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Algae Scrubbers

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reeferforlyfe, Feb 12, 2012.

  1. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    So I have been doing a ton of extensive research on Algae Scrubbers. My tank is a 180 Gallon W/ 75 gal Sump. I run Carbon and GFO and I STILL have HA and cyano. My nitrates read 0 and my phos reads 0, obviously since my algae is eating up all the nutrients.
    Does anyone have any experience with these? I'm trying to build one to create a controlled environment for the algae to grow in my sump so I can harvest it, and keep it outta the DT.
    Thoughts?
     
  2. iaJim

    iaJim Inactive User

    775
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    Floyd R. Turbo is the resident expert on algae scrubbers. PM him if he doesn't chime in.
     
  3. softieatheart

    softieatheart Inactive User

    196
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    I am wanting to do the same thing.  Will follow this thread with interest.
     
  4. softieatheart

    softieatheart Inactive User

    196
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    I am wanting to do the same thing.  Will follow this thread with interest.
     
  5. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    Yea, I saw Floyds post in RC, and thats why Im starting one here, for the local peeps.

    I will work on getting the parts for the build this week, and hopefully by the weekend, we will have some pictures!
     
  6. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    There is supposedly some new great new design coming out in the future. I'm kind of waiting to see what turns out with that. I'm also interested in building and running a scrubber on my system. Seems like a real simple and natural way for nutrient export.
     
  7. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    Floyd R. Turbo made a 3D algae scrubber from acrylic and red n white LEDs. The thing is an algae growing monster!
     
  8. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    I'm going to shoot him a message to get a parts list and make my own just like his. Plus it looks really cool!
     
  9. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,821 / 14 / -0
    I haven't made an LED scrubber yet, the one I run uses T5HO and it will be replaced at some point in the future with an LED one, which I have on the drawing board currently.

    Glad you made it back on here!

    Say how many fish do you have in your system and what kind / how big? Like I said on RC PMs I think you're feeding a bit too much but I bet the fish and corals like that /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif
     
  10. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    Haha, Indeed! I have made it here!! Yea thats my misunderstanding. I saw that somewhere else online.
    I have for inhabitants:
    1 Blue Hippo
    1 Powder Blue
    1 Yellow Tang
    1 Desjardini Sailfin
    2 Oscellaris Clowns
    1 Perc Clown
    8 Blue n Green Chromis
    3 Lyretail Anthias 1 Male, 2 Female
    1 Royal Gamma Basslet
    1 Sixline Wrasse
    Corals include:
    1 Candycane (Size of VolleyBall)
    1 FrogSpawn (Volleyball Size) 15+ heads
    1 Bi-color Frogspawn
    3 Different Zoos
    1 Leather Coral
    1 Hammer Coral (2 Heads)
    1 Kryptonite Candycane (3 heads)
    1 Rhicordea or how ever you spell em... Mushrooms
    1 Maxima Clam
    2 Cleaner Shrimp
    4 Peppermint shrimp
    1 Coral Banded Shrimp
    I am going to start feeding:
    Everyday:
    1 Cube size of flake/pellet food
    1 Cube size of mysis shrimp
    Corals ( 3 times a week)
    1 baby Brine cube
    2 Rotifers
    1 Cube Size worth of cyclopeeze.
    How does this look Floyd!!!?? Better then what I stated earlier to you? lol
     
  11. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    Oh and my tank is 180 gallons with a 75 gallon sump. I run a super reef octopus SSS5000 Int skimmer as well. I've got all the basics for success, just a little bump in the road lol
     
  12. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,821 / 14 / -0
    well, that is a lot of fish! So that puts your feeding amounts into perspective quite well.

    The way to get the 'cube equivalent' for flake food is to put the amount you feed into some water and blend it up, then strain it, and put it into a cube. Either that or grind it up fine. So 1 cube of flake food is a whole lot more than you probably think it is (or maybe it's not!)

    I'm thinking that the flake food, no matter how good it is, might be a big source of phosphates. Also the PE mysis shrimp (if that's what you're using) needs to be thoroughly rinsed. These things might be contributing to the hair algae.

    Every once in a while, there is a DIY food seminar, in Des Moines we usually have one 2x a year and make a 'reef food' similar to Rod's Food. For me, it's great because I like to feed a lot and also have customers that like to feed a lot, so it's very cost effective, and you feed your fish and reef every day as well. What makes it great IMO with the scrubber is that the food circulates through until it is consumed on some level instead of getting filtered out, so there's no wasted food (that's if you use a scrubber only I guess). Anyways, off on a tangent.

    But the bottom line is that excess nutrients are in the system long enough that the GFO and carbon can't take them out before the algae gets to them. So this is where the scrubber comes in nicely, you give the algae the place to grow and it out competes the algae in the DT. Depending on exact conditions, this can happen rather quickly, or it can drag out into a battle of sorts. The key to the latter is to have a very strong scrubber.
     
  13. Tholton33

    Tholton33 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    537
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    i think i am going to try my hand at a crude form. i have an old tray from a no longer used wet/dry sump with many holes drilled in it. along with the roughed up craft mesh. i need to tee off my return pump to bleed some of the excess flow. i plan to drain that line onto the tray which is angled into my fuge section. gravity will take the water over the screen and hopefully i get some good results.

    would the tray be better off with no hole in it? or is that just a minor issue?
     
  14. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,821 / 14 / -0
    Any screen that is not fully vertical and in a 'waterfall' mode is considered a horizontal screen because of the tendency of the water to channel and flow through the screen and not through the algae evenly, thus it will seriously underperform when compared to a vertical waterfall scrubber. Just FYI. Horizontal screens generally need to be 4x as large and have 1.5x the light.
     
  15. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0
    I think a cube of pellet/flake and cube of mysis is not going to be enough for all the fish. The Tangs are especially hard on the bioload. Make sure that you only put a little bit of food in at a time so the food is consumed...turn down the flow if needed while feeding. Take your time feeding the fish!  ( Personally, I don't like flake food and pellet isn't much better. Consider DIY.)   I would for sure cut back on feeding the corals as what you have, get most of their nutrients from the azoo.  I think the 3 weekly feedings for the corals is contributing the most to the excess nutrients.  You have a large system...do you have enough LR in it?  How old is the LR?  Do you blow the detritus of the rock weekly?  Do you have a sandbed?  How deep?  How old?  There are many things to take into consideration when having nutrient problems...  Whatever you decide, I would implement slowly and monitor their responses. Good luck! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif
     
  16. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    Yea, I need to figure out my own food for my fish and corals. Anyone have some good recipes? /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/biggrin.gif
     
  17. Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

    655
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    250 lbs lr 250 lbs of sand, tank is 1 year in march. Sand bed is 4-6 inch deep. No I don't blow the rock off like I should. I will implement that into my scheduled maintenance
     
  18. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,821 / 14 / -0
    I don't believe in blowing detritus off of rock either. I've never done it and haven't had issues. then again I tend to go against the grain.

     
  19. Tholton33

    Tholton33 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    537
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    I had tried a vertical scrubber in the past but just could not get a good design that worked well. Care to share some tips on setting it up and flow needed?
     
  20. Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,821 / 14 / -0
    There's a long thread on RC that I kind of moderate. I wrote a 10-post summary on posts 2001-2010
    http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420

    And look in srusso's signature for other pertinent posts. I'm updating the summary this week.

    Then there's a whole site dedicated to scrubbers www.algaescrubber.net and anyone there would have been able to help troubleshoot.

    You can have one thing 'off' and it will make a huge difference.
     

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