Show me your AquaClear Mods!

[dwaynenterprise]

I'll start with mine.







Surface Skimmer & AC30 Sponge mechanical filtration


Question to you AC70 modders.. Is the acrylic set correctly? I have a feeling that If i remove it and stick an ac30 sponge, it would not only fit perfectly right under the pump but collect ALL debris the moment it comes in. I would also have more play room in the refugium.

I'm currently running a medium bio bag with carbon in it, which conveniently fits perfectly as well in the slot.

Your thoughts?

 

[gmneil]

what kind of light is that. it looks loke led can you give me some more info on it?

 

[dwaynenterprise]

what kind of light is that. it looks loke led can you give me some more info on it?

It is a small recessed light fixture that I found at "Ace Hardware" on clearance. It's I believe an incandescent bulb, about 7-9 watts. I zip tied it to the egg-crateish thing and it sits right above my ball of Chaeto and macro.

It seems very very old, as the packaging was worn out like weather damage and theres a sticker thats marked 12/06 on the back of the fixture.. But hey, it works

 

[dwaynenterprise]

My apologies, it was a halogen bulb. Something like this

5 watt

7 watt

Mine costed me about 7 bucks on clearance. This one doesn't seem too bad, and I do believe 5w is enough for Chaeto. There is another one on Amazon for $22 that's 12 dimmable I think. They make great lights and can be ziptied to aim right above the algae

Just watch out though, they tend to run kind of hot. I turned down my heater half a red bar in order to keep my tank stable around 78 at night, and during the day time it's hot enough to have my tank hit max of 80.

 

[gmneil]

ok thanks for the info

 

[john08007]

that light is an under cabinet light, i believe they typically have small xenon bulbs in them

 

[dwaynenterprise]

Thanks for clarifying... I threw away the packaging is and this light is already ziptied down with diddly squat detailing on the back. Anywho, they work great...

 

[crn005]

Not an aqua clear, but a hang-on filter I modified into an algae turf scrubber while I was living in Korea. I didn't have the equipment or room to do a sump but I had out of control phosphate, despite my phosban reactor. Basically, I just mounted a lamp over the screen and let it go to town. I had thick green algae in about a week or two.

 

[crn005]

Here are some more pics I just found. Maybe they'll give you a better idea of the set up.

Here's the growth after a day or two. I rubbed the screen with some gha from my tank to seed it. It took off immediately.

 

[dwaynenterprise]

That looks like Goliath of all pod water slides haha!! Clever build
What size tank did you have that in?
Also did it smell fishy to you? I have a fear of algae scrubbers smelling like ocean too much, any more stinky and my GF wouldn't be too happy

 

[crn005]

I had pods for days! A crab ended up living under the screen too. He would climb up and eat from it everyday. He was a fat and happy crab! It was on a 20 gallon and I didn't smell it at all. I just asked my fiancé if she remembers smelling it and she said only if she was close, but she's Korean. I think she was just feigning for some seaweed! Haha!

 

[dwaynenterprise]

I just finished the AC 70 not too long ago, and I seeded my fuge with pods last week, so I'm hoping the chaeto and macro I have will be sufficient pod grounds. I haven't seen much yet though...

I'm looking to eventually get a mandarin but damn that scrubber must have made aquarium life ez mode.

 

[crn005]

Chris, don't worry about the pods. They will come. As far as the scrubber, it helped a lot, but it wasn't enough for the time I had. I ultimately ran out of time before I won my war on all of the gha in my tank. No matter how quickly the scrubber could eat PO4, the water supply was providing much more. The water quality in Seoul wasn't so great and the shoddy RO unit I had didn't help. Also, I was thinking about it the other day and I think there's a good chance PO4 was leeching out of the sand and rocks that a dishonest dealer sold me. This was before I found my main man that was honest and very well priced.