Algae Turf Scrubber

[METZCOOL]

Here is the best link i have found about algae scrubbers:
http://www.algaescrubber.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=78477f0c1a1bebd38f57c382d151df7f

[ohioreef]

Wow so many different designs!!

[ohioreef]

Found this one on the website you listed above. I could add one like this to my sump very easily.

[~reefchik~]

Found this one on the website you listed above. I could add one like this to my sump very easily.

Yep, me too.  Very seriously considering it.

[ohioreef]

Yep, me too.  Very seriously considering it.

Im gonna do it as soon as I find some plastic screen. I will also need to add a couple small ledges on the acrylic wall to rest the top of the screen on. Might have to shut the fuge down for a day or so to let the glue dry.

[rayk]

Just found this thread, and I did this last nite.  Took about 20 minutes to adjust my sump.  Bought the plastic screen at Michael's craft in Beavercreek, back the the latch hook section, 59 cents each.  Roughed them up with a small saw blade.  Extended my current sump return to be a little higher, and attached a 1" diameter pipe with a slit in it.  Attached the roughed up screens with zip ties.   But, I have a few problems.  1), the lights scare me.  They used to be above my refugium pointing down into the water, which is bad enough I guess, but now the water coming in is actually higher than the light.  2) I can't get light on both sides until I move my refugium for the new tank.  3) the lights aren't quite strong enough, although I'm not trying to go skimmerless, so I'm not sure the 1 watt per gallon rule really applys.  4)  I can't get enough flow until I re-plumb for the new tank.  The refugium is above tank and gravity feeds into the main, however if it flows to fast it splashes and gets bubbles.  On the 180 build, the refugium will syphon into the main tank, so flow problem solved there. 

I've been meaning to try this for a while, after getting my new protein skimmer (MDX250A), I can see why some folks say it pulls EVERYTHING out of the water, including the good stuff.  The thing is a beast.  Anyways, pics.... 

Before:


After:

[DarinSchmidt]

Just wanted to add my build to this. Its 1" PVC powered on both sides by 2 100w (cfl) (4 bulbs total). In the images, it shows door screen, i have since then changed that out (though it was doing well) to the craft plastic (the stuff people crochea with). The new screen has been running for a month or two now and i'm starting to get the long strand algae. I'll take some pics later tonight and post them.


this image i was testing out the 6500k PC lights. DId ok, grew more red algae than anything and started a red algae bloom in my tank after a month..... So i changed it out with the warm white 2700k 100w CFL's




The 100w bulbs i placed 4" away, they started to create yellow algae on the screen so i had to back them off about 1-2" because it was actually just "burning" the algae. Backing them up a little actually helped the long stranded algae to take off.




The tube has the slit for the water to come out. The screen is held in the tube by zip ties (so the zipties form a small O and that slides inside the tube. The Tube slit goes all the way to the end to be able to slide the Screen in and an end cap is pust pushed on. Makes it easy to disassemble and clean. On the left of the Tube, it has a coupler on it, it as well is just pushed on in case i need to remove the whole tube, which i usually do to clean all of it.

[Boonjob]

This is really interesting! I recently just built my sump which had a chamber for cheato(big enough to make it tumble) that is fed off my return pump but I wonder if I should go this route instead or perhaps run them both with the return powering the algae scrubber which is suspended above the cheato section and feeds it...? My  biggest worry would be the gph, my setup would need about 350gph I personally think that's alot of water turning around in such a small area(the cheato chamber is roughly 8 gals; 12x12x13 in the sump)... My whole sump set up is only running at a total of 500gph which is turning my tank about 10 times an hour...

But whatever gets my trates down.

[DarinSchmidt]

i have both, and they seem to do fine. if you need 350gph and you are currently doing it at 500, whats the issue? Also you dont need to have it wide, you can have it taller which will require less gph IF you have the space.

[Boonjob]

Yeah I will probably do both with the scrubber running off into the cheato chamber(my only worry here was if one would starve out the other for nutrients)... my worry about the 350gph is that even though my sump is running at 500gph, this area is separate and fed by the return line and I'm not sure if I can get the mag 7 to push 350 at the scrubber and still achieve 500gph at the top of the display.

I will just tinker around with it... hopefully I can post some pics once I get everything squared away.