OllieNZ
New member
For example if you added 5 teaspoons of pure ammonium nitrate (NH4)(NO3) to 4 litres of water and then added 70 millilitres of that to your 700gal system it would deliver 0.04ppm of NH4 to your system.
Algae Scrubber Basics
- Thread starter srusso
- Start date
Mortar applied (fresh)
Can you please link me to the mortar product you are using?
FullBoreReefer
New member
Mortar looks good, but scuffing up should be all that's needed.
bheron
Active member
My first ATS build here a little over a week ago I posted that I was having problems with getting even flow, it appeared b/c of the zip ties. It looked like this:
After a few days it started to get better, a little. But I decided if I was gonna make a change I might as well do it sooner than later. So I did this, moving the zip ties to the outside of the screen on these little tabs:
It fit nicely into the slot. Has anyone tried this? It seems to be working very well for me. The flow is very even.
Anyway, using one of these lights on each side of the screen http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012C4QJ06?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
So...my first week of growth.
How does this look for one week?
After a few days it started to get better, a little. But I decided if I was gonna make a change I might as well do it sooner than later. So I did this, moving the zip ties to the outside of the screen on these little tabs:
It fit nicely into the slot. Has anyone tried this? It seems to be working very well for me. The flow is very even.
Anyway, using one of these lights on each side of the screen http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012C4QJ06?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
So...my first week of growth.
How does this look for one week?
FullBoreReefer
New member
Lookin' good to me
MaccaPopEye
New member
Diy ats
Diy ats
So I finally got around to building my DIY ATS box. It isn't super pretty but thought I would share some pics.
First I got the acrylic cut to size with a laser cutter. I didn't trust myself to be able to get it right down to the mm
Then dry fit the plumbing
Dry fit the box together to make sure the lights fit
Cut out notches for the pipe and 2 drains and an emergency hole
Mid glue up
I don't know how but the laser cutter actually didn't cut the bottom piece square! As a result (and partially due to my first time working with acrylic) the box isn't 100% square but it should be water tight and seems to be held together well.
The mess around the clear piece of acrylic was me running a bead of wo16 along the seam just to ensure it would be water tight, messy but should be effective.
Still need to cut the slot in the pipe, rough up the screen and glue some supports onto the lid so it doesn't warp but overall I am pretty happy. Got it all together for $200AUD which is miles cheaper than a pre made one here (as much as I really wanted a pre made one the budget just wouldn't allow it).
It should be wet in the next couple of days! :bounce3:
Cheers,
Macca
Diy ats
So I finally got around to building my DIY ATS box. It isn't super pretty but thought I would share some pics.
First I got the acrylic cut to size with a laser cutter. I didn't trust myself to be able to get it right down to the mm
Then dry fit the plumbing
Dry fit the box together to make sure the lights fit
Cut out notches for the pipe and 2 drains and an emergency hole
Mid glue up
I don't know how but the laser cutter actually didn't cut the bottom piece square! As a result (and partially due to my first time working with acrylic) the box isn't 100% square but it should be water tight and seems to be held together well.
The mess around the clear piece of acrylic was me running a bead of wo16 along the seam just to ensure it would be water tight, messy but should be effective.
Still need to cut the slot in the pipe, rough up the screen and glue some supports onto the lid so it doesn't warp but overall I am pretty happy. Got it all together for $200AUD which is miles cheaper than a pre made one here (as much as I really wanted a pre made one the budget just wouldn't allow it).
It should be wet in the next couple of days! :bounce3:
Cheers,
Macca
crocogator106
New member
Just curious but I'm wanting to do a ATS for my tank and have read where once its up and going (growing algae) you no longer have to use a skimmer. Any truth in this?
MaccaPopEye
New member
My understanding is skimmers and scrubbers do different jobs. Skimmers remove organics and scrubbers remove nutrients (as you remove the algae). Having said that you can run a tank without an ATS and without a skimmer. Just depends on your tank goals.
If you size the ATS right then you might be able to maintain low no4 and po4 without a skimmer. But IMO it would be the same as having a really effective fuge and no skimmer.
Personally my goal is to have a very effective scrubber, and a skimmer that is just undersized for the tank.
AZRippster
Diver & Reef Aquarium Nut
I've been running an ATS with great success since August '15. Even with the accolades I like to pour on ATS, I keep my skimmer running as well. It continues to pull stuff I don't want in my tank with the added benefit of higher oxygenation. In addition, I run O3 four times per day that I inject into my skimmer. Both are working side-by-side in harmony and doing a wonderful job keeping my NO3 and PO4 where I want it.
MidwesternTexan
Average Joe
So I finally got around to building my DIY ATS box. It isn't super pretty but thought I would share some pics.
First I got the acrylic cut to size with a laser cutter. I didn't trust myself to be able to get it right down to the mm
Then dry fit the plumbing
Dry fit the box together to make sure the lights fit
Cut out notches for the pipe and 2 drains and an emergency hole
Mid glue up
I don't know how but the laser cutter actually didn't cut the bottom piece square! As a result (and partially due to my first time working with acrylic) the box isn't 100% square but it should be water tight and seems to be held together well.
The mess around the clear piece of acrylic was me running a bead of wo16 along the seam just to ensure it would be water tight, messy but should be effective.
Still need to cut the slot in the pipe, rough up the screen and glue some supports onto the lid so it doesn't warp but overall I am pretty happy. Got it all together for $200AUD which is miles cheaper than a pre made one here (as much as I really wanted a pre made one the budget just wouldn't allow it).
It should be wet in the next couple of days! :bounce3:
Cheers,
Macca
Nice ATS build.
However, for people looking into this-
you don't have to build any boxes, or use any sheets of acrylic-
I didn't, mine works fine too.
iced98lx
New member
Assuming you have room in your sump and are happy with the possibly spray / weird flow mishaps that can be common in DIY slot pipe designs, sure. Boxing it up makes it much safer IMHO though, and is a nice add on if you can. Otherwise a piece of cling wrap over the pipe and first few inches of mesh seem to also work..
bheron
Active member
Thanks for the feedback. My thinking is the same. My lights are pretty close right now, you think that could hold back the growth?
FullBoreReefer
New member
5gal bucket can be used as a all-in-one unit...
FullBoreReefer
New member
Thanks for the feedback. My thinking is the same. My lights are pretty close right now, you think that could hold back the growth?
Yes. Just like bleaching your corals from to much light.
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Anyone trying mortar should make sure that no fish are eating algae from the screen, because as the mortar comes off it will be taken away by the algae and possibly eaten. Also of course the screen will then become less rough.
This is one reason why I like 3D printed screens; they don't do this.
This is one reason why I like 3D printed screens; they don't do this.
MaccaPopEye
New member
Thanks, there are dozens of builds in this thread though covering pretty much every design so I doubt anyone will think a box is a must if they read even a dozen pages of it (at least I hope not) just a slot pipe and lights will still work well.
I built the box for a number of reasons such as spray, smell, light containment (a big one with an open stand in my living room) and lastly to look nice. I really wanted a turbo scrubber but couldn't afford one so this was my solution.
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