Algae scrubber in a phosban reactor?

Raggamuffin

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I'm late to the party but I would bet on a reactor working amzingly well for cheato if you keep it housed in the media tube so the flow has to travel through it all.
 
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Bongo Shrimp

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I'm late to the party but I would bet on a reactor working amzingly well for cheato if you keep it housed in the media tube so the flow has to travel through it all.

That's exactly what I did. I'm going to get the lights as soon as I can so it will start working.
 

srusso

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I was just looking at those at home depot and was like "no way those have enough power". They had some 14" ones for like 15$. Those will work?

Then maybe some tin foil for reflectors?

Should work fine for the application, yeah you would have to make some type of DIY reflector.
 
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Bongo Shrimp

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So I have been running the chaeto reactor for about 3 weeks now and my nitrates are 0 and my phosphates are down to .25ppm. The algae grows really fast and there is minimal growth on the actual sides of the reactor.
 

srusso

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So I have been running the chaeto reactor for about 3 weeks now and my nitrates are 0 and my phosphates are down to .25ppm. The algae grows really fast and there is minimal growth on the actual sides of the reactor.

What did you end up using for lighting? Can you post some pics? Good to hear your N are 0!! Now here is why your nitrates are bottoming out and leaving P04 behind...

Algae uses nitrates at a much faster rate then phosphates. However N and P only can be consumed together... See the problem? Your tank is nitrate limited, in order to use more phosphates you need to supply more nitrates. IE: feed more, make sure the food your feeding doesn't have phosphates in it.
 
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Ok thanks. I will resume my heavier feeding schedule. I am using two presumably low power 15" T5's from home depot. $15 each. It isn't a pretty contraption and I am working on perfecting the visual design. Oh and I am using aluminum foil for reflectors and electrical tape to hold the lights to the reactor. I know it's dumb cause I have to cut the tape and re-tape it when ever I open the thing but it's working so that doesn't matter right now.
 

DeathWish302

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I did use an algae scrubber for a good amount of time (~2yrs), but was annoyed with the cleanings every 3-4 days. It just became time consuming and a nightmare if I needed to travel on biz for more than a week. So good choice on the chaeto. I switch out the algae turf scrubber for some aggressive taxifolia and other species with mangroves since they can handle little attention with my travel schedule for work. I truly prefer the nuisance algaes, as I have also found my water does not appear as 'yellow' (this is controversial at best and I do not even truly know if it is from the turf algae). The water appears cleaner from the nuisance algeas after harvest and the red turf algae that does grow in my lagoon is happily gobbled up by my pencil urchin.

I would look into a EcoSmart (HD ~$46) or Utilitech (Lowe's~$45) bulb for your reactor next bulb change. You could use a lower watt version, but I have only experience with the 18W range. These things BLOW T5 and CFL 3000K-6500K out of the water for growth! I have nothing but good things to say about the Par30/38 LED bulbs and they also won't light up an entire room like CFL when your running 6 to light a Rubbermaid stock tank.

If your close to Wixom and want to try some taxifolia or one of the other two species I have, let me know and we could maybe meet up somewhere near Metro Detroit.
 

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I did use an algae scrubber for a good amount of time (~2yrs), but was annoyed with the cleanings every 3-4 days. It just became time consuming and a nightmare if I needed to travel on biz for more than a week. So good choice on the chaeto. I switch out the algae turf scrubber for some aggressive taxifolia and other species with mangroves since they can handle little attention with my travel schedule for work. I truly prefer the nuisance algaes, as I have also found my water does not appear as 'yellow' (this is controversial at best and I do not even truly know if it is from the turf algae). The water appears cleaner from the nuisance algeas after harvest and the red turf algae that does grow in my lagoon is happily gobbled up by my pencil urchin.

I would look into a EcoSmart (HD ~$46) or Utilitech (Lowe's~$45) bulb for your reactor next bulb change. You could use a lower watt version, but I have only experience with the 18W range. These things BLOW T5 and CFL 3000K-6500K out of the water for growth! I have nothing but good things to say about the Par30/38 LED bulbs and they also won't light up an entire room like CFL when your running 6 to light a Rubbermaid stock tank.

If your close to Wixom and want to try some taxifolia or one of the other two species I have, let me know and we could maybe meet up somewhere near Metro Detroit.

A true algae scrubber should be cleaned every 7 days. I believe a lot has changed since you have run yours. Yellow water is the result of cleaning the scrubber screen in the tank, this along with many other basic maintenance rules have been created so running an algae scrubber now is stupid simple. The Kevin of lights bulbs that should be used with a scrubber is 2700k to 3000k. This range has shown to perform the best. You should check out the stickied thread on RC I started. It's located in the Advanced section. Or check out algaescrubber.net for more info.
 

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A true algae scrubber should be cleaned every 7 days. I believe a lot has changed since you have run yours. Yellow water is the result of cleaning the scrubber screen in the tank, this along with many other basic maintenance rules have been created so running an algae scrubber now is stupid simple. The Kevin of lights bulbs that should be used with a scrubber is 2700k to 3000k. This range has shown to perform the best. You should check out the stickied thread on RC I started. It's located in the Advanced section. Or check out algaescrubber.net for more info.

I doubt much has changed since I ran my setup. Stil the same arguments about the pros/cons and few on either side ever running the 'oppositions' style of export system. As for the 'yellowing affect', I cannot understand why the turf algae or something in my system caused it. I NEVER cleaned the screen in the tank and it was always rinsed with tank water after a water change every few days. I can't pinpoint that the scrubber caused the condition, but it's gone with my current setup and much more pleasing to the eye to see trees and some swaying algae than an ugly screen. To each his own though, as I would suggest anyone try it at least once for 6+ months to see if it works for you.

I do disagree that the 2700K-3000K grows red turf the best. My turf was non-existant under the 3000K Par38 CFL and grows like mad now that it is under a 5000K LED Par38.

When considering labor versus benefit, a chaeto or caulerpa vegetable filter will beat a turf scrubber hand down IME. Either way will reach the end goal of lowered nitrates, but the scrubber required more labor per unit drop in dissolved nutrients.
 
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srusso

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I doubt much has changed since I ran my setup. Stil the same arguments about the pros/cons and few on either side ever running the 'oppositions' style of export system. As for the 'yellowing affect', I cannot understand why the turf algae or something in my system caused it. I NEVER cleaned the screen in the tank and it was always rinsed with tank water after a water change every few days. I can't pinpoint that the scrubber caused the condition, but it's gone with my current setup and much more pleasing to the eye to see trees and some swaying algae than an ugly screen. To each his own though, as I would suggest anyone try it at least once for 6+ months to see if it works for you.

I do disagree that the 2700K-3000K grows red turf the best. My turf was non-existant under the 3000K Par38 CFL and grows like mad now that it is under a 5000K LED Par38.

When considering labor versus benefit, a chaeto or caulerpa vegetable filter will beat a turf scrubber hand down IME. Either way will reach the end goal of lowered nitrates, but the scrubber required more labor per unit drop in dissolved nutrients.

You can doubt all you want but the proof is in the pudding.

http://algaescrubber.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=68

Or the sticky I started on RC that's 86 pages long now...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977420

The most resent FAQ was written August 2010... So yes lots of things have changed. "turf" algae is not even the desired algae to harvest any longer. Green hair algae is what current scrubbers are using. That's why the name has kind of changed to algae scrubber and not known as algal turf scrubber or ATS as it once was...
Could you tell me what type of scrubber you built? Was it an old 70s style dump bucket? A horizontal? A vertical waterfall style? Was it a closed acrylic box or an open/spray guard type setup?

I am not sure what you mean by pleasing to the eyes to see "trees and some swaying algae"? I must admit, to someone who knows little about these N and P removing powerhouses a screen maybe ugly... But to me I see so much more... But then again I don't see my scrubber very often unless I open my tank stand doors.... But I'd say most people don't have a very pretty sump area... But I guess that's just me....

I do agree with you on one statement... Anyone wanting to try an algae scrubber, give it six months... But you won't need it... There are many thousand of success stories now spanning the globe.

2700k is most definitely the desired color spectrum...

The point about cheato or any other marco algae for that matter even comes close to out competing a scrubber is laughable.

I don't not mean to sound like a jerk and please don't take my statements that way. Just really trying to keep the thread accurate.
 
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Bongo Shrimp

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Are you suggesting that the fact that the chaeto got my nitrates down to 0 and phosphates down to .25 is "not effective"?
 

DeathWish302

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You can doubt all you want but the proof is in the pudding.

Algae Scrubbers • View topic - ALGAE SCRUBBER FAQ (August 2010)

Or the sticky I started on RC that's 86 pages long now...

Algae Scrubber Basics - Reef Central Online Community

The most resent FAQ was written August 2010... So yes lots of things have changed. "turf" algae is not even the desired algae to harvest any longer. Green hair algae is what current scrubbers are using. That's why the name has kind of changed to algae scrubber and not known as algal turf scrubber or ATS as it once was...
Could you tell me what type of scrubber you built? Was it an old 70s style dump bucket? A horizontal? A vertical waterfall style? Was it a closed acrylic box or an open/spray guard type setup?

I am not sure what you mean by pleasing to the eyes to see "trees and some swaying algae"? I must admit, to someone who knows little about these N and P removing powerhouses a screen maybe ugly... But to me I see so much more... But then again I don't see my scrubber very often unless I open my tank stand doors.... But I'd say most people don't have a very pretty sump area... But I guess that's just me....

I do agree with you on one statement... Anyone wanting to try an algae scrubber, give it six months... But you won't need it... There are many thousand of success stories now spanning the globe.

2700k is most definitely the desired color spectrum...

The point about cheato or any other marco algae for that matter even comes close to out competing a scrubber is laughable.

I don't not mean to sound like a jerk and please don't take my statements that way. Just really trying to keep the thread accurate.


You can pitch it anyway you want dude... I've been in this rodeo for over a decade and I know what works for MY system. You can doubt my lagoonal refugium N & P destroyer or you could relish the reliastic thought that this is how nature processes N & P too (trees and algae). If hair and turf algaes are so amazing, why have they not completely decimated the CA coast in the past with invasions? Why is it that my hair algae quickly recedes when the taxifolia recovers from my prunings? These are obviously my observation on my system. Your claims are much more laugable IMO.

I have an odd suspicion your someone linked to the algaescrubber thread as another guy over at RC becomes just as hostile when anyone deems a scubber was not for THEM.

Get off your soap box and try other ways on reefing instead of just broadcasting why your system is better than all other's while never admitting you've tried another way. BTW, I learned about a turf scubber from an old-timer (PaulB) way before I even found your site. Believe me, this is not a new concept and by far not the 'best' for everyone. To each his own...
 
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DeathWish302

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Just asking who ever

Absolutely! Make sure you have enough flow to tumble the GFO so there is no clumping. This flow will also keep the chaeto 'cleaner' with detritus buildup.

I run GFO with my algaes/trees 24/7. You can never have a shortage of PO4 inputs with heavy fish feedings and coral menu items 3x/ week. I use about 1.5oz every 3-4weeks and this will keep my PO4 below 0.03ppm.

HTH
 
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