could I used the drain pipes to create flow over the mesh screen by teeing the drain outlet and using about 1 inch pipe to make the slit? this way I wouldn't need to get another pump and stuf?
You can do this, but the failure point is when something goes down the overflow pipe and get jammed in the slot pipe. So you will want a secondary path for water to flow in case this happens.
Generally you shouldn't need to worry about algae growing into the slot/screen junction because when this occurs the pressure increases and prevents algae from further blocking the flow. But it can cause the water to back up the overflow standpipe in order to create this head pressure. Adding a form of light blocking to the slot/screen junction remedies this.
Back to the secondary path, if you only have one drainpipe, you can add a tee in the drain pipe to allow for this path but you want it high enough to allow for the head pressure to build up without just bypassing the screen completely. So you might add a tee that is connected to another tee with an open top, and then a straight shot down to the sump from there. This way your bypass drain is open-air and will not siphon. But that working depends on your specific setup.
Really, to small a pump? Should I move up to about 500 gph (I was worried about over pressurizing it, but I'm new to this so I I'll defer to your wisdom).
I'll see if I can send Aliexpress an email, but I don't think that's an option. However I found another thread on RC where a guy said that specific light was working well for his ATS system. So maybe I'll give that a go.
Rules don't change with LED's in regards to ATS systems correct? They should last for years as apposed to months?
lol...I have a very small feeding regiment since I currently only have 5 fish, a coral banded shrimp, and a small clean up crew (and corals). Only about 1/2 a cube every other day and a few pinches of pellet food on the off days (with a quarter sheet of nori for my foxface).
I'd rather go overkill on filtration than under (provided it didn't create another problem). Just wanna wipe out the hair algae issue since everything else is doing fine (and I've resorted to scrubbing the rocks and other areas off every week or so to get rid of the algae).
It's just a matter of head loss and what you need to deliver. You ideally want 35 GPH per inch of slot width, actual flow. You can get away with less but you may have to de-rate your screen capacity accordingly. Also remember that pump output decreases over time, so oversizing it a bit prevents you from having to clean it all the time to keep the flow where you want it. Also it's easy to valve a pump back a bit.
As long as the LED light is 660nm mixed with something, you're fine. You just don't want 630nm. Their listing has a bunch of different wavelengths listed in a section that looks a little 'educational' but it doesn't list what is actually in the lamp you are buying, that's all. For instance, I doubt that lamp has any UV but they list that LED type and describe what it is for...kind of a generic listing.
You should not need to replace an LED lamp like that for quite a while. The output does not drop and shift like CFLs do. How long the lamp lasts depends on the initial quality, and of course, the conditions under which you run it. Placing it near a sump of a saltwater tank means higher probability of exposure, but as long as it doesn't get caked with salt creep you should be good to go.
LEDs do follow a few different rules. You will generally not want to run the 18/6 photoperiod, but rather only 9 hrs/day to start and then go up from there once you have mature growth. Coverage is generally tighter, meaning CFLs in a dome can cover a larger area with OK intensity but the LED will cover a smaller area with more intense light, and intensity is what you want. Distance from screen for LEDs varies with the lamp - there is a sweet spot. Too close and the intensity is too much and you will cause photosaturation (zero growth, or only brown slime). Too far away (trying to cover too large of an area) and you might never get strong GHA growth because the intensity lowers with distance (not by the inverse square rule, but it still drops). Usually right between those 2 points is where you get very good growth.
Most LED floods have a removable bezel, and removable lenses. This allows you to place the lamp closer and get broader coverage, but then it's wise to add some kind of splash shield to protect the now-bare LEDs.
You can always start with a larger screen and see how that works, and then make the slot pipe narrower later.
Also, you can vary things like flow and photoperiod and lighting intensity to get the amount of growth you need to accomplish your target level of growth/filtration.
HTH
Bud
