Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, part 1-4

I have had a bucket version running on my tank for approx. 1 - 1.5 months on my tank new tank. Prior to the scrubber I was running around 20 - 40 trates and .25 - .5 ammonia. After the scrubber all were zero. It was a new tank with no inhabitants. After seeing zeroes I thought it time to introduce some life, yeah! I put in 4 chromis, 3 peppermint shrimp, 5 redlegged hermits and 10 nass. After a week on life the numbers have climbed back up to 20 - 40 trates, Yikes! Is this normal for the scrubber to take time to acclimate to the new bioload? Btw, the tank is a 40 gal with approx. 8 gal sump and the scrubber is 9"w x 10"h single sided for now until I remember to buy another cliplight, although I am getting good growth on both sides. Am I correct in thinking that this is large enough?
 
Corinna, the halogens will be fine, just hot. You need to clean the screen; been way too long.

Devil, good to hear of the low numbers. Did you mean .25-.5 phosphate? Yes your screen is large enough. Give it a few days to stabilize since you added so much at once. Any pics? Any other filtration?

As for the new version I'm working on, I think it best kept on the algae scrubber site, since Worley (site owner) wants to include manufacturing folks there too.
 
Devilish; These scrubbers work and depend on nutrients to work. Sort of a 'chicken and the egg' thing. By running yours on a nutrient desert it really hasn't had time to develop no matter how long you ran it. Same with that fairly large spike in load you've just created.

I'm a bit worried by your ammonia levels. Any detectable ammonia is highly poisonous and stressful to your inhabitants. You should curtail feeding as much as you can until things are running better, or your tank stress will tip things over the edge.

Exactly how much light do you have on your screen?
 
Sorry, SM was correct, I was thinking Phosphate but typing Ammonia (which is "0" btw). Thanks for the concern though. As far as lighting, I currently am running a single 23w, comparable to 100w incandescent, CFL 6500K.

As far as other filtration, my overflow empties goes through a wet/dry now filled with LR rubble and a small fuge with just some sand, rubble, a hermit, a shrimp and a snail. Was planning on some chaeto and or other macro, but hopefully not needed and will just convert into a full sump.

Don't have pictures currently but will get some at end of week. Just did a cleaning tonight, so not much to see.

Thanks for the responses
 
So with my plastic divider screen here it is again after replacing the cotton one. The green seems to grow in spots directly under each led. Nothing seems to grow up close, but rather 6" away from the light. Not sure if this is because the light spectrum of the blue or red by itself is enough, and needs the 6" to diffuse enough to blend red and blue to grow.

Been watching it close, and seems the red by itself grows nothing, but the rows with blue and red that are farther away on the slope started to grow faster. Can't really tell by pictures

DSC04222.JPG DSC04224.JPG DSC04221.JPG DSC04220.JPG
 
Kcress it's a 225 led panel from LED Wholesalers. 65 blue, 160 red I think. Doesn't really throw any heat to speak of. Panel is 12.25 X 12.25 X 1.25 ac 120v and no switch $36 delivered (feebay)
 
Tomorrow I think I will do a musical water change. The scrubber is running on an empty tank, 2 crabs and 2 snails. Live rock etc. Nitrates were at 10 last check. Probably less now.

My 29 fish only has high trates and is in need of a trate reduction.

My 20 reef with skimmer is in need of algae reduction.

So 5 gals from the 20 reef with depleted minerals goes into a holding tank for later cycling of my 225.

5 gal of the tank with scrubber water will go into the 20 reef.

5 gal from fish only into scrubber tank for nitrate reduction and feeding live rock, and turf growth.

5 gal fresh mix to 29 fish only. I believe in recycling ;)
 
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