We be scrubbin!

Screen is 6X6 lit on both sides with ip65 20 watt grow leds. Flowed by rio 1100 pump rated at 395gph. I guess I'll start out with the 18 hours on 6 off. Ruffed up the screen pretty good so maybe this thing will take off and keep me from having to buy that high filler media. And eventually I'd like to get brave enough to remove the skimmer lol. Let me know what ya think tips trick suggestions critiques are all welcome.

 

Hi guys and gals I was hoping for alittle advice on my scrubber. My tank is 7 months old starting to show signs of gha after takin GFO off so I built my scrubber. It's been running now for a month and I have cleaned it 3 times just by rubbing my palm and fingers across it. But it's only getting brownish yellow slime it seems to be getting alittle thicker though. its been running 18 hours light a day. I wasn't 100% happy with my slot "flow" so I checked it and it was only .06-.08" wide so I opened it up to .125" wide and now I have a lot better flow. Is there any recommendations based on where I am now and where I need to be in the future?

 

Awesome thanks for the advice the flow increased substantially so maybe that'll help it out seems like it was growing darker on the edges so I backed off the light to 12hours instead of 18. That was also where I was getting more flow for some reason so with the more uniform flow maybe that will get it going and I'll do like you said with the cleanings and see how it does on the two week mark. I'll report back on progress I really appreciate your help floyd

 

I can't dim the lights so I backed off to 12 hours instead of 18. Still seems to be burning the middle though should I back off on the hours of light more? If all else fails I can add me some acrylic to the bottoms and back the leds alittle further away. But that would be kinda extensive. Hopefully another week of growth will get everything going good it's been a week since I posted that picture. On a good note the flow is good now.

 

Ok after reviewing the photos from the previous ones there's definatly more growth and looking more greener seems the flow and shorter light may have helped? What are your thoughts @floydrturbo? To clean or not to clean? Haha should I go another week?

 

This was a full two weeks growth. So I went to clean it and I over cleaned it. Lol I took way too much off. But it'll grow back in time but I wish I hadn't got so eager with it. But I cut back my lighting to 9or10 hours in hopes to get better fuller growth and not burn the center as bad then maybe ramp them up gradually. Let me know what your thoughts on that.
Thanks for your help turbo.

 

Alright man I just set up a better timer on that schedule and all I'll do is light rinse and gently swipe until I get some good stuff growin on there. It's hard for me not to clean good when I clean lol. I'll report back with how the new schedule works for me
Thanks a lot for your help.

 

This is one week growth with the new timer schedule like you said mr turbo. Lookin less burned in the center and more of the green. So I just very lightly rinsed and palm swiped left what stayed there.

 

j

Latest scrubber shot. It's really liking the new light schedule really starting to green up and fill in so I cleaned this time a good amount but left all that stayed attached. Any suggestions as far as lighting times? Continue as is or any changes?

 

Just can't seem to get good growth for some reason. Just yellow slimy guey stuff.

 

So you suggest just leave it be until it gets really thick then clean it. Ok sounds good ill do that I guess I just worried the brown slimy stuff wouldn't let the good stuff attach or something. THanks for your help.

 

Getting there I gave this a rinse and swipe to get the pods off. You can actually see a pod in the first pic top right corner munchin away. Haha And cleaned the slot pipe. This is the split photo period for 10 hours

 

took my nails and scratched off the growth in the last pic and tried to leave what I felt needed to stay. Since the last pic it's been two weeks although one week was light feeding due to vacation. I'm still not getting the growth like some of you guys. I backed the LEDs up off the screen since their so intense. Since I backed it off within the two days it's ran it started to get the darker clumps toward the middle. dunno what that means really. Lol. Lights are 2on 1 off etc for 12 hours. I'm gone leave it be and see where it goes I guess. This is the other sides growth.