Ats

Damien, I have never used T-5,s but my pc bulbs are 67K. I also experimented with GE Ultra Daylight 65K normal outputs and they seemed to have about the same growth effect as my pc,s.

So Eric, I now gather regarding the dump speed and amount of water volume, that your suggested increase, is for surge and current in the tank, and not a suggestion for better nutrient removal my the scrubber algae. Which I assume would be a side benefit anyways.
 
Flatlander said:
Hi Caevan,
Long time. Still running the scrubber in your sump? I was thinking about 6 times per minute. Although my scrubber benefits the tank with the dump, I like the idea of running it over my sump, fed by one of the overflows.
Click to expand...

Doug
In 2002 I upgraded to a larger tank. The new tank is built around an Aquatic Engineers Eco-wheel, you get a larger scrubber area for a smaller foot print. The whole tank is driven by an air lift.

The scrubber wheel rotates at 2 to 4 rpm the wheel is weighted ( with a water compartment) which gives a surge into the tank at each revolution.
 
Thanks Eric.

Yea, Caevan, I was reading your website after I posted. Looks nice. I have been following the thread in the Advanced forum, regarding an Eco-wheel set up.
 
Well, a couple of years back in THIS thread, I was asking "what does ATS stand for", and now I'm here to post pics of mine.:)
My 65G tank has 2 flow loops, around 20 GPM from an external air lift with an integrated 7G RCSD, and another 20 GPM from a Iwaki 40RLT sump return pump. When the RCSD fires, the tank level drops 1.5 inches, stopping the overflow for about 11 seconds. I'm using this action - the overflow stopping periodically - to "surge" and alga scrubber filter in the sump.

The construction of the AS is just 20" of 6" ABS pipe, bisected into a half cylinder. One end of the 1/2-cylinder is stopped completely. The other end is stopped except for a 1" hole at the bottom of the curve. The AS is set in the sump above the water line, a few degrees off horizontal, so the water pouring into it from the OF pipe (1.5") wants to drain towards the hole. The OF water is directed into the flow of the water trying to drain, creating a lot of turbulence in the AS container. When the RCSD fires, the OF stops, and AS drains completely. As the RCSD pumps down, the OF fills water into the AS faster than it can drain, filling it untill it overflows its sides. The RCSD fires about every 40 seconds.

Maybe pictures will help:
The AS starting to fill after draining
The AS filled to overflowing. The OF drains faster the the AS can.
The AS draining
The AS nearly drained
The AS removed for harvest
The AS after harvest

A 250W EYE DL bulb is used a few inches over the AS and sump. I clean the light fixture when I harvest the AS. Thanks for everyone's help way back when I first showed an interest. I hope that there are still a few of you out there tinkering with these things.
 
Howard,
Nice scrubber. How long does it take to regrow to the next harvest? Are you supplementing with any other form of filtration? Would you mind sharing a tank photo? Thanks.

matt
 
How long does it take to regrow to the next harvest?
Click to expand...
The AS is new and I haven't developed a harvest routine. Once the turf showed up, it took less than 2 weeks to this harvest, so I'd guess twice monthly.
Are you supplementing with any other form of filtration?
Click to expand...
Yes I feed a GAC filter the output of an air powered, 6' CC skimmer. The flow rate is less than 1 gallon a minute. I use about 6 heaping tablespoons a GAC replaced weekly. No mechanical filters except the CC skimmer. No chemical media except the GAC. There is also Chaeto, Caulerpa, and Sargassum in the sump, along with Anthellia and some Zoanthids. These were my main export up to now.
Would you mind sharing a tank photo?
Click to expand...
Here are 3. The tank is supposed to be a lagoon with seagrass and sand-associated alga abuting a patch reef of (mostly) stony coral and Tridacna. The lighting is a single 250W daylight MH and a single 96W blue PC. The visible 2" piping are the outlet and inlet from the lift/RCSD loop. The 3/4" fittings are the sump returns from the 40RLT.
Front right side of tank
Front middle of tank
Front left side of tank
 
Piercho,

Great looking tank. One of the finnest I've seen :D. While there is something to be said for tanks with all of the rarest, most expensive corals available, there is also something to be said for reef tanks that look reminiscent of the real thing. I enjoy the former, but I prefer the latter. As such, I really enjoy your patch reef tank.

Best,

-Chris
 
Chris,
the words are kind but I know it's not that great. It's usually "fuller" with Halimeda but I've been hand-harvesting all the Halimeda I see to try and give the Uddotea and Penicillus a chance to get established. The Halodule seagrass just holds its ground but the Syringodium does well. Most of the visible algae colonies on the rock collapsed after the high flow vegetative filter got plumbed and I began persistently running the skimmer. This has left the rock rather bare for my taste but at least free from Derbesia and similar pests. As far as coral, I'm experimenting with those I think are found - at least occasionally - in back-reef areas to see how they respond to my husbandry. In a later tank I'd like to have a large expanse of grassbed, with just a few corals selected from the current ones clustered in a single location near the bottom. Then they can have years to grow and establish a natural looking bomme, instead of this menagerie stuck here and there. But I'm still learning the basics and this tank has been a good experiment.

As far as abandoning the skimmer and GAC now that the scrubber is up, I don't think so. I also do large exchanges of water (50%) quarterly using local NSW, which is another large departure from what Adey recommends (and just about everyone else). I've arrived at the conclusion that its better to form my own goals and try to evolve the husbandry to reach them rather than to emulate someone else. Not that I am knocking, in any way, anyone who wants to operate a more (or less) "natural" tank.
 
<quote>As far as abandoning the skimmer and GAC now that the scrubber is up, I don't think so. I also do large exchanges of water (50%) quarterly using local NSW, which is another large departure from what Adey recommends (and just about everyone else). I've arrived at the conclusion that its better to form my own goals and try to evolve the husbandry to reach them rather than to emulate someone else. Not that I am knocking, in any way, anyone who wants to operate a more (or less) "natural" tank.<Quote>
 
You can get a small screen sample coated in turf algae from inland aquatics. the definitive book on turf algae and scrubbers is "DYNAMIC AQUARIA: Building and Restoring Living Ecosystems". FYI...

Matt
 
Wow this was dug up before I was ever around RC. Anyways, does anyone have pics of their actualy display using the ATS without the skimmer?

The results mean everything!
 
This is my tank it has been running since February 2002 using an Ecowheel algal scrubber.

fulltank.jpg
 
Caevan,

Nice display

How much supplemental flow are you adding to the tank in addition to the eco-wheel? Have you experienced any algae outbreaks within the display since using the eco-wheel?

Thanks.

Matt
 
Due to the specific design of the Ecowheel system, the aquarium was designed from the start to run with the eco wheel. I have never had any outbreaks of algae. I have had recently some cyano. Though I attribute that to the amount I feed my anemones. I am effectively adding 10 dead fish each the size of a clown fish to the aquarium each week when I feed the anemones.
 
How often are you able to harvest from your eco-wheel? Does your eco-wheel use the screen material wrapped around the fins, or do you just have the fins without screening?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
PO4 can't get it right
Replies
3
Views
1K
Timfish
Timfish
OrionN
Biota Hybrid CB Regal Angel. Please comment
Replies
4
Views
152
griss
griss
M
20 gallon stocking ideas
Replies
9
Views
1K
MC Blowfish
M
S
Its been a while.
Replies
10
Views
2K
Reefing102
Reefing102
B
  • Question Question
Soft Water
Replies
13
Views
295
wvned
wvned
Back
Top