Jason's Tank Journey

[jason2459]

Also, HOLY MOLY!! This is the most satisfying WSR cleaning yet! What does WSR stand for again?

lol I had to look it up. I couldn't remember.

WATER STREAM REFUGIUM.

And they call them Algae Clean Scrubbers. (ACS)
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dk...ecall_filtering&_ssn=opha6987-xijafayf&_oac=1

 

[jason2459]

Life's been busy. Day behind on cleaning the WSR and it was "FULL"

 

[jason2459]

Day late and a dollar short again.

Got around to cleaning the Turbo's ATS. Just a crazy amount again.

Thick


Nice luscious green


Amazing it goes from this clean of a screen every time to a huge mound of algae


It's bigger then it looks it pictures too. A huge overflowing handful

 

[Dburr1014]

So, I guess that's the "quick" recap to to this point.

I've been doing a lot of home DIY renovations and one of the items that needed relocated was the aquarium. The new space needed a shorter tank and we decided to buy a new tank this time. It's my first new tank.

I went with Planet Aquariums ordered through a LFS.


I went with a canopy again as I still have curious cats that would cause problems with out one.

The new tank has two center back holes for mounting an external overflow box and two returns.

Nice!

I just ordered a planet 150g.
I have some questions, not sure you can answer, lol.
Are you still using the tideline external overflow? Do you know what bulkheads are in the tank? The ones for the internal/external transition.
I'm pretty sure the external bean is 1"

My LFS wasn't sure and I've emailed him several times. (I think I have the wrong email) I'm going to have to call... Again. LOL

 

[jason2459]

Yep, I'm running the external that came with it. I believe it's two 1.5" bulk heads from tank to over flow box. Then inside the external box are three 1" slip bulkheads. And on the back glass are two 3/4" threaded return bulk heads.

 

[Dburr1014]

Yep, I'm running the external that came with it. I believe it's two 1.5" bulk heads from tank to over flow box. Then inside the external box are three 1" slip bulkheads. And on the back glass are two 3/4" threaded return bulk heads.

How much flow do you push though it?
Any noise at all?

 

[jason2459]

How much flow do you push though it?
Any noise at all?

Around 800-900gph. Some but not much. It's mainly the flow through to the external box I hear. Raising the water level up helps.

 

[Miami Reef]

@jason2459

How many hours do you use your algae scrubber?

 

[jason2459]

@jason2459

How many hours do you use your algae scrubber?

Sorry, really late reply, I didn't see this question until now. 24/7 basically.

Each scrubber runs for 20 hours each. From 12pm to 4pm one scrubber is off and from 4pm to 8pm the other scrubber is off.

 

[Miami Reef]

Sorry, really late reply, I didn't see this question until now. 24/7 basically.

Each scrubber runs for 20 hours each. From 12pm to 4pm one scrubber is off and from 4pm to 8pm the other scrubber is off.

Hello! I can’t believe you’re back! Can I see new scrubber photos? I actually really need help with mine. I bought mine from the same eBay vendor as you (WSR). I’d really, really appreciate your help with this.

First, I need to see updated scrubber photos. How’s the tank?

 

[jason2459]

Wish I had more time to be more active on the boards again. But life is crazy and amazing and rewarding all the same. Someday, maybe once the kids are out of the house and before grandkids I'll have more time again.

But my son just got his driver's license and my tank is 16 years old now as well with this thread starting in 2009. It's been through a lot and always entertains me and I've learned a lot.

I'll post some pictures in a following post but I'll give a "brief" update since my last set of posts.

Last July I think it was we had really bad storms and lost power for about a week. Some places is was up to 3 weeks or more. Luckily I had battery backups and ways to get them charged back up and swapping things out. It was pretty hot too but I would keep adding ice bags during the hottest times of the day.

Lost all my hard corals. Except for a blasto that has still never grown more than 3 heads. All the fish survived. Though over time I've lost the wrasses except for the Melanarus. One I found out of the tank the other one I never found the body but assume it jumped too and cat ate it.

Other oddities is my mushroom population over time, even starting before the power outage, has dwindled down all on its own. There are very few left. I think zoas have disappeared too. Maybe one of the angels decided they were tasty.

Sump setup is still the same and I still clean a scrubber a week. So happy I have just about everything else automated.

 

[jason2459]

Nothing's really changed with the scrubbers. Still the two and love them.

 

[jason2459]

Hello! I can’t believe you’re back! Can I see new scrubber photos? I actually really need help with mine. I bought mine from the same eBay vendor as you (WSR). I’d really, really appreciate your help with this.

First, I need to see updated scrubber photos. How’s the tank?

What do you need help with? I will if I can.

 

[jason2459]

I use this to drive the LEDs. Split off to the four with a 4 way splitter.

 

[Miami Reef]

My algae scrubber is only producing this thin algae that take weeks to fill out.

Nitrate is at least 0.10 ppm. Phosphate is 0.30 ppm. I change water and even dosed Cheato Gro. I have the lights at full intensity for 21 hours a day. I have good flow through the screen where it’s like a quick waterfall to ensure most of the screen is in contact with water.

 

[Miami Reef]

I genuinely believe my tank is lacking the turf strain. I will genuinely pay if you can send me a small sample of yours. I really believe that’s what I’m missing.

 

[jason2459]

I'm pretty sure I'm not using the led power adapter that came with it. The one above I took a picture of i believe I bought off Amazon.

 

[jason2459]

I also dose iron I make with a formula I believe I posted before in this thread but I'll take a quick picture of the bottle I use as I put the formula on there too.

 

[jason2459]

I have added algae and phyto to my tank in the past but not often at all. I really don't think it's a strain issue but a nutrient and light issue. Leds driven at their full intensity for over 20 hours would burn that algae. It looks nice and dark green to me.

If I remember right I was underwhelmed by the LED power supply that came with it and got the one in the picture above.

 

[Miami Reef]

I have added algae and phyto to my tank in the past but not often at all. I really don't think it's a strain issue but a nutrient and light issue. Leds driven at their full intensity for over 20 hours would burn that algae. It looks nice and dark green to me.

You think the lights are too strong? Hmm. I haven’t thought of that. I’m going to reduce the time to 12 hours per day and see if it makes a difference after several weeks.