update on algal turf scrubber

[sillygoose]

1st 3 weeks we will call Phase 1, it got some algae going but the flow system & lights were not optimal. While splitting flow btw the ATS & the skimmer, nitrates actually increased.

Week 4

• We read some more on the interwebs about ATS
• We moved the pump from the right side of the fuge into the skimmer chamber and now all flow runs thru the ATS & skimmer chamber
  
• We upgraded lights, 4 - 2600K 23W clip-on CFL instead of the 2-5600K 18W we had before. We set lights 18hr-on/6-off pattern, instead of 24-hr
  
• We added another coarse grid plastic mesh foundation to the fine grid sheet to form a double layer with algae in the middle to reseed new growth. Stitched the sheets together w zipties

Week 6
It's been two weeks since we scraped algae off of our new turf scrubber. As you can see in the pictures, growth has really taken off. Today, cleaning maybe 2/3 of the outer surfaces, we got 1 1/2 cups of algae off. The mat was 3/4-inch thick in places.

The best part is that our NO3 is down from around 10 to below detect in 2 weeks without a water change. I can't tell if PO4 went down because I have a hard time with interpreting the test, but we are starting to see new coraline growth. It's very cool. Now I hope I can post the pictures...

Here is a shot of the fuge

One side of the screens

The other side

 

[2006]

That is impressive. silly would u recommend course or fine mesh?

 

[sillygoose]

We have two different sizes. Our first sheet has holes about 1 mm across while the newer sheet has holes about 3 mm. We decided to try to the coarser weave to increase gas exchange, water, and light access through the sheets. At this point, it's hard to say if one is more effective than another. So right now we have one of each running. Both are available at Michaels craft's stores. There are guidelines on different sites and they recommended against too fine a mesh. I would encourage you to check out web resources. It's been a fun experiment so far.