What do you expect out of an algae scrubber and what difference has it made?

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Aquachar is a chemically and biologically reactive form of carbon. www.aquachar.com

There might be a reduced flow of air based on total distance, but regular clear vinyl airline hose is already 1/4" ID hose - were you told that you had to use something different?

 

[Lovefish77]

Wil

Aquachar is a chemically and biologically reactive form of carbon. www.aquachar.com

There might be a reduced flow of air based on total distance, but regular clear vinyl airline hose is already 1/4" ID hose - were you told that you had to use something different?

Will check that carbon, thanks.
Yes they told me close to the skimmer you need to run a much wider tube, otherwise the narrow airline tubing across the entire distance would stifle air flow!

 

[Lovefish77]

UPDATE: I ran the skimmer to draw air from the balcony using just airline tubing all the way. So far no change in ph (using handheld meter)

 

[jlanger]

UPDATE: I ran the skimmer to draw air from the balcony using just airline tubing all the way. So far no change in ph (using handheld meter)

What is the size of the original tubing that is attached to the Venturi port on the skimmer?
I would recommend keeping any additional tubing a larger diameter than the original tubing size. That small of airline tubing would seem to restrict the amount and rate of air flow pulled to the skimmer.

I had problems with low pH levels (7.85-7.98). I tried CO2 scrubbing for a short time but found it too expensive just to raise it up to an 8.0 level. I installed about twenty feet of 1" PEX tubing up a wall and through the floor joists to a spot just below our main level deck. From the wall, a ⅜" silicon hose attaches to a barbed fitting and runs to the skimmer intake. The original tubing for the skimmer (Reef Octopus Regal 200-SS) was ⅜" tubing.
My pH levels rose almost immediately to 8.10-8.15. After two years of use (even with my calcium reactor), my pH levels now range from 8.25-8.35.

And I also run an aggressive ATS unit (Feed heavy!) that keeps my nutrient levels around 12ppm of NO3 and 0.08ppm of PO4.

 

[Lovefish77]

What is the size of the original tubing that is attached to the Venturi port on the skimmer?
I would recommend keeping any additional tubing a larger diameter than the original tubing size. That small of airline tubing would seem to restrict the amount and rate of air flow pulled to the skimmer.

I had problems with low pH levels (7.85-7.98). I tried CO2 scrubbing for a short time but found it too expensive just to raise it up to an 8.0 level. I installed about twenty feet of 1" PEX tubing up a wall and through the floor joists to a spot just below our main level deck. From the wall, a ⅜" silicon hose attaches to a barbed fitting and runs to the skimmer intake. The original tubing for the skimmer (Reef Octopus Regal 200-SS) was ⅜" tubing.
My pH levels rose almost immediately to 8.10-8.15. After two years of use (even with my calcium reactor), my pH levels now range from 8.25-8.35.

And I also run an aggressive ATS unit (Feed heavy!) that keeps my nutrient levels around 12ppm of NO3 and 0.08ppm of PO4.

Well the tubing sucking air into the skimmer venturi is a hair bigger than od of the airline tubing. Running any thicker tubing under the balcony door is a no no for a rented apartment, I cannot drill or do anything. So if this airline tubing doesnt work I am considering dosing kalkwasser to raise ph (but the impact is negligible I heard, you are likely going to crash the tank from allk spike in order to make a significant bump in ph).
Thoughts?

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

regarding that whole alk spike & killing off the tank thing, Chris at ACI would tell you differently. I think he did a video discussing it recently. Good info. I'll try to look up the video.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Good point, only argument against that is the fact that most reefers are running skimmers. So if your point is valid (skimmer strips out trace elements) then everyone will be having this problem except those guys doing huge water changes, makes sense? I have read it on some threads linked to scrubber in particular.
Plus I know that skimmers take out dissolved organic compounds (or anything that is nutrients-specific) not sure trace elements fit into that category.
I read for a fact that scrubbers strip out iron and iodine, not sure about everything else.

Skimmers leaf +- 65% of organic compounds behind, A skimmer removes some trace elements. The water is stripped from hydrophobic compounds. Algae filters do remove trace elements but the growth rate is very low compared to bacteria. Bacterial growth is able to strip the water from all nutrients, not leaving a thing for slower growing organisms, this if enough organic carbon is made available.
Filtration based on harvesting growth all nutrients and trace elements must be sufficiently present, meaning the food source must deliver everything needed. Using a skimmer makes it impossible managing the nutrient content using a scrubber because not all nitrogen ( nitrate) present in the food source ( protein) can be removed by growth as the skimmer removes part from what is needed to remove all inorganic nitrogen released directly into the water . A reason why nitrogen may accumulate .

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

I couldn't quite follow all of that completely, but I wanted to add that an algae scrubber has a bacterial component to it. Bacteria and algae have a bit of a symbiotic relationship. Additionally, as an algae mat grows, the surface area grows. Bacteria populate on the surface, so their growth substrate is dynamic. When you remove the algae, you also remove the bacteria.

There is a parallel here to the zeovit system, where you shake the zeo container to break away the biofilms and then skim the bacteria out. This creates a fresh surface for the bacteria to populate on, which is why you shake the zeo daily. The parallel with a scrubber is very similar, except the growth substrate is growing and periodically gets fully removed.

Most people don't really think about this aspect of an algae scrubber.

 

[Lovefish77]

I couldn't quite follow all of that completely, but I wanted to add that an algae scrubber has a bacterial component to it. Bacteria and algae have a bit of a symbiotic relationship. Additionally, as an algae mat grows, the surface area grows. Bacteria populate on the surface, so their growth substrate is dynamic. When you remove the algae, you also remove the bacteria.

There is a parallel here to the zeovit system, where you shake the zeo container to break away the biofilms and then skim the bacteria out. This creates a fresh surface for the bacteria to populate on, which is why you shake the zeo daily. The parallel with a scrubber is very similar, except the growth substrate is growing and periodically gets fully removed.

Most people don't really think about this aspect of an algae scrubber.

Thanks I never viewed a scrubber with that perspective

 

[mindme]

Like I said:
- Lps are not puffed up unless I do a large water change but this is short lived
- I have a decent scrubber that I hear strips a lot of trace elements
- trouble keeping acros

Hi, I just wanted to say that water changes will not really replenish your trace elements. The change is short lived because you are barely replacing the minerals.

Think about it like this. You would need to do 100% water changes to replenish the trace elements to what is in your salt. And even then some of them can get used up pretty quickly. But you are doing like 20% water changes. So when you do a water change, you are only replenishing 20% of the trace elements. So you do the water change, you get the temporary benefit, and they get used up.

Water changes are just a terrible way to replenish trace minerals. And it's quite expensive unless you are change water for nutrient export as well.

Regardless of your scrubber, or water change schedule, I personally think you need to dose trace elements. It makes a huge huge difference in the corals and is IMO one of the most overlooked parts of reefing. I never realized what a big deal they were until I quit doing water changes and found out how quickly they depleted.