Algae growth LED

[Bright]

Hi guys, does anyone know what is best red LED spec for growing algae?
Example: the Santa Monica red LED, I only know its' 660nm(wavelength).
Anyone knows how many Lumens?
I want to contain my Algae growing to within my sump refugium chamber, so want to come up with some ideas to make myself. Can someone assist if you have the experience? Thanks.

[xiggie]

Yes , 660nm red led is good for algae. Those 3watts led puck are best.

[Bright]

Hi Bro Xiggie, any idea how many Lumens I should get?

[Bright]

I want to build something similar to this, but I must first get the right red LED.
And I understood from a Engineering friend, LED is measured in Lumens.
Any idea how many Lumens?

[xiggie]

Lumens is a so called measurement of the brightness of the light , with led u get higher lumen for lesser watts per led diode compared to the normal light bulb.(hope I get that right )

So I would say a 1watt led outputs lesser lumen than a 3watts led.

What's more important is the exact wavelength the led u use. For algae growth a 660nm red led is best and a 3 watts led is always better than a 1watt led. I however don't see the difference coz the LEDs are gonna be just a few inch from the algae screen.

[finbir]

Hi xiggie,

Name's finbir. Got one set of red leds like urs and rigged similarly based on ur pics posted last yr.

However, to date, I've never bin able to get what ur scrubby showed. Wunder what's the prob. Can throw some light on the matter?

Much appreciated if u ca.

[xiggie]

Hi xiggie,

Name's finbir. Got one set of red leds like urs and rigged similarly based on ur pics posted last yr.

However, to date, I've never bin able to get what ur scrubby showed. Wunder what's the prob. Can throw some light on the matter?

Much appreciated if u ca.

Hi finbir , can u post a picture of the setup , the light set and the scrubber screen , and where u in the sump u set it up

[finbir]

Hi Xiggie,

Thks 4 the quick reply n sorry 4 the delay. Pics r attached s requested but screen pic not shown 'cos I removed the red lights n everything is black.

Screen n lights ar located in the 2nd partition of the sump, the 1st partition is the return flow from the tank above.

Hope this helps.

Once again, many thks.

[xiggie]

The light is correct , there should be no problem. Did u put air bubble at the screen ? And screen and light should be just inches away.

[xiggie]

This is the algae screen and box , the holes are where the air bubbles comes in from. Air bubble tube go from below the box so the don't get clogged with algae.

[finbir]

Hi Xiggie,

Thks again 4 the quick return. My algae screen does have a plastic tubing with bubbles rising the length of it to the surface. It's attached to the side of the glass n is just 3inches away. It's bin running and cleaned since 22 Feb 2015. All I see is blue green algae like nori sheets!

Will take note of what u've said n posted n do some modi.

N let u know the outcome.

[xiggie]

Oh , u are discribing an upflow scrubber the previous one I had.

I've made changes on my current one I mentioned above , that a so called 'floating scrubber' almost same as santamonica surf scrubbers.

[Bright]

Hi Bro Xiggie and Brother Finbir, can I know what is the LED and Adaptor used and where you all got it from? Can guide me? As I'm thinking of buying something similar to Santa Monica LED. But since this LED PCB works, and I see like much easier, no heat sink needed also. Is it water proof? If your scrubber is covering the bottom piece, won't it have splashes that will kena the LED N PCB?

[xiggie]

Got them off Ebay , the seller did not post them anymore but maybe u can pm him as ask him to put them in. I did that the last time I bought them.

[Bright]

Thank you very much Bro Bright. I will give it a try tomorrow, see if I'm in luck to do so.

You all are marvelous DIY creators! Thanks.

[finbir]

If u look carefully, my heat sink is an aluminium cake tray while bro Xiggie's a piece of aluminium flo light reflector . My filter mat is housed in half a Ferroro chocolate box (400g type), hence no spray.

It's acrylic, clear, light n sticks easily to the glass with rubber stoppers.

[Bright]

Hi Bro Finbir, I saw yours attached to a aluminium tray(simulating a heat sink I presumed), but I didn't see Bro Xiggie's design, did he post too, can't find it in here? Or it's at another chat or forum? Can let me know which one, so I can go find and learn from you all too?
- For your filter mat housing, I can't figure out how it was designed, can share? I can understand that a Ferrero choc box is clear acrylic, but how you stick with rubber stoppers? drill hole and cable tie them? Prevent spray means it won't kena your LED right?
- Can I asked a question, when you use this green/ white basket as the housing for the algae growth, I believe some lights would have shine passed it sideways or to the bottom floor of sump, will the bottom of your sump tank glass also grow algae?

[Bright]

Haha, paiseh, a lot of questions from me hor?! I'm trying to beat algae growth in my display tank.
Green, red cyano, dino flags, diatoms etc... Sianz... always need to wet my hands at night when got home from work, and I think this shouldn't be the case. Decided that I have to learn from my seniors here... Hope you all can guide me too. Thank you and Thank you.

[xiggie]

Hi bright , all these algae are present due to the nutrients ,nitrates and phosphate that are present in the water and rocks. U just need to remove these elements and they will go away.

There are lots of method or removal and since you have chosen to go the scrubber way then I would say it's a very good method , it has it's pros and cons as well.

If U have been reading up in the algae scrubber forum . Then u should know there are 3 types of scrubber , they evolve from one another due to the cons.

1st waterfall scrubber ,lots of salt spray and water splash

2nd the UAS , upflow algae scrubber , algae will grow on the glass difficult to remove and will cause algae to be sucked up to DT.

3rd the floating scrubber , santamonica surf scrubber , best I think so far just need to lift up the light and pull out the algae and throw away.

I've DIY all 3 and currently using the 3rd version. Not floating but i built it so that the algae screen box is just submerged in the water with the lights few inches above , using PVC pipes , need a bit of ideas and design to pull it off , customed to my sump design.

Most important is the light needs to be a 660nm red led , other wavelengths and the algae will not be so great.. Still works but not so efficient , that's y some people decom the algae scrubber co they can't get the correct algae growing I guess.

Wow I wrote too much..!!

[xiggie]

Some pics ..

[xiggie]

And Yes if the light escapes and shine onto the bottom ,sides glass and other equipments .. Algae will grow on them , I have algae growin in my skimmer and calcium reactor too

[Bright]

Oh no, Bro Xiggie, this is not writing too much, I really appreciate it alot. I surely have a lot to learn from you. I saw you DIY excellently. And thank you very much for sharing with me the LED seller contacts as well. I have searched ebay just now, and found the seller. The shipping terms says est delivery eta to be 2-Jun to 19-Jun (alittle too long for me to wait), so I will go find at local LED distributor at AMK to see if they have something similar. If they don't, then I will buy from the Hongkong seller whom you recommended.
Yah, I was thinking of such as well, that the algae will grow on the glass of sump and if we scrapped it, some left overs will be suck by the return pump into the DT as well. So that is the common of Upflow scrubble. Downflow will have splash & sprays.
Seemed like a floating scrubber is indeed a much worth considerable choice indeed. Hmm... I have some space problem if that's the case. Coz I have 5 compartments in my sump.
First small compartment is for the downpipes.
Second is for the skimmer and reactors.
Third is for filters and biobaterias.
Fourth is very small 20cm square space for refugium/ chaeto(I'm converting this to Algae chamber),
Last is the return pump compartment.
Maybe I will consider changing second compartment into floating scrubber chamber later.

[finbir]

Hi Bright,

Me ain't no sifu. Bro Xiggie's posted his earlier design of the led lights. Likewise, he's replied 2 all the queries u wanted.

S 4 me, I think I'll reconstruct my algae mat to the latest one like his.

I've also done the same earlier scrubbers n am still trying.

[finbir]

The acrylic cover I mentioned has 4 holes at its base and the plastic air tubing is strapped there by cable ties. A 2mm thick piece of opaque acrylic is likewise strapped onto the cover to reduce unwanted algae growth and it also acts as a clip on to the glass.

The top of the cover is an inch above the water level. Hence the air bubbles over the algae mat can only explode in the confined space and not wet the surroundings.

[Bright]

Hi Bro FinBir, that mean the Acrylic cover is to cover the LED from the water bubbles, right?
Then how do you hang the LED panel basket on top of the bottom algae basket, above your sump tank?