SantaMonica
Reefing newb
At least 42 watts for 18 hours. Preferably 80 watts for 9 hours, for best green.
Will handle 3.5 cubes once growing.
Will handle 3.5 cubes once growing.
Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Yes but make sure all the light is reflected to the screen.
I'm trying to throw around some ideas in order to get this green growing faster. What size screen should a total of 26 watts be used with? And at that size, how many cubes will it feed? Keep in mind, due to the location of my lights, my length must be at least 7 inches to reach the water. What would be the most effective setup? I'm only feeding 1 cube per day
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Your biggest challenge is getting all the light to such a narrow screen. A utility light is probably best:
26 total watts is great for 1 cube. 13 watt utility light on each side of a 3 X 7 screen. Actually 2" would be better, but it's too narrow to catch the light.
26 total watts is great for 1 cube. 13 watt utility light on each side of a 3 X 7 screen. Actually 2" would be better, but it's too narrow to catch the light.
I will appologize for not reading the entire 115 pages.
Will this reduce the need for a cleanup crew or snails and crabs. And does it eliminate the need for a skimmer.
I am at a crossroads right now as to what to buy next. I would need to decide to buy the stuff to build this(more money for reef) or put the monies into a skimmer.
Thanks in advance.
TS
Will this reduce the need for a cleanup crew or snails and crabs. And does it eliminate the need for a skimmer.
I am at a crossroads right now as to what to buy next. I would need to decide to buy the stuff to build this(more money for reef) or put the monies into a skimmer.
Thanks in advance.
TS
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
CUC is unchanged. Actually you might be able to keep more, since more food particles will be in the water, and may settle to the bottom to feed them.
As for a skimmer, if your scrubber is built and operated correctly, you can keep your nitrate, phosphate, and nuisance algae away without using a skimmer. If you will be keeping large fish only, you can use a skimmer too, since you don't want or need any small food particles. But you could still just use a properly built and operated scrubber, and get more CUC to feed on the small food/waste pieces. Might be more fun watching the small guys than watching a skimmer.
Here are the sizes: Scrubbers are now sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons you have. So...
An example VERTICAL waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:
1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or
5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)
High-wattage technique: Double the wattage, and cut the hours in half (to 9 per day). This will get brown screens to grow green much faster. Thus the example above would be 12 watts on each side, for a total of 24 watts, but for only 9 hours per day. If growth starts to turn YELLOW, then increase the flow, or add iron, or reduce the number of hours. And since the bulbs are operating for 9 hours instead of 18, they will last 6 months instead of 3 months.
Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.
Clean algae off of screen every 7 to 14 days, so that you can see the white screen material.
As for a skimmer, if your scrubber is built and operated correctly, you can keep your nitrate, phosphate, and nuisance algae away without using a skimmer. If you will be keeping large fish only, you can use a skimmer too, since you don't want or need any small food particles. But you could still just use a properly built and operated scrubber, and get more CUC to feed on the small food/waste pieces. Might be more fun watching the small guys than watching a skimmer.
Here are the sizes: Scrubbers are now sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons you have. So...
An example VERTICAL waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:
1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or
5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)
High-wattage technique: Double the wattage, and cut the hours in half (to 9 per day). This will get brown screens to grow green much faster. Thus the example above would be 12 watts on each side, for a total of 24 watts, but for only 9 hours per day. If growth starts to turn YELLOW, then increase the flow, or add iron, or reduce the number of hours. And since the bulbs are operating for 9 hours instead of 18, they will last 6 months instead of 3 months.
Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.
Clean algae off of screen every 7 to 14 days, so that you can see the white screen material.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
New scrubber update: The new design will not require a slot in the pipe. If you have not built one yet, and you have trouble with DIY, then you might wait for the new DIY plans to be posted; there should be no hard-to-cut pieces (like a slot), at least for the very simple versions.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Yep you will
SM- what are your thoughts on Nitrate limited tanks with higher phosphate readings? I have no algae in the tank, I clean the glass once every few days, but battle cyano and 0.09 phosphate readings despite feeding sparingly. I've recently stopped carbon dosing and want to stop GFO all together. Will the scrubber support good algae growth with phosphates alone?
I have just built a quick ATS and within one day, the ph went from 8.15 night and 8.28 day to 8.26 night and 8.43 day.
I have just built a quick ATS and within one day, the ph went from 8.15 night and 8.28 day to 8.26 night and 8.43 day.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Good to hear about the pH.
I don't think there will be any nutrient limitations; any time you feed, you are adding nutrients in the proper amount that algae needs to grow.
Cyano grows directly from food particles in the tank that settle, and from the carbon you dose. If you can keep the particles stirred, and stop the dosing, once your scrubber is growing the cyano should go. Stopping the GFO will help the scrubber grow faster too.
I don't think there will be any nutrient limitations; any time you feed, you are adding nutrients in the proper amount that algae needs to grow.
Cyano grows directly from food particles in the tank that settle, and from the carbon you dose. If you can keep the particles stirred, and stop the dosing, once your scrubber is growing the cyano should go. Stopping the GFO will help the scrubber grow faster too.
HeavyHittah
LivingReefs is like home
SM when will the new plans be posted
sps
Reefing newb
I have read the updated sizes for screen and lights but my calculations still comes out to an enormous screen. Maybe someone could guide me here. I feed 5 cubes a day and 2 sheets of nori that are 4"x4". Should my screen really be around 24" wide. And what should the wattage be. I will be doing a 2 sided screen. Thanks for any guidance.
Rob.
Rob.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
You can see a schedule here:
Availability Schedule
10 sq in of nori = 1 cube. So you are feeding 32 sq in of nori = 3 cubes, plus 5 cubes, = 8 cubes a day.
Every cube needs 12 watts if double sided, so you need 12 X 8 = 96 total watts (at least).
Every cube needs 12 sq in of screen, so you need 8 X 12 = 96 sq in. This could be about 10 X 10. So no, you do not need 24 long screen, unless it were only 4" high.
Scrubbers work on any tank. But the problem is how to build small ones... the current ones are the hardest to build. So If you can wait for the new designs to be posted, you'll be able to fit one right in.
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Here is a comparison of the types of bulbs to use:
Sm- have access to a 36" nova 6x39 watt t5 fixture. I plan on doing a 36" long x 12" wide screen, which is the lights dimension. It'll be a tall unit flowing down 36"
- would this design work?
- is the lighting sufficient for a 36" x 12" screen lit one sided
I plan on building an external box and would like to be able to keep nutrients at zero while feeding tons and possibly removing my skimmer. I have removed gfo per your recommendation. Thanks!
- would this design work?
- is the lighting sufficient for a 36" x 12" screen lit one sided
I plan on building an external box and would like to be able to keep nutrients at zero while feeding tons and possibly removing my skimmer. I have removed gfo per your recommendation. Thanks!
SantaMonica
Reefing newb
Should be at least 1 watt per square inch. 36 X 12 = 432 sq inch needs 432 watts. So your 6 X 39 = 239 watt fixture is low. You could make the screen narrow, and use reflectors to guide all the light to it. Hard to build though.
Go ahead and try it.
Go ahead and try it.
Sounds like double sided lit would be good. Would 488 watts require 16 hours or less? Also with a taller scrubber, go with 35 gph per inch or more flow?
