Algae Scrubber Basics

[Floyd R Turbo]

Travis, what would do in your case is prepare the new screen and then zip-tie a large portion of the old one to it. Use really small zip-ties, they can be threaded through the holes. You will have to clip the ties each week to clean, but you will only need to do that for about 4-6 weeks. The old screen will not grow as well because it will essentially be single sided (or at best 1-1/2 sided, as one side will have light blocked partially by the new screen) but this will give the new screen a chance to slime up and go through the diatom stage while the filtration is still occurring on the old screen.

 

[srusso]

I hate to start over with a new screen. But, I don't see a choice. The good thing is I kinda have a macro scrubber running in my display that may be limiting my ATS...

Several small pieces of sea lettuce got attached to the screens of my powerheads (all 3 powerheads). And within a week or two the sea lettuce is 6-8" long. I harvest it every 2-3 weeks.

although it may be limiting my scrubber, when I replace the screen, hopefully I won't be shocking the system....

Cut your current screen into pieces. zip tie them to your new screen once the new one is finished being roughed up. Allow these pieces to hang until the new screen is seeded. After that, remove them and your done... This should minimize the impact starting with a new screen can create.

 

[srusso]

Travis, what would do in your case is prepare the new screen and then zip-tie a large portion of the old one to it. Use really small zip-ties, they can be threaded through the holes. You will have to clip the ties each week to clean, but you will only need to do that for about 4-6 weeks. The old screen will not grow as well because it will essentially be single sided (or at best 1-1/2 sided, as one side will have light blocked partially by the new screen) but this will give the new screen a chance to slime up and go through the diatom stage while the filtration is still occurring on the old screen.

you totally beat me to it... I guess I should refresh my page more often...

 

[srusso]

It's been 6 weeks, and I have a report.

I had a skimmer that wasn't really doing anything. So I irresponsibly took it offline when I put my ATS online. The ATS wasn't mature at all. And boy did my livestock suffer. EVen water changes didn't help. I really thought I was going to lose many of my corals.

For the first 5 weeks, there was no sign of green hair algae. Only the brown slimy stuff that comes with new screens.

Then 1 week ago, I started to see green hair algae growing on the screens. Concurrently, my livestock has taken off incredibly! I must say, I also began topping off with Kalkwasser. It seemed like the ATS while reducing the hair algae in the tank, allowed diatoms or cyano to take over. I know that this is a pH issue, so I added the Kalk for top off.

Now, my water is getting crystal clear, the rocks are losing all traces of HA with minimal pruning. (did this to judge the effect of the ATS). And my corals are all waking up! My SPS Montipora responded very well. My nuclear green paly's are opening, and a zoa that I haven't seen open since I bought it is starting to open up! I'm thrilled!

My experience suggests that an appropriate time to remove the skimmer, is when you see hair algae upon your screen, and not before. I guess I shouldn't have gambled with my livestocks' lives, but they came through like champs, and I'm still not convinced the skimmer was doing anything.

Hope this helps!
Aaron

Thank you for reporting back your findings. I am sorry you learned the hard way not to remove your skimmer without allowing the proper time to pass. I am glade things are starting to vamp up for you now... Should be smooth sailing from here... keep updating up on your findings thank you again.

PS. All others please take note...

 

[Lemeshianos]

Is it too much to ask someone to ship me a piece of plastic canvas?
I went to all different kind of shops and no one here has this thing. Instead they have rolls of a fabric made canvas.

 

[srusso]

Is it too much to ask someone to ship me a piece of plastic canvas?
I went to all different kind of shops and no one here has this thing. Instead they have rolls of a fabric made canvas.

Google plastic canvas there are no less then 1,000+ online stores selling the stuff....

Wow... lol just found this one...

http://www.everythingplasticcanvas.com/

hhahaha thats a great name

 

[JJ Ocean]

I finished the "œdry box" for my ATS. The specs are 24"L x 11"W x 18"H with six 24w T5HO lights and 2 exhaust fans. The wet box's 23" x 16" screen will be fed via ¾" pvc and will have two 1" drains. You can see the pass through holes for those bulkheads cut in the bottom of the dry box. Below are some pics of the "œdry box" "¦ some when it was half built (better view of the interior) and the rest of the pics after it was completed. I'll post pics of the "œwet box" and total setup when I'm done.

 

[Lemeshianos]

shipping is 31.50 for a 1.89 canvas...
interesting
What is the thickness of a plastic canvas? I have some large pieces of acrylic. If the thickness is same maybe I'll just DIY one, until a friend visits from US and brings a sheet.

 

[srusso]

Amazing build JJ Ocean, keep us updated on your progress. Again very nice work!

 

[srusso]

shipping is 31.50 for a 1.89 canvas...
interesting
What is the thickness of a plastic canvas? I have some large pieces of acrylic. If the thickness is same maybe I'll just DIY one, until a friend visits from US and brings a sheet.

Sorry, didn't realize you where not in the states. I am sure you can find one in your area.

I wouldn't make one IMHO...

 

[scott26]

Okay I am going to be setting up one of these on my 90 gallon after seeing two of the friends tanks that have the set up. I am positive this will work for the better.

My plan is to use a screen 10.5" x 13.5". I will be using the 8" reflector clamp on style light (one on each side). I need to go by home depot and pick up some light bulbs 23w 2700k. I will be feeding this off my return pump manifold (using the old fuge feed line).

I am going to try and sketch something up for you guys in a bit.

 

[dogstar74]

Aaron, you changed a few things that may or may not be a result of the skimmer.. You started dosing kalkwater. Initially this could have shocked the system, and it took some days for everything to acclimate to the new dosing levels, and to get the levels evened. Kalkwasser is great, but, it does mess with ph and introduce impurities, so, it may have simply been corals getting adjusted to changes in water chemistry. My corals respond very weirdly to changes in alk or calcium. One of my corals seems to respond negatively when my magnesium is low.. It got down to around 1200 and the toadstool refused to open for over a week. I dosed some mag, and within 2 hours it opened right up.

I'm not convinced it was the mag, but, it could have been.
....

Truely, I believe the only benefit to the skimmer was oxygenation of the water, this would have the effect of driving off CO2 thus increasing the pH of the water and keeping it in check.

I didn't start dosing Kalk until I noticed corals receding, and diatom blooms. This often occurs when pH drops. I attribute this to increased CO2 from lack of skimmer, not the build up of organics etc. Many people run a skimmerless system on a 10 gallon and simply keep up on water changes.

Kalk is good at raising pH back to the ideal level and maintaining mag and other parameters. Mostly, it can out compete phosphorus and drive it into solution where it can be used by the algae and discarded through screen cleanings.

For the first time in my 11 year reef keeping history, I really feel like I have a handle on the chemistry part of water keeping. I don't have anything but positive things to say about my ATS. I love the concept.

I look forward to smooth sailing in the near future with the ATS, I just wish my Lunar eclips zoas would have been able to survive long enough for the screens to mature. But at least the others are opening up now, and one of my favorite pieces,(cyphastrea) is comming alive again and looks like it will take off! Not to mention my Rhodactis shrooms that I've barely kept alive for 6 years, now are opening up and I'm pleasantly optimistic that he'll split soon.:bounce3:

Cheers!
Aaron

 

[travis32]

Thanks guys for the advice, I will do that! Great ideas!

 

[srusso]

dogstar, wait till your harvesting a mature screen! My last harvest was my heaviest yet! I am not weighing my harvest yet but man when your scrapping over an inch thick layer of algae off your screen you feel like you can truly feed your tank any mount of food!!

I actually tell other people its "ok" to feed the fish!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

shipping is 31.50 for a 1.89 canvas...
interesting
What is the thickness of a plastic canvas? I have some large pieces of acrylic. If the thickness is same maybe I'll just DIY one, until a friend visits from US and brings a sheet.

Seriously? I have a hard time believing that. I could buy one locally and ship it to you for $5 I bet!!

 

[maglofster]

Is it too much to ask someone to ship me a piece of plastic canvas?
I went to all different kind of shops and no one here has this thing. Instead they have rolls of a fabric made canvas.

Too bad I'm now too old to spend the summer in Agia Napa, Otherwise I could have brought you some.. But it's a nice country!

I bought my plastic canvas in the UK:

http://www.minervacraftsandfabrics....atid=PC&manuid=&keywords=&minprice=&maxprice=

Maybe the shipping is a bit cheaper from there for you?

Worst case I have some of them and could ship you.

 

[srusso]

I am not weighing my harvest yet but man when your scrapping over an inch thick layer of algae off your screen you feel like you can truly feed your tank any mount of food!!

I should have made it clear that this is two total inches. Once on each side of my screen.

 

[Melifluonze]

Ok, I'm at like, page 35 or so in here, and I am SO GOING TO DO THIS for my new 220!

The thing I'm missing here is the use of any other lights other than the green CFL bulbs from HD. There's a smattering of T5 HO and some LED, but can anyone shed significantly more light on the subject (pun intended)?

I'm going down the thought process of the freshwater aquarium fluorescents, or using growlight fluorescents, or even warm white tubes (not T5 HO). It seems to me that you really don't want or need the high output, but you do want warm (in color) light of reasonable intensity.

I was going to go with a 36" long X 24" deep screen and use the least expensive 36" fluorescent grow light or warm white tubes (T12, T8, T5 NON HO) in a 2 or 3 bulb fixture to light it up on both sides (one light fixture per side). I was going to put the light fixtures on the outside of clear arcrylic panels that I could clean or replace, so they don't get blasted with salt mist over time. The bottom few inches of the screen would be in water. I have to process a 1200 gpm overflow.

My main question is about the lights though. Seems to mee that actual fluorescent tubes would hold their spectrum longer than CFL and provide a much more evenly lit screen.

Anyone using long tube lighting that is not HO or VHO? Just standard fluorescent T12 ro T8? What type of tube have you found to be the best? Cool white, warm white, daylight, grow light?

Am I way off base? I'd think that in the long run, using full length tubes would be much less expensive (and umm... better for the environment).

 

[Melifluonze]

Errr... I just scrolled up.

Seems I will keep reading, but please don't hesitate to respond with standard tube info!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Go to post # 1035 & 1036 or around there for Part #1 summary. I'm still working on expanding that!