Algae Scrubber Basics

Is that both sides of the screen shown in the after shots, then?

yes, one side is X and the other is tic-tac-toe. I figured this would 'expose' the screen more and allow for more overlap for 'dual exposure'

It grows back to where you can't see the screen in about 2 days flat.
 
may I ask if any alternative to the plastic canvas is available? I am not in US and that kind of plastic canvas is not as easily accessible as in US. I am thinking of using a rough acrylic sheets with holes (not as dense as the canvas) or a piece of filter foams.
 
I would not try an alternative at this point. There is just nothing else that has proven as effective, bottom line. It is a critical component.

Try amazon or google, you will find it. Buy extra sheets so you can practice roughing it up without worrying about making mistakes
 
Where do you live that there is not a sewing/craft supply store? It is really cheap a since it is the same shape as a piece of paper shipping can't be an issue.
I can attest the them being impossible for me to find them in Fairfield County Connecticut. There are very few craft stores around here, and Kmarts and Walmarts never had them I in stock. Had to eventually order a box online.
 
Are there any benefits to using two pieces of canvas and stitching them together to create a thicker canvas,I'm thinking this would be better for the Algae to hold on to
 
I must have been lucky to find it so easily.

Can't hurt to try it out. Light penetration might be an issue. I'd you try it please share the outcome.
 
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Are there any benefits to using two pieces of canvas and stitching them together to create a thicker canvas,I'm thinking this would be better for the Algae to hold on to

No advantage, only disadvantages. Double screen trap detritus and block light to the other side

Proper roughing up is all you need
 
I can attest the them being impossible for me to find them in Fairfield County Connecticut. There are very few craft stores around here, and Kmarts and Walmarts never had them I in stock. Had to eventually order a box online.

Michaels in Stamford carries it. Assume other locations would also. I only bought one, so roughing up better go well. Not sure why I only got one, brain cramp. Will spend more in gas pulling my car out of the driveway than the plastic canvas cost.
 
That's good to know! Thanks!

Yup, that gas factor turned into a real equation for me too. After one afternoon looking around, I decided any additional looking mean risking more money in gas than just ordering it online would cost. Great point, and thanks for the tip.
 
I would not try an alternative at this point. There is just nothing else that has proven as effective, bottom line. It is a critical component.

Try amazon or google, you will find it. Buy extra sheets so you can practice roughing it up without worrying about making mistakes

Since I am living one the other side of the earth (seriously), I think I better experience myself and may be I can find a viable alternative.

http://www.amazon.com/Darice-Plastic-Canvas-33900-1-Sheets/dp/B001H83B9Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1372519549&sr=8-3&keywords=plastic+needlepoint+canvas
I Should have read your post better before I replied, I am pretty sure this is the brand and hole count I am using.

Thanks, but the shipping cost to my place costs more than the material. Be frank, it is not the kind of thing that worth such an effort of ordering from the other side of the earth.
 
Let us know what you can find. You may find that is might actually be worth the effort.

PS I was going to PM you and see if you wanted me to try and just send you some directly but you must have disallowed PMs in your User CP....
 
Since I am living one the other side of the earth (seriously), I think I better experience myself and may be I can find a viable alternative.
Agreed. It is my understanding that large sheets of Velcro work very well also. And you dont have to bother roughing them up. :thumbsup: But I do not know which side of the Velcro you need; the loop side, or the gripping side. Worth exploring IMO. Good luck. :)
 
Let us know what you can find. You may find that is might actually be worth the effort.

PS I was going to PM you and see if you wanted me to try and just send you some directly but you must have disallowed PMs in your User CP....

Thanks for your offering and I have just enabled PM under my account.

Sorry but since I am living in GMT+8 time zone my reply might appears in odd time to you.
 
Ro/di

Ro/di

Ok I have a dumb question. Why do you need to RO and DI your water if you have a good scrubber? I already know that there is a good answer but I don't remember it.
 
Many. Municipal tap water is horrible, full of all kinds of treatments. Fine to drink LOL but don't put it in your tank!

Worst thing is probably Chloramine (Chlorine-Ammonia). Someone pointed out once that algae will create Vit C which has been shown to break the Chlorine-Ammonia bond, allowing Chlorine to evap and Ammonia to get taken up by the scrubber, but that would only work in small amount and it would be in your system still.

Not to mention: nitrates, phosphates (sometimes higher than 1.0ppm) ammonia, arsenic, the list goes on.
 
Not sure, probably, or else they wouldn't use algae for wastewater treatment, but why risk the possibility of introducing something into your tank that the scrubber can't handle?

Also at least in this part of the country, at certain times the water quality goes down bad for aquarium use, like when the snow melts and all the crud on the streets goes down the gutters. Our LFS did a PWC on a discus tank at the wrong time of the year and lost the whole tank. Now they just don't do any PWCs for 2 months around snow melt time.
 
That's what I was saying, algae is used for WWT so it must do something, but usually it is used to remove pollutants to an acceptable EPA level for dumping into streams an tributaries as "grey water" and not potable by any means. Thus, that algae is not exposed to water that has been chemically treated like our drinking water. So it's not exactly an apples-to-apple comparison.

Plus, I just don't have every answer at the tip of my brain!!
 
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