Custom Acrylic Algae Scruber(lots of pics)

[Horace]

Couple things. First thumbs up to a top notch DIYr....love it!

Second, I think u will find cheato and an ATS mutually exclusive. The ATS will keep cheato from growing and it will die, so I would not waste ur time with it.

Third, yes 3 part is cheap and works well, but you won't be dosing those mysterious traces that you get from melting media. For that reason alone I think CaRx is better long term solution. It is also cheaper and far less pita thank making 3 part. I used to do it but finally said F it after I was doing through 2 gallons of each per month, and that was on a 75g. I couldn't imagine what I would go through on the 180g. No thx

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[biecacka]

@Reefcowboy. interested in selling the ATS you aren't using? I don't care about the color?


corey

 

[ReefCowboy]

How did you hang the screen without zip ties?

Did you cut longer tabs on top of the screen that slide into the capped end and the 90* feed side?

If I missed that in your pics I apologize.

The size of that is going to need some serious flow haha. I think they say 35gph per 1" of screen.

Your 12"×35gph=420gph.

I guess i only run my 10" around 300gph and it's been great. Once you start getting to higher flows you may need to add a few layers of mesh, maybe run 2-4 sheets, and majorly rough them up. The flow rates needed for larger ATS also wants to wash the algae right off the screen. The extra layers gives a good area for it to grab onto.

Thank you for the info. I might add more layers of mesh as I get this going. I might get a controllable pump and increase flow as I see the algae growing, that way ai can acess how much they can handle.

As far as how the screen holds up, here are some pics.

The main pipe slit where the screen passes through is 1/8". I made an additional cut from the screen pipe cut til the end of one of the pipe sides to be able to slide it through.
In order for the screen to hold itself inside the pipe, I cut small sections of the screen and folded them over the edge, passing a small platic screw through and locking it to the other side with a fastener. Im sure a nylon screw and washer would work the same way.







Reading around I learned the need to make some sort of washer to prevent water from creeping in the pipe edges. Here is the idea:



I then made two pieces of clear acrylic with snug holes to fit the pipe diameter and glued them to it. They should stop water from creeping through.



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[ReefCowboy]

Couple things. First thumbs up to a top notch DIYr....love it!

Second, I think u will find cheato and an ATS mutually exclusive. The ATS will keep cheato from growing and it will die, so I would not waste ur time with it.

Third, yes 3 part is cheap and works well, but you won't be dosing those mysterious traces that you get from melting media. For that reason alone I think CaRx is better long term solution. It is also cheaper and far less pita thank making 3 part. I used to do it but finally said F it after I was doing through 2 gallons of each per month, and that was on a 75g. I couldn't imagine what I would go through on the 180g. No thx

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

1- Thank you!

2- Yeah, I gave up on the idea of growing chaeto as well, agree the scrubber will end up outcompeting it and it would starve and die. I understand I could dose iron to help it keep up but I dont like to dose iron and risk raising hell with the green monsters that come to life when we keep dosing that element ill keep it simple with just the ATS...

3- Ca Reactor seems to be the way to go, I agree with all benefits you stated. Two gals of supplements per month on a 75g! WOW. Now I am just resisting changing the way my sump looks underneath my stand with the three part container matching my sump and ato...
For the good of corals I guess I will have to ruin it removing it and opening room for the Co2 tank and reactor. Here is how it looks now:

 

[ReefCowboy]

I decided to add a splash guard inside the scrubber. The led bars are waterproofed, but I feel long run as algae grows it can allow "streamers" to shoot out and maybe wet them possibly risking longevity of the leds. We know saltwater and electricity never mix well. So here we go:


I made the guard to be removed if needed for cleaning, and it sits in place attached to brackets glued to the bottom of the tray. The slits on the bottom are to allow water coming down from the screen to pass through and exit the tray towards the hole.





I decided to make a new scrubber cover. The first one was a bit too tall making it hard to be removed inside of the stand, since I also have a tall skimmer in front of it. I reduced its height by 3" and made the front and rear pannels of clear acrylic this time.

The benefits are I will be able to see how much growth I will be betting everyday and when it is time to harvest the algae without the need to be removing the cover.

The cons are I will have light bleed through the cover now, but I will have it running at times of the day(maybe night/reverse cycle) I am at work or not enjoying the tank/sump area.
The screen also blocks a lot of the light and I like the overall look of the clear one better.



I drilled holes on the cover to allow the install of the leds facing the screen. I will attach them using nylon screws/washers.



This is how the cover looks like now before the leds installed:



Attaching the leds





Attaching a connection to the tray bulkhead that will lead to the pump. I might use a sicce pump I have sitting around.

 

[ReefCowboy]

Two led bars installed..two more to go





All installed! I really like how it came out. In the morning will run water to check on flow and make sure it all works as expected or if any changes/repairs must be made.

 

[ReefCowboy]

@Reefcowboy. interested in selling the ATS you aren't using? I don't care about the color?


corey

Hi Corey,

I would probably just give you the other cover, but the LFS that made it for me is probably going to keep it for themselves! They decided to make an ATS for their main tank.

Do you run an ATS now?

 

[biecacka]

I ran a DIY and loved it. Took it offline to make a better looking one. Haven't gotten around to that yet.

Corey

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[ReefCowboy]

I ran a DIY and loved it. Took it offline to make a better looking one. Haven't gotten around to that yet.

Corey

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Yeah, when I was considering the scrubber, the DIY look of the units out there kind of stopped me from considering it. I figured then I wanted to do one fitting better the overall look of my sump.

If you want to go the acrylic route, you should try to design a unit, look for a local acrylic place or LFS that makes custom acrylic tanks/sumps. They can cut the pieces for you, and you can put the pieces together.. It becomes a very fun project to say the least. Gluing acrylic is very easy and you can make any type of scrubber you want.

 

[biecacka]

Yeah I had a plastics company cut my stuff last time. It was not horrible looking at all

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[ReefCowboy]

Unrelated to the thread, but while we are discussing acrylic DIY, Ive always wanted to get a fan for the inside of the tank stand. Here in NY CO2 levels inside a home can go crazy during the cold months as windows are always closed. My current tank's stand is pretty closed up, with very little openings for air to come through. I tested the ph for a few weeks while keeping its doors open to see how it would affect Ph. It made a noticeable difference!

So I got a PC fan, painted it and attached it to a 12V transformer to allow it to run on an outlet.
I made an acrylic bracket for it and will install it on the new stand's rear wall. I will have it running 20 mins on/20 mins off on the Apex so air is constantly being renewed in the sump area. Air exits through the fan and comes in through the stand opening.

Icecap makes a stand fan but it is not a good quality one. I got a 140mm magnetic levitation one from Best Buy(no bearings),it is completely silent and very powerful. They last much longer than the regular ones such as the icecap one also.

Here is how it came out:

 

[biecacka]

Looks really good man.

Corey

 

[Crusinjimbo]

I have been using 4 of the expression leds for 4+ years without fail. Solid and durable.

 

[ReefCowboy]

I have been using 4 of the expression leds for 4+ years without fail. Solid and durable.

Awesome. How are they set up in your system? How is the algae harvest and how often?

 

[Crusinjimbo]

My ATS was similar in design but over at 12x6 screen and I was getting more than 80g of squeezed algae about every 12 days. My PO4 and NO3 stayed under 2ppb and 3ppm respectively. The expression leds with their waterproof design allowed for cleaning salt accumulation under running tap water.