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Growing algae through the screen.

Discussion in 'Experimental Scrubber Concepts' started by Garf, Nov 23, 2012.

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  1. Nov 23, 2012 #1
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    I am experimenting with cleaning only one side of the scrubber at a time (currently every 6 days). It has several advantages with only one downside that I can tell (twice the cleaning time).
    Advantages include;
    1) more light penetration through the screen to the older algae on the other side
    2) faster repopulation of the screen with fresh growth
    3) more flow and gas exchange to the algae already on the screen (the 6 day old stuff)
    4) continuous filtering
    5) continuous sugar production (another experiment altogether)

    I have heard anecdotal evidence that the old guidelines worked better, perhaps this is the reason and the cure, the algae just gets too thick for proper flow through it, and appropriate illumination.
     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2012
  2. Nov 23, 2012 #2
    Turbo

    Turbo Does not really look like Johnny Carson Staff Member Site Owner Multiple Units! Customer

    2,907
    156
    Iowa (United States)
    1 and 2 are definitely the case when alternating cleaning sides of the screen.

    As far as the "too thick" issue, the theory on 3D growth is that when you have an enclosed box scrubber and the algae 'reaches' the window, it then traps water and the algae suspends itself, which allows better light penetration to the base of the screen. I imagine that if you were cleaning one side, this might not allow the growth to get to the 3D stage, because the water building up on one side of the screen would actually push the screen towards the cleaned side, and you would never really have much 3D growth.

    I suppose an experiment would be in order to test this. Form a setup that can reliably produce 3D growth, then see the effect of cleaning alternating sides.
     
  3. Nov 24, 2012 #3
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Already underway boss;
    [​IMG]
    6 days on left, 13 on right.
     
  4. Nov 24, 2012 #4
    halfmoon

    halfmoon New Member

    10
    0
    Louisiana, USA
    Amazing, I would've thought the 13 day side would be twice as thick. It's much more, like it's growth exploded.
     
  5. Nov 24, 2012 #5
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    And just to show its not along one edge only;
    13 day side
    [​IMG]

    6 day side
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Nov 25, 2012 #6
    Kerry

    Kerry Member Trusted Member Customer

    128
    6
    Shreveport, LA
    I have noticed with the LED that rotating the screen cleaning does not make as big of a difference but it did with my CFL. I will note that this is with using a blue in LED array. When using only Red I could see how it helped more but not as predominate as the CFL. Does anyone else see this as well? I am not arguing that rotating is bad but I noticed its not the extreme I was use before I switched to LED and even a smaller difference when I added a Blue to the LED array.
     
  7. Nov 27, 2012 #7
    crashmushroom

    crashmushroom Member Customer

    91
    0
    Your always experimenting garf i suppose its how things move forward :). Do u still use a skimmer pump?

    Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
     
  8. Nov 27, 2012 #8
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Yes, still using bubbles on the waterfall Crash. Well that experiment seemed successful at
    Least with Zero'ish alkalinity depletion. Moved onto fully blown Co2 infusion now via a skimmer. There's always something else to try, no matter how good you think the current version is.
     
  9. Nov 27, 2012 #9
    crashmushroom

    crashmushroom Member Customer

    91
    0
    So u had a skimmer pump now you use co2 how?

    Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
     
  10. Nov 27, 2012 #10
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
  11. Nov 27, 2012 #11
    crashmushroom

    crashmushroom Member Customer

    91
    0
    Thats some imagination u have. Do u think its better than skimmer pump or is it to early to tell?

    Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
     
  12. Nov 28, 2012 #12
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Left screen another 6 days, got 310grammes (just one side) harvest and a totally different screen profile. It's about 10mm thick on BOTH sides ?!? And a lot denser than normal (velvety to the touch). Very tough to shear from the screen, and photosynthesis seems to be overpowering my crappy DIY Co2 generator because the sump pH increased yesterday to 8.3. Now half the screen is clean again it's dropping to set point. Gonna have to make a stronger mixture me thinks.

    6 day screen on right, 12 on left;
    [​IMG]

    6 day side
    [​IMG]

    12 day side
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Dec 5, 2012 #13
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Normal service has resumed, and another 300g harvest;

    13 day side;
    [​IMG]

    7 day side;
    [​IMG]

    Edge on;
    [​IMG]

    Cleaned side;
    [​IMG]
     
  14. Dec 5, 2012 #14
    Kerry

    Kerry Member Trusted Member Customer

    128
    6
    Shreveport, LA
    Very nice growth!! I bet that thing filters very nice.
     
  15. Dec 5, 2012 #15
    halfmoon

    halfmoon New Member

    10
    0
    Louisiana, USA
    Some serious growth.
     
  16. Dec 5, 2012 #16
    crashmushroom

    crashmushroom Member Customer

    91
    0
    Looking good garf.

    Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
     
  17. Dec 9, 2012 #17
    sabbath

    sabbath Member Trusted Member Customer

    162
    8
    Twin Cities, Mn
    Nice!
     
  18. Dec 11, 2012 #18
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Another set;
    [​IMG]

    7 days
    [​IMG]

    14 day side
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Dec 20, 2012 #19
    Garf

    Garf Member Trusted Member

    516
    16
    England, Worcestershire
    Time to test the boundaries and see how long I can leave the screen before the inner layers suffer. On this latest set there's still no die off after 16 days growth on one side. 400grammes harvest.

    [​IMG]

    16 days
    [​IMG]

    9 days
    [​IMG]

    Next time it will be a 9 and 18 days test.
     
  20. Dec 20, 2012 #20
    crashmushroom

    crashmushroom Member Customer

    91
    0
    How will you know when die off occurs Garf?
     
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