Algae Scrubber

[leemay]

I think I have a plan on what I am going to do.  The design will consist of 3 screens with a rough dimension of 10"x24" per screen double sided.  There will be 8 T5 HO bulbs in total to light up this contraption.  2 bulbs on each face of the screens.  The screens will be on a removable slide (Cut into the plumbing) to allow for easy cleaning.  The box will be mostly wood with a few glass panels on it and a drain at the bottom to fall into my fuge (Allow for a massive pod population ) 

Attached is a picture of what I mean for further insight. 

What do you think?

hey jet, i thought the general rule was 1sq inch per gallon with light on both sides.
your plan would be good for a 720 gallon tank!

your set up cost would be high if you had to buy the lights, as well as ongoing electricity costs, and it may strip too much from your water making the corals unhappy.

maybe reduce/remove the two bulbs on the left and the two bulbs on the right side to start, it would still be rated for 480 gallons i think and you would only need half the bulb/electricity.

i have no experience with ATS but have read a lot about them.

[JetJumper]

Hey.. appreciate the input.

I was reading on reefcentral last night with regards to the rule of thumb and they have modified the rule again.  I don't typically feed a lot, and I have high flow in my 120G display.  Total water volume of what I have right now is around 300G.  However phosphates seem to be a consistent battle for me trying to get them lower then 0.1-0.2 (Although not high, I want them around 0.03)  I also want to feed more then I currently do for fish and to target feed corals to increase growth in them as well.  I have to clean my glass once ever day or two currently so its a nightmare as it grows back with a vengeance it seems.

I almost think my rocks are leaching out phosphates so thats why I wanted to have a larger then normal scrubber for the initial, then dial it back.

The lighting I have some bulbs kicking around already and the ballast as well so the cost isn't going to be large at the start.

Check out this page on reefcentral.  So real good information here!  I am thinking up a new plan change based upon this information. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420&page=131 

I need to do it soon though!!!!!!!!!!!

[xenon]

Hey.. appreciate the input.

I was reading on reefcentral last night with regards to the rule of thumb and they have modified the rule again.  I don't typically feed a lot, and I have high flow in my 120G display.  Total water volume of what I have right now is around 300G.  However phosphates seem to be a consistent battle for me trying to get them lower then 0.1-0.2 (Although not high, I want them around 0.03)  I also want to feed more then I currently do for fish and to target feed corals to increase growth in them as well.  I have to clean my glass once ever day or two currently so its a nightmare as it grows back with a vengeance it seems.

I almost think my rocks are leaching out phosphates so thats why I wanted to have a larger then normal scrubber for the initial, then dial it back.

The lighting I have some bulbs kicking around already and the ballast as well so the cost isn't going to be large at the start.

Check out this page on reefcentral.  So real good information here!  I am thinking up a new plan change based upon this information. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420&page=131 

I need to do it soon though!!!!!!!!!!!

I read the whole thread.

It makes me wanna build an LED algae scrubber!!!!

[kole18]

Is this really works? I mean does it really reduced your nitrates & phospate? Nice work jet:)

[Hookup]

Is this really works? I mean does it really reduced your nitrates & phospate? Nice work jet:)

It's a proven tool.  One of many.  It works.

[xenon]

I wish there was a way to measure how effective it is when compared to the more traditional growing chaeto in a refugium.

[kole18]

I'm using caribic sea mud & cheatos & I don't use gfo or carbon in my sump anymore almost 3 months from now. Corals are ok I've seen a growth specially my Millie's & monti, my superman monti's color came back got browned out I thought I'm going to loose this monti & now coloration really amaze me. I've seen this guy from RC's his tank really amazing from Africa I think this is the guy you just posted here jet those colony of Formosa acro. Interresting I would probably do this the future:)

[JetJumper]

Time to update with what I have accomplished so far.  I decided to incorp. it into my fuge instead of building the box I was planning on.

Took an old Eco Pump 633 and created a nice straight line plumbing job for it and hooked this up.  See pictures below

2x 10w LED fixtures are powering the screen + fuge down below.

[leemay]

hi jet, can you post a link to the led fixture you are using?
it looks cool but doesn't look like its using red leds, so it may not work?

this info was in the link you posted,

Here’s the bottom line: you only need RED. Nothing else is really necessary. White LEDs of any kind have not proven to be highly effective, and neither are Blues (with the exception that they accompany reds in a low ratio).

The best results so far have utilized 660nm “Deep Red” LEDs; there have been far fewer attempts using 630nm Red LEDs. These wavelengths roughly correspond with the Chlorophyll A and B red peaks. Optionally, some 455nm Royal Blue LEDs can be thrown in; according to horticulturalists, and one study by NASA, this ratio is approximately 7:1 red: blue.

One Algae Scrubber user, who has made multiple LED Algae Scrubbers over the past couple years, commented that the use of only 660nm produced great growth, but with the addition of a single blue LED, that growth got ‘stronger’. The algae was more difficult to scrape from the screen, and the strands were more stringy or ribbon-like, and less hair-like. This anecdotal evidence suggests that the blue component is used supplementally in some fashion. So a little blue can’t hurt; add too many and you’re probably just wasting power.
The problem is this: when it comes to LED, you have to throw the Kelvin rating out the window. It means nothing for Algae Scrubbers, it is only good for trying to match the color rendering given by a comparable fluorescent lamp that is used in a home or office. Remember, LEDs are a different type of light source and isn’t UV based and shifted with phosphors. Any LED lamp/bulb/floodlight/etc you can buy in a store that is not specifically a grow lamp is completely useless

[JetJumper]

hi jet, can you post a link to the led fixture you are using?
it looks cool but doesn't look like its using red leds, so it may not work?

this info was in the link you posted,

Here's the bottom line: you only need RED. Nothing else is really necessary. White LEDs of any kind have not proven to be highly effective, and neither are Blues (with the exception that they accompany reds in a low ratio).

The best results so far have utilized 660nm "Deep Red" LEDs; there have been far fewer attempts using 630nm Red LEDs. These wavelengths roughly correspond with the Chlorophyll A and B red peaks. Optionally, some 455nm Royal Blue LEDs can be thrown in; according to horticulturalists, and one study by NASA, this ratio is approximately 7:1 red: blue.

One Algae Scrubber user, who has made multiple LED Algae Scrubbers over the past couple years, commented that the use of only 660nm produced great growth, but with the addition of a single blue LED, that growth got 'stronger'. The algae was more difficult to scrape from the screen, and the strands were more stringy or ribbon-like, and less hair-like. This anecdotal evidence suggests that the blue component is used supplementally in some fashion. So a little blue can't hurt; add too many and you're probably just wasting power.
The problem is this: when it comes to LED, you have to throw the Kelvin rating out the window. It means nothing for Algae Scrubbers, it is only good for trying to match the color rendering given by a comparable fluorescent lamp that is used in a home or office. Remember, LEDs are a different type of light source and isn't UV based and shifted with phosphors. Any LED lamp/bulb/floodlight/etc you can buy in a store that is not specifically a grow lamp is completely useless

Its not using red, you are correct.  I had these fixtures already that I was using to grow my Chaeto.  They are 6500 rated 10W LED's.

Similar to this:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/10W-80V-240V-850LM-High-Powered-LED-Waterproof-Light-Lamp-Bulb-White-Outdoor-/290680595674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ade9e4da

I may upgrade the LED's in the future, but for now I just want to get it started.  Total build cost was $3.16.  Most of the parts I already had

[leemay]

cool, looking forward to a update.

maybe you will prove the article wrong!

at least you can compare the white leds to the cf bulbs.

how big is your screen on your latest version?

I'm holding off building an ats until i can get a red led par30/38 bulb locally.

[JetJumper]

The screen is uncut.  Its the stock size that comes from walmart.  I believe its 20" x 10"  i will double check later once I find my tape measure

[JetJumper]

3 days in.

[leemay]

hey jet, any update on the white leds?

how would you compare the white leds to the cf bulbs?

thanks

[JetJumper]

Update time!

I attached 2 pictures.  One being before cleaning and the other after cleaning the screen.  So far that is cleaned once a week and it produces that amount.  I had to add a CFL to the screen on one side, however both sides of the screen look the same. 

So there is a 13W CFL and 2x 10Watt 6500K LEDs

I haven't tested my phosphates in a bit because I have been doing rather large water changes on the system weekly so I haven't bothered.  But I do notice a lot less glass algae in 2 of the tanks on the system.  Could be from waterchanges though..