Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[SantaMonica]

No surprise with the LED.

Unfortunately, halogens are also not going to work (wrong K). Plus, those are too little, equivalent to about 5 watts of CFL.

Save the trouble, and get two 23W CFL 3000K floodlights.

[Eniram]

Hi SM

After tested with LED, it response of the algea is no good at all nothing glow haiz.

So i've redo up using 35w halogen bulbs total 4pcs, cause i any bulb of this design have less than 20w type.

So what i do is i brought a light dimmer to mod it to a dimable to reduce to full power here are the photo

as you can see it can be adjust to the wanted brightness from the photo

No surprise with the LED.

Unfortunately, halogens are also not going to work (wrong K). Plus, those are too little, equivalent to about 5 watts of CFL.

Save the trouble, and get two 23W CFL 3000K floodlights.

Totally agree with SM, halogen not only has low K it also emits alot of heat compared to CFL. Try putting your palm within an inch and you can feel the heat and Halogen use up alot of electricity!

Hey SM when should i start to clean my scrubber? Its been running for 2 weeks, its growing brown and a little bit of green algae. So should i clean it once its completely grown with green algae like in your earlier post?

[SantaMonica]

Clean every 7 days no matter what.

[peacemaker]

Anyone knows where to get this screen locally?

[Eniram]

Anyone knows where to get this screen locally?

Peacemaker i don't think spore carries this type of screen. I'm using a mesh that can be bought from any DIY shops. Its made of pvc

[Jameshong]

Anyone knows where to get this screen locally?

Peacemaker i don't think spore carries this type of screen. I'm using a mesh that can be bought from any DIY shops. Its made of pvc

Hi peacemaker and Eniram,

This screen look like those Plastic Canvas. It is a plastic mesh that resembles needlepoint canvas, used for knitting and cross stitching so you may want to check it out at those knitting shop lor !

[stevenkoh08]

No surprise with the LED.

Unfortunately, halogens are also not going to work (wrong K). Plus, those are too little, equivalent to about 5 watts of CFL.

Save the trouble, and get two 23W CFL 3000K floodlights.

i've just mod it again to CFL warm white will update agian once took photo

[Eniram]

Hi peacemaker and Eniram,

This screen look like those Plastic Canvas. It is a plastic mesh that resembles needlepoint canvas, used for knitting and cross stitching so you may want to check it out at those knitting shop lor !

Cool!!! ok will go and check it out. Thanks!

Is it expensive and does it come in different sizes?

[Jameshong]

Cool!!! ok will go and check it out. Thanks!

Is it expensive and does it come in different sizes?

I dun do knitting so I dun know the price leh... !Heard from my wife that It come with various sizes lor !

[Underwater]

Anyone knows where to get this screen locally?

Hi Bro Peacemaker

You can find this type of plastic screen in those big knitting shops. l bought mine at Golden Dragon (Jin Long) shop at People's Park Centre, opposite Chinatown Point Shopping Centre. It's located within that Centre at 2nd floor (shop is hidden inside). There are a few sizes and even colors to choose from. The one l bought cost about $6 each.

Cheers.

[yooyoo99]

I use a used filter net (cut to size) as the screen.

My setup is horizontal flow, tilt slightly for better water flow.

Am dosing volka and running the scrubber together.

1st few weeks only brown furry algae on screen. It is only this week, which is about close to 5-6th week, then i see green filament type algae growin on the screen.

Anyway, volka did not resolve my dino overgrowth problem. Somehow after setting up the scrubber (with brown algae at that time), the dino suddenly have a massive died off within 2 weeks.

[stevenkoh08]

Hi Bro Peacemaker

You can find this type of plastic screen in those big knitting shops. l bought mine at Golden Dragon (Jin Long) shop at People's Park Centre, opposite Chinatown Point Shopping Centre. It's located within that Centre at 2nd floor (shop is hidden inside). There are a few sizes and even colors to choose from. The one l bought cost about $6 each.

Cheers.

or u can go to AMK centre where a shop house just beside the mei zhen xiang facing the big S11 there is a kitting shop selling the type u wan also

[brojj]

Hi Bro SM, thanks for sharing with us how to DIY this algae scrubber. After running this for nearly 10 months for my 3 feet, i have not look back since. It has solve my high NO3 & PO4 problem. From >100 to 3mg/L (NO3), >3mg/L to 0.03mg/L (PO4), both using salifert test kit, live rocks covered with red algae to live rocks covered with purple coralline algae, tank with algaes growing everywhere to spotless one, it is really amazing. Thanks for this wonderful info. A short info to others on my setup, dedicated aquabee 1000 to supply water to my vertical screen, 8" by 10" (a bit under size). Took me 1 hours to rough up both sides of the screen. Two 24W Philips Tornado, one on each side running 18hrs a day. Cool daylight. Clean the screen every 5 days. Took me 2 months to see NO3 & PO4 results dropping. No magic here, i follow Bro SM recommendations closely and of course, patience. Good luck to all who wants to give this alternative method a try. Once again, thanks to Bro SM.

[Eniram]

Hi Bro SM, thanks for sharing with us how to DIY this algae scrubber. After running this for nearly 10 months for my 3 feet, i have not look back since. It has solve my high NO3 & PO4 problem. From >100 to 3mg/L (NO3), >3mg/L to 0.03mg/L (PO4), both using salifert test kit, live rocks covered with red algae to live rocks covered with purple coralline algae, tank with algaes growing everywhere to spotless one, it is really amazing. Thanks for this wonderful info. A short info to others on my setup, dedicated aquabee 1000 to supply water to my vertical screen, 8" by 10" (a bit under size). Took me 1 hours to rough up both sides of the screen. Two 24W Philips Tornado, one on each side running 18hrs a day. Cool daylight. Clean the screen every 5 days. Took me 2 months to see NO3 & PO4 results dropping. No magic here, i follow Bro SM recommendations closely and of course, patience. Good luck to all who wants to give this alternative method a try. Once again, thanks to Bro SM.

Hi reefFish, care to show use your scrubber? and does cool daylight work better or warm white? i'm really confuse SM recommends warm white.

[SantaMonica]

yooyoo99 make sure you are cleaning every 7 days

reeffish great to hear!

[Underwater]

Hi Bro SM, thanks for sharing with us how to DIY this algae scrubber. After running this for nearly 10 months for my 3 feet, i have not look back since. It has solve my high NO3 & PO4 problem. From >100 to 3mg/L (NO3), >3mg/L to 0.03mg/L (PO4), both using salifert test kit, live rocks covered with red algae to live rocks covered with purple coralline algae, tank with algaes growing everywhere to spotless one, it is really amazing. Thanks for this wonderful info. A short info to others on my setup, dedicated aquabee 1000 to supply water to my vertical screen, 8" by 10" (a bit under size). Took me 1 hours to rough up both sides of the screen. Two 24W Philips Tornado, one on each side running 18hrs a day. Cool daylight. Clean the screen every 5 days. Took me 2 months to see NO3 & PO4 results dropping. No magic here, i follow Bro SM recommendations closely and of course, patience. Good luck to all who wants to give this alternative method a try. Once again, thanks to Bro SM.

For such results, this is definitely one good method. Hope l am able to get such results from my new scrubber too. Thanks for sharing yr experience, bro.

[Jameshong]

My virgin Scrubber.

Just completed my 10"x 9" scrubber and temporally using 30W LED lite for testing. I'll be going to IKEA to source suitable holder and bulb on coming Tuesday .

Currently the scrubber is inside the overflow due to limited space in my sump .

Please comment and feedback !

[ambystoma82]

i would like to check with you guys if the algae scrubber lighting is weaker than the main tank lighting, will the algae still grow?

Lets say main tank is using 4 X t5 but only using CFL bulbs for scrubber, will the scrubber be of significant help ?

what are the scrubber lighting hrs like for you guys ?

[Underwater]

Sharing here my new scrubber set-up for my new tank. After unsuccessful search for a dremel, I was so glad that my dad-in-law actually have this in his storeroom...a metal grinder! It works great and very easy to cut the slot on the pipe.

Using the bottom of a pair of scissors and even a long screw driver thread to rough up the screen by dragging along the screen. The surface was very rough after that. But avoid using the inner cutting edge of the scissors to prevent cutting the screen.

[Eniram]

Sharing here my new scrubber set-up for my new tank. After unsuccessful search for a dremel, I was so glad that my dad-in-law actually have this in his storeroom...a metal grinder! It works great and very easy to cut the slot on the pipe.

Using the bottom of a pair of scissors and even a long screw driver thread to rough up the screen by dragging along the screen. The surface was very rough after that. But avoid using the inner cutting edge of the scissors to prevent cutting the screen.

Is this the screen from the knitting shop that some reefers recommended? If not where did you get it from?

[Underwater]

I used my return down pipe to direct water to the scrubber instead of a separate pump. Using cable tie to secure the long pipe from the cabinet ceiling.

Bought 2 cheap $12 clip-on study lights from a neighbourhood shop, one of those shops that sell lots of cheap electrical/household products. Using 15W energy saving warm white bulbs. Also recycled some old acrylic sheets to shield front and back for minor water splashes, in case water splashes into the lightset.

Rapid water flow as compared to my previous horizontal screen.

So far, there were some patches of brown algae growing after 3 days.

[Underwater]

Is this the screen from the knitting shop that some reefers recommended? If not where did you get it from?

Yes, these 2 plastic screens were bought at People's Park Centre as mentioned in earlier posting. Another bro said that it can also be found at Ang Mo Kio Central, near S11.

[SantaMonica]

Jameshong, just remember that no DIY LED scrubber has ever worked (they are too hard to DIY), so yours is just for experimenting, not results. I can say now that your setup will almost certainly not filter your tank, so be sure that you are not depending on it. But I do hope it works, so can you post a link to the LED so I can see the specifications? Also, can you post a pic/video of the flow? And what is the screen material?

ambystoma82:

i would like to check with you guys if the algae scrubber lighting is weaker than the main tank lighting, will the algae still grow?

It's not so simple as more/less. And it's hard to explain. If you want details, read the FAQ here:

http://www.algaescrubber.net/forums/viewto...hp?f=9&t=68

Otherwise, just follow the recommendations and it should work fine.

Underwater make sure those bulbs are flourescent (CFL) and not incandescent.

[bobiegoh]

I used my return down pipe to direct water to the scrubber instead of a separate pump. Using cable tie to secure the long pipe from the cabinet ceiling.

Bought 2 cheap $12 clip-on study lights from a neighbourhood shop, one of those shops that sell lots of cheap electrical/household products. Using 15W energy saving warm white bulbs. Also recycled some old acrylic sheets to shield front and back for minor water splashes, in case water splashes into the lightset.

Rapid water flow as compared to my previous horizontal screen.

So far, there were some patches of brown algae growing after 3 days.

yo bro, great that you have found a grinder that make the job more easier. You got to be extreme careful when you detach the screen for cleaning. GB.

[Underwater]

yo bro, great that you have found a grinder that make the job more easier. You got to be extreme careful when you detach the screen for cleaning. GB.

Hi bro Bobiegoh, the scrubber pipe can be disconnected easily via the union which i only joint to the main return pipe just tight enough that no water leaks out. Just need to hold on tight to the main return pipe while loosening the union. Thanks for the caution, will be careful on that part.

Currently using cable ties to hold on the screens to the scrubber pipe. I may change the 2 cable ties to plastic curtain rings later so that l can take out the screen easily without the need to detach the whole scrubber pipe from the main return pipe.