jason2459
Well-known member
Well I did get the idea from some crazy old man.
Algae Scrubber Basics
- Thread starter srusso
- Start date
Fretfreak13
I am not a boy!
This is a really basic question, but will can an algae scrubber rid a tank of nuisance calcium-driven macro algae too? With my very limited knowledge of the it seems they're more for hair algae and what not?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
An Algae Scrubber works similarly to a macro refugium, so anything that you would typically grow using a photosynthetic process (i.e. it's green (or maybe red/purple), you shine light on it, and it grows) will likely get out-competed by the scrubber, depending on how strong of a scrubber it is and how much it has to compete with
Fretfreak13
I am not a boy!
Thanks Floyd! Appreciate it. One of my lfs has about a 2500g coral system divided into three tanks plus the sump. The macros that grow in the acro tank in the system are ridiculous and wind up overtaking a lot of the acros. Every time I go in there the owner is scrubbing away with toothbrushes and tweezers.
The macros are really pretty and I know people on here would probably pay for them, but man those poor acros. Since these tanks are plumbed together it'd have to be a preeeeeetty darn big scrubber to make a dent huh?
The macros are really pretty and I know people on here would probably pay for them, but man those poor acros. Since these tanks are plumbed together it'd have to be a preeeeeetty darn big scrubber to make a dent huh?
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
yeah, pretty big scrubber needed for a tank that big....
SantaMonica
Well-known member
Filtering = Photosynthesis = Light X Attachment X air/water interface turbulence.
The air bubbles generate the strong air/water interface turbulence that removes the boundary layer around the algae and makes the strongest photosynthesis (filtering). And the box keeps the bubbles rubbing the algae.
With just a screen floating in the water, you get no air/water interface turbulence, and thus very slow growth, and thus no filtering.
Of course. Whichever has the strongest photosynthesis (Light X Attachment X air/water interface turbulence) will win. The macros have no air/water interface turbulence.
Another example of needing stronger filtering (photosynthesis) elsewhere.
Devaji108
New member
OK so my ATS ( upflow) is coming along...
i decided to not do the canvas screen and go with something else:
JB water weld with crushed coral i found on the beach a while back. crushing it and massaging it in to the Jb was quite the task.
for lighting i will be running 4 x 3W red leds on a meanweal driver running @700ma . could push up to 15 so if I need a 2nd upATS i can..
here is the lighting side:
got 2 more thermal pads coming in form rapid LED..
one is going above the metal plate on the recycle logo and the other on the plate might even ad another. so a total of 5..
now to glue the magnet on and the air hose...
anyone know id this epoxy is reefsafe?
i decided to not do the canvas screen and go with something else:
JB water weld with crushed coral i found on the beach a while back. crushing it and massaging it in to the Jb was quite the task.
for lighting i will be running 4 x 3W red leds on a meanweal driver running @700ma . could push up to 15 so if I need a 2nd upATS i can..
here is the lighting side:
got 2 more thermal pads coming in form rapid LED..
one is going above the metal plate on the recycle logo and the other on the plate might even ad another. so a total of 5..
now to glue the magnet on and the air hose...
anyone know id this epoxy is reefsafe?
spamreefnew
New member
Deva, are you an electrician? Only an electrician would use a 4" octagon cover as a heat sink ya know, lol
jedimasterben
LED world domination!
for lighting i will be running 4 x 3W red leds on a meanweal driver running @700ma . could push up to 15 so if I need a 2nd upATS i can..
here is the lighting side:
At 700mA, I wouldn't plan on those LEDs lasting very long without a heatsink (that aluminum plate really isn't going to do the job since it is all closed up). I'd be planning on running them in the 200-300mA range at the most.
MorganAtlanta
New member
I need to do a month or so of hypo salinity to deal with an ich outbreak. Do you think dropping the salinity will impact my scrubber algae?
jason2459
Well-known member
I would pull the fish out of the main tank and do that in some other container. Fish disease section of this forum has a lot of information to help.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
It will likely still continue to grow, but the composition (primary algae type growing) might change, so you might lose some filtration temporarily. That's just a guess, but I recall someone else doing something similar before and their scrubber growth was still fine.
True hypo treatment means getting way down below the line where your corals will survive though. IIRC you really need to get it down to 1.009, basically right above the line where the fish might start to hemorrhage. Check that though...pretty sure it's 1.009 that I was told.
Good advice
MorganAtlanta
New member
Believe me, I've looked through that... Hypo seems like the gentlest way to go, but with a scrubber as my primary form of filtration, I could run into ammonia issues without it. Hypo has to last over a month, and then I need to support the fish for another month while the coral and inverts are in a tank without fish. I still haven't decided whether to move the fish, or move the coral and inverts, but since the coral and inverts don't generate much waste, it might be easier to move them and keep the rest of the system running, just at lower salinity.
Floyd R Turbo
Either busy or sleeping
What about moving the fish and scrubber to a hypo tank, and keep the main tank fallow during the hypo treatment? Corals and inverts are not susceptible to Ich so this would save them the hypo treatment (which I believe kills all inverts)
jason2459
Well-known member
There's more alive in your system than what you see that would be impacted. I highly suggest not doing anything like that to your main display tank.
MorganAtlanta
New member
That's the idea-- I need to keep the fish and scrubber together so that they have filtration. The coral and inverts don't need it. I either move the fish and scrubber to a separate hypo treatment tank, or move the coral and inverts out of the display and do the treatment there. My question was in regards to lowering the salinity and the impact it would have on the scrubber, because I have roughly a dozen fish and don't want to loose the filtration, which might cause ammonia issues during the hypo treatment and "fallow" waiting period.
MorganAtlanta
New member
When I say coral and inverts, I also mean most of the live rock as well.
jason2459
Well-known member
and more importantly your sand or are you bare bottom?
