Algae Scrubber Advanced

[karimwassef]

GFO also needs maintenance. Whether you get new media or use acid to regenerate the GFO, it needs to be done.

ATS is cheaper and easier IMO. You just need to export the algae by scraping the screen... no media.

I use both. The GFO is after the ATS. The intent is to have a safety net in case of a nutrients spike.

[SantaMonica]

That's what the algae is for; it grows more if there is a spike.

[karimwassef]

One is backup to the other. Doesn't matter which.

In my loop, the ATS comes first so the GFO cleans up what it doesn't catch. chemical media can absorb more as the waste increases, just as the algae grows more. Both have absorption % and max caps due to surface area/lighting/flow or media volume/flow/freshness.

[br88dy]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

In my loop, the ATS comes first so the GFO cleans up what it doesn't catch.

I think what SantaMonica is trying to say is that your ATS isn't going to miss anything- the nutrients will eventually make their way back to the ATS via your "loop." The nutrients it "doesn't catch" will eventually be caught if there is a spike. There are many people out there that only use an ATS and they're easily found on youtube and google searches.

[karimwassef]

Sure. But growth rate isn't immediate or infinite. It takes time and other mechanisms can kick in to help. Also accidents can happen killing the ATS.

I believe in redundant systems. You can setup two ATSs, or an ATS and GFO, etc... Just plan for terrible awful things to happen and you'll be fine

[Horace]

As i looked at this design closer, I think I have yet another improvement



rather than drilling holes, do a long/thin slit on both "spray bars". This would make a very nice waterfall type feed on both sides. It would lower the pressure of the spray, and it would give a very even amount of water along the bar, especially if you fed it from both ends of each bar.

[metrontech]

I have new running for around 2 months or more

10x13 with 2 24w led grow bulbs

I am currently running fallow as my fish are in qt but I have been adding cubes daily

I'm getting brown algae but more like sludge

Will this change when the fish are back in?

Or is this a light issue?

Thanks in advance

[karimwassef]

Are you feeding?

[DaveRaz]

Since adding a diy ATS I've been table to take GFO reactor offline and see a big reduction in bubble algae. The ATS has been in my sump for almost 3 months. I'm glad I gave it a shot.

[SantaMonica]

Yep and no risk to livestock either.

[bif24701]

I want some feed back for this plan.
-20 gallon Brute tote with lid, White in color. Found these at Lowes, 25$, very strong. White color will also reflect light all around maximizing usage.

-1 1/2" uniseal bulk head 1' from bottom

-Line bottom with white egg crate, place a sheet of the common grid plastic messed over that, use zip ties to (loosly) tie the two together at one end. This way for cleaning I can pull both and they butterfly open for easy cleaning.

-Cut hole in cover just large enough for light (MARS LED grow light) to be attached.

-Feed scrubber from main manifold at opposite end of uniseal drain with ~100gph, it will wash over mesh/egg crate and drain direct into sump.

My system is 180 display with 100 gallon sump. SPS, high light, large skimmer SRO-5000, large bio load planned.

What do you guys think? Will this work?

[SantaMonica]

Probably going to be a pain. Water will wash through one spot and miss the rest. Will be 1-sided. Particles will collect under the screen and rot. And the white container will glow bright enough to attract aircraft.

Just convert it to at least a tilted river. Or a 2-sided waterfall. Or a bubbling upflow. The upflow would be easiest: just tie some strings to your eggcrate, and put a rock on it to hold it down.

And paint the outside thick black to block the light.

[bif24701]

Originally Posted by SantaMonica

Probably going to be a pain. Water will wash through one spot and miss the rest. Will be 1-sided. Particles will collect under the screen and rot. And the white container will glow bright enough to attract aircraft.

Just convert it to at least a tilted river. Or a 2-sided waterfall. Or a bubbling upflow. The upflow would be easiest: just tie some strings to your eggcrate, and put a rock on it to hold it down.

And paint the outside thick black to block the light.

If I have a 1" of water in the tote then all parts would be wet, as algae grows thicker wouldn't it divert flow to areas of lesser growth?

When I removed the egg crate/mesh for cleaning I could catch anything that flows out with a sock or just let it go into the sump.

I see what you mean about the light, I think you are right about it becoming a beacon. Painting might help, nut it may also just fall off. Will think about that further.

[karimwassef]

That sounds a lot like my sump ATS



I actually have mine just barely under the water level and it rises and falls with the water level.

[karimwassef]

On that note, I was checking the thickness of the algae on that scrubber and realized that its attachment is very weak. It came off in whole turf sections with just my fingers:









Oh.. and apparently, my Xenia scrubber on the side is also an aggressive featherduster scrubber:

[felps]

My ATS keeps nitrate and phosphate ultra low (ie No3=0 No4=0.015,I feed alot but still sometimes dose nitrate and phos to bring these levels up.
Is it possible to increase nitrate and phosphate levels with light duration alone?

[SantaMonica]

The horizontal mat of growth has little turbulence in many areas, and thus the roots die. A pool of water is not very turbulent.

Is it possible to increase nitrate and phosphate levels with light duration alone?

Just feed more. It's a good problem to have.

[bif24701]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

On that note, I was checking the thickness of the algae on that scrubber and realized that its attachment is very weak. It came off in whole turf sections with just my fingers:









Oh.. and apparently, my Xenia scrubber on the side is also an aggressive featherduster scrubber:

looking at this, maybe I need to go bigger.

[bif24701]

Originally Posted by SantaMonica

The horizontal mat of growth has little turbulence in many areas, and thus the roots die. A pool of water is not very turbulent.



Just feed more. It's a good problem to have.

so turbulence is the key then? I want a large scrubber, how can this be done in the water fall style?

[SantaMonica]

Waterfalls, and upflows too, do it automatically.

[karimwassef]

My system is 700 gal, so I have three ATSs of different sizes and types so I can alternate cleaning them without impacting the system.

[bif24701]

I mean, how can I achieve a large waterfall style system. What if my horizontal scrubber was incline? Then water falling over the egg crate would create a lot of turbulence, a spray bar up top spreads the water flow across the entire scrubber.


Aaron

[Floyd R Turbo]

my take on this is if you wanted to go with the egg crate supporting the screen but make it an inclined scrubber (better than horizontal, IMO) then make it 3 layers: mesh on top, then egg crate, then acrylic underneath. You could actually skip the egg crate and just use the acrylic. The egg crate would just act to allow for drainage through the mat, which I would think would be better to keep the base growth supplied with nutrients. As the mesh fills in, water would push further down the screen before it fully drained, so I would think it would grow first at the top edge, then as time went on the growth mat would progress down stream. If that makes sense.

If you did away with the egg crate you might lose this drainage effect a bit, but what you could do is use a layer (or 2) of #5 mesh (which is much larger, 5 holes/inch) between the acrylic and the #7 main growth layer.

Just thoughts....haven't tried anything like this, just typing out loud...

[bif24701]

Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo

my take on this is if you wanted to go with the egg crate supporting the screen but make it an inclined scrubber (better than horizontal, IMO) then make it 3 layers: mesh on top, then egg crate, then acrylic underneath. You could actually skip the egg crate and just use the acrylic. The egg crate would just act to allow for drainage through the mat, which I would think would be better to keep the base growth supplied with nutrients. As the mesh fills in, water would push further down the screen before it fully drained, so I would think it would grow first at the top edge, then as time went on the growth mat would progress down stream. If that makes sense.

If you did away with the egg crate you might lose this drainage effect a bit, but what you could do is use a layer (or 2) of #5 mesh (which is much larger, 5 holes/inch) between the acrylic and the #7 main growth layer.

Just thoughts....haven't tried anything like this, just typing out loud...

Now those are some good ideas. My basis for all this is simplistic design and maintenance. I don't want to have to use two lights, nor a true waterfall that is limited by height. I have an existing 40 breeder stand that is at a great height allowing it to drain into my large sump.


Aaron

[MorganAtlanta]

If I had the space, I'd try taking a tall, narrow aquarium, like a 50 gallon high, fill it with chaeto, and light it from either side with ebay led grow strips. It would be low maintenance, super easy to harvest, and by lighting it from both sides you would have a huge amount of lit surface area.