Algae Scrubber Basics

OK, so I am still in the design/budgetary phase of my first reef tank. I am planning a 90 gallon tank with a 30-40 gallon sump. I will be using a separate pump for the algae scrubber, I just think it's easier that way, I can turn off the scrubber pump to service the screen and leave everything else running. I don't really see the need to have a sump with baffles either as I don't plan a refugium.

What should I look for in terms of gph for the main sump pump?
What size plumbing will I most likely need?
Should I use a size smaller for the return?
What gph should the power heads be?

I was thinking a sump pump that can deliver around 900 gph using 1" pipe for the drain and 3/4" piping for the return to the tank. What about two power heads at around 400 gph each. Am off base with these figures?
 
What should I look for in terms of gph for the main sump pump?
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If for the display, it's not that important in terms of filtering. Very little is absorbed by a scrubber per second, thus the nutrients returned to the display are about the same as in the sump. More flow in the sump does not remove more nutrients. So your sump pump is more about how much circulation you want in the display. And you other questions are more about display design.

What size plumbing will I most likely need?
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For the scrubber, probably 3/4" tubing and/or pipe to feed a waterfall scrubber.
 
those LEDs are all 0.1W (very low power) so I would think not very good. The issue is what is referred to in the lighting industry as "punch". Individual high-power 1W or 3W LEDs can "drive" the light a lot further through something that is dense like a thick mat of algae. SMD (surface mounted device) LEDs, not so much. The are great for general illumination, and in the case of that light, plants, but those only need light right on the surface.

My stance on LED fixtures has always been that if it doesn't need a heat sink, that's a good sign that the LEDs are not powerful enough (not enough "punch") for an Algae Scrubber. At this point I haven't seen any proof otherwise.
 
Floyd R Turbo said:
My stance on LED fixtures has always been that if it doesn't need a heat sink, that's a good sign that the LEDs are not powerful enough (not enough "punch") for an Algae Scrubber. At this point I haven't seen any proof otherwise.
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This is the best way I've seen to put this. Good led lights tend to be expensive due to the thermal design of the fixture.
 
Floyd R Turbo said:
those LEDs are all 0.1W (very low power) so I would think not very good. The issue is what is referred to in the lighting industry as "punch". Individual high-power 1W or 3W LEDs can "drive" the light a lot further through something that is dense like a thick mat of algae. SMD (surface mounted device) LEDs, not so much. The are great for general illumination, and in the case of that light, plants, but those only need light right on the surface.

My stance on LED fixtures has always been that if it doesn't need a heat sink, that's a good sign that the LEDs are not powerful enough (not enough "punch") for an Algae Scrubber. At this point I haven't seen any proof otherwise.
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Exactly! :thumbsup:

This is what I have experienced. I use SMD lights on my chaeto reactor, and they work well because the chaeto is not so dense, unlike my FRT ATS's hair algae.
 
wildman926 said:
Exactly! :thumbsup:

This is what I have experienced. I use SMD lights on my chaeto reactor, and they work well because the chaeto is not so dense, unlike my FRT ATS's hair algae.
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That's interesting, what do they use on that ARID reactor? I know that the center rod is metal and has a radiator at the top, but I imagine that if they used 1W or 3W LEDs that even this would not be enough.

However if they used SMDs they wouldn't need as much heat sinking. Also since the reactor grows chaeto and not GHA, this might fall in line with what you experienced, which makes sense - less dense = more light can penetrate. Never thought about that. Check off the "learned something new today" box
 
Here is my "chaeto reactor". It is a converted aquamaxx biopellet reactor. Note the 2 month growth removed from it during one cleaning. I have not cleaned it since then, last October. I think between it and your ATS, the initial big hit of nutrient removal worked. Now the L2 ATS can keep up.

150g%20Chaeto%20Reactor_zpskitzdznt.jpg

150g%20CR%20ATS2_zpsdwaaxv0z.jpg
 
If you have the room, why not do a second scrubber and alternate cleanings?
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That's always been my favorite way.

Would this light work for an ATS?http://www.ebay.com/itm/6W-60LED-E27...3D222046717663
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Question if it is really 6 watts. If so, it would equal 12 real CFL watts.

As for chaeto, the difference between it and GHA is the growth (filtering) rate, because chaeto is opaque and shades itself. That's why a GHA scrubber will out-compete a fuge or chaeto scrubber. This helps explain it...


"Production within dense mats of the filamentous macroalga Chaetomorpha linum in relation to light and nutrient availability". Fig 5B shows how, under bright light, chaeto productivity (filtering) drops 72 percent in just 2 cm of algal thickness:

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/134/m134p207.pdf
 
Hi all! I finished passing through the 317 pages, it was very interesting!

I have high phosphates and nitrates so I decided to built a scrubber.
I plan to build a vertical unit 9"x9" because I will supply it with one of my herbie overflow and it's 320 gph (I measured it)
I feed 5 cubes equivalent per day but my fishes are still growing. So 81" square will be ok I guess.

In my 340 gal reef, I have a 10" skimmer, a 45 gal refugium with chaeto, 200 lbs live rock, I run gfo.

I bought all the pvc required (1") and the canva.

Only lights are missings and I would appreciate your input.
I will install mu scrubber above my 125 gal sump. I have arround 24" x 24" space for the complete scrubber.
I was looking at the 50W GLW hydroponic led fixture like this one
http://www.amazon.com/GLW-Hydroponi...r=8-1&keywords=glw+50+watt+red+led+grow+light

Would it be ok? Or should I get the 30W? (I'm not sure if the 50w is available on amazon.ca)

There is this one too
https://www.amazon.ca/Intelligent-C...d=1457752587&sr=1-138&keywords=led+grow+light

I would put one light on each side of my ats.
Thanks!
 
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9 x 9 can be done with just a 20w LED = 40 CFL on each side. Maybe 30w.

50w on each side is probably too much, and so is 70.

How long did it take to read from page 1 ?
 
SantaMonica said:
9 x 9 can be done with just a 20w LED = 40 CFL on each side. Maybe 30w.

50w on each side is probably too much, and so is 70.

How long did it take to read from page 1 ?
Click to expand...
Lol it tooks me a full week! I was so glad to see that algae scrubber takes less space than 10 years ago!
I tested my water for NO3 and PO4 three weeks ago and since I actively search for a solution (in the mean time, I did a lot of water changes). I'm now convince that algae scrubber is a good solution.

Now I need to decide between the 20 or 30W, thank you very much!
 
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