how long do you leave your algae scrubber on?

[smitten with ocean life]

i always have my algae scrubber running. im curious if anyone else does this? or do you just have certain times that you run yours?

 

[edsbeaker]

When you say running, are you talking about the pump or the lights? The pump should always be running, but from what I understand, algae needs a lights off time, just like Cheeto. I think the recommended max light on time is 18 hours.

 

[VintageReefer]

Pump should be on constant.

Lights should be around 18 hours
Can go up or down a tad to fine tune nutrients.

How long does it take for the screen to be filled and need to be harvested ?

 

[DanyL]

As others already said - the air pump or flow (if its a waterfall) needs to be running constantly.

Light however can be fine tuned to your needs, and can be used to lower/increase nutrient uptake.

Contrary to what many people think - algae doesn’t really need off time, and you can leave the light on 24/7 if high nutrient uptake is desired.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

lights and pump are both always running. i probably clean the screen about once a week. once every 2 weeks at the max

 

[DanyL]

If your nutrients are perfect as it is - no need to change, you’re golden

 

[smitten with ocean life]

ok thanks! but is that unusual? people usually shut the light off periodically?

 

[DanyL]

A lot do, but not everyone and not at all times, but rather depending on the desired uptake which can change overtime.

Some may say that the difference between 18 to 24 hours isn’t significant enough to justify it in terms of power consumption compared to the additionally gained performance - however I did notice an improvement and the difference in power consumption was insignificant for me, and I didn’t worry much about it.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

There's a fair amount of debate about photoperiod and dark time, but what I believe it comes down to is flicker rate. The basis of the 18 on / 6 off is generally leafy-plant based, or algae in a generally stagnant water (compared to a waterfall screen).

The issue here is that a vertical screen with a sheet of water running across it that grows algae has never really been studied to see if a dark period makes any difference. So we are left with anecdotal evidence which shows that you don't need one.

My theory is that this is related to the shimmer/flicker effect of a thin sheet of water, similar to a shimmer lines in your tank or in a swimming pool (or tidal pond, which has been studied very well). The thin layer causes these lines, we just don't see them. The "dark period" doesn't need to be long - in fact, it can be microseconds. In simple terms, during photosynthesis, the "light" process "fills the bucket", and if you don't shut off the light, it never fully empties to complete the "dark process". But this happens quickly, so when you shut off the light momentarily, it empties and is ready to be re-filled. Dr Otto Warburg discovered this in the early 1900s, he used a wheel with slits and spun it at like 4000 hz. Actually that proved that your "light" period only needed to be 10% of the "dark" period, but this is for high-speed flickering.

So, lots of words but 24/7 is fine. Also don't clean as often or as rigorously. 10-14 days is OK, unless it's getting really clogged up. 7 days is just fine. If it's working, don't change!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

sounds good to me!

 

[dwarfseahorse]

i always have my algae scrubber running. im curious if anyone else does this? or do you just have certain times that you run yours?

Are you talking about the UV light that kills algae or some other algae thing? I didn't know there was anything called an algae scrubber but sounds interesting.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

idk! lol. its what i always called it i guess! its a thing where the water falls over a screen and a uv light is over it. all enclosed in a box. a pump pulls the water up thru it and then there is a discharge pipe....

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Are you talking about the UV light that kills algae or some other algae thing? I didn't know there was anything called an algae scrubber but sounds interesting.

It's a device that grows algae intentionally to remove nutrients and compete with other algaes in the tank. It was invented by Dr Walter Adey at the Smithsonian Institute roughly 40 years ago, then it was re-imagined by @SantaMonica back in like 2008 into a waterfall version.

 

[BeanAnimal]

So, lots of words but 24/7 is fine. Also don't clean as often or as rigorously. 10-14 days is OK, unless it's getting really clogged up. 7 days is just fine. If it's working, don't change!

I ran the Walter Adey dump box (tseesaw tray) system for a few years, 24/7.
I ran your scrubber on both 24/7 and on a timer.

My observation was fewer hours meant less growth. I did not see an increase in slime or cyano either way.


I suppose you could setup a few of yours side by side on the same tank and leave one of them on 24/7 and the other on a cycle and weight the dried harvest a few times to come to a conclusion.

BTW - long time, hope you are doing well.