Yanbbrox;2386479; said:It didn't last long...and I really do want to share some of this UV with you...zennzzo;2386227; said:Yeah it has...funny thing is it's been overcast and it rained a couple of days...[/quote]
About time too
Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
Doenut:
Is your screen lit on both sides? It really should be, since it's half the recommended size.
After it fills in, clean one side completely and sand/scratch it. Then do the other side the next week.
Wait a week to do one side.
If you mean the two bio-wheels, they are not scrubbers. All they do is convert ammonia to nitrate, but the nitrate then causes nuisance algae in your tank. After your scrubber gets going, I'd remove one bio-wheel per week, while measuring ammonia every day. If you start measuring ammonia, put them back.
Tank looks very nice though!
As for you others with the growth not happening in the high-light areas, this is still being investigated.
Is your screen lit on both sides? It really should be, since it's half the recommended size.
After it fills in, clean one side completely and sand/scratch it. Then do the other side the next week.
Wait a week to do one side.
If you mean the two bio-wheels, they are not scrubbers. All they do is convert ammonia to nitrate, but the nitrate then causes nuisance algae in your tank. After your scrubber gets going, I'd remove one bio-wheel per week, while measuring ammonia every day. If you start measuring ammonia, put them back.
Tank looks very nice though!
As for you others with the growth not happening in the high-light areas, this is still being investigated.
Results Of The Day:
"pong" on the RP site: "Still havent cleaned my screen... and no water change... no problems! im just killing the pods by dosing kalk and all my top-off on the screen (since early october, no cleaning of the screen, last water change... august? september?)
"jski711" on the RS site: "the last phosphate test I had done at the lfs it was undetectable on the hanna phosphate photometer, and I only have the one side of my screen lit for now!!!"
"col" on the UR site: "Todays tests are P = 0.03, N = 5. the algae looks the same, green slime. Skimmer is still running 24/7, feeding 2-3 times a day for fat fish. Algae on the rocks is subsiding, and water conditions have never been better."
"pong" on the RP site: "Still havent cleaned my screen... and no water change... no problems! im just killing the pods by dosing kalk and all my top-off on the screen (since early october, no cleaning of the screen, last water change... august? september?)
"jski711" on the RS site: "the last phosphate test I had done at the lfs it was undetectable on the hanna phosphate photometer, and I only have the one side of my screen lit for now!!!"
"col" on the UR site: "Todays tests are P = 0.03, N = 5. the algae looks the same, green slime. Skimmer is still running 24/7, feeding 2-3 times a day for fat fish. Algae on the rocks is subsiding, and water conditions have never been better."
One problem i see is that its BIG. This is big and well ugly. How to make it smaller.
My idea.
Make it in tubes. Basically based off the idea of bio wheels.
Use the screen but instead of sheets zip tie them into tubes and allow them to spin (much like a bio wheel.)
Let the water flow down one side forcing it to spin, like a biowheel.
Add lights etc and would this not significantly raise the surface area?
A flat sheet vs curved surface the curved/wavy surface has higher surface area...
T -waterfall tube
O -first barrel water flows to right
O -second barrel. The water flows left
O -Third barrel Water flows right
O -get the idea?
downside is that the entire surface doesnt stay constantly wet, mabye needed to grow algee but at same time if you have such high flow the things would turn they would always stay moist. And moist is all needed to grow algee.
IT is more complicated but wouldnt finding a way to make the surface curvy significantly increase surface area makin the entire device smaller. More usefull to the people with 600 gallon tanks?
even just making it zigzag. Home fountains are zigag and the water flows down it and it covers the entire surface and that increases surface area...
*Another thing i wanted to add. Question*
If for freshwater tanks etc. Would'nt this hurt plant growth? If your growing lots of plants in the tank would'nt that cause plants to grow less? But mabye this is a mute point. a freshwater tank with lots of plants probably doesnt have a problem of algee or high nitrate/phosphates.
My idea.
Make it in tubes. Basically based off the idea of bio wheels.
Use the screen but instead of sheets zip tie them into tubes and allow them to spin (much like a bio wheel.)
Let the water flow down one side forcing it to spin, like a biowheel.
Add lights etc and would this not significantly raise the surface area?
A flat sheet vs curved surface the curved/wavy surface has higher surface area...
T -waterfall tube
O -first barrel water flows to right
O -second barrel. The water flows left
O -Third barrel Water flows right
O -get the idea?
downside is that the entire surface doesnt stay constantly wet, mabye needed to grow algee but at same time if you have such high flow the things would turn they would always stay moist. And moist is all needed to grow algee.
IT is more complicated but wouldnt finding a way to make the surface curvy significantly increase surface area makin the entire device smaller. More usefull to the people with 600 gallon tanks?
even just making it zigzag. Home fountains are zigag and the water flows down it and it covers the entire surface and that increases surface area...
*Another thing i wanted to add. Question*
If for freshwater tanks etc. Would'nt this hurt plant growth? If your growing lots of plants in the tank would'nt that cause plants to grow less? But mabye this is a mute point. a freshwater tank with lots of plants probably doesnt have a problem of algee or high nitrate/phosphates.
dude thats a sweet post. i just recentley started my fw planted setup. i like hearing people trying stuff such as what you did. im deffinatley a diy type of person also.
tank-29g planted setup/still in progress
filter-simple aquaclear
uv steralizer that i picked up used from a guy who owns his own store
because the one he tried to sell me for 150 didnt work so i got his
for 24 instead...haha
simple c02 injection hooked to the oulet tube of my uv. the outlet tube goes to a siphon tube pointed towards the bottom of the tank. the c02 comes through the top right next to the tube from the outlet of uv. as the c02 comes in the siphon tube it is agitated by the water coming out of the uv. this makes the bubbles nice and tiny. after they get small they slowly get pushed out the bottom of the siphon tube.
if anyone has any ideas for me, let me know
and i even got the tank for free...the c02 extra light and uv i paid for
tank-29g planted setup/still in progress
filter-simple aquaclear
uv steralizer that i picked up used from a guy who owns his own store
because the one he tried to sell me for 150 didnt work so i got his
for 24 instead...haha
simple c02 injection hooked to the oulet tube of my uv. the outlet tube goes to a siphon tube pointed towards the bottom of the tank. the c02 comes through the top right next to the tube from the outlet of uv. as the c02 comes in the siphon tube it is agitated by the water coming out of the uv. this makes the bubbles nice and tiny. after they get small they slowly get pushed out the bottom of the siphon tube.
if anyone has any ideas for me, let me know
and i even got the tank for free...the c02 extra light and uv i paid for
Day 8 pic... not the best, but you get the idea.
You can kinda see the darker areas are further away from the light. Not sure what gives here.
You can kinda see the darker areas are further away from the light. Not sure what gives here.
seahorse:
How about this:
Search the web for "Eco Wheel". That design, and your idea, might work but are too complex for a typical DIY person, I think.
Yes. You should decide on plants or a scrubber, UNLESS you are feeding huge amounts that can support both.
Lilsuper: Are you having nutrient or nuisance algae problems?
CVER: It was discovered on another site that with strong lights, leaving them on 24 hours cause the bald spot. Is yours 24 hours?
How about this:
Search the web for "Eco Wheel". That design, and your idea, might work but are too complex for a typical DIY person, I think.
Yes. You should decide on plants or a scrubber, UNLESS you are feeding huge amounts that can support both.
Lilsuper: Are you having nutrient or nuisance algae problems?
CVER: It was discovered on another site that with strong lights, leaving them on 24 hours cause the bald spot. Is yours 24 hours?
