Micro-Small Algae Remover System for Nano's: Free!

[Jacobnano]

A skimmer/fuge/water changes will do the same thing with half the effort and ugliness.

[SantaMonica]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GrAhF11 on the RP site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rav888 on the RP site:

 

 

 

 

 

Ronron on the RP site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kiwiman456 on the RS site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Markm3 on the RS site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ender on the SARK site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Punk on the SARK site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milburnr on the SC site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon1188 on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johntanjm on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loowk on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

 

Reefme on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snaper on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

[SantaMonica]

Wideawake on the SG site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creetin on the SRC site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darasy on the TCMAS site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FiveSmallWorlds on the TCMAS site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craigg on the UR site:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wormside on the UR site:

 

[Lalani]

Look at all the purdy pichers, guise.

[HecticDialectics]

[MTF8]

Yes, yes, those are ALOT of pictures of Algae Screens/Scrubber Setups...but what does that prove?

 

I see no benefit and ALOT of drawbacks to this system, namely the amount of extra hardware/lights/and power required to make this "superior" system work.

 

I therefore fail to see how "your" Algae Scrubbers are better than a simple fuge with macro for the common hobby reefer.

 

Hell, all I have is a wad of cheato pinned to the back of my tank with LR and I too dont have to "scrub algae every day".

[wombat]

Aye carumba. This is like a plumbing/electrical installation blooper reel. I hope everyone is current on their insurance payments.

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

Yes, yes, those are ALOT of pictures of Algae Screens/Scrubber Setups...but what does that prove?

 

I see no benefit and ALOT of drawbacks to this system, namely the amount of extra hardware/lights/and power required to make this "superior" system work.

 

I therefore fail to see how "your" Algae Scrubbers are better than a simple fuge with macro for the common hobby reefer.

 

Hell, all I have is a wad of cheato pinned to the back of my tank with LR and I too dont have to "scrub algae every day".

 

y'all wanna buy a ball of slime from me?

 

 

 

 

 

no?

 

 

 

 

 

how bout some cheato or polifera from my fuge?

[Mr. Fosi]

I must admit that I've seen the light. That last set of pic posts really convinced me that using a microalgal scrubber is much better than growing macroalgae or running a skimmer.

 

Not.

 

Looks like a dangerous and total PITA that is also completely unprofitable.

 

On the upside though, he quit mischaracterizing the science of other, more knowledgeable people. I guess that's a plus.

[davidncbrown]

OMG this thread is still alive? I though it died many months ago..

[Jacobnano]

Nope alive and kicking. His ignore list is still growing

[BLoCkCliMbeR]

ive kept low tech macro only tanks back in the day w/ 0 water changes.....

 

i used it as a "dump/trash can" for stuff i didnt want in the display, and a place to grow algae to trade w/ the LFS

 

my last one was a 10 gal w/ a 15watt standard florecesent light next to a bright window...

no filtration, min LR mostly rubble.....movement was provided by air only...

 

had 0 nitrates and 0 phos for 1 1/2 years w/ no water changes, only top off every now and then.....i had a acrylic lid on it to keep salt creep down...

 

i kept what i keep now...polifera and cheato

cost for it....free 10 gal tank, already had air pump, light came w/ tank, sun provided by god....total cost minus electricity.....0

possible fire hazard.....probably 0.....

aesthetic appeal +100...

has ability to banish unwanted hitchers w/o killing them

maintenence.....close to 0....needed only top off and weeding when i was ready to go to fish store

 

my new one is just a 2.5......18watt 50/50 and an ac50 w/ ac20 impeller for movement....

no w/c for about 6-8 months......top off only

nitrates0 phos0

 

 

its not connected to any system(yet), and i run it dirty as possble b/c of the live stock in it....i mean i dump flakes, fish chunks, dead corals etc in there for the crabs and serpant stars...still running strong at 0....

 

i left town for 2 weeks and just left it in ambient sunlight w/ no movement...params still ZERO when i got back....

 

try and leave a scrubber for 2 weeks w/o a keeper...

 

i dont doubt that a scrubber can work....any 4-5 grader knows that plants create o2, clean air/ water, and use up wastes and what not, but i fail to see your point.....

 

your "angle" was all wrong....if this was presented as a diffrent "style" vs a better way then you probably would have been recieved better.......the bad science/copy& paste didnt help, but i see what your getting at....

 

so pods will breed w/ a scrubber...big woooop....what about the other critters that i may want to grow? stomatella snails, cerith snails....brittle stars etc that thrive in my fuges?

 

i guess i gotta make a new name under wife's email to make sure you see this...

 

besides......its easier for me to get her to clean out "plants" than it is slime....she aint about to spray slime off a grid in the yard......but i probably could get her to take my "plants" to to LFS for money.....

[SantaMonica]

Tarraza on the AS site: "THANK YOU SM. without this site my tank was a mess. Now I can enjoy this hobby for ever. 8 months now and i forget what NITRATE, PHOSPHATE IS ALL ABOUT, AHH!!, WATER CHANGE? NOT FOR ME ANY MORE!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU GUYS!!!!"

 

Firestarter on the SG site: "I was rather hesitant to change to an algae scrubber at first and doubted it would really work, as it was too good to be true. Almost 1.5 weeks of converting to the scrubber, I can see such great results! My corals are finally doing better, pods population has almost tripled, and I don't even need to clean the tank glass at all (usually by now it would be covered my a thin film of brown diatoms). Its amazing what the results were. Forget expensive skimmers, denitrators etc, just a good light source and good flow will do. One of the main reasons why I changed to a scrubber was because of my high nitrate reading. When I finally bought a test kit and tested it, the reading was more than 100mg/l and now it has dropped significantly to 25mg/l. Another advantage was that I could skip the skimmer pump which resulted in my water temp dropping 0.5 - 1 deg."

 

Craig on the NZ site: "My tank water is so clear and clean looking, and the sand is clean.

I have a Dragon Goby and he has gotten fat ever since I moved to the scrubber and removed my skimmer, he moves a heck of a lot of sand. But I stirred up my sand like I occasionally do and this time there was no muck coming out as I stirred it. My [nuisance] algaes in my overflow have receded, and the coraline on the rocks has grown quite quickly over the last few days. Even the water in my sump (even thou there is a bit of crap on the bottom) is clear and clean."

 

Gannet on the NZ site: "i have gone from cleaning the glass on the front of the tank 2-4 times a week to once every 2 weeks ... my nitrates has gone from 80ppm and is now 0-5ppm ... and the pods and mysis, i have that many in my sump now that i scoop them up with a net and feed them to my fish works a treat."

 

ImDaring on the LR site: "I built mine [scrubber] because I had to clean my glass every day because of green algae, and then to top it off I had a Brown algae breakout... it had covered the bottom of my sand bed it; looked like slime. the first week of having my scrubber hooked up I only cleaned my glass 1 time, now on my 2nd week I have not had to clean it at all, and the brown algae is almost gone."

[SantaMonica]

Update: Screens that are too small

 

This is an example of why a too-small screen can cause problems. The algae gets thick too quick, and the bottom layers die and go back into the water, causing cloudiness and lack of filtering. If you must use a too-small screen, clean it every 3 days instead of 7.

 

Click here if you can't see pic below

[Whacked]

Ive seen this thread on many other forums, never paid much attention to them.

I'm guessing this character is getting paid somehow to promote this idea as nowhere else does SM even bother to any other thread or contribute to the community.

 

I dont care if this thing actually works. Just more crap to maintain or go wrong.

looks fugly and i'm sure theres a nasty smell factor in there too.

 

I'll stick to the tried & true refugium w/ sand,rock & chaeto and skimmers.

[Mr. Fosi]

So now you have clean your screen(s) every 3 days instead of once a week?!

 

Once a week is bad enough but now twice a week is recommended? I think I'll stick to my sump/refugium that's packed with luscious, pod-harbouring chaeto.

 

Fail project is fail.

[Sword]

 

This doesn't look safe in the slightest.

[davidncbrown]

This doesn't look safe in the slightest.

Whoa... Um no thanks I'll pass.

[Lalani]

lol

[wombat]

This doesn't look safe in the slightest.

 

I see your light in a jar and raise you 4 lights dangling precariously.

 

[vangvace]

Too bad the OP isn't actually selling something...

[wombat]

Too bad the OP isn't actually selling something...

 

http://www.algaescrubber.net/forums/

[vangvace]

In that case b& or upgrade to Sponsor account

[Whacked]

So now you have clean your screen(s) every 3 days instead of once a week?!

 

Once a week is bad enough but now twice a week is recommended? I think I'll stick to my sump/refugium that's packed with luscious, pod-harbouring chaeto.

 

Fail project is fail.

 

+ 65496493645

[SantaMonica]

Here are several updates:

 

 

Milburnr on the SC site had this great pic of his flow:

 

 

 

 

Quick review of why scrubbers work:

 

1. The light is very near the screen, and is not blocked by anything.

2. The flow is very rapid, which transports more nutrients to and from the algae.

3. The flow (on a vertical waterfall) is very thin, which breaks up boundary layer,

and which lets the most light through.

4. 7-day cleanings keeps the bottom layers of algae from being shaded and dying.

5. Using FW to clean, kills the pods that normally destroy the algae.

 

 

 

 

Seeding a new screen is no longer recommended, because (1) you get good growth in a week anyway, and (2) the seeding just washes off and adds nutrients to the water.

 

 

Barbianj on the RS site made a great high-power CFL setup:

 

 

 

 

 

Long vacations: Some people want to use a scrubber, but are gone two or three weeks at a time. Here are the options: The easiest is to do nothing. In this case, after three weeks, the underlying layers of algae will have died. When you return, the water may be cloudy and colored, and the nitrate and phosphate may be increased, but after a screen cleaning and some carbon, it will be back to normal in a few days. This option is ok if you leave only once or twice a year. Nothing should be harmed, however. The next option is to remove the screen. For very long trips, and for cases where you have lots of LR and DSB, this might be best. Of course your tank may develop nuisance algae during the trip because of lack of filtering, and you'll have to start the screen from scratch when you return.

 

 

 

RonRon on the RP site built one with just a tupperware box:

 

 

 

 

Here's another option to attach your screen: Curtain rings...

 

Here are several updates:

 

 

Milburnr on the SC site had this great pic of his flow:

 

 

 

 

Quick review of why scrubbers work:

 

1. The light is very near the screen, and is not blocked by anything.

2. The flow is very rapid, which transports more nutrients to and from the algae.

3. The flow (on a vertical waterfall) is very thin, which breaks up boundary layer,

and which lets the most light through.

4. 7-day cleanings keeps the bottom layers of algae from being shaded and dying.

5. Using FW to clean, kills the pods that normally destroy the algae.

 

 

 

 

Seeding a new screen is no longer recommended, because (1) you get good growth in a week anyway, and (2) the seeding just washes off and adds nutrients to the water.

 

 

Barbianj on the RS site made a great high-power CFL setup:

 

 

 

 

 

Long vacations: Some people want to use a scrubber, but are gone two or three weeks at a time. Here are the options: The easiest is to do nothing. In this case, after three weeks, the underlying layers of algae will have died. When you return, the water may be cloudy and colored, and the nitrate and phosphate may be increased, but after a screen cleaning and some carbon, it will be back to normal in a few days. This option is ok if you leave only once or twice a year. Nothing should be harmed, however. The next option is to remove the screen. For very long trips, and for cases where you have lots of LR and DSB, this might be best. Of course your tank may develop nuisance algae during the trip because of lack of filtering, and you'll have to start the screen from scratch when you return.

 

 

 

RonRon on the RP site built one with just a tupperware box:

 

 

 

 

Here's another option to attach your screen: Curtain rings...