Algae Scrubber Basics

[saitoking]

If you jump back to page 131 it has everything summarized in just a few posts. About 1/3 down that page in post 3255 it explains the revised screen size rule of thumb.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420&page=131

This is from that revised post.

12 square inches of screen material per cube of food per day, 12 watts of light split between each side.

From Floyd post just above-You can probably go as much as 1.5 or maybe 2x oversized, That would be 24 square. 24watts 12 on a side.

He also says you can double the wattage and cut the time in half instead of 18 hours 9 hours and your lights will last twice as long. So why are you telling me to look at the revise again? Am I missing something?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

saitoking, you have it right. 6x8=48 or 23W per side, double that to 46W per side but the caveat is that you need all of that light "captured" onto the screen - so you need good reflectors.

Ken, just so you know, I have my settings set to the maximum 50 posts/page so I don't even have a page 131, this is page 84 to me, so that link brings me to the last page of this thread. So it is more helpful to reference just the post number

 

[Kenfuzed]

saitoking, you have it right. 6x8=48 or 23W per side, double that to 46W per side but the caveat is that you need all of that light "captured" onto the screen - so you need good reflectors.

Ken, just so you know, I have my settings set to the maximum 50 posts/page so I don't even have a page 131, this is page 84 to me, so that link brings me to the last page of this thread. So it is more helpful to reference just the post number

Ahh, forgot that this forum gives that option. All the more reason for a sticky

 

[saitoking]

Hi guys still working on my AS but I can't seem to get the water to flow evenly across the screen. What am I doing wrong? saitoking

Never mind after I rough up the screen it fixed it. I just thought that that was for more surface area but it also channeled the water instead of running straight down.




http://youtu.be/zDtSKA-Be3s

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Yep that's kind of typical of a brand new screen. Give it some time and it should even out - sometimes even just an hour or two. But likely will not fully distribute flow across the screen until you start getting some growth.

Also if you have a way to do it, you should measure the flow falling off the screen to check and make sure your head loss is figured into the flow calculation. With your screen the way it is, you can probably take a rectangular food container (new) and figure out how much water it holds, then stick it under the screen and time how long it takes to fill and figure out GPH. Because it looks like it could be a little low - not sure, hard to tell with the flow channeling on a new screen like that.

 

[saitoking]

Yep that's kind of typical of a brand new screen. Give it some time and it should even out - sometimes even just an hour or two. But likely will not fully distribute flow across the screen until you start getting some growth.

Also if you have a way to do it, you should measure the flow falling off the screen to check and make sure your head loss is figured into the flow calculation. With your screen the way it is, you can probably take a rectangular food container (new) and figure out how much water it holds, then stick it under the screen and time how long it takes to fill and figure out GPH. Because it looks like it could be a little low - not sure, hard to tell with the flow channeling on a new screen like that.

I have the pump turned all the way down because it seemed like a lot of water coming out on the screen but I can turn it up if I need to. Thanks. Now I am working on the lights and reflectors should be done and setup by tomorrow I hope. saitoking

 

[saitoking]

Still working on the reflectors but it's running. I also add with zip ties to the bottom of the screen 2 pieces of screen one to extend the screen lower and another piece bent in half to umbrella the water to keep the splashing and noise down do you think that will be a problem? Thanks saitoking

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

actually, that "umbrella" is a very good idea. Hope you don't mind, but I'll probably use that picture in my next "basics" summary!

 

[saitoking]

actually, that "umbrella" is a very good idea. Hope you don't mind, but I'll probably use that picture in my next "basics" summary!

Sweet!

 

[caribfan]

You all helped me a few weeks ago with a couple of questions about my ATS. I still haven't been able to post any pics, but it is chugging right along. I am in my second week, this Monday will be the second cleaning.

After the first week, I had the brown diatoms and nothing else. I have noticed on the second week, there is a mixture of brown and green algae, but nothing long and stringy like what you see in most pictures. I did notice however, that a small patch of green stringy stuff is starting to grow.

Should I still clean it tomorrow as the schedule would have me do, or should I let this stringy stuff take hold a little longer.

I'll try to set up a photobucket site one night this week and post some pictures.

thx.

 

[srusso]

You all helped me a few weeks ago with a couple of questions about my ATS. I still haven't been able to post any pics, but it is chugging right along. I am in my second week, this Monday will be the second cleaning.

After the first week, I had the brown diatoms and nothing else. I have noticed on the second week, there is a mixture of brown and green algae, but nothing long and stringy like what you see in most pictures. I did notice however, that a small patch of green stringy stuff is starting to grow.

Should I still clean it tomorrow as the schedule would have me do, or should I let this stringy stuff take hold a little longer.

I'll try to set up a photobucket site one night this week and post some pictures.

thx.

Yeah clean the screen.

 

[caribfan]

Just cleaned it off, I hope that stringy stuff comes back.

What is the best way to clean off the brownish/green diatom growth. I have just been rubbing the mesh against itself, I hope that is ok and doesn't remove too much of the algae.

 

[SPotter]

Is anyone on here using a scrubber on an sps dominant tank and if you are, are you adding any other supplements to aid with coral growth and color? I was thinking that if the scrubber works as a way to export nutrients....does it fall into a ULNS category like zeovit. If it does, then does that mean its stripping too much out of the water and should we be adding something back to promote better color and growth in sps.

 

[srusso]

Is anyone on here using a scrubber on an sps dominant tank and if you are, are you adding any other supplements to aid with coral growth and color? I was thinking that if the scrubber works as a way to export nutrients....does it fall into a ULNS category like zeovit. If it does, then does that mean its stripping too much out of the water and should we be adding something back to promote better color and growth in sps.

Floyd and I believe this to be true and in my free time have been researching the method. Which lead me to the potassium stuff I spoke and wrote about.

 

[SPotter]

Floyd and I believe this to be true and in my free time have been researching the method. Which lead me to the potassium stuff I spoke and wrote about.

One thing I have noticed since adding a scrubber is my sps growth has slowed down. Colors have improved since I started adding K which I am adding 30ml a day to maintain 400ppm. I am going to start dosing Pohl's Xtra and see if there is any impact with that. I will start off very slowly with only 1/3 of the daily suggested dose and then build up gradually from there and see what happens.

 

[sail33]

When it was said to "really rough up" the plastic mesh with a hole saw, I was just wondering.... is this rough enough?

Maybe I should have switched the drill to reverse or MAYBE not even use the drill. Just rub the hole saw over the material. Yeah....that's the ticket.

Sometimes I amaze myself with brilliance, others....I'd rather not talk about.

TO BE CLEAR Don't use the drill. Just use the hole saw by hand. :facepalm:

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Can't see that pic...but here's how I do it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mrCWALt9Qs

 

[terahz]

We have these 'bloat' threads all over the place, all with the same problem. They're a paradox.

If we could put just the condensed knowledge somewhere a noob, (on any particular subject), could come and read the meat of that subject

Sounds like a wiki to me. I've been suggesting this for quite some time, but doesn't look like the RC admins have the resources and nobody would respond on my question if I can start one using the information here...

Sorry for the OT.

 

[sail33]

Can't see that pic...but here's how I do it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mrCWALt9Qs

GREAT video Floyd. I'm not only impressed with your clarity regarding the method to ruff up the screen but the amount of time and dedication to the subject matter. I'd say you carried this one most of the way to the goal.

Thank you.

By the way, does anyone know how the scrubber will affect coraline ? Will it be reduced, eliminated or experience no change?

I see the need to reduce this thread to a step by step basic sticky as well. If a condensed version was made available, does one PM an admin person and request that it be posted as a sticky ?

 

[Paul B]

My new algae scrubber is this motorized version. It will be mounted above the tank with just the lower roller in the water. Each revolution takes about 2 minutes but the belt will stay wet.
I have found that algae grows best if it is out of the water and just wet like the top edge of a tank or the rocks surrounding a tide pool. There will be LEDs suspended all around it. I will let you know how (and if) it works

Of course I am still keeping my algae tround seen here just cleaned. I removed it to add new LEDs