Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[SantaMonica]

Minoz... screen needs to be smaller, and MUCH rougher... can't just scrape some plastic. Needs to be plastic canvas, roughed up. Reflector needs to be bigger (and 2-sided is much better), and bulbs need to be 2700 or 3000k...

Scrubbers are now sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons you have. So...

An example VERTICAL waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:

1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or

1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or

10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or

5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or

10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or

5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or

0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or

0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)

High-wattage technique: Double the wattage, and cut the hours in half (to 9 per day). This will get brown screens to grow green much faster. Thus the example above would be 12 watts on each side, for a total of 24 watts, but for only 9 hours per day. If growth starts to turn YELLOW, then increase the flow, or add iron, or reduce the number of hours. And since the bulbs are operating for 9 hours instead of 18, they will last 6 months instead of 3 months.

Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.

Clean algae off of screen every 7 to 14 days, so that you can see the white screen material.

[lcf425]

Hi sm could you advise if this ats has enough flow? i am using a 2800L pump thanks

[sherman]

Hi SM,

I get this red algae on my ATS instead of green.

Why?

[minez]

Do you guys use a chiller for a reef tank while running ATS system? Is it water temp stable under MH light if running ATS without chiller?

[MadScientist]

Hi SM,

I get this red algae on my ATS instead of green.

Why?

Water too good

[Tian85]

Anyone got recommendation for clip on light for the scrubber?

Went Ikea but the clip on is too small.

[SantaMonica]

LCF: Flow seems good, but hard to tell unless you lift up the screen.

Sherman: Your light is too low. Scrape everything off, all the way to the screen, and make sure your light is on 18 hours. Double the wattage if you can.

[Cedric]

Hi SantaMonica, just wondering, most forum threads like http://www.melevsreef.com/fuge_bulb.html recommend the use of 5100k colour temp to grow macro algae in refugium while you recommend the use of 2700k or 3100k colour temp for the algae scrubbers. Is it because we are trying to grow different types of algae here?

Thanks!

[Underwater]

Anyone got recommendation for clip on light for the scrubber? Went Ikea but the clip on is too small.

Get from those neighbourhood cheapware shop that sells almost anything...or some bigger NTUC supermarkets carry them.

[Tian85]

Get from those neighbourhood cheapware shop that sells almost anything...or some bigger NTUC supermarkets carry them.

Thank! Already diy one using the coke can reflector.

Finger's cross!

[SantaMonica]

The more red, the better. 2700 has more red. 660nm LEDs are all red.

[Cedric]

The more red, the better. 2700 has more red. 660nm LEDs are all red.

Thanks SantaMonica, I'm assuming you are answering my earlier question on growing macro algae like chaeto. I will get a 2700k PAR30 LED for my refugium and see how does my chaeto do.

Thanks!

[minez]

Scrubbers are now sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons you have. So...

So the tank size doesnt matter? Currently my screen 11" x 11" and my tank size 6x2x2 feet. Do you think my screen more than enough? or should i go with smaller screen?

[Tian85]

My scrubber is just 2 weeks old and I am starting to get growth of green algae, not hair algae but more of a layer of green growth in patches.

Is this normal?

[SantaMonica]

So the tank size doesnt matter? Currently my screen 11" x 11" and my tank size 6x2x2 feet. Do you think my screen more than enough? or should i go with smaller screen?

Tanks size does not matter. How much are the feeding? 11 X 11 = 121 sq in = 10 cubes of food per day, and need at least 121 real CFL watts or 60 LED watts.

My scrubber is just 2 weeks old and I am starting to get growth of green algae, not hair algae but more of a layer of green growth in patches. Is this normal?

Yep.

[Tian85]

My scrubber is just 2 weeks old and I am starting to get growth of green algae, not hair algae but more of a layer of green growth in patches. Is this normal?

Yep.

Thanks for the reply. Will continue to monitor

[bubblefish000]

Will red slim algae grow in the scrubber

[SantaMonica]

Red slime is from very low-light. Bright light will allow green to out-grow the red.

[Tian85]

after 1 month i am still getting green flim algae. is this normal?

Do i need to wait longer for it to grow green hair algae or there is other things i can do?

[SantaMonica]

Is the screen roughed up canvas with holes?

Hours of light per day?

Probably need pics.

[王曼綺]

Where's the best location to place the ATS within the IOS of a nano?

thanks.

[SantaMonica]

A waterfall scrubber is difficult to put on a nano because it needs to be above it. An upflow scrubber would be easier...

[ibanez]

Hi, Can I use Beamswork Ultra-Bright LED for the algae scrubber? It is 10000k Led x 6, with 3 actinic led.

[SantaMonica]

No, you want 2700 or 3000k, or 660nm red.

[sherman]

For 660nm led do we use bare or with lens