Algae scrubber ideas

[KleineVampir]

You need patience with these things and I feel you think you're going to get instant gratification and that's definitely not how these things work.

It's been 6 weeks though, at this point. I have learned that it isn't that fast but I also expect it to work at some point.

 

[NHgoalstop]

It's been 6 weeks though, at this point. I have learned that it isn't that fast but I also expect it to work at some point.

Did you say I'm other post you have some growing? Also, how much are you feeding, and do you have any pics of your screen?

 

[KleineVampir]

Did you say I'm other post you have some growing? Also, how much are you feeding, and do you have any pics of your screen?

It doesn't seem consistent. There's maybe a very small growth here or there but things haven't changed in a weeks or so. I thought it was going to be growing on the walls because they greened up but that has stayed the same. I feed 1 cube every other day.

By screen do you mean the inside of the unit? I suppose I could get some pictures of that up. Not sure what use it would be though.

 

[NHgoalstop]

Which size did you get? Algae scrubbers are based on how much you feed a day.

 

[KleineVampir]

Which size did you get? Algae scrubbers are based on how much you feed a day.

I got the santa monica drop 1.4.

 

[NHgoalstop]

I got the santa monica drop 1.4.

So that one is for 1.4 cubes a day. These things should be purchased based on your feeding schedule. I say up your feeding. Don't worry if your fish dont eat it, the scrubber will take care of it.

 

[KleineVampir]

So that one is for 1.4 cubes a day. These things should be purchased based on your feeding schedule. I say up your feeding. Don't worry if your fish dont eat it, the scrubber will take care of it.

Well you also have to factor in phosphate, of which I apparently have plenty judging by how the GHA grows on the rocks! Also the fact that it's a 0 water change system. Like I said, I think the main problem has been the GHA in the display out-competing the scrubber. By day it absorbs just about everything and leaves nothing for the scrubber. So far I've at least taken the day time down to 6 hours and the night cycle with the algae scrubber is now 18 hours.

 

[italquam]

You are having same exact issue as me , I have also cut down my feeding to one cube a day and I am Target feeding krill to my Dogface puffer and Picasso Trigger. Which is hard , last week my puffer almost but my trigger by accident going for the food.

I have noticed less skimming since I went dark on the lights , I am hoping after two to three more weeks I can start with a progression of lights maybe for two hours a day, then to three and so on until I get to about 6-7 hours a day

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

6 hours is as low as it gets as far as I'm concerned.

Remember, corals survive in the tropics when there are several days of no sun (clouds, storms, etc)...blacking out your tank for a few days shouldn't really be a death sentence for corals (JMO, I could be wrong - we are running closed systems)

So that one is for 1.4 cubes a day. These things should be purchased based on your feeding schedule. I say up your feeding.

I would not increase feeding solely to get algae to grow in a scrubber (of any kind). You have to get it established first before hitting it with a stronger bioload. Every system is different, there might be a reason why a scrubber doesn't take off in a few weeks.

 

[KleineVampir]

Well boys I upped the flow by about 50% since I put another pump in there. That should help bring the nutrients and the CO2 down to the sump faster. That should help the scrubber.

 

[KleineVampir]

Also I went full-on 24/7 mode with the scrubber.

 

[italquam]

Also I went full-on 24/7 mode with the scrubber.

Time and patience that is all we can do , I have seen a lot of die off of my GHA

 

[KleineVampir]

Time and patience that is all we can do , I have seen a lot of die off of my GHA

If you're talking about GHA in the display, I'd like to see that too!

 

[KleineVampir]

When I said I upped the flow I was talking about return pumps. Yes I do a lot of small pumps instead of one big one. I went from 2 of them to 3.

 

[KleineVampir]

Well I've discontinued the knitting mesh project and I've reinstated the black mesh that you're supposed to put in there. I think the problem with the white knitting mesh is that it doesn't actually absorb light and take it out of the system. Black is able to actually absorb light and turn it into heat, which of course the algae can't use. Would be interesting to put them back in once I finally get this thing going, but until then I'll use it as directed.

 

[KleineVampir]

Has anybody ever ran an algae scrubber 24/7 and had it not work?

 

[KleineVampir]

I emailed Santa Monica Filtration themselves about this situation. Maybe they'll know what to do.

 

[italquam]

I emailed Santa Monica Filtration themselves about this situation. Maybe they'll know what to do.

What scrubber are you using any photos?

Santa Monica sells GEM5 underwater red leds, i just purchased one for a small in tank chaeot refugium i am running for PODS

 

[KleineVampir]

What scrubber are you using any photos?

Santa Monica sells GEM5 underwater red leds, i just purchased one for a small in tank chaeot refugium i am running for PODS

It's the drop 1.4. No photos of mine particularly, but they have videos of the unit.

 

[KleineVampir]

Anybody think I should turn my skimmer off? It sits in there with the scrubber so the water in there might be getting cleaned by the skimmer too much.