Algae Scrubber Basics - Page 342

karimwassef · 06/17/2016, 05:30 PM

ok. I'm convinced that something is creating this brown dust. Here's the holding tank above the ATS screen.

Here's the low flow side

photo 11A5D614-3CC1-497B-833D-AA8F7C59016D_zpsyzve1yip.jpg

compared to the high flow side

photo D65AF21A-8FAB-4765-A58B-5D955D40DDB3_zps9eglgmo7.jpg

photo D6E6889B-EE44-43CE-B348-F81522BD7420_zpscnsgmafu.jpg

so I wanted to check on my corals and they're VERY open... even with my full surge on that usually makes them retract their polyps. They're pushing against the surge to stay open...

photo 6908B6A9-C74E-4DEC-9324-F0FCFB31E524_zps2s0po7dn.jpg

photo F612168F-C37A-405A-9E2A-26D8FAE84661_zpso4e81a2k.jpg

so maybe it's not in the DT?? Nope... it is, here's the final proof that I have brown dust in the DT... that's a sea cucumber covered in the stuff... look closely

photo 0D98FDD0-FECC-48E8-846C-F7A2D1CDF1D5_zpsizmpfesi.jpg

Overall, the tank looks healthy

photo 40564155-8DFA-4934-9C41-785C022F1842_zps1mcc56kz.jpg

photo 0553E7C0-8644-409A-9834-535C4B12BAD4_zps4k489roy.jpg

I might have to add some temporary filtration to deal with this stuff... It's not hurting anything, but it's not normal for my tank.

azjohnny · 06/17/2016, 09:17 PM

Karim

The light brown algae is the 1 stage and than mine started to grow Cyno on both the netting and inside the sump. I have been removing the Cyno and the algae started turning black ( I think I had a lot of phosphate in the DT) After 3 weeks I noticed green patches starting on the netting

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 06:08 AM

I don't think it's algae.. it doesn't stick to any surface. It's like a brown powder and not diatoms. more like a residue.

it has no bubbles and blows away like sand.

I turned off the blue light to take a better picture of the screen:

photo E6E569C1-679F-4738-B679-50AED63C70A0_zpsqdyocmp4.jpg

It's getting to be a very dark brown

Apotack · 06/18/2016, 07:49 AM

If I remember your sump is in the garage? Could if be something like pollen blowing in from outside?

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 08:15 AM

it is in my garage ... If it was pollen, I'd expect it on my wife's car or on my workdesk in the garage, etc...

This is how I measure the insect invasion as it waxes and wanes

crocogator106 · 06/18/2016, 10:08 AM

I've got something similar that settles on top of my ATS pump which is in an area with the skimmer. I just figured it was debris from the overflow. Like yours, mine is almost like sand but its not hard.

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 10:13 AM

I don't know if it's hard... I haven't touched it.. it could be soft particles. if it's organic detritus from the dying cyano, it would be soft.

crocogator106 · 06/18/2016, 10:26 AM

Mine is soft like its organic. I do have some cyno die off since my tank is newly cycled.

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 12:29 PM

Need to decide... take it down and clean it off (assuming it's dirt) or let it be and see if it it turns green (assuming it's a base for algae).

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 03:54 PM

azjohnny · 06/18/2016, 10:18 PM

Go with it, your netting looks like how mine did in the beginning

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 10:20 PM

ok.. laziness and one vote wins it... I would like to redo the stitching, but that can wait for the next cleaning cycle I guess.

azjohnny · 06/18/2016, 10:59 PM

I have redone my design at least 5x. Its typical of reefers to be a bit OCD

karimwassef · 06/18/2016, 11:22 PM

not like this is a hobby for the completely sane anyhow...

SantaMonica · 06/19/2016, 09:38 AM

Weekend growth pics...

karimwassef · 06/19/2016, 11:04 AM

Awesome SM. How many days?

karimwassef · 06/19/2016, 12:12 PM

red LED sheet is done too... PAR readings later today I think. I should be able to mount it and start running it on the back side tonight.

SantaMonica · 06/19/2016, 12:16 PM

They are all different people, so the time varies.

hkgar · 06/19/2016, 01:59 PM

Seven day growth and harvested 3.7 OZ (104 grams)

Floyd R Turbo · 06/19/2016, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azjohnny

I have redone my design at least 5x. Its typical of reefers to be a bit OCD

Quote:

Originally Posted by karimwassef

not like this is a hobby for the completely sane anyhow...

You're not a REAL hobbyist unless you've completely re-plumbed your system because of one small thing that was annoying you.

karimwassef · 06/19/2016, 03:55 PM

so true!

karimwassef · 06/19/2016, 03:56 PM

ok. day 5 of blue/white lights ... and here's the screen. I turned the lights off to try and show the true colors. This is just with my iphone's flash.

photo 4AA72369-FBC8-4534-A820-D0C5B50959CC_zpsxiacuaw3.jpg

photo 8AA4EABC-B038-4DEC-B524-0A72F6D5BE4F_zpsi6ztgig7.jpg

photo 5A9F96E4-DA93-4D4D-9421-746784C3DFDE_zpsbcdpjfzz.jpg

I'm starting to see a hint of green? or is that just wishful thinking?

azjohnny · 06/19/2016, 06:49 PM

Looks normal

Horace · 06/19/2016, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SantaMonica

Weekend growth pics...

I take it this is the new design.....must have more info now plz

Looking at pic one...I have no clue how this works....I see a nice red glow on the last pic, but can't tell where it would come from in pic one....very curious
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

SantaMonica · 06/19/2016, 08:44 PM

No those are just various upflow pics. No new waterfall pics yet.

It will be a fairly detailed DIY post.

06/17/2016, 05:30 PM	#8526
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	ok. I'm convinced that something is creating this brown dust. Here's the holding tank above the ATS screen. Here's the low flow side compared to the high flow side so I wanted to check on my corals and they're VERY open... even with my full surge on that usually makes them retract their polyps. They're pushing against the surge to stay open... so maybe it's not in the DT?? Nope... it is, here's the final proof that I have brown dust in the DT... that's a sea cucumber covered in the stuff... look closely Overall, the tank looks healthy I might have to add some temporary filtration to deal with this stuff... It's not hurting anything, but it's not normal for my tank. __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/18/2016, 06:08 AM	#8528
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	I don't think it's algae.. it doesn't stick to any surface. It's like a brown powder and not diatoms. more like a residue. it has no bubbles and blows away like sand. I turned off the blue light to take a better picture of the screen: It's getting to be a very dark brown __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape Last edited by karimwassef; 06/18/2016 at 06:14 AM.

06/18/2016, 07:49 AM	#8529
Apotack Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York Posts: 297	If I remember your sump is in the garage? Could if be something like pollen blowing in from outside? __________________ Adam Current Tank Info: 125gal

06/18/2016, 08:15 AM	#8530
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	it is in my garage ... If it was pollen, I'd expect it on my wife's car or on my workdesk in the garage, etc... This is how I measure the insect invasion as it waxes and wanes __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/18/2016, 10:13 AM	#8532
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	I don't know if it's hard... I haven't touched it.. it could be soft particles. if it's organic detritus from the dying cyano, it would be soft. __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/17/2016, 09:17 PM	#8527
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	Karim The light brown algae is the 1 stage and than mine started to grow Cyno on both the netting and inside the sump. I have been removing the Cyno and the algae started turning black ( I think I had a lot of phosphate in the DT) After 3 weeks I noticed green patches starting on the netting

06/18/2016, 10:08 AM	#8531
crocogator106 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Alabama Posts: 371	I've got something similar that settles on top of my ATS pump which is in an area with the skimmer. I just figured it was debris from the overflow. Like yours, mine is almost like sand but its not hard.

06/18/2016, 10:26 AM	#8533
crocogator106 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Alabama Posts: 371	Mine is soft like its organic. I do have some cyno die off since my tank is newly cycled.

06/18/2016, 12:29 PM	#8534
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	Need to decide... take it down and clean it off (assuming it's dirt) or let it be and see if it it turns green (assuming it's a base for algae). __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/18/2016, 03:54 PM	#8535
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	__________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/18/2016, 10:18 PM	#8536
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	Go with it, your netting looks like how mine did in the beginning

06/18/2016, 10:20 PM	#8537
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	ok.. laziness and one vote wins it... I would like to redo the stitching, but that can wait for the next cleaning cycle I guess. __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/18/2016, 10:59 PM	#8538
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	I have redone my design at least 5x. Its typical of reefers to be a bit OCD

06/18/2016, 11:22 PM	#8539
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	not like this is a hobby for the completely sane anyhow... __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/19/2016, 11:04 AM	#8541
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	Awesome SM. How many days? __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/19/2016, 12:12 PM	#8542
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	red LED sheet is done too... PAR readings later today I think. I should be able to mount it and start running it on the back side tonight. __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/19/2016, 12:16 PM	#8543
SantaMonica Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santa Monica, California, USA Posts: 2,511	They are all different people, so the time varies. __________________ Inventor of the easy-to-DIY upflow scrubber, and also the waterfall scrubber that everyone loves to build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1424843

06/19/2016, 01:59 PM	#8544
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	Today's harvest Seven day growth and harvested 3.7 OZ (104 grams) __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

06/19/2016, 03:55 PM	#8546
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	so true! __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/19/2016, 03:56 PM	#8547
karimwassef Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 11,033	ok. day 5 of blue/white lights ... and here's the screen. I turned the lights off to try and show the true colors. This is just with my iphone's flash. I'm starting to see a hint of green? or is that just wishful thinking? __________________ Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape

06/19/2016, 06:49 PM	#8548
azjohnny Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Gold Canyon Posts: 2,914	Looks normal

06/19/2016, 08:44 PM	#8550
SantaMonica Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santa Monica, California, USA Posts: 2,511	No those are just various upflow pics. No new waterfall pics yet. It will be a fairly detailed DIY post. __________________ Inventor of the easy-to-DIY upflow scrubber, and also the waterfall scrubber that everyone loves to build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1424843

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
algae scrubber/heavy metals	charles matthews	Randy Holmes-Farley	6	11/03/2016 08:32 PM
xenia scrubber instead of algae scrubber?	dolt	SPS Keepers	40	04/07/2011 11:34 AM
Try again: Is anybody running an algae scrubber as primary filter.	Frick-n-Frags	Reef Discussion	166	08/03/2008 03:58 PM