Algae Scrubber Basics

[ecomdesign]

That's for your replies in regards to a taller scrubber. I have the head room to do it, but I would have to fabricate it in a way that it doesn't fall over if it becomes top heavy. Shouldn't be too hard. I'd have to make it in a way that the front opens so that the screen can be removed to maximize the height of the screen.

Running on lower flow is preferred as my return pump is a ehiem 1260 and a want to design this to run from my overflow.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

If you design it with a front cover design, you have to make it an open bottom (i.e. screen bottom open to sump below). I would strongly advise against trying to run an enclosed box design with a removable front. I did it on Rev 1 - the cover warped, the box started to fill up as the 3D growth started up. Which meant that water got around the cover.

Also you have to externally brace the box to prevent warping from water contact and heat.

Post designs and I can evaluate for you.

 

[ecomdesign]

If you design it with a front cover design, you have to make it an open bottom (i.e. screen bottom open to sump below). I would strongly advise against trying to run an enclosed box design with a removable front. I did it on Rev 1 - the cover warped, the box started to fill up as the 3D growth started up. Which meant that water got around the cover.

Also you have to externally brace the box to prevent warping from water contact and heat.

Post designs and I can evaluate for you.

Excellent advice. Thank you for the heads up. I'm trying to determine my head loss with my pump. Its a Ehiem 1260. I used 1/2" ID PVC when I plumbed my return, but I think I should have gone bigger...

 

[ecomdesign]

I've taken the above into account and I think I'll re-think the vertical idea. I have a different method Im thinking will work much better. I can make it big enough to be x2 the screen area I need. This way I can get away with lighting 1 side with the option of lighting the other side should it be needed. My system has 95 gallons (round up tp 100). I can make the screen 16 H" x 13 W"=195sq".

Do you think this will be overkill? Will I really need to ever add the second side of lights if I make it this way or am I just wasting time trying to make it this large? At this size screen I will need 560GPH out of my overflow. My return is a Ehiem 1260 (635 GPH). I would imagine a will be a little short after head loss with this size of screen.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Verify your actual flow rate before going too far in your design. Look at posts 1035 and 1036 (summary posts).

 

[scott26]

Well I finally got my ATS up and running for the most part. I had to order some special fittings to complete the build the way I wanted it. The PVC tee's that were at the bottom of the scrubber are now replaced with 4 way tee's so that way when I detach the scrubber from up top the upright supports don't just fall over.

It was a little tricky getting it to fit into the sump with how tall it is but since the bottom half of it is just dry fitted I just slipped it apart and reassembled in the sump.

Pictures.

Video: (What you hear the most of at the start is the skimmer overflowing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paIKtUc4krw

 

[travis32]

Nice design! How do you plan to keep water from splashing onto lights ?

 

[bucks448]

I'm thinking about redoing my scrubber and building a sealed acrylic box with T5 lighting. I know the distance from the screen and bulbs with T5 should be ~2", so my question is...should I make the box 3" or 4" between the lighted sides? I'm pretty sure this has come up before, but I couldn't find it.

 

[scott26]

Nice design! How do you plan to keep water from splashing onto lights ?

It is not really a problem yet... I might make a guard for it although I still need to figure out the GPM for the scrubber.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I'm thinking about redoing my scrubber and building a sealed acrylic box with T5 lighting. I know the distance from the screen and bulbs with T5 should be ~2", so my question is...should I make the box 3" or 4" between the lighted sides? I'm pretty sure this has come up before, but I couldn't find it.

I would try to keep the distance between the centerline of the lamp and the screen around 2.5 to 3". This basically is figured because if you have an enclosed box, the bulkhead mandates that you have the inside dimension at about 3" (or 2.75, if you trim the bulkhead) and the fixture, whether it be a DIY or a purchased type, will stand off about 1" from the acrylic.

I think the one I show is about 5.5" from center to center of the lamps. But that one is getting revamped, for more than one reason. #1 is that I have to tear down the tank because it's about to blow due to a fractured bottom panel at the front seam:

So life sucks right about now.

 

[ecomdesign]

That stinks... I can only imagine the frustration you are having. Hopefully you find a replacement quickly!!!

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

yeah, that 120 I've been waiting to set up just got thrust into setup mode.

 

[scott26]

Well this will be day 3 of the scrubber. I already have growth but I still need to fine tune the system I still have to add a second light and brackets to mount on the underside of my stand to clamp the light to. I also have to figure out the exact amount of flow going through the system to get 35 gpm over each 1" span so 350 gph.

 

[ecomdesign]

Verify your actual flow rate before going too far in your design. Look at posts 1035 and 1036 (summary posts).

Thanks Floyd!

I got off my lazy rear and tested my flow rate. I've only done it once so far but so far I'm shocked by how little I'm getting... My flow rate coming down from my overflow is only 228GPH!!! Not good, considering I have a Ehiem 1260 that is capable of getting 635GPH at the pump.

My return plumbing is only 1/2" ID plumbing. How much do you think it will increase if I use larger plumbing for my return?

 

[ecomdesign]

Playing with screen sizes and a return flow rate of 228GPH here are my options so far:

6.5" Wide X 16" Tall @ 35 gallon per inch
7" Wide X 14.5" Tall @ 32.5 gallon per inch
8" Wide X 12.5" Tall @ 28.5 gallon per inch

I think I can inprove my flow rate by increasing the size of my return plumbing to 3/4" and giving my pump a cleaning. The question is how much will it increase? Even if I can get it up to 300 GPH, it still only leaves me with a 8.5" screen at 35 gallon per inch...

I'm seeing some massive screens posted. What kind of pumps are people using to support these screens properly when using a gravity feed ATS from an overflow???

 

[bucks448]

Thanks Floyd!

I got off my lazy rear and tested my flow rate. I've only done it once so far but so far I'm shocked by how little I'm getting... My flow rate coming down from my overflow is only 228GPH!!! Not good, considering I have a Ehiem 1260 that is capable of getting 635GPH at the pump.

My return plumbing is only 1/2" ID plumbing. How much do you think it will increase if I use larger plumbing for my return?

Surprising, isn't it!?

I was running a MAG12 through 1/2" and a QuiteOne2200 through another 1/2" and together I was getting around 500gph. Using Floyd's advice, I switched to 1" and I'm getting around 900gph with just the MAG12.

Depending on how high and how many elbows or 45's you have, I bet you could get about 400gph by switching to 1".

 

[ecomdesign]

I think I'll have to give it a try. I'm just not sure if I should do 3/4" or 1"? I have about 67" of 1/2" pipe, 2 90's and 2 45's.

 

[bucks448]

This should help http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/5/aafeature2

Since you aren't using a MAG, just select the MAG closest to your pump's GPH rating.

If the link gets blocked, google "pump head loss calculator" it should be the second result. The one from advanced aquarist.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

@ bucks448, awesome link! I d/l'd the program and it came pretty close to what I originally was getting before the pipe change. Remember to use inner diameter, so 3/4" hose is 1/2" ID. 1" hose is 3/4" ID.

@ ecomdesign, the Eheim 1260 isn't on there and the Eheim website is useless, broken link to manual, but Marine Depot has a chart and also lists the pressure-side hose connection as 5/8", but they don't say what size tubing they recommend for maximum flow. Danner lists that on their tech sheets. I would have to say that going a little larger should be better, in general if you talk to anyone who is a mechanical/plumbing engineer, the larger the diameter the less resistance. So go as large as is reasonably possible.

Remember though that ID is what you care about, not OD. 1" PVC is 1" ID (or very close). 1" hose is the OD.

 

[Travis1787]

i think my head may explode and algae fall out lol im so setting one of these up asap think i can do a 10" wide by 16" long screen at this size what size pump would i need? gph wise? cant waaait to get this roooollllliiiinnnnnn and see what results i get when i get going ill deff post what i did how i did and before and after results