Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
hey i have a few questions: what gph pump do you think is best? can this be the only thing in my sump? i mean can this be used in place of a protein skimmer, UV sterilizer, etc. and be more effective? I am thinking of setting up this set if it is more benificial to my system also since it seems like i would need less electrical appliances and my BGE bill wont be as high. i appreciate the help, hopefully i can set it up correctly. i am thinking of using an aquarium divider found at petsmart as the mesh screen. thanks again for all the help.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Yes. about 1/2" cuts.
Here are the lighting units:
http://www.marineandreef.com/Nova_Extreme_T5_Aquarium_Lighting_Current_USA_p/rcu01127.htm
And here are the replacement bulbs:
http://www.specialty-lights.com/901591.html
The reason you need the replacement bulbs is that the unit comes with two bulbs: 10K and Actinic. But you don't want the actinic, since we are not lighting corals, and even the 10K are too blue. So you replace them with "plant-grow" bulbs.
Here is the layout:
See page 1 for a pump chart.
Replace skimmer, yes. UV, no. The scrubber is the only thing in my sump. You should have two screens and three bulbs.
You could use that, but this is better:
This "plastic canvas" one might be easier to get into the slot after cleaning, and the edges will not wear; it also will hold it's shape so that a solid frame may not be needed:
http://www.everythingplasticcanvas.com/pc-20049-260-plastic-canvas-7-mesh-12-x-18.aspx
This "rug canvas" (also called "latch hook rug" or "cross stitch backing") is made from fiber so that algae sticks to it the best; but it does not hold its shape when wet, so it may need a solid frame around the edges, or it could be glued to a solid sheet. You will also need to replace it periodically since it will wear out:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat2099&PRODID=prd12195
hibye
Reef enthusiast
I got plastic canvas and a 5 gallon bucket today. I need two of the same pumps to make a sump in and out, 2 light fixtures with bulbs,pvc tubes. I already have a pump tha will make a waterfall scrubber. In one month I am going to post before and after pictures of my tank, hopefually it will work :)
Excellent thread that everyone should read. Thankyou for the contribution. Only comment is to warn anyone trying this to make sure that water does not get into the light fixture, this includes water splash and salt creep. I will be incorporating one on my refugium soon for the reasons you have mentioned here in your thread. Great information for all.
Melonbob
Reef enthusiast
Any ideas why I can't get a uniform sheet of water to run down? I am using a quietone 580gph pump, 3/4" pvc with a slot cut just wide enough to snugly fit the plastic knitting sheet in, and I'm getting sloppy, patchy looking flow? Tried dialling it in with the valve, and the sheet is pointing straight down......
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Needs more flow. Try widening the slot, especially near the side that connects to the tubing.
Melon, I first cut my slot with a dremel tool with a cut off wheel and the plastic sheet just barely fit in there. Last night i opened her up and put some cross cuts perpendicular to the slot using a cut off wheel on an angle grinder and she is flowing in a uniform sheet on both sides and the growth has increased too.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
In my related research of reducing Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate, overfeeding was always an issue. Scrubbers help, by introducing live (instead of dead) copepods to the tank, but the rest of the feeding always causes excess food to get stuck in the rock and sand, and rot. The solution to this could be an Automatic Continuous Feeder. The writeup is here:
https://www.livingreefs.com/forums/reef-talk/17282-automatic-continuous-feeder.html
https://www.livingreefs.com/forums/reef-talk/17282-automatic-continuous-feeder.html
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Results of the Week:
jtremblay on the MD site: "the last few strands of HA have disappeared from my 40's display, and the build-up of detritus is continuing to go down, despite there being no skimmer on this tank."
nitschke65 on the SWF site: "My biocube is currently being filtered by my custom [nano] turf scrubber in chamber two; there is also a ball of chaeto in the bottom af chamber two, and a bag of Chemi-pure Elite in chamber three. My protein skimmer stopped working two or three weeks ago. (My mushrooms and zoas have never looked better!) I also have some polyps, hammers, and galaxia. There's a few nassarius, and a few hermits, an emerald crab, and possibly a pepermint shrimp. There's a lawnmower blennie, two green chromis, a scarlet hawk, and a Potter's angel. I haven't cleaned my screen or done a water change in 2 weeks [bad!]. This mornings readings: Ammonia - 0 Nitrites - 0 Nitrates - 0
Skunkbudfour20 on RC: "Yes i built one, Yes i am running it, and YES my nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and phosphates all dropped to almost 0 within the first 3 weeks, and yes algae growth in my display has come to a stop, and slowly recedes... I am still running my skimmer, even though it doesnt seem to be doing AS much, its still doing something for now."
Worley on the AS site: "As for lights, I have seen an improvement in the type of algae growing and in the overall amount of growth since changing bulbs to the lower 3500K colour temp. I've been getting more hair [on the screen], macro algaes, some interesting dark green very very long hair-like algae (6"+ long). The cyanobacteria [in the display] is nearly completely gone, along with less brown slime algae, both in the tank and on the screen. And best of all, still no water changes, nearly 5 months on, with good calcium, dKH and PH. I've easily saved the price of the equipment used to make the scrubber from not having used an entire bucket of salt, and everything in the tank looks more healthy than I've ever seen in a marine tank I've kept before, I'm loving it, and so is my girlfriend!"
jtremblay on the MD site: "the last few strands of HA have disappeared from my 40's display, and the build-up of detritus is continuing to go down, despite there being no skimmer on this tank."
nitschke65 on the SWF site: "My biocube is currently being filtered by my custom [nano] turf scrubber in chamber two; there is also a ball of chaeto in the bottom af chamber two, and a bag of Chemi-pure Elite in chamber three. My protein skimmer stopped working two or three weeks ago. (My mushrooms and zoas have never looked better!) I also have some polyps, hammers, and galaxia. There's a few nassarius, and a few hermits, an emerald crab, and possibly a pepermint shrimp. There's a lawnmower blennie, two green chromis, a scarlet hawk, and a Potter's angel. I haven't cleaned my screen or done a water change in 2 weeks [bad!]. This mornings readings: Ammonia - 0 Nitrites - 0 Nitrates - 0
Skunkbudfour20 on RC: "Yes i built one, Yes i am running it, and YES my nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and phosphates all dropped to almost 0 within the first 3 weeks, and yes algae growth in my display has come to a stop, and slowly recedes... I am still running my skimmer, even though it doesnt seem to be doing AS much, its still doing something for now."
Worley on the AS site: "As for lights, I have seen an improvement in the type of algae growing and in the overall amount of growth since changing bulbs to the lower 3500K colour temp. I've been getting more hair [on the screen], macro algaes, some interesting dark green very very long hair-like algae (6"+ long). The cyanobacteria [in the display] is nearly completely gone, along with less brown slime algae, both in the tank and on the screen. And best of all, still no water changes, nearly 5 months on, with good calcium, dKH and PH. I've easily saved the price of the equipment used to make the scrubber from not having used an entire bucket of salt, and everything in the tank looks more healthy than I've ever seen in a marine tank I've kept before, I'm loving it, and so is my girlfriend!"
Melonbob
Reef enthusiast
Ok, so it looks like I'm up and running, but I have a few concerns. I was able to get a nice sheet of water, but now I have thousnads of microbubbles entering my sump. I can cut down the flow and still get a nice sheet without the microbubbles, but I have to cut the pump down so much it starts to make a racket from choking out. I can downsize to a mag 3.5 from the quietone 2200, but then I don;t have a pump for my remora pro skimmer....
Heres a few pics, tight squeeze, thank god the CFL's with not too much heat!
Heres a few pics, tight squeeze, thank god the CFL's with not too much heat!
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Does the screen go all the way into the water?
Melonbob
Reef enthusiast
yup, just sits in about1/4"
Like I said, I think it a velocity thing, I can slow it down, but then the pump gets noisy, I'm hoping it slows once the algae starts
Like I said, I think it a velocity thing, I can slow it down, but then the pump gets noisy, I'm hoping it slows once the algae starts
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
No the flow will be the same. You could always build bubble trap:
One trick, if you don't mind building another pipe, might be to widen the slot a bunch (provided your pump can handle it). If it doesn't work, go back to the original slot.
One trick, if you don't mind building another pipe, might be to widen the slot a bunch (provided your pump can handle it). If it doesn't work, go back to the original slot.
Melonbob
Reef enthusiast
there is no way I'm tearing down my sump to add baffles.......
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Then widen the slot
Melonbob
Reef enthusiast
Ok, a few questions........will the timer always be 18 and 6 hrs? Or could you speed things up going 24hrs for the first few days?
Next, I'm hoping this works as well as advertised....lol, but if it does, does this mean you have to get rid of a cleanup crew? I mean if it really wipes out all algae, what do you do about your snails, hermits etc? Sand Sifting Star?
Next, I'm hoping this works as well as advertised....lol, but if it does, does this mean you have to get rid of a cleanup crew? I mean if it really wipes out all algae, what do you do about your snails, hermits etc? Sand Sifting Star?
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Just use 18; you won't notice a difference. Keep your crew... they are eating lots of waste too. Snails might be an exception, depending. But you could always donate them to someone.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Update of the Day: Freshwater Cleanings
You absolutely must use freshwater, in your sink, when cleaning your screen once a week. If your weekly cleaning gets delayed, at the very least turn the pump off and pour RODI over the screen to kill the pods. Otherwise the pods start growing underneath, eating the algae, then falling off into your water. You will not see the holes they make unless the algae is very thin. It becomes an issue of the scrubber not removing as much nitrate and phosphate, because the pods eat the algae you've grown, and then re-introduce the nutrients back into the water. FW of course, kills the pods. SW does not. So use FW weekly. And don't worry about getting rid of all the pods; you won't. The next day there will be millions more.
You absolutely must use freshwater, in your sink, when cleaning your screen once a week. If your weekly cleaning gets delayed, at the very least turn the pump off and pour RODI over the screen to kill the pods. Otherwise the pods start growing underneath, eating the algae, then falling off into your water. You will not see the holes they make unless the algae is very thin. It becomes an issue of the scrubber not removing as much nitrate and phosphate, because the pods eat the algae you've grown, and then re-introduce the nutrients back into the water. FW of course, kills the pods. SW does not. So use FW weekly. And don't worry about getting rid of all the pods; you won't. The next day there will be millions more.
