My Algae scrubber issues

[Kully3xf]

Hey all, So i recently (5 days ago) built an algae scrubber to hopefully quelm my redslime algae issues that have been such torment to me.

I have a 70 watt flood light illuminating the mesh 16 hrs a day, my mesh is about 8*6-8 depending on water evaporation. flow rate is about 250-300GPH.

It has been running for 5 days now and looks brand new...

what am i doing wrong.

pics

After 5 days red slime has grown crazy in the tank

even on the rocks now, this is new

Heres the light and distance from screen

still white... looks like not much flow, but there is.

 

[little_fish]

I would move the bulb farther back

 

[bjohanson1234]

Is that an incandescent light? Or a CFL? I think the incandescent lights get too hot. And looks like you need to rough up the screen a bit. That gives the algae something to grab onto.

 

[markrj]

The screen looks smooth. You need to rough it up with a hole saw.

Also you should have lights on both sides and use CFL floods in the 2700k - 3500k range. 2700k seems to optimum.

Also check out the new requirements based on feeding here.
New sizing guidelines

 

[markrj]

Is that a metal bucket you are using?

If so, I would get rid of it and use a plastic bucket.

 

[Kully3xf]

lol nah it's food grade. I moved the lamp back an inch or two and already see improvement. I'm gunna stop at homedeopt and grab some sand paper to rough up the screen. Thanks for advice guys

 

[little_fish]

get one of those circular cutters that are meant to attach to a drill to drill a large hole in a piece of wood. It will make the screen much more rough than sand paper.

 

[bjohanson1234]

get one of those circular cutters that are meant to attach to a drill to drill a large hole in a piece of wood. It will make the screen much more rough than sand paper.

She means a hole-saw:mrgreen:

 

[markrj]

Get a big one too. The small ones will just cramp your hand up.

2.5" or larger

 

[Kully3xf]

woulden't a hole saw just well... put a hole in the screen?

 

[markrj]

No. You drag across the screen with your hand.

 

[little_fish]

thanks BJ! I couldnt remember what it was called :)

 

[hoopsdaddy]

Dont attach it to the drill, just use the teeth on it to scratch the hell out of the mesh.