DIY Algae scrubber

[markstrimaran]

Your wattage is good. The bulbs are 3 watt each. So your good.
The perfect light would be 5" x 5" square with 25 watts. You might get a little burn if your with in 3 inches of the bulb.
Time will tell, it will green up in a week. And you will be able to see. The lights

 

[markstrimaran]

The lights in print on the screen. Then tweek the set up for best results.
My light is touching the glass, and the screen is set back 4". My bubbler is mounted on pvc pipe that acts as a shower curtain rod, with magnets, attached to plug caps. So every thing is adjustable.

Pvc attachment. Suctio cups work also, magnets in water long term might be unhealthy.

 

[jaws7777]

I plan to buy a few liters of Seachem denitrate and turn a 5gal bucket into a nitrate filter. I like this method as its no maintenence, and should reduce the nitrates to 0.

I haven't made one yet, so I can't do pics atm.

It's quite simple. You take a bucket, drill one 5mm hole on the top, and one on the side, as close as you can get it to the bottom. The filter should flow bottom to top, and be powered by a pump less than 6gph, ideally the TOM aqua lift pump. After that, all that needs to be done is fill it with media and turn it on.

The filter would remove nitrates from about 580-590 gallons of water per week, so it should be able to handle a 300 gal tank. The bacteria in the filter converts nitrate to nitrogen, which gasses out of the system once it reaches the aquarium, or sump. The bacteria is anaerobic, meaning they thrive in low oxygen environments. This is the reason why the pump needs to have a low flow rate.

I think 200gph if I'm not mistaken

For the seachem denitrate? It's preferred 30-50gph. Slow flow for denitrification.

Seachem de*nitrate is also a chemical media. It has a porous structure similar to matrix and is marketed mainly as a biomedia for denitrying bacteria but its primary nitrate reduction, at least initially, is the result of its nitrate, nitrite and ammonia absorbing synthetic resins and materials.



It takes months for denitrifying bacteria to grow within the internal pores of media, not days. If de*nitrate is replaced whenever 'exhausted' then denitrifying bacteria will never grow in the media. In these cases, nitrate-reduction will be attributed to denitrifying bacteria although it will simply be the result of de*nitrate's "nitrogen retaining materials, such as certain zeolites and synthetic resins."



I'm sure it could ... as could a lot of porous biomedia like Biohome and eheim Substrate Pro. Matrix is porous and if used for a long enough time period with a very low flow rate and under the right conditions, denitrifying bacteria should colonize in the internal pores.

I don't know if de*nitrate holds any structural or other advantage over other biomedia for growing anoxic denitrifying bacteria. If anyone knows the best media for this please let me know.

Guys i have a couple of questions about seachem denitrate. I figure since i have the algae scrubber running on one tank i'd like to set up a denitrate filter on the other tank and compare the two.

Wanted to run this by you guys and ask some questions.

Couldnt i fill a spare eheim 2217 with denitrate and run a 30 to 50 gph pump on the inlet (bottom hose) and place the return hose in the sump work ?

Could filling a jar with denitrate and running an air pump through it work ?

Angelphish mentioned 6gph but everything i read says under 50.

How much denitrate would i need to treat a 300 gal tank ?

 

[jaws7777]

Also this stuff doesnt need to tumble right ?

 

[kno4te]

Guys i have a couple of questions about seachem denitrate. I figure since i have the algae scrubber running on one tank i'd like to set up a denitrate filter on the other tank and compare the two.

Wanted to run this by you guys and ask some questions.

Couldnt i fill a spare eheim 2217 with denitrate and run a 30 to 50 gph pump on the inlet (bottom hose) and place the return hose in the sump work ?

Could filling a jar with denitrate and running an air pump through it work ?

Angelphish mentioned 6gph but everything i read says under 50.

How much denitrate would i need to treat a 300 gal tank ?

Doing that right now. Still on hold cause of some stuff going on at home. Using a small jabeo pump with this. You'll need about 3-4liters.

 

[kno4te]

Also this stuff doesnt need to tumble right ?

No need to tumble.

 

[jaws7777]

Doing that right now. Still on hold cause of some stuff going on at home. Using a small jabeo pump with this. You'll need about 3-4liters. View attachment 1238357

Awesome !
Questions does the tower or media holder meed to be that.tall ?

What gph are you using

 

[kno4te]

Awesome !
Questions does the tower or media holder meed to be that.tall ?

What gph are you using

No need to be that tall. Just what I got from Home Depot. It was cheap and on sale. Gonna put a total of 3liters of denitrate in there.

Gonna be 40gph.

 

[jaws7777]

No need to be that tall. Just what I got from Home Depot. It was cheap and on sale. Gonna put a total of 3liters of denitrate in there.

Gonna be 40gph.

When u get a chance can you post the pump model no

 

[kno4te]

This is the one I'm gonna use. Got it on amazon.