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New Tank / Building a Scrubber

Discussion in 'Algae Scrubber DIY' started by BlueMeanie, Jan 28, 2016.

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  1. This is the solution I came up w/ to hang the lights on the outside of the tank. Two large paper clips and some heavy wire connected directly to the heat sink.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  2. I definitely need to hook up the fan. The spots were the LEDs are have a lot of heat.
    I also want to find a more durable container to use to house the guts. The plastic on these is very thin. But they are working for now.

    Any feedback on the scrubber as it stands now would be welcome.
     
  3. Turbo

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

    Binder clips, the stuff of life for sure!!

    I might try to get some acrylic strips and heat & bend them, as the binder clips will eventually rust. No rush though.

    I would cut vent hole in the outside part for letting air across the heat sink, you're trapping all that heat (might be the reason). You might see about exposing the entire heat sink back, then using the container just around the front edge. Hang the fixture from the heat sink, not the plastic container IMO

    Look into suction cups instead of magnets, takes away the rust factor.

    I would use #7 mesh and the mortar screen. Scuff it, rough it, and mortar it (all 3 steps, you just don't have to spend as much time on the roughing step)
     
  4. I always keep a stash of binder clips, zip ties, vise grips, and duct tape on hand. They essential tool kit for surviving the apocalypse.

    The outside unit is held up by the heat sink. It might be hard to see that in the picture. I like the idea of cutting out the back to expose most of the heat sink. I will only leave 1/4" covered. That will ensure no parts of cover will be exposed to the hotter parts of the heat sink.

    To do suction cups I will need to find a sturdier covering. Or I can double them up.

    If the mortar screen is significantly superior to the knitting mesh I will change that this weekend.

    Is there a grade of mortar that is marine safe or is it all non toxic.
     
  5. Turbo

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

    Just quickcrete off the shelf at any store. Once cured you soak it for a week to leech out any bad stuff (mainly stuff that throws pH)
     
  6. I started the tank on March 28th and have run my scrubber during the entire cycle. At first I had int on the highest intensity light 24hrs a day for the first two weeks. But I started running it at 1/4 power 24hrs a day for the past two weeks. Now I am going to run it at 1/4 power for 6 hours per night. I chose to do this just to see what happens. This is the result. I have made some minor modifications to the scrubber. I tossed the air stone because there was only 4 inches of coverage on the screen and I wanted to cover the entire 6 inch screen. My take away is this, the lower light seems to work better as seen in more growth on the edges. Also less time is probably best.

    All comments and questions are welcome.

    FYI: I am running a protein skimmer as part of my filtration system. I have no intention of removing it. My Ammonia and Nitrate levels are stabilized at zero. I was very pleased to see no algae on the glass after the cycle completed. I also used live rock that had been cured for a month and live sand. The cycle took 2 weeks. I waited another 2 weeks to add any fish to the tank so I could be sure there was no major fluctuation. I am not claiming the ATS had anything to do w/ the short cycle time, I'm just putting that in there as a foot note.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Turbo

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

    Yup, I would have told you definitely no on 24/7 100% for a UAS, I had a lot of experience with this in the first several months of running my first UAS (a month before SM revealed it - I was in the "test" group). You definitely have to back the intensity way down. At that time, I didn't have dimming factored in, I was just running 100% but only for a few hours at a time, on/off cycle. UASs with plastic canvas take a long while to get going, and during that period, low light seems to be the key.

    I think if you could go to the lowest power setting and run long hours, you would be OK
     
  8. The tank lights are on a timer right now to run for 14 hours. I don't have LED display tank light yet. Would 10 hours on the lowest setting for the ATS lights, at night be okay?
     
  9. Turbo

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

    I would think so, it seems that the first step is to get the screen mature, and long hours with very low light seem to work better on a UAS initially. As soon as you get full coverage and it looks somewhat even, start creeping up the intensity and watch for signs of photoinhibition. As long as you don't get white spots in front of the LEDs, keep bumping the intensity up.
     
  10. You are making a visible progress. Congrats

    I've followed your advice and turned on a small skimmer but mine runs only 10h a day. I'm on 15-day of fishless cycle, zero ammonium, waiting for the nitrite to go down. My ATS runs 14h a day on a medium-low intensity but no algae so far. I see some brown stuff on it, it looks like detritus to me.

    As soon as the nitrite goes down, I'll increase the feeding.
     
    BlueMeanie likes this.
  11. My cycling experience has been a little different. I was curing my rock in a bin for two months prior to putting it into the display tank. When I transferred my rock to the DT I added live sand. My Ammonia only went up a small amount and the Nitrite level only spiked up a small amount. Nitrate never registered. It has been a zero from day one. I have some Diatoms on the rocks and glass only, but very controllable. Very little on the glass. I am extremely pleased w/ the ATS. In my last tank, I was fighting massive algae blooms by this point. My Kh is a little low so I am working at getting that up to a more healthy level.

    I have been running the skimmer at the lowest power since my last post from 10pm to 8 am. I am going to increase power by 10% after a week and see what kind of growth I get.
     
  12. Still have some issues w/ coverage. The bubbles were not even across the mesh. I have been making adjustments but I think I need to make a more uniform hole in the tube.

    [​IMG]

    Good news, I'm getting a little of the bright green algae.

    [​IMG]
     
    Turbo likes this.
  13. I think I have my issue w/ coverage sorted out. I am still making revisions to the air tube to get the best coverage possible. The bright green algae is starting to come in even more. I have a large glob of it in the central area and more sporadic spots are starting to develop. The low flow area on the right is filling in now.

    [​IMG]
     
    Turbo likes this.
  14. The latest update to the algae scrubber. I'm getting good coverage and noticed some copepods on the DT glass. The green hair algae is growing quickly. Did another minor adjustment to the air hose.

    [​IMG]
     
    Turbo likes this.
  15. It looks like I have complete coverage now. The last adjustments to the air hose have done the trick. I will wait to clean the screen for now. I bought a six inch air stone, but after seeing today's results, I'm going to use it for emergency and quarantine tank purposes. The biggest problem w/ the up-flow is the glass can get covered w/ algae very easily. This is the biggest hindrance to efficiency.
    One note, I have a bit of Cyano Algae. My Nitrates have been at a consistent zero, but there is some phosphate. Any input would be appreciated. It is just in small targeted areas higher up on the rocks.

    [​IMG]
     

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