10 gal refugium and scrubber

[old 5k0ol]

This is the refugium I made out of a spare ten gallon tank. Shortly after, I changed the outlet of my siphon into a small algae scrubber. It hasn't grown algae yet, but I just got it running yesterday, and got the second light bulb today. Damn thing better work.

 

[TropicalRespect]

NICE!!! looks great!
The algae scrubber will be awesome, i want to build one!

 

[old 5k0ol]

Everything I've read tells me it'll be awesome. The one I made is smaller than what is recommended so I hope it will still be beneficial.

 

[TropicalRespect]

Your algae scrubber will grow algae faster if you scratch up the algae grid. It gives the algae something to grab onto instead of a smooth surface.

 

[Wes888]

I've had a similar design before. You need the light much much closer to the screen. However, in turns, the chaeto is not going to have enough light and die out. So, basically, you'll need to move the 2 lights closer to the screen, about 3"-4" away. And have a 3rd light just for the chaeto.

 

[old 5k0ol]

Your algae scrubber will grow algae faster if you scratch up the algae grid. It gives the algae something to grab onto instead of a smooth surface.

I sanded it first and then I used a knife and made marks going vertically, horizontally and at an angle just to make more texture.

 

[old 5k0ol]

I've had a similar design before. You need the light much much closer to the screen. However, in turns, the chaeto is not going to have enough light and die out. So, basically, you'll need to move the 2 lights closer to the screen, about 3"-4" away. And have a 3rd light just for the chaeto.

I just adjusted them. One of my lights is 3.5 away and it's a CFL flood equivalent to 75 watts and the other is about 4 away and that one is a regular CFL equivalent to 100 watts, both 6500k.

 

[Wes888]

I used 2 of the CFL equiv 100w as well. The plastic screen works wonder.

However, the chaeto completely disintegrated after a couple of months in my first design that looked just like yours. I'm guessing that the algae scrubber worked so well, since it got 200w of light 3" from it, while the chaeto only has the stray light. It just got out competed.

 

[old 5k0ol]

Makes sense, but as long as my scrubber takes the load then I can do with a smaller amount of cheato. If there's no nitrates, then there's no nitrates and I'm happy. My fuge gets quite a bit of light from both lamps pointing in its general direction.

 

[Wes888]

Yea, after my chaeto disintegrated, I just let it run only with the scrubber.

 

[old 5k0ol]

UPDATE! This what I have so far. Only a few days, pretty sweet.




Oh and my new fish.

 

[old 5k0ol]

Updating on my progress.


THEN...




NOW...






And my cheato is still growing.
Also, I have a lot of pods I believe stuck to the glass.
Some are like slug type things, others look like a bug, and another looks like an amoeba or something with legs all around it.

 

[Wes888]

Very nice! Mine never grow that green. I think my algae scrubber took all the nutrient away from it.

 

[613ReefGuy]

Sorry, are those two utility lights the only thing you are using for both the algae scrubber and your cheato? I am looking to redo my sump and I like the idea of having both a fuge and algae scrubber.

Does it have to be utility lights? Just wondering if something like this LED Reef Bright would work? I could design my sump in a way to allow for two of these on the algae scrubber and one over the cheato. Do you think it could work?

 

[old 5k0ol]

I'm not sure. look for a thread in the DIY section. SantaMonica is the brains of algae scrubbing. He has tested LEDs on scrubbers. As for regular lights he recommends 2700kish color. Most Reef LED's would be a lot cooler color temp. My design has changed since this posting but I still use two clamp lights with compact fluorescent (100 watt equivalent) bulbs 3000k. The scrubber does most of the work but I have chaeto as a second line of defense. If your scrubber does the job then I would assume your chaeto would die off due to lack of nutrients. good luck with it .