Algae Scrubber Basics
- Thread starter srusso
- Start date
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Do anything you can to make it 2-sided.
Scrubber_steve
I'm really very likeable
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Lmao.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
Depends on the type of uneven flow you are getting. Can you describe the issue a bit? Meaning, are you getting an arc of flow so there is a lot on one end but not much on the other, or less on one face vs the other, dead flow spot in the middle, etc?
Pics always help
Pics always help
homer1475
New member
I always find these growth pics amazing. Even after a year of use now, I still only get mildly green and very slimy algae on my screen. No matter how long I let it go for either, just slimy brownish green algae.
I have mine setup as a box with 2 2W grow lights(you know those ones santa monica hates so much). The light are on a schedule opposite of each other, where one is on from midnight to 11 am, and hour break, then from noon to midnight on the other light.
I certainly have plenty of nutrients as my no3 and po4 measure 16 and .2 respectively.
I just have no idea why I only get this slimy snotty algae that just wipes off the screen, as opposed to nice lush green algae I see on most of these scrubber pics.
Right now I have no idea why I'm running a scrubber as it's pretty pointless. Display has plenty of algae growing, and none on my scrubber screen.
I have mine setup as a box with 2 2W grow lights(you know those ones santa monica hates so much). The light are on a schedule opposite of each other, where one is on from midnight to 11 am, and hour break, then from noon to midnight on the other light.
I certainly have plenty of nutrients as my no3 and po4 measure 16 and .2 respectively.
I just have no idea why I only get this slimy snotty algae that just wipes off the screen, as opposed to nice lush green algae I see on most of these scrubber pics.
Right now I have no idea why I'm running a scrubber as it's pretty pointless. Display has plenty of algae growing, and none on my scrubber screen.
hkgar
Active member
You only have 2 2 watt lights? How big is the screen?
Scrubber_steve
I'm really very likeable
What is the spectrum of the red LEDs?
Are there any blues, if so how many blues & reds?
Size of screen?
Scrubber_steve
I'm really very likeable
6"x6" screen is 3 cubes
All red is what I use, but I know mine are 660nm, cree
My "funny" growth pic is above.
Your light may be poor quality & not 660nm spectrum. Perhaps try a new better quality light on one side & see how that goes?
I calculate that it should be a genuine 9watt to 14watt light per side.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
If you're referring to the ones that use an array of a huge number of low-wattage diodes, that could be a spectrum and intensity issue.
Wattage (actual) is the thing that would define this best. Plug the fixture into a kill-o-watt or find some way to measure actual wattage draw, that's going to tell you a lot.
Here's my writeup on the subject
http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/lighting-led.html
Wattage (actual) is the thing that would define this best. Plug the fixture into a kill-o-watt or find some way to measure actual wattage draw, that's going to tell you a lot.
Here's my writeup on the subject
http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/lighting-led.html
homer1475
New member
These are the specific ones I bought.
http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBay...descgauge=1&cspheader=1&oneClk=1&secureDesc=0
It seems as though they use 1W LED's. 16 red, 4 blue @ 20W.
http://vi.vipr.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBay...descgauge=1&cspheader=1&oneClk=1&secureDesc=0
It seems as though they use 1W LED's. 16 red, 4 blue @ 20W.
homer1475
New member
Yes, I've read that at length many times when I was setting my scrubber up. Also asked you and SM about the lights, and at the time they were sufficient.
Doing some reading today, perhaps I'm overlighting the screen? Cut back on my time or as previously suggested do like an hour on, and 15 minutes off?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
That's the marketing side of things, I discuss that in my write-up. Plug that into a meter and it will likely pull less than 10W. "1W Rated" does not equal 1W actual power out/consumed, it's a label
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I'll have to go back and find that post, if the screen is 36 sq in and you have 0.25 w/sq minimum on each side, that's 9w, that's likely where you are at, so that would makes sense that I would say they were sufficient. But I would have expected myself to say "minimally sufficient". I shall have to go back in time and slap myself a bit.
homer1475
New member
Actually hooked up to a kill-o-watt and they draw 15W. So not quite the 20W thats advertised, but not as terrible as you thought either.
Still doesn't explain why I'm only getting slimy snotty algae, and not the nice lush green I see on most growth pics in here. I certainly have some nice lush green in my display.
It started to get a nice lush growth, but then the next week it went back to this snotty growth, and anything(GHA) that was attached to the screen, has now rinsed off and I'm dealing with an almost clean screen now. With the algae getting washed off after scraping I'm starting with a pretty clean screen every week now.
Could it be too much flow over the screen? I haven't measure it since I started paying with it, but I know I started out at just under 200gph(roughly where it should be (35gph x 6" = 210).
Still doesn't explain why I'm only getting slimy snotty algae, and not the nice lush green I see on most growth pics in here. I certainly have some nice lush green in my display.
It started to get a nice lush growth, but then the next week it went back to this snotty growth, and anything(GHA) that was attached to the screen, has now rinsed off and I'm dealing with an almost clean screen now. With the algae getting washed off after scraping I'm starting with a pretty clean screen every week now.
Could it be too much flow over the screen? I haven't measure it since I started paying with it, but I know I started out at just under 200gph(roughly where it should be (35gph x 6" = 210).
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Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
I'm guessing you might have mentioned that before also. Can't recall, thread too long!
Do you have a few current pics of the setup and the screen with growth (before cleaning)?
Do you have a few current pics of the setup and the screen with growth (before cleaning)?
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