Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
I like Mudsharks design, Any chance you could ask him to send me some details on this? a Sketch? I went out and bought a bunch of what I think I need to build this.MudShark on the MASA site:
I should have said First off.... Thank you for this thread!! this is most excellent!!
I found a plastic mat kinda like false grass and sold as a door mat. Just woven plastic i plan on roughing up with a wire brush on a drill motor. This mat is about 24" X 20" and cost US$6.00.
I live in Thailand and some things common in the USA or hard if not impossible to find here, except for internet but that brigns its own problems / set of hoops to jump through.
Two questions and a comment.. I have only read to like page 72 so far so this may have been answered in future (for me) / un read posts.
1) What is the significance of the end (1 to 2 inches) of the mat / screen hang in the water of the sump/ scrubber? Is this something that has just been found to be most efficient but as of yet not investigated as to the "Why". Hey I am a big believer in not arguing with results!! (You go Crazy in this country if you cannot learn to accept the results and worry about the "Why" when you can do your own research later,.. if it is important)
2) What is this about replacing the light bulbs / Lamps every 3 months? This sounds strange to me, or I may have missed something. My plan is to use 4 25 watt compact florescents..
although these are not so expensive, considering the benifit of getting rid of the Algae and reducing tank scrapping s', they are a cost. Also.. my wife will give me hell .. as in "Why the @#$ are you buying new bulbs, these still work? #$%#$ you @#$@#$@
My comment is on the posts about wattage / color and temp of the bulbs (K).
I know you have said at least 23 Watts (I think) and people have come back with questions / comments that spectrum range , yada yada yada (no disrespect to anyone)..
I was thinking.. . Plants (algae in our case) use light (Energy) thru photosynthesis to convert one thing into another.. The plant takes its' energy for this from the light.
So maybe it is the case that there is a certain amount minimum of Energy (light-power) required for the photosynthesis to happen ie the observed 24 watt ( A measure of ENERGY..)
Just my musings , I am not a lighting specialist nor consultant..It is only a thought. Should someone more knowledgeable or with techincal skills wish to per-sue this thought, Please have at it. If it ridiculous That's fine too by me. I am not championing the idea, just wondering.
Zennzzo did a scrubber for a Koi pond out doors, direct sunlight powered the scrubber. He had good results.. it was a while ago and only up during the summer if I remember. Search this thread for his posts .. or PM him and ask if he doesn't pick up on this.. he may not be following the tred now as it was a while back.starkie;4026108;4026108 said:
I believe it is purely to minimize the noise that would be produced if it hung above the water line (The water splashing down)
Hopefully SM will confirm ?mcloughlin2;4738702; said:
I rounded up most of what I need to build one of these similar to Mud Shark.
I have a 280G FW fish only tank very lightly loaded. Great DIY sump is keeping all well... I do not however have a NO3 test kit nor a phostfhate or Amonia test kit Yet.. They are on the way to me now.
I intend to continue running the sump / Wet/Dry filter as well as the RFUGF I have set up. My main motivation for building this scrubber is to eliminate any algae .. hate scraping the glass down and this baby is 30 inches deep!! a real pain to scrape.
From what i have read, the screen, if undersized, would simply require more frequent cleaning.. Mine will be a bit under sized at first, but if it proves a problem, I will add a second screen I have the room.
I will start getting some pic's , but as of the moment just assembling materials and working the bugs out of the design.
I am building it in a 24in by 16in plastic bin, similar to rubbermaid.
More once I get started and with Pic's.
Then the surge would not affect the scrubber; the surge would only be of use to the display.
You can contact him on the MASA site.
It keeps the flow quiet.
The light energy drops too low after 3 months. You can't see it, but it does. the 24 watts T5HO bulbs are only $3 in the U.S., and probably cheap in your area too.
The more light, the more filtering, until the algae starts turning yellow.
No, they are always cleaned every 7 days. If undersized, what happens is that it just can never "catch up" to the nutrients and start growing green. It will always be dark, which does not filter much. A large-enough scrubber can get the nutrients down to a low level each week, and thus continue to grow green.
Here is the micro table saw that I use to cut the slots in the pipes:
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/MTS3.html
It comes with two blades, and if you put them together like a pancake the thickness will be perfect for a 1/8 inch slot for a single layer of plastic canvas. I've cut about 20 slots and the blades are just starting to need replacing. There are other similar micro saws if you search for them ("mini table saw", etc), as well as some slightly larger "mini" table saws which get a bit expensive for just cutting pipes.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/MTS3.html
It comes with two blades, and if you put them together like a pancake the thickness will be perfect for a 1/8 inch slot for a single layer of plastic canvas. I've cut about 20 slots and the blades are just starting to need replacing. There are other similar micro saws if you search for them ("mini table saw", etc), as well as some slightly larger "mini" table saws which get a bit expensive for just cutting pipes.
