, it's not what I'm looking for. I'd use it in conjunction with my skimmer and refugium/benthic zones.

We have made a conscious decision to keep ATS vs Skimmer out of this thread. It's a hot button topic. Search in internet. You'll find a firestorm!!

 

[srusso]

Do you think we have reached a point of diminished returns? I mean for a 500 gallon tank, you would need 1000 square inches of surface area. Or 500sq inches lit on both sides.

Do you realize how mad my wife would be if I slapped a 4' algae rug out onto the floor so I could scrape the algae off with a snow shovel? I mean we need to be realistic about this. And to say there would not be any smell associated with this would be folly as well. I'm not sure that an entire 6' x 2' sump should be used this way.

As for the design by King richard, you could also place a cruciate shaped screen between the four bulbs in the center to utilze the middle of the lamps as well.

understandable... but you wouldn't really put them on the floor... They could be hosed off outside easily. Or in the sink like we do, screens could also be broken down into one foot screen each. I was saying your screens would be 3 ft long each. Broken down into one foot sections would make it very easy to clean system. Many benefits to having a scrubber that size. Don't give up hope yet. It can be built so its very manageable.
Please post pictures and dimensions available in your sump area. We are all very willing to help you with this build. I am telling once it complete, you will not regret it.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Do you think we have reached a point of diminished returns? I mean for a 500 gallon tank, you would need 1000 square inches of surface area. Or 500sq inches lit on both sides.

Do you realize how mad my wife would be if I slapped a 4' algae rug out onto the floor so I could scrape the algae off with a snow shovel? I mean we need to be realistic about this. And to say there would not be any smell associated with this would be folly as well. I'm not sure that an entire 6' x 2' sump should be used this way.

As for the design by King richard, you could also place a cruciate shaped screen between the four bulbs in the center to utilze the middle of the lamps as well.

LOL!!

She would slap you silly until you let some of the algae dry up into compost and then put it on her flowerbed. Try it. You will be completely blown away.

The pics srusso posted are a good example though, my suggestion of separating it into 2 scrubber sections is better when joined with that design. If you tee off your 2" overflow and then tee that into 2 lines, and run 2 screens with lamps inbetween and fixtures on the outside, you could get away with less lamps. If you're looking to save lamps/energy, make it 3 screens and only 2 sets of lamps (8 lamps total) so it would go screen/lamp/screen/lamp/screen; one screen lit on both sides, and the 2 outside ones would be lit on only one side.

As for the smell, there would be no more smell to maintaining or cleaning the screen from a larger system as there would a smaller system. You would not have to remove all the screens at one time necessarily, you could make it sectional. Letting the screen sit in open air for a long period could create a smell.

 

[srusso]

The smell really isn't bad, let me add there is NO smell while the system is running.

When cleaning the screens you get a very light beach smell. If your like me... its actually enjoyable. My wife doesn't mind it either. Now using her measuring cups for posting harvest results... she is less than pleased.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

The reason the smell is not bad (like you would think, if you haven't experienced it before) is because you're not dealing with stagnant, rotting matter like you are with a filter sock or skimmate. The material is alive and growing.

 

[srusso]

...Do you realize how mad my wife would be if I slapped a 4' algae rug out onto the floor...

:lol: I must admit, I am still laughing at this! :lol:

 

[tabwyo]

How in the world do you find room for any size ATS. I cannot find a way to get this thing under my tank. I am going crazy.:spin2:

I'm one of the lucky ones who's significant others have allowed them to have a "fish room".

My ATS is kicking serious booty. Needs cleaned every week and I dont have any algae growing in the display. Will post up a FTS when I get back from Vegas.

 

[CLINTOS]

tabwyo how long has your A.T.S been up and running?

I was hoping to make something out of wood as a though style A.T.S

Do you have a link for the stuff you use to treat the wood?

Do you know if it comes in black?

thanks

 

[srusso]

Here are pictures of Dogstar74's tank.

Here the ATS is mounted over the aquarium.

I think the new bubble producer scared my clown. She was really nervous.

Here's the problem with bubbles and salt spray. I can't wrap my head around a solution. I would really like to use an ATS on my display, but without a sump the problems seem insurmountable.

 

[srusso]

Here are some bubble trap ideas

 

[dogstar74]

Gonna go with a receptical that overflows into the main display tank. That should shut the thing up! Thanks all.

 

[dogstar74]

Since the large tank has a sump of 6' x 2' I'd have the return manifold into three short sections that ran back to front. Instead of with the long direction of the sump. That way you could easily slide the screens out the front of the cabinet or stand and put them in a bucket. You don't want to take the screens out by the width.

So take the 2nd picture in srusso posted with the three screens hanging parallel, and rotate the feed lines 90 degrees. Then you're money.

Cheers,
Aaron

 

[srusso]

I like that idea as well!

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

scrubbed the CYANO off the screen. No more CYANO in the DT. Life is good.

<img src="http://www.aquatic-refuge.com/RandomPics/ats3.jpg" width="600" height="400">

This is my display tank:
<img src="http://www.aquatic-refuge.com/RandomPics/building.jpg" width="600" height="400">

<img src="http://www.aquatic-refuge.com/RandomPics/TankPano1.jpg" height="500">

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

took me 8 pictures to make that panoramic about 5 months ago

 

[dogstar74]

LOL so what you're saying is you only have one blue tang? Looks nice.

 

[BluScrnOdeth]

Lol, no, i have gotten many more fish since then.
6 Domino Damsels
1 sailfin
1 yellow tailed damsel
1 blue damsel
1 mandarin goby
1 pink shrimp goby
1 decorator crab
1 Huge hermit crab (orange and blue spotted)
1 long spine urchin
3 yellow damsels
1 sea grass wrass
1 fire shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
1 maroon clown fish
2 anemones
1 rose anemone
2 "sharks" (cat fish)
3 flower anemones
1 purple firefish goby
2 spotted (signal) gobys
6 black spotted red damsel
1 shield head nudibranch
2 sand sifting star fish
1 serpent star
1 general red star
corals and snails and hermits