Question about algae scrubbers

[esloan88]

I have been thinking of making a simple algae scrubber for my tank and I have a couple of questions. My tank is about 55 gallons and is a basic cube shape. I have a Trigger Systems cube sump/refugium underneath it, in the stand. I do not have much room in my sump/refugium currently. It has three chambers, one chamber is filled with the return, the filter sock and a large skimmer. The return chamber currently contains the return pump and a calcium reactor. The refugium chamber currently has a shallow sand bed, some live rock and a bit of Pom Pom Gracilaria macroalgae.
I was running chaeto in the refugium but it got to be a pain because it would occasionally break off and get into my display tank. So, I want to use an algae scrubber in my refugium.

Here is my question: Since I do not have much space, I was thinking of just cutting a piece of egg crate to the width and length of my refugium chamber, gluing a piece of that roughed up mesh to it and mounting it horizontally in my refugium and just under the water line. Then using my old chaeto grow light shining down on it. Would this work? I see everyone making the waterfall style but I just don't have enough room in my cabinet. I could do one of the upflow algae scrubbers but why would it be any better than what I stated above?

Thanks and any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[TbyZ]

I have been thinking of making a simple algae scrubber for my tank and I have a couple of questions. My tank is about 55 gallons and is a basic cube shape. I have a Trigger Systems cube sump/refugium underneath it, in the stand. I do not have much room in my sump/refugium currently. It has three chambers, one chamber is filled with the return, the filter sock and a large skimmer. The return chamber currently contains the return pump and a calcium reactor. The refugium chamber currently has a shallow sand bed, some live rock and a bit of Pom Pom Gracilaria macroalgae.
I was running chaeto in the refugium but it got to be a pain because it would occasionally break off and get into my display tank. So, I want to use an algae scrubber in my refugium.

Here is my question: Since I do not have much space, I was thinking of just cutting a piece of egg crate to the width and length of my refugium chamber, gluing a piece of that roughed up mesh to it and mounting it horizontally in my refugium and just under the water line. Then using my old chaeto grow light shining down on it. Would this work? I see everyone making the waterfall style but I just don't have enough room in my cabinet. I could do one of the upflow algae scrubbers but why would it be any better than what I stated above?

Thanks and any advice would be much appreciated!

The thing with a downflow scrubber is there is a very thin layer of water flowing over the algae on the screen. This provides an excellent air/water interface & grows algae very well.

The way you're looking at setting up yours is more like the original Addey scrubber, which utilized a dump bucket to get the air/water agitation.
Water flowing slowly & gently over the screen won't be so effective. You'll have to think of a way to get fast aggitated waterflow over the algae screen/bed.

 

[esloan88]

The thing with a downflow scrubber is there is a very thin layer of water flowing over the algae on the screen. This provides an excellent air/water interface & grows algae very well.

The way you're looking at setting up yours is more like the original Addey scrubber, which utilized a dump bucket to get the air/water agitation.
Water flowing slowly & gently over the screen won't be so effective. You'll have to think of a way to get fast aggitated waterflow over the algae screen/bed.

Hmm, makes sense. What if I mounted a nano powerhead on one end of the refugium flowing across the horizontal egg crate and mesh? Would that work?

 

[TbyZ]

Hmm, makes sense. What if I mounted a nano powerhead on one end of the refugium flowing across the horizontal egg crate and mesh? Would that work?

Anyway you can agitate the entire water/algae/ screen surface is good.

 

[esloan88]

Anyway you can agitate the entire water/algae/ screen surface is good.

Thank you. I think I will try this. I have a spare pump and powerhead at home.

 

[TbyZ]

Thank you. I think I will try this. I have a spare pump and powerhead at home.

You can also talk to Bud from Turbo Aquatics at his forum https://www.algaescrubbing.com/forums/general-discussion.30/

But keep a thin layer of agitated water above the screen, with appropriate lighting, & all should be good.

 

[anit77]

I don't know how well that will work. You may get some growth but the best way to do it is to pump the water out of the sump and have it running down the canvas in a sheet. Pointing a powerhead at it is also likely to blow the little pieces of gha everywhere as it grows.

 

[esloan88]

I don't know how well that will work. You may get some growth but the best way to do it is to pump the water out of the sump and have it running down the canvas in a sheet. Pointing a powerhead at it is also likely to blow the little pieces of gha everywhere as it grows.

I just don't have the room for a waterfall style scrubber. I might end up going with a pure upflow scrubber but the waterfall style is just a no go right now, I think.

 

[TbyZ]

Got a photo of the sump in cabinet?

 

[esloan88]

Got a photo of the sump in cabinet?

Got a photo of the sump in cabinet?

Here it is before I put the skimmer and a media reactor in it and when I had chaeto in the refugium. It is hard to tell but I am constrained both by what is in the sump and by the cabinet on either side and the height as well.

 

[TbyZ]

Here it is before I put the skimmer and a media reactor in it and when I had chaeto in the refugium. It is hard to tell but I am constrained both by what is in the sump and by the cabinet on either side and the height as well.

Doesn't look like heights a problem?

 

[esloan88]

Doesn't look like heights a problem?

The height is a bit of a problem. My biggest worry is not being able to easily reach the skimmer and the filter sock with a algae scrubber hanging there. I change my filter sock once a day and needing to either take down the scrubber or work around it, sounds like a pain in the rear.

 

[TbyZ]

The height is a bit of a problem. My biggest worry is not being able to easily reach the skimmer and the filter sock with a algae scrubber hanging there. I change my filter sock once a day and needing to either take down the scrubber or work around it, sounds like a pain in the rear.

Without a reconfigeration it might be better to keep the chaeto.

Anyhow, good luck with it.

 

[esloan88]

Without a reconfigeration it might be better to keep the chaeto.

Anyhow, good luck with it.

Yeah, I just hate the chaeto and I have heard that algae scrubbers are more efficient. I will keep looking and figure something out. Thank you for all your assistance!

 

[chefjpaul]

The height is a bit of a problem. My biggest worry is not being able to easily reach the skimmer and the filter sock with a algae scrubber hanging there. I change my filter sock once a day and needing to either take down the scrubber or work around it, sounds like a pain in the rear.

Maybe look into turning the sump so the skimmer is in front / left, and have the whole refugium on the right.
Or
Algae reactor

 

[sundog101]

You may want to look into this as well.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chaeto-egg-crate-sandwich-idea.144659/

Not really an algae scrubber, but might work for what you're trying to do.

 

[Pete1968]

Look into a cheato reactor,

 

[anit77]

I was just going say that. A reactor is probably your best bet. They're not expensive or hard to make. A couple of local club members use them here and they they produce nicely. They also do a good job containing the cheato so little pieces don't get blown into the DT.