Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, part 1-4
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
Reminder of the Day: Less Maintenance
If less maintenance is a requirement, then you want an oversize screen; try 2X normal size, with 2X the number of lights. This should be able to go 2X as long before a cleaning is needed. The limiting factor might be the pods; at some point they may make big holes in the algae (or not; you will have to test). This is a great thing for someone to try out. Just remember that the additional screen space will need the same lighting that the current screen has.
If less maintenance is a requirement, then you want an oversize screen; try 2X normal size, with 2X the number of lights. This should be able to go 2X as long before a cleaning is needed. The limiting factor might be the pods; at some point they may make big holes in the algae (or not; you will have to test). This is a great thing for someone to try out. Just remember that the additional screen space will need the same lighting that the current screen has.
Update on my scrubber...I found a small(7inch) t5 at the local chinese shop for 7 euros, it was a toss-up between that and the leds they sell to mount under car sills(they are waterproof and cost about the same). The scrubber til now has been struggling set up under the hood light at about 3 1/2 inches from the bulb as I couldnt get it any closer. Until now I had only diatoms, 72 hours later its all darkening nicely with some hairy red algae growing all over and the pods are starting to make holes. May just be my imagination but the clams seem to be more open and Im sure the seahorses will be grateful for the increased pod population.Now I just have to figure how to set up a screen for my display tank which is 340 gals approx. Should I set it up before the skimmer or after?
The 340 is already set up with mediterranean fish, about 500lbs live rock, anemones ,gorgonias, and some squat lobsters,cuc,plus some asteroides which I must say arent doing too well. I have also a reef octopus3000 skimmer and a sump with 80 gals and live rock
I think once your scrubber gets going, you should turn off the skimmer. Especially with Gorgs. Getting enough food to the corals then will no longer be a problem.
It just started to deteriorate. My water was a little cloudy, even with a skimmer, now it is clearing up go figure.
The cotton could have been breaking down under the lights, salt water, and the growth of mold. The temp of the water and lights would be great for this to happen.
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Many folks have been asking about the solar setup. Well that fellow is the success story of the day. "Bob the (reef)builder" on the MASA site originally set up this screen that I posted a few weeks ago:
Here are his updates:
9/21: Thank you for the input Santa monica, I will definately be doing this on an expanded basis. I think I will put a three ft tank in the sun and do what you've got on a slightly larger scale. Great simple fix to an ongoing problem by most aquarists.
9/28: The film is plastic and gets wet totally. Its 1m x 1m in size. The water input is also the stand. The strands run diagnally which makes the water flow very nicely. I'm happy with it and will let it stand in the sun. Hopefully get rid of the hair algae problem I have. You should see my actual tank to know why I jumped at this idea. The construction is so easy though. And if it works a quarter as well as Santa says it does, it will be like Christmas.
10/19: I changed this one as the upright design did not get enought sun. I put it on a 45degree angle and that was better:
10/25: It worked like a bomb. Phosphates down to 0.02 - 0.01 ppm (this is on a hanna meter and is very low). Normal test would just read undetectable. [Previously] the best I ever got it to trying every trick in the book including Zeo and Vodka, Lanthinum and many other phosphate removers was 0.03.
.
Many folks have been asking about the solar setup. Well that fellow is the success story of the day. "Bob the (reef)builder" on the MASA site originally set up this screen that I posted a few weeks ago:
Here are his updates:
9/21: Thank you for the input Santa monica, I will definately be doing this on an expanded basis. I think I will put a three ft tank in the sun and do what you've got on a slightly larger scale. Great simple fix to an ongoing problem by most aquarists.
9/28: The film is plastic and gets wet totally. Its 1m x 1m in size. The water input is also the stand. The strands run diagnally which makes the water flow very nicely. I'm happy with it and will let it stand in the sun. Hopefully get rid of the hair algae problem I have. You should see my actual tank to know why I jumped at this idea. The construction is so easy though. And if it works a quarter as well as Santa says it does, it will be like Christmas.
10/19: I changed this one as the upright design did not get enought sun. I put it on a 45degree angle and that was better:
10/25: It worked like a bomb. Phosphates down to 0.02 - 0.01 ppm (this is on a hanna meter and is very low). Normal test would just read undetectable. [Previously] the best I ever got it to trying every trick in the book including Zeo and Vodka, Lanthinum and many other phosphate removers was 0.03.
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