Algae Scrubber Basics

[Randyp79]

I just added my algae scrubber to my 40 gallon frag tank because I was having some nutrient issues in that tank. I seeded the screen with some GHA from the frag tank in hopes that it would speed things up a bit. I am 2 days in and I think the results are promising.


Day 1


Day 2



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[MrineLfRlz]

Originally Posted by Randyp79

I just added my algae scrubber to my 40 gallon frag tank because I was having some nutrient issues in that tank. I seeded the screen with some GHA from the frag tank in hopes that it would speed things up a bit. I am 2 days in and I think the results are promising.


Day 1


Day 2



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Im just curious on open ATS designs isnt the water evaporation terrible?

[SantaMonica]

It will evaporate a lot, yes.

[niladride]

^

Hi,

I am planning to build as ATS, too. Is red led along with a few cool white led ideal for the algae growth? I am going to order the following:

http://www.ebay.in/itm/141887009491?...24f25d4e7&cp=1

This listing has got red and blue leds, it can be customized to red and white.

[Floyd R Turbo]

IME even royal blue has enough intensity to overpower a new screen, CW would be worse I would think.

I prefer going the other direction with the supplemental spectrum to violet, but you generally can't get that in a stock fixture because violets are more expensive and less reliable (for the cheap chips). Plus these fixtures are generally made for plant growth, which is just fine with blue or even cool white.

Also these are low power LED = no heat sink - not very intense. This fixture probably pulls 5w if that.

[hkgar]

............................................

[iced98lx]

Originally Posted by biecacka

I want mine to look like that. My screen is too big for my feedings now though. How long are you running lights Chris, also how big is your screen?

Corey

Hey Corey sorry for the delay, didn't see this right away. I'm running lights from 5:00 PM to 11:00 AM. The screen size is the standard "2 cube" size (mine is a commercial unit so I'm not sure the exact sq inches).

Hope that helps

[Randyp79]

Day 1


Day 2


Day3

Looks like progress!


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[fishbox]

Well heck, on day 3 you're removing beetles lol

[Randyp79]

Yeah, another advantage of an ATS... LOL


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[SantaMonica]

It's a big screen, but should grow well.

[niladride]

Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo

IME even royal blue has enough intensity to overpower a new screen, CW would be worse I would think.

I prefer going the other direction with the supplemental spectrum to violet, but you generally can't get that in a stock fixture because violets are more expensive and less reliable (for the cheap chips). Plus these fixtures are generally made for plant growth, which is just fine with blue or even cool white.

Also these are low power LED = no heat sink - not very intense. This fixture probably pulls 5w if that.

Thanks for replying.

So would you recommend not to get this one? In that case, can you please suggest something, any link?

Thanks,

Niladri.

[niladride]

^

Can anyone provide me with a link for led/cfl bulbs to buy for ATS? Can this one work?

http://www.ebay.in/itm/50-Watt-SMD-L...YAAOSwhkRWeZ-k

[SantaMonica]

No that is white light. Seach instead for 20 watt LED grow light. There are not as many listed for India but there are still several.

[niladride]

^

How about these one?

http://www.amazon.com/OSRAM-SYLVANIA...n%3A3242350011

It ships to India, costly though with shipping. I desperately need lights with clip set up so that I can clamp them with sump partition walls.

[SantaMonica]

Those are better, although you don't need the white. Looks like nobody in India makes lights, so if you want to get them from China or US you can get whatever you want, like these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/182114138155

You did not say how big your screen was.

[niladride]

^

Thanks for replying. My tank capacity is 150 gallons, so I need 150 square inches lighted both sides.

The link you have posted does not ship to India.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252316394748...MakeTrack=true

Please check this one?

Or this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-15W-54W-...dLJpg6LvvkeDzQ

[wildwilly1]

i have been running ats for about 8 weeks good growth all water perams in line. problem is starting to get some red slime in tank .was going to try some chemi clean . not sure what do do with ats while dosing chemiclean leave running as usual,leave flow turn off lights to or just take it off line for couple of days please help

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by niladride

^

How about these one?

http://www.amazon.com/OSRAM-SYLVANIA...n%3A3242350011

It ships to India, costly though with shipping. I desperately need lights with clip set up so that I can clamp them with sump partition walls.

Look for something like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GLW-Led-Grow...cAAOSw14xXE3gg

Here is the key part:
Wavelength Red: 655~660nm, Blue:460nm

[SantaMonica]

My tank capacity is 150 gallons, so I need 150 square inches

Use the feeding guideline instead, below.

The lights might work, depending on the size of your screen. Those light need to be far away though, because they are focused.

starting to get some red slime in tank

Normal because the competing layers of algae are going away. The cyano will eventually start to go away too.

Feeding guideline:

Scrubbers are sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons or liters you have. So...

An example VERTICAL upflow or waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real florescent watts (not equivalent watts) of light, or half that for LEDs, for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts (6 watts LED) are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If the watts are divided on each side of the screen, it is a 2-sided screen. This should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:

1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or
5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)

Flow or air bubbles is always 24 hours; water flow is at least 35 gph per inch of width of screen [60 lph per cm], EVEN IF one sided or horizontal.

FLOATING SURFACE SCRUBBERS WITH STRINGS: Screen size is the size of the box (Length X Width), and is 2-sided because the strings grow in 3D.

Clean algae:

Every 7 to 14 days, or
When it's black, or
When it fills up, or
When algae lets go, or
When nutrients start to rise

[MaccaPopEye]

Originally Posted by wildwilly1

i have been running ats for about 8 weeks good growth all water perams in line. problem is starting to get some red slime in tank .was going to try some chemi clean . not sure what do do with ats while dosing chemiclean leave running as usual,leave flow turn off lights to or just take it off line for couple of days please help

I am also seeing a lot of cyano growth as the GHA in my DT keeps slowly receding. Thinking of just letting it run its course over the next month or so. If its still persisting in a month or two I will use some chemiclean to see if I can help it move on.

[Crusinjimbo]

Wildwilly, I recently douched my tank with chemclean with no discernible change in ATS functioning. I just changed my ATS configuration and screen. My screen was only 12 days in use at application time. I closely watched the vertical maturity of the screen during the week of dosing chemclean and noted no decrease in the screen's maturation, I.e., the coloration continued down the screen without interruption. My personal, one time experience and my tank has only two clowns, softies and zoas.

[niladride]

@hkgar

Thanks pal, I will try to source that. That seller does not ship to India though. How many 20 watts do I need?




@SantaMonica

Very informative post indeed. Thanks a lot. I am yet to add a single fish in my set up. I like to feed little to medium, not heavy, as in most cases I have seen/read that fish die of overeating. I think I would go with 12 * 12 square inches screen, both sides lighted. Rest of the things are sourced, only issue is the light. If something clamp based was present, I would grab it instantly.

[niladride]

I have posted the product link earlier, too.

http://www.ebay.in/itm/FISH-AQUARIUM.../141887009491?

This one, I asked the seller, he said its 30 watt light with 5 watt consumption. How many of these should I need? I am not getting good deals with other bulbs.

How about the following:

http://www.ebay.in/itm/Neewer-E27-12...YAAOSwGotWkvqp

http://www.ebay.in/itm/24-Watt-E27-L...gAAOSw6kxXHs1u

[jerseypete]

Originally Posted by Crusinjimbo

with no discernible change in ATS functioning. I just changed my ATS configuration and screen. My screen was only 12 days in use at application time. I closely watched the vertical maturity of the screen during the week of dosing chemclean and noted no decrease in the screen's maturation, I.e., the coloration continued down the screen without interruption. My personal, one time experience and my tank has only two clowns, softies and zoas.

Wildwilly, I recently douched my tank with chemcleanlol

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