Algae Scrubber Basics

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Is there a reason you chose that size? The square-inch-per-gallon guideline was replaced with the feeding guideline several years ago.

This may help: http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/mobile/

 

[brownsalt92]

Is there a reason you chose that size? The square-inch-per-gallon guideline was replaced with the feeding guideline several years ago.

This may help: http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/mobile/

I had 6x8 with one light had to clean every 3 days the black slime build up was terrible I get decent growth with the 10 x10 but just don't know if it's enough flow

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

There are usually phases that a screen goes through, just out of curiosity was the black growth the kind that is like a sheet, that flaked off only with scrubbing with a brush or more of a slimy layer that you could just swipe off?

Flow should be in the range of 35 GPH/in of width, so 350 (actual across screen) but you can get away with less.

Your vertical head is from the water level above where the pump is located to the top of screen. So if your screen is touching the water, it's 10". Then add about 24" for the slot pipe/elbows/misc losses, and look for a pump that delivers ~350 GPH at that head loss.

 

[SantaMonica Verified Sponsor]

The black slime meant that you needed stronger light.

 

[jason2459]

Finally some new DIY styles, for those who want to fit waterfalls into sumps. Just use your own lights, and use a standard pvc coupler glued to a regular tray:

Looks interesting. Looks like it would fit or work ok with some sumps but not well at all with others. Wouldn't work at all with mine. The bottom there would spill water out all over the place. It's not self contained. If I'm looking at that right.

 

[jason2459]

I'm still trying to see what the drastic improvement is over what people have been doing for the past many years. I keep seeing more issues as it scales up.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I hope this doesn't come off bad here because I'm all for new ideas and variations that help people get into using an algae scrubber, but I've made a concerted effort to avoid directly advertising (which is not allowed anyways) but also to avoid even the appearance of self promotion. This is a DIY thread and should be used for answering questions and troubleshooting and things like that.

I'll occasionally post pictures of my harvests from my tank and of those of tanks I maintain but not a bunch of pics of other people's units that happen to be made by me unless I'm trying to give an example of what might be a problem/solution.

I also don't (at least I don't think I have) posted pictures/schematics of my systems, filled with obviously non-DIYable parts (or very difficult at best) in order to give an example of how to DIY something. I feel this is crossing the line. Stuff like that has a place, in the sponsor forums.

/soapbox

 

[jason2459]

I agree, there's a lot of (tm) and "special/custom" stuff in those pictures which is direct advertisement.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I'm still trying to see what the drastic improvement is over what people have been doing for the past many years. I keep seeing more issues as it scales up.

I think the main advantage is this design idea is that it's a submersible waterfall. But, the only thing that really makes this possible are the lights.

 

[jason2459]

I think the main advantage is this design idea is that it's a submersible waterfall. But, the only thing that really makes this possible are the lights.

But then its not a waterfall. If thats sitting on top my sump I'll have water everywhere.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

....let me also say that I don't consider this "my thread"...this is a public thread.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

But then its not a waterfall.

What I mean is that it is a waterfall design that can become submerged, like in a power outage. That could be really important to someone who is in an area with regular or unpredictable power outages

 

[jason2459]

What I mean is that it is a waterfall design that can become submerged, like in a power outage. That could be really important to someone who is in an area with regular or unpredictable power outages

So then it would have to fit half way down or more someone's sump right? Power goes out and the sump fills up keeping the screen wet? Screen size I want that wouldn't fit at all. Again, I'm see all kinds of scale up issues. Also, wouldn't work for the person with no sump.

 

[jason2459]

I'll just use the DC pump I got and slap a battery backup on it that will keep it running for 36+ hours or until I get my generator going.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

So then it would have to fit half way down or more someone's sump right? Power goes out and the sump fills up keeping the screen wet?

Yes

Screen size I want that wouldn't fit at all. Again, I'm see all kinds of scale up issues. Also, wouldn't work for the person with no sump.

Can't please everyone with one design, so having options is good

I'll just use the DC pump I got and slap a battery backup on it that will keep it running for 36+ hours or until I get my generator going.

Actually you would really only need to pulse the pump long enough to keep the screen wet. Just a few seconds every minute would be enough for a long term outage.

 

[jason2459]

Can't please everyone with one design, so having options is good

....

Considering he's been baiting everyone for months now saying there's been NO improvements in the waterfall since "he" came out with it is very insulting to all the people that have improved on it considerably. And he's advertising this for everyone to be so much better then anything else out there (since there's been no improvements of course...). So, you sure bet I'm going to see how this could apply to everyone. Which I can't right now.

 

[jason2459]

...
Actually you would really only need to pulse the pump long enough to keep the screen wet. Just a few seconds every minute would be enough for a long term outage.

I would have to figure out how to do that since the controller would be off. I could set a default profile but the energy bar would be off too with the apex brain.

But since the pump is 24volts and the battery I would use is 12v the pump would run at reduced power just allowing the screen to keep wet at least.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

I hope this doesn't come off bad here because I'm all for new ideas and variations that help people get into using an algae scrubber, but I've made a concerted effort to avoid directly advertising (which is not allowed anyways) but also to avoid even the appearance of self promotion. This is a DIY thread and should be used for answering questions and troubleshooting and things like that.

I'll occasionally post pictures of my harvests from my tank and of those of tanks I maintain but not a bunch of pics of other people's units that happen to be made by me unless I'm trying to give an example of what might be a problem/solution.

I also don't (at least I don't think I have) posted pictures/schematics of my systems, filled with obviously non-DIYable parts (or very difficult at best) in order to give an example of how to DIY something. I feel this is crossing the line. Stuff like that has a place, in the sponsor forums.

/soapbox

Considering he's been baiting everyone for months now saying there's been NO improvements in the waterfall since "he" came out with it is very insulting to all the people that have improved on it considerably. And he's advertising this for everyone to be so much better then anything else out there (since there's been no improvements of course...). So, you sure bet I'm going to see how this could apply to everyone. Which I can't right now.

I agree with both of these posts. Every bit of them.

The waterproof lights are cool and I like the possible applications of them (upflow scrubber lit on both sides?) but that is the only improvement I can see with this "new design" aka a standard waterfall scrubber with new waterproof lights. Nothing else about it is amazingly innovative and I like the general idea but agree that it does not scale well for larger screens as they wont fit in most sumps.

It is quite annoying to have this get hyped with cryptic posts for months claiming for it to be able to completely change the DIY community only for it to be something that can't even be made at home easily (because the waterproof lights are the only major change and they would need to be bought).

I have seen many times on other threads and forums where he has been called out for both slyly advertising where others are playing by the rules and also for saying that there have been no improvements to waterfall scrubbers since 2008 - which is complete bull****. I have never seen a response and these posts are only ever ignored.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

because the waterproof lights ... would need to be bought

You can actually DIY underwater lights, using LED Seal, but I don't know if that's been proven to be long-term successful. Plus with LEDs requiring constant DC current (and usually a load-adjusting driver) this opens up a huge potential issue, because such a driver self-adjusts to the demanded voltage drop in order to maintain the current, this is kind of a dangerous situation should there be some kind of breach with the LED Seal.

 

[MaccaPopEye]

That's certainly interesting that it could be possible. Doesn't sound very safe at all though. I'd like to see how these ones are made.

Certainly won't be something I'll be game enough to try though.