Waterfall Turf Algea Filter: CHEAP and EASY to build

[PowermanKW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13483112#post13483112 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arc eye
PowermanKW (like electricity by the way?)

Just an FYI, you don't have to use sand in a refugium. I know a lot of people who run them bare bottom with live rock and macroalgae. That way you can siphon the sludge that will accumulate in your sump/refugium.

Also, if you have the space you could plumb a 10g or even a bucket to your W/D with a small pump to separate whatever you plan on doing for a refugium from the flow currently running through your W/D. Check out melevsreef.com for some options.

Then maybe you could do a W/D, Skimmer, Turf, and Refugium..........although probably not necessary.

Yep, power plant operator.

I didn't know folks used bare bottoms. I do still have a bit of room under the tank. The sump is rather full of pumps and the skimmer. Have thought about making the skimmer external. And did wonder if I had room for a ten gallon under there.

I'll take a look at the site. Right now it's just interesting. I'm a rookie and all my chemistry is good and stable. Had my tank I bought from a coworker for about 2 months. Been doing tons of reading. Thanks for your input.

 

[arc eye]

Sounds like you are on the right track. The sump ideas on melevsreef.com are priceless.

What region and type of power plant do you operate?............I've got a strange fascination with power, my father is an electrical engineer so I guess I come by it honestly.

 

[Spyder_78]

This will be my one and only post on this site as it is a joke you guys act like a bunch of babys I got half way through this thread and have decided this isnt worth my time GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tmz]

I use bare bottom refugia with gracilaria and chaetomorpha macroalgae only.

 

[PowermanKW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13485831#post13485831 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arc eye
Sounds like you are on the right track. The sump ideas on melevsreef.com are priceless.

What region and type of power plant do you operate?............I've got a strange fascination with power, my father is an electrical engineer so I guess I come by it honestly.

I went to melevs. Wow. I thought I had been there, but was mistaken. Thanks for more reading Good place for ideas.

My problem is that my sump can't come out, so anything I do will have to be in place. Time for a water change and sump clean. I'll take a good look to see what I could do.

P.S. I run 3 coal fired plants in Colorado . 257 MW total. Feel free to PM me.

 

[miwoodar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13485981#post13485981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Spyder_78
This will be my one and only post on this site as it is a joke you guys act like a bunch of babys I got half way through this thread and have decided this isnt worth my time GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude - you gotta read the whole thread. This thread has been spammed all over the internet (more than 24 forums at last count). The tunnel-vision of the RC thread is gone these days and people are now talking about the *appropriate* way to apply the approach (which means in conjunction with your other filtration, not as a replacement for your other filtration). This thread is now the best of the bunch IMO. The others, at least the ones that have not been closed by the admins, continue to blindly push people towards a dead end. Most of those threads are still going through the growing pains and confrontation you were reading about when you quit and decided to pass judgement.

I'm *not* going to apply it to my tank. Personally, I don't think it's worth the effort and none of the tanks I care to emulate are using this approach. But if someone wants to give it a go - this thread is the one to pay attention to.

 

[Michael]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13485981#post13485981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Spyder_78
This will be my one and only post on this site as it is a joke you guys act like a bunch of babys I got half way through this thread and have decided this isnt worth my time GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

try reading the thread, then stop acting like the sherriff, you have 1 post and are acting like a mod, theres more to this than you think, cool down and chill out fella, when you actually read this thread you will realise we are not babies:lol:


edit, sorry to the mods, i didnt mean you would make silly comments like spyder, just that hes trying to behave like hes moderating the thread, well i will shut up now before i cant get out of the hole im digging:eek1: :eek1: :lol:

 

[waynem]

Damm after all that reading now the only thing I can remember is the Egos.

I dont see anyone ever coming up with 1 part answer to nature, dont mean you cant try I guess but why fight about it.

Anyway is anyone with long term use of this method got another more on topic thread to point me at.

 

[waynem]

BTW

Does anyone think SM aka Mr Bryan Fa~~~~~ * was going to start selling some sort of Turf Filter?

*hmm better not post his details incase I am not correct

 

[Michael]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13526051#post13526051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waynem
Damm after all that reading now the only thing I can remember is the Egos.

I dont see anyone ever coming up with 1 part answer to nature, dont mean you cant try I guess but why fight about it.

Anyway is anyone with long term use of this method got another more on topic thread to point me at.

algae scrubbers have merit no doubt, however a decent skimmer and refugium is a better solution, thats what some of us are saying, there are dozens of threads on the web on this subject, just google the title of this thread and you can read SMs comments all over the globe on litrally a dozen sites, each 1 has at least 100 replies, should be plenty of other egos to look at there as well

 

[K' Family Reef]

have been following this thread
(rather loosely )... personally always like to look at/explore NEW WAYS of doing things... and am never intimidated by people who come out (in the open) to discuss and research new methods etc etc... anytime such a subject is 'breached' this is the 'typical' result - 'the' crusades - someone(s) getting burned at the stake - although in some instances some 'burn' themselves in the process :furious:

this is the way that NEW DISCOVERIES are made
and although not trying to say that this will inevitably lead to any 'new' reefing methods or contributions... it doesnt mean that it WONT either (whether directly or indirectly related)...

think the OP
came across an idea that he ***perhaps*** expounded on ***somewhat***... or if nothing else - brought it to the attention of a lot of people (IE we are still here posting/discussion/listening in on - this thread! and on many other forums)... so iow this subject is 'highlighted' on the internet - in many ways by the OP of this thread... perhaps he is a young man inexperienced w/ forum 'etiquette' and perhaps didnt go about approaching the subject in the 'best' way or in a way that is 'acceptable' to the majority (which well - due to the nature of the subject - ANY sort of 'congenial' APPROACH will still end up in flames! - sort of like this posting being made )...

all that aside
the 'method' is interesting (as is every other reefing 'method' in application/theory/science)... however much merit it may have PERHAPS is yet to be determined (once upon a time in the '90s we had a reef set up w/ the top of line methodologies of the moment - BIOBALLS :lol: )... but being that so many people are getting interested it cant be long that the subject will come to some sort of ((('conclusion'))) thanks (in some part PERHAPS) to the OP of the thread - who THINKS he is really onto something... and feels its his mission to share it w/ the world... perhaps trying to form his own team of 'followers' eventually to take over the world of reefing himself w/ his own 'ideologies' much like SALADIN (muslim) opposing the (european) crusaders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin).

:uzi: :hammer:

one thing i like about this idea
is the 'evaporative' cooling effect... and being that my 'interest' is in setting up a garage fish room (in arizona the heat in a garage is a MAJOR issue to contend with) then this might serve some other purpose as part of a 'larger' system being devised... or to be included in the overall 'filtration' scheme in some way.

happy reefing!


regards

 

[miwoodar]

Well put.

I agree about the evaporative cooling idea - that is definitely a benefit for tanks that don't have enough.

 

[Bonneville08]

Hello everyone,
I have used a turf filter for about ten years now. Same one on Discus tank, then Rift lake Cichlid tank, and now my reef for about three years. I also use a protein skimmer, Calcium Reactor and carbon. My Nitrate is usually between 0.25 and 0.5 ppm with a LaMotte low range nitrate kit. I don't test for phosphate. I have a few SPS corals including acropora, montipora, pocillopora, porites, and seriatopora, LPS including caulastrea, euphyllia, favia, blastomussa, and lobophyllia, Softies including zoanthid sp, yellow pollyps, xenia, sarcophyton, sinularia, discosoma, rhodactis, protopalythoa and button polyps and one lonely tridacna crocea. None of these is huge, but they are all growing and thriving. I do not perceive an algae problem.
For those of you contesting that turf filter alone may not be the answer, "The Reef Aquarium" (Delbeek/Sprung) supports the assertion.
I was a little hesitant to post on this thread due to the vitriol, but some folks seem genuinely curious. I will answer any questions if I am able and would consider e-mailing photos. Posting looks like a PITA.
The only side I am on is the folks who want to know. I am posting to help, not revolutionize the hobby.

 

[Michael]

after seeing many of your posts lately i have much respect for you and would love to see some pics and info on the subject, there are 2 factors which make me think twice about scrubbers, the first is that i belive a skimmer and good husbandry practices are equally if not better, secondly they are at least 25 years old and have been tried and tested by many many seasoned aquarists who have decided not to continue using them, well ok how do i know this, well i have read thousands of posts on the subject and know a couple of reefers who have used them, they are also quite ugly imo but i do agree and have said so a few times that i beleive thay have merit, but i still think a deep sand bed and skimmer is more effective, hope you can show some pics buddy

 

[Bonneville08]

For you Michael, I have gotten off my duff and figured this out, much thanks to the folks who put out the helpful hints.
This is my display tank (Please don't tell the tang police). It is illuminated by a 150W DE MH and two 96W actinic PC's. A major portion of the aquascaping is foam. Only the glass was cleaned for this photo.
I will try to post other photos with explanations.
If I or my aquarium get attacked, I'm outta here (this thread).

[/IMG]

 

[Bonneville08]

Here is a close up. The green acro has tripled in size in the last year and has encrusted the epoxy I used to mount it, maybe nothing extraordinary for growth but it is far from dying.

[/IMG]

 

[Bonneville08]

This is my equipment. The turf filter is an MMFI original bought in 1998, no mods. It is in the upper left hand side of the cabinet directly above the rubbermaid sump. The overflow is routed directly though the ATF which drains into the sump. The return pump is an external 590 GPH back to the tank. The chiller is on a closed loop with a submersible. The skimmer is also driven with a separate submersible. Keep in mind that I built this cabinet for this equipment, that's why the cabinet is so much bigger than the DT. I have to take the skimmer collection cup off to harvest, and I only harvest once a month on half of the screens (please don't tell the ATF police).

[/IMG]

 

[Bonneville08]

Here is a close up of the ATF. I scrapped the OEM lights a few years ago and put a 96W quad PC 6500K on there. I built an eggcrate frame to broaden the field of light. The ATF is lit for 12 hours a day (RDP). Yes the DT is on for 12 hours a day as well, not for any good reason, I like to watch it that much. If corals and fishies did not need sleepy time I would have it on for longer. I recently took the ATF from 24 hour illumination to RDP to see if it would have a positive effect on corals and clam. Nitrate used to be less than 0.25 ppm, now it is 0.5 ppm. Its been two weeks and I still don't see an algae problem. My alkalinity did go up 0.5 meq/l though. Everything else tested is the same.

[/IMG]

 

[Bonneville08]

I will check back to see if there are any questions, and would be more than happy to continue an adult dialog.
I've never seen a good reference book that I did not buy and read, I have kept them next to the computer since I joined the forum last month for helping novices in the Newbie forum. I recommend every newbie who reads this to get your own books. IMO, THEY are the most important thing to consider when setting up.
My tank is the result of the research of some giants in our hobby. I like to think I'm on the cutting edge of reefkeeping but I'm really enjoying the ride on some famous coat tails.
Enough of my preaching, you folks have a great day.

 

[matt & pam]

Bonneville08,

How do you keep coraline growth off the back/side walls and overflow?

Nice looking tank, BTW.

Matt