Algae Scrubber Basics

zemuss

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Floyd soon I will post a DIY build for the new Algae Scrubber that I am building. The plan is to put it in the refugium area of the new sump but don't know if that is big enough. I will try to post a link here to the build but it will be running a DM-5e - Reef Radiance light which I picked up free from Reef Radiance.
 

dbp99

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Dumb question here....why does the mesh only sit about an inch In the water? Thx. Dave
 

Mike J.

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Well, finally, I'm going to take the plunge and do this. I've been running a refugium for years with limited success it seems. I do grow a lot of algae, but not as much as this, and it's a mess cleaning it out. And cleaning chaeto out of my skimmer intake. I'm going to clean that mess out and put a scrubber there.
 

dbp99

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Thanks. So this leads to a second question. If you use a scrubber like the HOG, the algae appears to be fully sumerged (to consume the nutrients) but on the waterfall version it does not appear to be sumerged at all (other than the last inch or so). Do the nutrients get consumed on the water fall version as the water is trickling down the waterall? thx Dave
 

FreshReef

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Very informative thanks for all the info I will attempt building a scrubber. But my because of lack of room I had to use a hawkeye rapids pro filter with a built in skimmer. It's kinda like a canister filter in that it's all enclosed. Any ideas on how to make this work with an additional pump just for the scrubber and not going into a sump??? I'm really concerned with overflow .
image.jpg
 

Bad Company

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Thanks. So this leads to a second question. If you use a scrubber like the HOG, the algae appears to be fully sumerged (to consume the nutrients) but on the waterfall version it does not appear to be sumerged at all (other than the last inch or so). Do the nutrients get consumed on the water fall version as the water is trickling down the waterall? thx Dave

dbp99, Floyd R turbo tried both versions on two different tanks, and had much higher nutrient export on the waterfall version. With identically sized screens, identical lighting, his results showed that the waterfall scrubber was much more effective at removing both nitrates and phosphates. Subsequent to Floyd's posting of those results, he was banned from Santa Monica's scrubber website.

Personally I believe the reason is the high velocity of the falling water makes for a small boundary layer, which really enhances the nutrient uptake, without that, nutrients almost rely on diffusion to make it to the growing algae. The downside of the waterfall scrubber is that you will hear it work if you have enough water flow.

That said I have never used an upflow scrubber, but I can attest to the fact that the waterfall scrubber works awesomely. Good luck!
 

Mike J.

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Very informative thanks for all the info I will attempt building a scrubber. But my because of lack of room I had to use a hawkeye rapids pro filter with a built in skimmer. It's kinda like a canister filter in that it's all enclosed. Any ideas on how to make this work with an additional pump just for the scrubber and not going into a sump??? I'm really concerned with overflow .
image.jpg
Nice!
 

Windy

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Floyd soon I will post a DIY build for the new Algae Scrubber that I am building. The plan is to put it in the refugium area of the new sump but don't know if that is big enough. I will try to post a link here to the build but it will be running a DM-5e - Reef Radiance light which I picked up free from Reef Radiance.

I am in the planning stage for a 400 sq. in screen unit. I was looking at two fixtures of 4 x 54 watt for 432 total watts. How do I correlate that into x number of the 5watt DM-5e's? Your help would be appreciated.
 

SantaMonica

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In any scrubber, nutrients are absorbed into the algae at the microscopic layer touching the algae; the boundary layer of water which surrounds this acts like an insulator, slowing down the nutrients, so a waterfall keeps this layer thin by flowing downs, and an upflow keeps this layer thin by passing bubbles rapidly up:

WhyBubbles.jpg



FreshReef's layout is very neat... seems like a walk-through tank :)

The best way is probably to float a scrubber on the surface of the display, in an area that will not block the display lights.
 

FreshReef

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I'm not sure how a floating scrubber works. Do I need lights close to it like the waterfall scrubber or will my tank LEDs be enough? And once the algae grows on it won't it block the light.
I don't want to disturb my fish and corals. I was really hoping someone had an idea for a solution with like an external tank (no bigger then ten gallons) that I can keep hidden in my lower cabinet but I don't want to run the risk of overflow.
I can only think of building a custom sump but I really didn't want to have to go that route (too expensive and the equipment I have now is only 9 months old)
Appreciate any ideas
Sorry for being a scatter brain:blabla:
 

revhtree

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In any scrubber, nutrients are absorbed into the algae at the microscopic layer touching the algae; the boundary layer of water which surrounds this acts like an insulator, slowing down the nutrients, so a waterfall keeps this layer thin by flowing downs, and an upflow keeps this layer thin by passing bubbles rapidly up:

WhyBubbles.jpg



FreshReef's layout is very neat... seems like a walk-through tank :)

The best way is probably to float a scrubber on the surface of the display, in an area that will not block the display lights.

How awesome is it that a sponsor that sales scrubbers would offer information on what he does and sales to help others DIY? Sorry just had to give some due props!
 

SantaMonica

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Yay DIY :)

You probably can't use the tank lights, although you might could give it a try. It would block the light, however.

How to build a floating surface scrubber:
P8.jpg
 

SantaMonica

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Here is a better explanation:

Scrubbers compared to refugiums

o The main problem with macro's in a refugium is the self-shading that the macro's do. Any part of the macro which is not directly in front of the light at any moment is not filtering. And any macro inside of a "ball" of macro(like chaeto) is self-shaded all the time. Only the surface macro that is directly in front of the light is doing any real filtering. A scrubber is designed to have all the algae in front of the light at all times.

o Self-flow-blocking is another problem of macro's in a refugium, for the same reason at light-blocking. And the thicker the "ball" of macro, the worse the flow-blocking.

o With a scrubber, there is very little water standing in the way of the light. Also, the light is (or should be) very close to the scrubber... 4 inches (10cm) or less. The power of light varies with the inverse square of the distance, so going from 8" to 4" actually gives you 4X the power, not 2X. And the nutrient removal power of algae is proportional to the power of the light, because it's the photosynthesis that is doing the filtering.

o Rapid flow across the algae in a scrubber gives more delivery of nutrients, compared to the slow moving water in a fuge. Filtering is proportion to nutrient flow.

o The turbulence of water moving over the sections of algae in a scrubber help to remove the boundary layer of water around the algae. This boundary layer slows the transfer of metabolites in and out of the algae. There is no turbulence in a fuge (if there were, you'd have waves and bubbles).

o Scrubbers do let food particles settle like a refugium does; particles flow right out of the scrubber.

o Scrubbers do not (if cleaned properly) release strands into display, like chaeto does.

o Scrubbers do not go sexual, like caulerpa can.

o Scrubbers do grow lots of pods; more than was previously thought.

o Scrubber don't, obviously, provide a place for snails and crabs, etc.
 

zemuss

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I am in the planning stage for a 400 sq. in screen unit. I was looking at two fixtures of 4 x 54 watt for 432 total watts. How do I correlate that into x number of the 5watt DM-5e's? Your help would be appreciated.

I will need to test this fixture out and provide my feedback on the light. Right now I need to fully setup the 60 gallon and combine the equipment into one sump. I should be done by August so I can have a better reply for you.
 

prime8reef

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Thus is an awesome thread!! I'm in the process of maturing my diy scrubber. I used thick wall pvc, plastic knitting screen/darice© plastic canvas roughed up, cut the sky with a rotary grinder( perfect width for the screen) and feed it with a maxi jet pump. I hang the screen half inch below the sump water line so no slashing noise and run about 250gph over the curtain. Once it's fully matured I'll be getting rid of my:
Bio pellets reactor
Gfo reactor
Protein skimmer
Uv filter
Carbon bags hanging
Mangroves
Cheato and macro.
Should cut down my power consumption on all four of my tanks. I will probably di scrubbers on all my tanks once this one process itself. Best build I think I've ever done for my tank(s) & electric bill
20140617_232150-1.jpg
 
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