Turbo, This is Tim Anderson I am currently out of town and unable to see my growth on my new L2 model. From what my dad tells me, it is growing on the sides but not in the middle. Should I split my photo period up? I am currently running it 9 hours reverse of my photoperiod. This is what I am proposing to do: "Fallback OFF Set OFF If Time 03:00 to 5:00 Then ON If Time 05:01 to 6:00 Then OFF If Time 6:01 to 8:00 Then ON If Time 8:01 to 9:00 Then OFF If Time 9:01 to 11:00 Then ON If Time 11:01 to 12:00 Then OFF If Time 12:01 to 13:00 Then ON If Time 13:01 to 02:59 Then OFF If Temp > 84.0 Then OFF Min Time 000:01 Then OFF" What do you think? I will attach this weeks growth pics from my early L2 model.
Tim, That's a lot of growth dude, that is less than 3 weeks from scratch! did you seed the screen with any algae or anything? Wow. It looks like light-blocking type of growth to me, and it doesn't look (from what I can see) that there is a lack of growth. I would actually increase the photoperiod by a couple hours and leave it one solid period. The center of the screen might still take a little longer to fill in - but splitting up the photoperiod when you have a lot of growth is not the right move, i have only recommended that for anyone having difficulty getting growth to start.
Bud, that growth pic is from my first L2 model not the new one. I do not have a pic of that growth yet.
Ah...ok...just re-read the post. I would leave the photoperiod on the #2 unit alone. On the #1 unit, is that 7 days growth or longer?
Unit 1 growth was about 15 days. I switched photoperiod to 2 on 2 off for 18 hours and this is what resulted. I will be home Saturday so I can get pictures of the screen outside the unit.
I would be cleaning more often than 15 days with that growth. Go to one solid 9-12 hour photoperiod and clean every 7-10 days. that much growth is blocking light to the lower layers and your algae scrubber ends up feeding itself. Do you have any N or P, or any tank issues with algae on the #1 unit tank?
I haven't been home in 35 days but will test when I get home. From the pictures I get, it looks like N and P are low in the #1 tank. I will attach some pictures of both units when I get home this weekend.
What do you think about the color of the 72 gallon algae? It hasn't ever been the bright green color.
I would not let the growth go for 3 weeks. I would try cleaning it weekly. Your growth is so thick and goopy that the light gets blocked fast. I haven't seen the yellow growth like that on an L2 yet, but the standard response would be too much light or not enough flow. Remind me (so I don't have to dig through e-mails) how are you feeding the screen, by overflow or by pump? If by pump, what size? Also I would scrape the screen completely with the scraper. Your last pic of the screen re-installed shows a lot of algae left on the screen, but it also shows that the holes are not filled in. This supports the light-blocking comment above. If the screen holes are not filled in after scraping, the algae is dying at the lower layers and it all pulls away when you clean it. Cleaning weekly should allow growth to stay in the holes after scraping, then the growth will come back faster. Or maybe you are cleaning it with the toothbrush? I never take a brush to the screen, except for maybe after scraping, and then only very lightly while the screen is under the tap, just to wash away any loose strands. I use that stiff brush on the top edge of the screen, or if there are dark and/or red areas that stay after scraping (including in the holes) then I will scrub those areas off with the stiff brush, leaving the green stuff in the holes where it is. Also remember to remove and clean the false bottom weekly, or at least every other cleaning.
Nice!! The scraped side of the screen looks nice and green at the base. Is that the 14 day side? No root death there. I really do think LEDs penetrate that much further and prevent root death more effectively than fluorescent.
I let both sides go for 14 days so the screen would fill in more. I only cleaned one side but will clean the other side in 2-3 days.
