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Unread 07/05/2008, 09:36 PM   #20
Putawaywet
20 and over club
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Long Beach, CA.
Posts: 2,720
Ok, being a former ATS guy here are my suggestions...

Scrap the spray bar idea and seriously consider incorporating a surge device so the box will alternately fill and empty. This should solve your problem with slime algae dead zones on the screen (which I fully expect you to get) but still provide the algae with it's air requirement. I might even go so far as to add some mesh or rubble to create a pod friendly habitat in the bottom of the box so every time the surge fired the fish would benefit from some free food.

Depending on your nutrient load I could see you having to clean the inside of the box as often as every other day. Even the smallest buildup could reduce your light penetration considerably. Also, you can spend the money on a seed screen from the likes of Inland Aquatics or just let it grow in on it's own. I've done it both ways and after a while I can't really tell the difference. The real secret is good light penetration and a frequent and even screen harvesting.

In my experience I've not seen any more algae in the display than you would expect to see sans an ATS. Properly maintained tanks running a good scrubber are generally too Phosphate limited for the algae to take hold anywhere but in the ATS.

Brett


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Last edited by Putawaywet; 07/05/2008 at 09:42 PM.
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