Algae Scrubber Basics

[SantaMonica]

Just base it on the most you would feed. Plus each 50 pounds of phosphate soaked rock adds 1 cube.

 

[crabbydan]

Ok built a prototype to try out this weekend after doing my crazy calculations

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DamonG]

Mind of goofy question as I've never had this kind of growth on a scrubber before.. I actually have thick turf algea on my scrubber.. It's about 1/2" thick on each side.. It's actually growing into the water below the scrubber (it's in my sump). I am just wondering, because I kind of let it go to do is own thing, and it's been about a good month or two since I've scraped it.. Should I remove all of the algea like normal, or should I only remove say half(maybe half off, from the spray bar down?)

This is the weirdest thing I've ever experienced with scrubbers, and I just happened to notice it.. I enlarged my spray slot to accommodate the much larger pump (1000gph for those that don't remember my previous posts), and it has been doing this ever since..

Just wondering advice if anyone else has had this.. Lol, as this stuff is thick, short, and kinda more spongy..

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[sensei]

how effective can ATS be for cyano problems??
in my 600g system I have been having cyano problems.
I have 2 ATS installed in that system a 2 cube and a 4 cube.
I am feeding arround 4.5 cubes.

I was running both ATS at 100% intensity and for leds on for 21 hours per day.
I am planning to increase the leds leds are on to 23 hours. any thoughts??

Thanks a lot

 

[karimwassef]

How is your ATS growth?

I find that cyano is a local issue due to flow and light, not a total system issue. But your system may be different.

 

[SantaMonica]

Should I remove all of the algea like normal

Hard to say without seeing it. Probably should, because after one month you will have dead roots that need cleaning off.

how effective can ATS be for cyano

Helps a lot. Low nutrients make it harder for cyano to grow. With some decent flow across the sand, and some sand sifters to stir the sand up, you won't have any cyano.

 

[sensei]

How is your ATS growth?

I find that cyano is a local issue due to flow and light, not a total system issue. But your system may be different.

ATS is growing well, algae is green but detaches easilly from screen when I clean it.

I increased the flow in the system around 1 month ago, I now have 6 mp60s and 3 gyres 250, but cyano does not go.

NO3 is around 8 and PO4 : 0.05

I am thinking of increasing light in ATS 2 more hours to a total of 23 hours a day. any ideas?

 

[sensei]

Helps a lot. Low nutrients make it harder for cyano to grow. With some decent flow across the sand, and some sand sifters to stir the sand up, you won't have any cyano.

Thanks for your answer Santa Monica

tank is 11 months old and is bare bottom
I have a lot of flow to try to keep detrietus suspended
I have blowed rocks a couple of times and everytime I do it , a lot of detrietus comes out from rocks

I do not have an idea of how to combat cyano in this tank

thanks

 

[karimwassef]

what's your light spectrum?

 

[sensei]

what's your light spectrum?

I have four metal halides 400W lamps with 20k radium bulbs


Thanks

 

[karimwassef]

this is an oldie but goodie

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1831125

You may want to run your scrubber with more lights but also simultaneously go lights out on the DT for a few days

 

[sensei]

this is an oldie but goodie

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1831125

You may want to run your scrubber with more lights but also simultaneously go lights out on the DT for a few days

Thanks a lot Karim

 

[DamonG]

Hard to say without seeing it. Probably should, because after one month you will have dead roots that need cleaning off.



Helps a lot. Low nutrients make it harder for cyano to grow. With some decent flow across the sand, and some sand sifters to stir the sand up, you won't have any cyano.

Thanks.. Lol.. I ended up removing the vast majority of it.. I measured, and it was 2" thick across.. And the funny thing as you mention roots, it's that it was been all the way through.. And very tough to get off.. I literally had to like comb it with my fingernails to get it off.. Once it grows back, I'll take a picture, because it's very different from what I've had before..

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Devaji108]

OK lets see if I got this right, for a water fall a=scrubber:
2 cube a day = 24 square inch screen lite on both sides. so if I make my screen 6"x4"
and flow rate of min. 35 GPH per inch. would mean my min. flow rate . would be 210 GPH.
correct?

and as it not advisable to T off the overflow. even tho I have an emergency drain. I would be looking for a lil pump in the 300GPH range. yeah?

 

[majorjoey]

from the very first post in this thread
wished to ask if this is still the recommended lighting spectrum 27ooK??
LIGHTING
"-23w Spiral CFL bulbs- (2,700 kelvin is suggested)"
this is optimal range still??
or others have found different results with higher or lower
wattage outputs and higher spectrum and achieved better or worse results

thanks for all the help great thread

 

[SantaMonica]

2 cube a day = 24 square inch screen lite on both sides. so if I make my screen 6"x4" and flow rate of min. 35 GPH per inch. would mean my min. flow rate . would be 210 GPH. correct?

Yes

and as it not advisable to T off the overflow. even tho I have an emergency drain. I would be looking for a lil pump in the 300GPH range. yeah?

Yes you can T off the overflow, no problem. No need for a small return pump however, just use what you need. The T (with a valve) will supply what you need to the scrubber.

is still the recommended lighting spectrum 27ooK?

Yes, if using CFL bulbs. But if you can, use grow-light LEDs, or all-red LEDs. Same results with half the watts.

 

[majorjoey]

thanks for the intel

 

[Devaji108]

thanks SM, just wanted to be sure my math was correct.
as much as i enjoyed my upflow Its time to move back to a water flall scrubber.
I went ahead a bought a little Ehiem pump for $30 should last years. has adjustable flow rates and I might add a gate valve to dial it in more if need be.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

thanks SM, just wanted to be sure my math was correct.
as much as i enjoyed my upflow Its time to move back to a water flall scrubber.
I went ahead a bought a little Ehiem pump for $30 should last years. has adjustable flow rates and I might add a gate valve to dial it in more if need be.

Remember, that flow rate is after head loss. So if you bought the Eheim Compact+ 1000, that's not going to cut it as the head loss curve on that pump is pretty steep. At a 12" vertical rise plus other plumbing losses, you will start out at <200 GPH and that will drop fast once you get an resistance. I ran one on an L2 for about 3 months and the flow dropped to below 100 GPH.

 

[Devaji108]

Remember, that flow rate is after head loss. So if you bought the Eheim Compact+ 1000, that's not going to cut it as the head loss curve on that pump is pretty steep. At a 12" vertical rise plus other plumbing losses, you will start out at <200 GPH and that will drop fast once you get an resistance. I ran one on an L2 for about 3 months and the flow dropped to below 100 GPH.

well ****, that is the pump I got was thinking it would be perfect and being a Ehiem good quality. cant belive the head loss is so much on that pump.