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

[SantaMonica]

Three things...

1: Here is a CFL reflector comparision video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6MJAe1KQME

2: Here is a video of roughed-up screen material:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S7804w9nNw

3: Here is a video of an encrusting yellow sponge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6sCDUA-tAA

More sponge pics; it came out of nowhere and started growing in low-light areas, especially towards the power head, since it needs lots of flow and food particles:

 

[SantaMonica]

Here is a video of a regular weekly cleaning of a SM100...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyu-lnZGmMs

 

[SantaMonica]

Here is the best way to get all of the light from a CFL bulb to your screen: Make a reflector all the way around it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3453bswfiz0

 

[Ace25]

Very cool.. looks like a Mylar material with strong backing. Should work much better than standard hardware store reflectors, and your right about most of the light coming out the sides so that is a better way to mount them, especially with this type of reflector. One minor thing to nit pick about though, the short sides on your reflector, they shouldn't be perpendicular to the bulb (90 degrees or greater) because that just bounces the light right back onto itself. You should always leave some type of outward angle, even if only 1 degrees worth, to avoid wasting light by bouncing back onto itself. Since your side piece is so small and I am sure one of your early attempts at making one it is still a much better reflector than hardware store types.

 

[SantaMonica]

Yes I probably could have angled the sides a bit forward. You'd think somebody somewhere would make such a reflector already.

 

[Ace25]

They do, they are called "work lights", but the reflector isn't nearly as good as the one you made.

 

[SantaMonica]

If the CFL can fit in there, they would work good.

 

[SantaMonica]

LA Fish Guys did a neat little scrubber review...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz_Ya19_kOg

 

[wanabedriver]

1: Here is a CFL reflector comparision video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6MJAe1KQME

Do you think it will be possible to do PAR testing of the lights? I'm curious to see how much difference the mirror finish makes.

 

[SantaMonica]

No, I have no meter.