Algae Scrubber users

[blacktippr]

I'm about 1 and a half weeks since setting up my algae scrubber. When and how should I clean it the first time.

This is how it looks, I'm giving it 18 hours of continuous light,6 hours off then on again.

I'm dosing iron from continuum 60ML every other day . Total water volume is 600 gallons.

My Baseline nitrates where around 16, have not done any testing since setup.

Have a 100 gallon refugium full of caulerpa.

See pictures.

Question should I have more growth on the scrubber ?

I see a little tiny bits of algae on bottom of the scrubber, maybe algae is not sticking enough yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[blacktippr]

Bump

 

[knukles55]

I would wait a month or two till you actually start getting some nice growth on there. If you see some growth sooner of course clean it. I'm just going off my experience with mine it's one of those things I installed and forgot about till I saw a nice mat and decided to clean it.

 

[blacktippr]

I would wait a month or two till you actually start getting some nice growth on there. If you see some growth sooner of course clean it. I'm just going off my experience with mine it's one of those things I installed and forgot about till I saw a nice mat and decided to clean it.

Thanks, I Will forget about it then, My concern was tini bits Of Algae on the bottom of scrubber, making me think it was not sticking to the mesh.

That's why I was thinking about cleaning it in a couple of days.

 

[knukles55]

Yeah my opinion let that thing get filthy that's when you know it's absorbing nutrients it may take a while before you see the benefits of it but it does work.

 

[atoll]

I have set up 4 ATSs in the last few years inc 2 DIY ones. I always find I get various algaes growing for weeks even months before I finally get real GHA. I first get slime algaes as well as a very dark short green algae. Often in conjuction with orange and yellow slime type algae. IMO what you grow at first will depend on what is in your water that your ATS will take out/reduce before true GTA appear.

Some pic's of some of the algae I have grown on my ATS screen.

and finally. GHA