Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[brianhellno]

I have a freshwater setup and I used a 18 gallon rubber maid container with a 4000 plus lumen light on one side. My question is that not only is the screen covered in algae but so is the entire bottom of the rubber maid container where the water line sits and I want to know if that's a problem.
I guess to put it simply my entire sump is overrun with algae. That's ok because that's the sumps main goal but I was wondering if that could possibly cause any set backs? I mean all the algae in the tank is completely gone so that's awesome I just don't know if this should even be considered a problem.

Also I have a question about the design I used. I have the screen set up so water flows into and out of the sump at about 200 gallons per hour. But I have it set up so the water is pumped over the screen in the sump at more like 500 gallons per hour. My thoughts here were to give the algae more of a chance to filter the water before its returned to the tank. I guess I'm just asking for thoughts and opinions about the idea. Anybody see any advantages or disadvantages to the idea? Could this be the reason my sump is covered in algae?

 

[zennzzo]

I have a freshwater setup and I used a 18 gallon rubber maid container with a 4000 plus lumen light on one side. My question is that not only is the screen covered in algae but so is the entire bottom of the rubber maid container where the water line sits and I want to know if that's a problem.
I guess to put it simply my entire sump is overrun with algae. That's ok because that's the sumps main goal but I was wondering if that could possibly cause any set backs? I mean all the algae in the tank is completely gone so that's awesome I just don't know if this should even be considered a problem.

Also I have a question about the design I used. I have the screen set up so water flows into and out of the sump at about 200 gallons per hour. But I have it set up so the water is pumped over the screen in the sump at more like 500 gallons per hour. My thoughts here were to give the algae more of a chance to filter the water before its returned to the tank. I guess I'm just asking for thoughts and opinions about the idea. Anybody see any advantages or disadvantages to the idea? Could this be the reason my sump is covered in algae?

Mine did the same thing I just loaded it up with scrubbies and then cleaned it up when I did the screen...the more algae growth the better, as long as it's not in the tank IMO...

 

[SantaMonica]

Algae anywhere in your sump is no problem. The algae just thinks that everything is a screen. Just try to clean all of it out when you clean the screen. To minimize it, put the light closer to the screen, and use a bigger reflector which aims all the light to the middle of the screen.

As for your "recirculating" design, it seems to be working great so I would not change anything. From a technical point of view, however, a recirculating design would slow growth, because the water flowing over the screen does not have as many nutrients as it could have. Same situation with a wide screen versus a tall screen: A tall screen is less effective because water at the bottom of the screen has already been filtered a bit while it was at the top. But the goal is to get something that works, and yours works

 

[SantaMonica]

.
Scrubber FAQ 1.0 is now complete, and will be updated periodically:

http://www.algaescrubber.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=68

 

[brianhellno]

Yeah I can see why from a technical point of view filtering the water multiple times before returning it to the tank might inhibit algae growth but I guess my next question then would be is it better to have a slower even water flow then? The water is pretty turbulent coming down my screen and the screen is growing brown and green algae. The algae feels and comes off exactly like grease. So far I have yet to have a problem with this thing but I'm still interested on if I'm doing it the most efficient way possible.

 

[SantaMonica]

Stronger flow is always better, as long as the algae has something to hold on to. The grease-like algae is what grows when N and P are very high. After N and P drop, you'll get some green hair. So leave it for now, and just clean 1/2 every week.

 

[hurricane_redbone]

i have never heard of this... but its probably the coolest and best idea ever. Def gonna try this. why is this not a sticky?

 

[cvermeulen]

Stronger flow is always better

As I asked on the algae scrubber forum, what are you basing this on? my screen has areas of high flow and areas of lower flow, and the lower to medium flow areas develop the thickest growth. The high flow area just gets washed clean of the hair algae and the washed off hair plugs my filters.

 

[small_ranchu]

Here is the progress on my goldfish tank. 90 gallon tank with 3 goldfish + heavy feeding. Nitrate reading at the end of the week is usually around 40PPM with a lot of brown algae on the wall.
After 1 month of installing the Scrubber filter, Nitrate reading is 10PPM and brown algae is disappearing slowly.

 

[SantaMonica]

Def gonna try this.

Do post pics!

"Stronger flow is always better" As I asked on the algae scrubber forum, what are you basing this on?

Experience and reading.

the lower to medium flow areas develop the thickest growth.

Might be the algae getting washed away. I think you are using plastic canvas. That stuff is ok at holding algae, but not great. Rug canvas is better. Best is two sheets pancaked. I think your strong overflow is breaking algae off the plastic. I know mine does and the flow is not that strong. I think I'll be going to rug from now on. Double rug.

The high flow area just gets washed clean of the hair algae and the washed off hair plugs my filters.

Then this is exactly the problem. It's not lack of growth in high flow, it's lack of attachment. And the reason it's letting go there is because it's growing the most there, so it's heavier and it's getting pushed the most. Double the screen, or try rug, or do what someone else did... have a bypass that lets some of the water not go to the screen.

Ranchu that's good to hear; bet you can't wait for all the brown to be gone.