DIY algae scrubber growth

[ChrisQ0904]

Here is what my growth looks like after 13 days of running. My tank is 180g and I'm feeding roughly 2-4cubes of food a day. It's not bright green but it is a new scrubber and I feel like its showing decent progress.

Lmk what you think about it.

 

[theMeat]

Awesome
Very promising for first 2 weeks

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Here is what my growth looks like after 13 days of running. My tank is 180g and I'm feeding roughly 2-4cubes of food a day. It's not bright green but it is a new scrubber and I feel like its showing decent progress.

Just to confirm; that's a newish scrubber, and that's the growth you got over a period of the last 13 days, but its not 13 days since you first turned it on. Because that sort of growth doesn't happen in 13 days after turning a scrubber on for the first time.

That good progressive growth, very promising with that nice green ulva taking over the brown growth underneath

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Just to confirm; that's a newish scrubber, and that's the growth you got over a period of the last 13 days, but its not 13 days since you first turned it on. Because that sort of growth doesn't happen in 13 days after turning a scrubber on for the first time.

That good progressive growth, very promising with that nice green ulva taking over the brown growth underneath

That's the growth of 13 days from first turning it on. I have the lights running for 18hrs.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

That's the growth of 13 days from first turning it on. I have the lights running for 18hrs.

WoW. what sort of light are you using?

@Floyd R Turbo, @SantaMonica, ever seen this sort of growth after 13 days?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Here is the link for the lights I am using.

https://www.expressions-ltd.com/products/led-grow-light-bar-algae-scrubber

I attached a picture from the day I set it up, my phone shows a time stamp of of 11/13/18 at 904
am.

I'm sure there's other people with similar growth.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

OK, I have used similar lights & never seen or heard of anyone getting the establishment of ulva in that time period, or anywhere near it, especially such even & complete full screen coverage.

Must be a much better light than this one you used

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Most certainly seems to be. That scrubber was a disaster, made me second think building this new one but a friend of mine helped me out with the acrylic so it was a no brainer to me.

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

WoW. what sort of light are you using?

@Floyd R Turbo, @SantaMonica, ever seen this sort of growth after 13 days?

It’s possible! With our new lights from SB Reef lights, we had GHA starting to grow ina screen in 72 hrs. It was on Saltwateraquarium.com’s tank or I wouldn’t have believed it myself. He took photos of when he set it up on Friday and then again Monday morning with growth on the screen. If the spectrum is right, like ours is, it can take off quicker than we thought.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

It was more the density & even full screen coverage of what appears to be Ulva in that time period that surprises me.

I don’t believe variation in spectrum has anything much to do with the fast establishment of Ulva algae (especially in Chris' case), but rather intensity of light, & probably other factors unrelated to light.
The ideal intensity of light for a mature scrubber screen will cause photo-inhibition on a new screen. As long as there is 660nm red light algae will grow. Blue isn’t necessary, especially when Ulva has developed/mature screen.

Chris’ ‘new’ lights consist of 8 Red 660nm (the A band & most important for photosynthesis) & 1 Blue 460nm. Probably the exact same, or at least similar as his previous light (but possible quite different in regards to intensity), & his previous LED light didn’t give growth anything comparable to his present screen.

I found the difference between using red/blue light as opposed to just red 660, was, just red produces only, or predominently ulva growth, while mostly, or totally bypassing all the other mucky unwanted algae/diatom growth.

These photos show the progression of ulva growth using just red 660nm LEDs. The bare section in the middle is due to ‘new screen photo-inhibition’ (too intensive light for start up).

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

It was more the density & even full screen coverage of what appears to be Ulva in that time period that surprises me.

I don’t believe variation in spectrum has anything much to do with the fast establishment of Ulva algae (especially in Chris' case), but rather intensity of light, & probably other factors unrelated to light.
The ideal intensity of light for a mature scrubber screen will cause photo-inhibition on a new screen. As long as there is 660nm red light algae will grow. Blue isn’t necessary, especially when Ulva has developed/mature screen.

Chris’ ‘new’ lights consist of 8 Red 660nm (the A band & most important for photosynthesis) & 1 Blue 460nm. Probably the exact same, or at least similar as his previous light (but possible quite different in regards to intensity), & his previous LED light didn’t give growth anything comparable to his present screen.

I found the difference between using red/blue light as opposed to just red 660, was, just red produces only, or predominently ulva growth, while mostly, or totally bypassing all the other mucky unwanted algae/diatom growth.

These photos show the progression of ulva growth using just red 660nm LEDs. The bare section in the middle is due to ‘new screen photo-inhibition’ (too intensive light for start up).

I’m pretty sure that isn’t ulva on that screen. It’s more than likely just GHA. Ulva isn’t as common on scrubbers in the states vs Europe.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I’m pretty sure that isn’t ulva on that screen. It’s more than likely just GHA. Ulva isn’t as common on scrubbers in the states vs Europe.

Yes it difficult to be sure from that photo just what that green algae is, but I cannot determin with any certainty what species of ulva I have on my screen.
It could be Enteromorpha (ulva) intestinalis, or Ulva compressa, or Ulva linza Linnaeus, or perhaps none of those. There is quite a few species of ulva, & anyone of them in an aquarium system can morph into something that looks different depending on various factors. Mine has changed a little over time. But ulva is worldwide. I'm in australia, & mine was introduced via the GBR live rock, or from using NSW for water changes.

This is a photo I took some time ago of mine. Its whats on the photos I posted above, but it has changed a little since then.

Perhaps @ChrisQ0904 could post a similar type photo of his green stuff?

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Yes it difficult to be sure from that photo just what that green algae is, but I cannot determin with any certainty what species of ulva I have on my screen.
It could be Enteromorpha (ulva) intestinalis, or Ulva compressa, or Ulva linza Linnaeus, or perhaps none of those. There is quite a few species of ulva, & anyone of them in an aquarium system can morph into something that looks different depending on various factors. Mine has changed a little over time. But ulva is worldwide. I'm in australia, & mine was introduced via the GBR live rock, or from using NSW for water changes.

This is a photo I took some time ago of mine. Its whats on the photos I posted above, but it has changed a little since then.

Perhaps @ChrisQ0904 could post a similar type photo of his green stuff?

I'll try to get a picture like that in the following days....

Meanwhile he is my harvest from today.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Its ulva

 

[govolsguy31]

This is a weird thread. Seems like scrubber Steve was jealous and in denial from the onset. Haha

At any rate, nice scrubber ChrisQ. Planning on putting something similar in my tank next week.