Algae Scrubber Basics

[SantaMonica]

Algae needs NO3 and PO4 to grow. Both are limiting factors in algae growth.

Almost correct. Algae need nitrogen and phosphorus. The nitrogen is preferred to be ammonia, of which most ammonia/ammonium probably come from urine as it circulates and hits the glass before it ever touches rock, sand, or a scrubber. So, you don't really need nitrate at all, unless the ammonia and nitrite are taken up. More circulation will deliver the ammonia to the scrubber before it hits the rock or sand.

Since you are setting up a new tank, why not go scrubber-only, and slowly add corals and see how far you can get with no other filtering or water changes. You might find you won't need anything else

 

[acroman]

Almost correct. Algae need nitrogen and phosphorus. The nitrogen is preferred to be ammonia, of which most ammonia/ammonium probably come from urine as it circulates and hits the glass before it ever touches rock, sand, or a scrubber. So, you don't really need nitrate at all, unless the ammonia and nitrite are taken up. More circulation will deliver the ammonia to the scrubber before it hits the rock or sand.

Since you are setting up a new tank, why not go scrubber-only, and slowly add corals and see how far you can get with no other filtering or water changes. You might find you won't need anything else

And a carbon source - either CO2 from direct air contact, dissolved CO2, or carbonate, if limited on the other forms.

FWIW, there is plenty of H and O in water, (H2O) so those are never "limiting nutrients"

 

[speedo2wet]

I like the idea, it's worth a shot, I mean some of these big aquarium places only use algae scrubbers for filtration.

 

[_shorty_]

Okay, trail two. Bought a screw into a socket light bulb for $27 on ebay. It come with 8 red and 4 blue 3w bulbs. For a total of 36w which is more than my cfl bulbs. Shipping is from china. If this works it would be a total of 35$ per light and reflector socket with zero DIY. If I don't post results in 3 weeks pm me.

Any update on this? How's it working for you? or do you know yet? I'm in need of some better lighting...

 

[BCool]

Here is my first scrubber attempt. Mine is on my overflow with a 20w led grow light. Day 4.
No animals, just cycling a new tank.

 

[BCool]

This is the led I am using, seems to work excellent! That one screen is on a 90 and it is still growing pretty good. Although it is not the good green turf algea yet. Time will tell, I do like the light housing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10W-20W-30W...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3a7f94512e

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

That's actually one of the best off-the-shelf fixtures I've seen.

 

[salty joe]

BCool, what wattage version are you using and how far is it from the screen?

 

[BCool]

20w and it is 5" from the screen. I have it behind the glass of my display tank. So I am sure that kills some of the par.

 

[_shorty_]

The other is still higher wattage for the price (using multiple 3W) (36W) - but the reflector on that 'waterproof' flood style fixture would be nice. I went ahead and ordered a couple. 2 x 36W bulbs - 2:1; Red:Blue; 8:4 (not ideal) but 36W of 3W LEDs should do the trick. I have suspicions my 1W LED fixture is not cutting it. I have 30 of them pointing at one side of my screen... It's giving me okay growth, but i think intensity of the 1W bulbs is borderline acceptable (at least MY 1W LEDs that I bought cheap from China on ebay). I'm not saying other 1W LEDs aren't good enough... never tried them.

 

[BCool]

I have had par 38 bulbs in the past, I can tell you that fixture that I posted has very little spot light effect (disco ball) like the par bulbs do. It is a very broad flood.

 

[acroman]

Any update on this? How's it working for you? or do you know yet? I'm in need of some better lighting...

I'd like to know too. I have 4x of these exact same ones, and am not getting any growth (N and P are zero). I switched one out for a screw-in CFL, with no difference, so pretty sure its the lack of nutrients, and not the bulbs for me.

 

[erics3000]

This is the led I am using, seems to work excellent! That one screen is on a 90 and it is still growing pretty good. Although it is not the good green turf algea yet. Time will tell, I do like the light housing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10W-20W-30W...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3a7f94512e

Wow I like this one. I am wondering how 2 20w would perform? Hummm

 

[Jonnyhot]

I want to make one but I don't really like the look of it in my sump

 

[elviraveloz]

How many watts have to buy for a 10x10 screen?

 

[BCool]

I want to make one but I don't really like the look of it in my sump

I put it in my overflow. I posted a picture above. They are easy to put together.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

After some feedback from users, I have updated my recommendations for LEDs

Still using 660nm Deep Red, technically I use 660-670nm Philips Luxeon EX Bin EX06 I believe (EX07 is 670-680, and you could also use that, but harder to obtain)

Quantity is defined by a range of intensity. When placed approximately 2" from the screen, here is my recommendation for coverage:

Minimum: one 3W @ 700mA on EACH side of every 8 square inches of screen. So if you have a 4x6 screen, which is 24 sq in, that would mean 24/8 = 3 660s on each side.

Maximum: one 3W @ 700mA on EACH side of every 4 square inches of screen. So if you have a 4x6 screen, which is 24 sq in, that would mean 24/4 = 6 660s on each side.

Optional: Supplementation with 440-450nm Royal Blue. These have a much higher radiant flux level than the Deep Reds, so it is rather easy to overpower the screen and cause photosynthetic saturation (I have inaccurately called this "photoinhibition" in the past) which prevents algae from actually growing. I recommend wiring blues in a parallel configuration within the series string of reds so that they act as a current divider and run at 350mA.

However, if you have a fully cured/mature screen, the saturation effect (when running a full power blue) does not seem to be quite as prevalent (though you may still get a bare spot on the screen). Placing some kind of diffuser or light blocker in front of the blue really seems to help.

Either way, I recommend no more than one full current (two half-current) blues for every 6 reds. As of right now I don't have a "minimum" recommendation for blues. I consider them a supplemental source, so you can just put them where they fit in. However, they must be spread out. So that means don't put all the blue in the middle or group them together - this will definitely cause bare spots.

HTH
Bud

 

[silverwolf72]

Two week growth on new screen, fed from overflow. 10 hour light cycle
Leds are 40 5050SMD 630nm Red and 8 470nm Blues

I went with drilling 1/4" holes instead of a slot for the screen

LED panels sit on the sump so they can be moved closer or further away from the screen

Even with these being the wrong wavelength it seems to work really well.

I just added an air stone inside the feed pump to help with better gas exchange.
I will be cleaning one side per week.

 

[lewk]

Are horizontal scrubbers really that bad? I'm afraid that's all I have room for with my current setup, but I'd like to start winning the battle against cyano, and see if it can help tame some bryopsis that started cropping up (sounds fun, doesn't it?).

Would like to try the 20 watt light BCool is using in his setup, would that be enough light for a screen that's 8x8 or 8x10? I feed 1 cube every other day, but think I need to go a little bigger to help get this under control.

 

[speedo2wet]

Horizontal or vertical? I don't think either are bad. For space I believe vertical Is the way to go yet if you have the room then the horizontal. It looks like most bug aquariums use the horizontal scrubbers.
Bryopsis is a little difficult IMHO. If that is what you have.

This is what my tank looked like a few months back. I have found out that bryopsis is neither light or nutrient dependent. It does need nutrients in the beginning but once it goes asexual you have to go another route because it will
Multiply even in the cleanest tanks.