Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[SantaMonica]

Should always be at least 12 watts per 3x4 inches. If all 12 watts are on one side, it's 1-sided. If the 12 watts are divided into sides, then it's 2-sided.

 

[old 5k0ol]

so if this example was two sided it would be 18 hours light and one sided it would be 9?

 

[SantaMonica]

No it would be 18 hours for 12 total watts, or 9 hours for 24 total watts.

 

[WannaRace]

Glad you like the info :)

Here is the sizing and lighting guide:

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)
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen)
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen)
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen)
10 square inches (50 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen)
5 square inches (50 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen)
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen)
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.

HORIZONTAL screens: Multiply the screen size by 4, and the wattage by 1.5

Is there any specific amount of flow that one needs for these size and lighting requirements? I have a MJ 600 laying around and would like to experiment with building a scrubber for my cyano issues.

 

[SantaMonica]

It is still at least 35 gph per inch.

 

[WannaRace]

It is still at least 35 gph per inch.

Oh wow, scratch that. I guess the 600 only flows 160gph. Thanks for the quick response SM, looks like I've got some shopping to do.

 

[SantaMonica]

Updates on the LED test. 3 pics from 2nd cleaning, and 1 vid from 3rd cleaning:


2nd cleaning, 7 days, top:

2nd cleaning, 7 days, T5:

2nd cleaning, 7 days, LED:

3rd cleaning, 11 days:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBEkVdEQ_oQ]SM100 LED Test - 3rd cleaning - 11 Days - YouTube[/ame]
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[arkansasboy]

I got my scrubber built about 5 days ago and its been running since then but I dont have anything on the screen yet. I have a 55 gal tank and I made the plastic canvas 8 inches wide and there is about 6 inches out of the water. The water flows fairly evenly across the screen. I did have to make some minor additions to my stand today so I could get the lights closer. I am using soft white CFL bulbs with small reflector globes. Could the lack of growth be attributed to the lights not being in the correct position the last 5 days?

 

[SantaMonica]

Need pics

 

[old 5k0ol]

Soft white isn't ideal, I'd go for 6500k daylight CFL bulbs. And be sure to seed your screen.

 

[arkansasboy]

Soft white isn't ideal, I'd go for 6500k daylight CFL bulbs. And be sure to seed your screen.

Its a 26 watt Bright Effects curly cfl bulb. I did redo the overflow piping and raised it up so I have 7 1/2 inches of screen out of the water now with 1/2 inch in the water, got the lights placed close to 4 inches from the screen but I didnt have any algae to seed the screen. I am starting with dry rock and sand so that might make some difference.

SM, I will get pics up soon.

 

[old 5k0ol]

That will slow you down. Once you start feeding and getting algae in your DT you can easily just gather some up and rub it in. Or by that point you may just get some on your screen.

 

[WannaRace]

Just out of curiosity, how are people with 12x12 screens achieving 5,000+ GPH of flow?

 

[SantaMonica]

12 inches needs 420 gph

 

[WannaRace]

:-) I would like to retract my previous post, hahah. Thanks SM, how do you monitor all the boards you've posted on, sheesh...

 

[kevvin27]

Soft white isn't ideal, I'd go for 6500k daylight CFL bulbs. And be sure to seed your screen.

I thought the bulbs were supposed to be 2700 k to 3000k?? If this is wrong could it be the likely cause of brownish yellow algea growing or is that more likely to be a lack of iron?

 

[old 5k0ol]

I had read 6500k. Seems right to me considering algae normally grows from sunlight and that's closer to it. My tank growns green algae by the surface with 10k and actinic.

 

[SantaMonica]

2700k is best

 

[arkansasboy]

My scrubber

 

[arkansasboy]

Well, I did my first cleaning today to get the dark brown algae off the screen. I have some of it in the bottom of the sump. So what should I do with it?