Algae scrubber as bio filter.

[JK47]

I would say no it would not work, very well at least. Nitrate removal is a slow and incremental process. Chipping away at rather consistent volumes. There is not enough surface area on screens to host the size bacterial colonies needed for ammonia nitrification (specifically the spikes via heavy feedings etc...). The concept is solid however the size of the equipment needed etc... Would likely under compete with sponges and or more affordable /economic means of filtration. On a very small scale it may do better than on a larger tank.

 

[JK47]

Thanks for the tag, @Woefulrelic

 

[markstrimaran]

I appreciate any feed back, I get my best ideas when others chime in.
I have heard of salt water tanks on algae scrubbers, but then Live rock is also a bio filter.
Fresh water is definitely do able. It is mostly, figuring out how many fish it can handle.
The sweet thing is that it will remove amonnia before it ever turns into nitrates.
The tank is a 75 gallon, the baffled area is about 8 gallons. Their is a 600 Gph sump pump . It pushes water into a poly floss filter, and into a 55 gallon drum, in my basement.
All the water gets pulled through the scrubber via the baffle.

 

[Woefulrelic]

Do you think wrapping the chamber with tinfoil or something to that effect would help growth? I'm not sure if it would, I just assume you are losing a lot of light.

 

[markstrimaran]

I have some mirrors, custom cut to fit. Right now it is not loaded enough for it to matter. My thought is to stock it with minnows, until the ammonia spikes. Then double up the wattage of the lights.
I just need some good algae growth to start with.

 

[markstrimaran]

This is on my Malawi mbuna tank, 150 gallons.
Uses a plastic vinyl come wrap, as a reflector.
Easy to work with.

 

[rodger]

I can't find any info that says pothos is better than an algae scrubber. Does anyone have any documentation on that? I've been reading about scrubbers for quite sometime and there is lots of backup info. Most info on pothos is anecdotal.

 

[donk232]

Do you think wrapping the chamber with tinfoil or something to that effect would help growth? I'm not sure if it would, I just assume you are losing a lot of light.

mylar works best, pretty sure mirrors absorb light. tinfoil can work as well tho.

 

[JK47]

I can't find any info that says pothos is better than an algae scrubber. Does anyone have any documentation on that? I've been reading about scrubbers for quite sometime and there is lots of backup info. Most info on pothos is anecdotal.

From personal experience I would not trust pothos to filter anything more than a betta tank. Pothos is overrated and more "fun" than anything. There are much better plants out there to use as filtration if one were to go that route.

 

[markstrimaran]

Pound for pound, per square inch of growth. I find it hard to believe, that any plant, would be able to grow as fast as algae.

I have seen small ponds completely overgrown, with algea, in just the summer months. If I planted 200 pothos plants along the shore. How long would they have grown to be in 3 months.

I also think that algea would out compete bacteria for ammonia produced in an aquarium. Given proper growing conditions.

So far my scrubber has completely wiped out my Hydra vulgaris colony.
Which sustained it's self on the excess bacteria, and microorganisms. Which was caused from over feeding.
" It is easier for me to increase filtration quality, than convince my wife to " Starve the fish" I am grateful , she likes aquariums.