Algae Scrubber Basics

I have those same ones! Not much growth yet, but there is no bioload.

I'm interested in seeing how they work out for you.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
igadget56 said:
How does this look?
Day 14 before 2nd cleaning.

20130420_202126_zps8f7d5f36.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks decent. What is your photoperiod and what does your lighting setup look like now? Might need more light.
 
 
igadget56 said:
Here's my setup.

Screen 7x8 roughed up.
2 26w cfl on each side.
photo period 18 on 6 off.

The photo looks like there is some black in there but there isn't.
It is a little than it looks in the pic.
Click to expand...

Photobucket keeps screwing with their linking. You need to include both the url and img tags, just like they have it in the IMG code field.

I'm wondering if you are burning the screen a bit. Your screen is really set up for the high-intensity rule, so you should not need 18 hours/day on the scrubber - only 9 hours, really. I would actually try knocking the light back to 12 hours/day maximum, and maybe split that up into a few photoperiods (2x 6hrs or 3x 4 hrs) because as you are getting a screen started, you can can light saturation if there is not enough algae to absorb the light. Once you get a base of growth started and the holes of the screen are filled in, then you can increase and combine the photoperiods. Try that. It's one of my working theories that seems to make sense and does seem to work. Also since your lamps are at a fixed distance (i.e you can't move them away) this is about the only thing you can do.
 
I like the idea of a shorter photo period I will try that first. I have another pic. Lets see
if I can get this one to work correctly. As you can see in the pic I didn't permanently
mount the lights, they are not glued down, if they were I couldn't get the bulbs out lol.
I can move them back 2" more that would be 4" from screen.

2013-04-22134835_zpsb4fa168b.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

12 hrs it is. I will keep you posted. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Photobucket puts IMG and URL tags into their links now for the IMG code. You don't need to add the extra IMG tags.

I think I would change the photoperiod and leave the spacing as it, for now
 
Yes that is what I will do. Thank you, Hopefully I can ditch the skimmer or at least down grade to my old one. I am going to do some research and build some LED's. When I get every thing picked out I will post it to see what you guys think.
 
I put my scrubber together three weeks ago for my 90g. My PO4 was .36. Today the reading was .26. Below are the pics. Thoughts?



Lights and bulbs.



I went with the loop design to give it a try, so screens and thread.





The pipe



Nice flow



Running





After 3 weeks, I cleaned this. Should I have given it another week or two?
 
Lavoisier said:
After 3 weeks, I cleaned this. Should I have given it another week or two?
Click to expand...

It looks like it's growing the right stuff, but I'm surprised that your PO4 hasn't dropped more. Do you have something pulling out your NO3? I had to remove my Remote Deep Sand Bed because it unbalanced my N+P.
 
Osteopth said:
It looks like it's growing the right stuff, but I'm surprised that your PO4 hasn't dropped more. Do you have something pulling out your NO3? I had to remove my Remote Deep Sand Bed because it unbalanced my N+P.
Click to expand...

I am shamefully about 3 months overdue on replacing the filters on my RODI. I ordered them today!
 
Hey, thought I would post some pictures of my scrubber on here. Currently my nitrates are undetectable, along with my phosphates. No algae in the display tank, but I do have tons of micro fauna. All corals and fish are doing terrific.
Only thing I am having issues with is getting a deep green coloured hair algae to grow, whether it is not enough nutrients, or not enough light, I am not sure.
Currently I am growing a strange yellowy slime looking bacteria, the lights are two actual 23 watt CFLs
IMG_8900_zpsd910a15f.jpg


IMG_8901_zps715e4c2d.jpg


IMG_8904_zps1cac4535.jpg
 
How much are you feeding?

What are the screen dimensions?

Also, how does that setup work? Looks like you have it drain from somewhere (overflow?) into the slot pipe, then is it pumped out (green thing is a pump?)
 
I have been running a waterfall scrubber for a couple years now and love it..
Since the new upflow design came up i wondered what the major differences are ?
I also wondered how exactly it even works..If there is no actual flow going over the screen ,how is it being "scrubbed" ,isn't it just a clump of algae growing..
This also got me to thinking ,what if you were to combine the 2 ..Submerge the waterfall screen and have a bubble wand tied to the bottom of it ..I wonder what the results would be,,or if its even been done already..I didn't read this whole thread ..
 
roenicknewf said:
I also wondered how exactly it even works..If there is no actual flow going over the screen ,how is it being "scrubbed" ,isn't it just a clump of algae growing..
Click to expand...

"That, my friend, is the right question."
- James Cromwell, "I, Robot"

There is no doubt that it does grow algae. The rest is IMO yet to be determined.

roenicknewf said:
This also got me to thinking ,what if you were to combine the 2 ..Submerge the waterfall screen and have a bubble wand tied to the bottom of it ..I wonder what the results would be,,or if its even been done already..I didn't read this whole thread ..
Click to expand...

Someone did try this. They modded their waterfall drain to allow the bottom of the screen to be submerged and then put a bubble wand in there. The issue with all UAS designs that incorporate a bubble wand or airstone is that it clogs and there is no way to unclog it without destroying the stone / wand. SM's slotted airline tube is really the best way I've see of delivering bubbles while allowing the ability to clean, but that method only seems to lend itself well to his design/product.
 
Well of course there is the best way to bubble, which will be posted before long. And there is also the new SURF2 floating scrubber, which sort of eliminates the bubbler all together and will be the easiest to build ever (and mostly all 3D growth).
 
LOL. I noticed on my UAS - the longest and quickest growth was on the surface of the water. So interested to see what SM comes up with.
 
I still think your simple design from back in '08 that you show on youtube (which now says outdated) are the best and worked great ..I still run that basic design ..I know there is always room for improvements on things and some wiggle room here and there ,,but if it aint broke ,,and for me,my basic waterfall scrubber has been working wonderfully .
 
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