Tank Profile Louie's 60 Cube w L2 Scrubber

Hi, I just installed an Algae Turf Scrubber to my 60 cube and I plan on documenting the progress here.

 

I set the dimmer to approx 50% and Im running the LEDs from 9pm to 9am.

 

Here is after 10 days. I cleaned the screen and rinsed it off with tap water. Since I can control the LEDs with the dimmer, I increased the intensity to about 60% and I increase the duration of the lights by 2 hrs so they are on from 8pm to 10am.

Before cleaning.


After cleaning

 

This is 19 days worth of growth. I scrapper the screen & rinsed it off with tap water. I increased the intensity to about 70% and will increase the time the LEDs are on to a total of 16hrs from 7am to 11pm.

Before cleaning


After Cleaning


Harvest amount.

 

Correction I going to run the list from 7pm to 11am.

 

Here is 26 days after installing the ATS. I've increase the intensity to about 80% & Im running the LEDs on the ATS from 6pm to 12pm.

I also tested my PO4 & NO3 today PO4 is at 0.19ppm & looks like zero for NO3. I use Hanna for PO4 & Salifert for NO3.

When I started my PO4 was at 0.33ppm & NO3 has always been very low. When I put the ATS online I removed my Sulfur Nitrate remover so the ATS is removing & keeping my NO3 low. I was running PhosGuard & green phosphate pad just to keep PO4 down but it wasn't doing the job. I will post my test results from here on out.

Before cleaning

After cleaning

Harvest

 

Well, how do you have yours set up? My reef is 2 yrs old and I always had problems w NO3 & PO4 so I have plenty of food for the ATS. Im waiting for the day that the algae stops growing in my tank & only in the ATS.

 

if you still have fish & if they are still eating, get Dr. Gs medicated food. I also have garlic drops that I also add if I see anything. I also run UV & O3. Maybe get a cleaner shrimp &/or cleaner wrasse. A little prevention will save you a lot of stress down the road. If you think a UV sterilizer is too expensive how much $$ have you lost in fish?? If you are concerned that a sterilizer will kill/deactivate your pods then don't run it 24/7 or tee it so all of the water doesn't run through the UV. A sterilizer will only kill or deactivate any thing that passes through the sterilizer so its not 100% hence that's why I use difference ways to minimize possible outbreaks.

 

32 days in. Looks like the growth has slowed down a bit or maybe is because I cleaned it 6 days ago so I backed down the intensity to about 70% but will keep the LEDs on from 6pm to 12pm. My phosphates are way down!!!!

PO4 = 0.02 ppm Hana
NO3 = 0 Salifert

Before Cleaning


After Cleaning


Harvest

 

Day 40: WOW lots of growth!!! Im keeping all the settings the same. The LEDs turn on for 18 hrs from 6pm till 12pm.

PO3 = 0.05 ppm Hanna.
NO3 = 0 Salifert

Before cleaning


After cleaning


The Harvest was larger than the size of baseball maybe almost the size of a softball.

 

Day 68: Looks like my growth is consistent and still have algae in my DT. I turned down the intensity a little and the LEDs are on for 20 hrs form 5pm to 1pm.

Test results
PO3 0.0ppm
ALK 245ppm
CA 525 ppm
MG ran out of drops

before cleaning


after cleaning


harvest