Algae Scrubber Basics

[outy]

Are they truly the same? so hard to tell. Maybe one has better "guts" or manufactured elsewhere.

Also found these which a few people have gotten and actually has some good reviews on Amazon. Also has a 1 year warranty:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VLVY4UE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

They are all cheap imported lights from china.

I bought the cheapest I could find, and I had to solder on my wire and plug.



No complaints for $23 and 30w it is a good light for the money.


No need to overthink a 20 dollar light. they have the same diodes and ballast

 

[jerseypete]

Are they truly the same? so hard to tell. Maybe one has better "guts" or manufactured elsewhere.

Also found these which a few people have gotten and actually has some good reviews on Amazon. Also has a 1 year warranty:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VLVY4UE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I'm using this same light. Just started mine 5 days ago. Looks good so far. I did keep the screen in my sump for a week before I started

 

[jrp1588]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but how do you make the screen removable for cleaning? I always see them zip tied to the pipe as the photos above show. Do you have to snip the zip ties every time and replace them?

 

[outy]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but how do you make the screen removable for cleaning? I always see them zip tied to the pipe as the photos above show. Do you have to snip the zip ties every time and replace them?

You can either snip the zip ties

OR

Unscrew the union on the pvc pipe and remove the whole unit to clean

 

[kegogut]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but how do you make the screen removable for cleaning? I always see them zip tied to the pipe as the photos above show. Do you have to snip the zip ties every time and replace them?

Theres also reusable zip ties you can buy that makes it a bit easier as well.

 

[SantaMonica]

The second light has a separate box for the power supply. It would probably let the LED run a bit cooler.

Look for my tests of it, a few days back.

 

[outy]

The second light has a separate box for the power supply. It would probably let the LED run a bit cooler.

.

I bet its close enough to not make a difference.


The first one has the driver below the diode and the heatsink does not have restricted airflow, like the second one does.


I think it is the opposite though, I bet the housing is warming up the driver, instead of the driver warming up the hot chip.

Double the price? forget it, cheap one all the way.

 

[bheron]

Okay thanks for the feedback on the lights!

So I have a general question: when starting up a new ATS screen has anyone tried or thought about the idea of "grafting" existing green hair algae onto the news screen? So I've got some GHA growing on my display. Take some of that and spread it on my screen somehow. Would that Kickstarter the process? Just a thought.

 

[karimwassef]

Seeding is always good. I just rubbed the screen up against the rim of my overflow and that got things going.

 

[jerseypete]

Okay thanks for the feedback on the lights!

So I have a general question: when starting up a new ATS screen has anyone tried or thought about the idea of "grafting" existing green hair algae onto the news screen? So I've got some GHA growing on my display. Take some of that and spread it on my screen somehow. Would that Kickstarter the process? Just a thought.

I left mine in my sump for a little over a week before I was ready to start mine up. Seemed to help. After 5 days the screen is covered brown.

 

[bheron]

Ok, while I'm waiting for my lights to arrive I'll leave it in my sump and or just run the waterfall over it.

I wonder about taking a few pieces of long GHA from my display and weaving them into the screen holes?

 

[jrp1588]

So, how are people typically hanging these cheap LED grow lights from amazon? I'd want one on either side of my screen inside my sump, but I don't see any obvious mechanism to mount them.

 

[bheron]

So, how are people typically hanging these cheap LED grow lights from amazon? I'd want one on either side of my screen inside my sump, but I don't see any obvious mechanism to mount them.

My lights are coming on Monday and trying to figure that out now. Most likely I will use some sort of PVC fashioned to hand down on either side. The lights I got have a bracket with a screw I believe. Just my thoughts right now but curious to see what others have done...

 

[biecacka]

Here is mine before the lights came on, how's it look?

Corey

 

[SantaMonica]

Pre-seeding "usually" does not help much, but it shouldn't hurt.

 

[biecacka]

Should I be doing anything to mine?

Corey

 

[jerseypete]

So, how are people typically hanging these cheap LED grow lights from amazon? I'd want one on either side of my screen inside my sump, but I don't see any obvious mechanism to mount them.

I bought mine off amazon. Didn't have any idea on how to mount them either. But I got lucky and was able to mount then this way.

I was able to wedge the light on the sump divider and outer end of sump. This worked great. Super snug. Fits like it was made for it.

 

[SantaMonica]

Some pics in regular light might help.

 

[MidwesternTexan]

Theres also reusable zip ties you can buy that makes it a bit easier as well.

Ar first I used Zip ties;

Now I use a long plastic coated 'twist' tie, like comes on the power cords for equipment.

This way, I just untwist, pull it out of the slot,
Clean the screen,
Clean the slot,
Reassemble

Good to go!!

 

[MidwesternTexan]

someone mentioned growing brown algae.

IMO, it should be growing bright green algae!