Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[CHOMPERS]

I have two seeded screens from a saltwater tank that are approx. 3"x10". They are free to any one willing to pay the postage from zip 32750. Pick up in N. Orlando is free.

Since these are free and I am short on time, please don't ask for a shipping quote. I don't know. And way too many people ask for a quote and then never respond. You have my zip and your zip. Pick a random shipper (as long as it isn't UPS) and assume the package will be about a pound.

 

[MyFishEatYourFish]

got the red and blue bulbs goin and i am really impressed with how much light they put out. they are called party lights and look like the typical 13 watt cfl bulbs only blue and red, picked em up @ home depot for $5 a piece. if anyone is interested i suggest checking out these bulbs. the bulbs are about two inches apart and two inches from the screens. i'll let you know how growth goes.

i have also started a HOT algae scrubber that i will post pics of when i'm done, and will be testing the thing to its limit, tracking and graphing the results as i go because i plan on starting to sell them here in central oregon where i live. any suggestions from those with experience in the business part of algae scrubbers?

 

[SantaMonica]

There is no business part yet. You would think that a scrubber maker would sell them.

 

[1974Pantera]

One of the best posts/write ups I have ever read!!!!!

Thank you for your time and knowledge!

 

[MyFishEatYourFish]

well, i kind of think that one of the bigger companies may have a patent on the concept only to keep it off the market, because why build a single filter to replace the hundreds and hundreds of dollars of filtration that many people buy for their tank with a cheaper alternative.

the idea is very basic, and not a new one at all. many sewage and water treatement facilities use algae filters, so you know the ideas been around.

anyone have anyidea how hard or expensive a patent search is?

 

[MyFishEatYourFish]

well, the blue and red lights have been on for almost a week now i definitely notice more turf taking over and much less crap algae. i just cleaned 1 screen yesterday and had to get the scrubb brush out to get anything off and even with that it was hard to do.

hot version is well on its way. i've got the frame done, just working on plumbing now.

 

[jslayz]

wicked, please keep us posted!

 

[SantaMonica]

Why Algae Works

More Info:

Algae and Human Affairs, By Carole A. Lembi, J. Robert Waaland, Phycological Society of America
www.PSAalgae.org
www.AlgaeBase.org

Text: 90 percent of all living matter (except bacteria) in the ocean is algae of all forms and colors. The remaining 10% (except bacteria) of all living matter in the ocean is: Corals, Plants, Sponges, Worms, Snails, Clams, Octopi, Shrimp, Crabs, Pods, Urchins, Starfish, Small Fish, Medium Fish, Big Fish, Sharks, Whales, Giant Squids, and Everything Else. The algae is what does all the filtering of the waste from the animals, and the algae is also what feeds all the animals through the various food webs.

Aquariums, however (especially ones without refugiums), have no algae to do the filtering or feeding. So all the filtering has to be done manually with equipment, and all the feeding has to be done manually too. At least with a refugium, there is some filtering and feeding, although most refugiums are far too small to do all of it. Scrubbers are powerful enough to do all the filtering by themselves, and can do a lot of the feeding too, if copepods are the food that is desired.

 

[SantaMonica]

Successes Update:

Jlinzmaier on the RC site: "An ATS is the easiest and the cheapest DIY project I've ever done. Not to mention it has been more effective at nutrient management than carbon dosing, and has only affected the corals positively (no chance of stripping nutrients too fast or too low as you might run into with carbon source dosing.) The maintenance of it only takes 5-10 minutes once or twice a week. Total cost for the project was no more than $30 and it took about 45 min to build."

Pistolshrimp on the SARK site: "i have one of these in my sump, not eleborate though jus got one cfl spotlight on it, but they do a good job, hardly eva have to wipe my glass, it transfers 90% of the algea growth from my tank to the screen."

Trichome on the CR site: "I installed one on my 29g tank and it is working better than my AquaC Remora that is rated for up to 75g. Best part about it is its cheap as hell to install and i was able to remove a pump from my set up to save money on electricity."

Jennyfish on the AP site: "i use an ATS but i also use a skimmer, i do find since i added the ATS i have no phosphates, and my water is crystal clear with no bad algaes growing."

Schnitm on the algae scrubber site: "Our friend was moving to a new house, and her 90 gallon system wasn't moving with her. So it took 10 hours to move everything [to my daughter's room] and we're just about to put the fish back in. I decide I'll test the water first. I have never seen a nitrate test change color so fast. By the time I'd finished shaking the vial it had maxed out. After some RO/DI dillution I finally got a reading along with some others from my Red Sea Marine Lab kit:

Nitrates: 300
Nitrite: 0.3
Ammonia: 0.25
Phosphate: 5.0

After freaking out and figuring I'd done something wrong and effectively killed my daughter's new aquarium, I decided I'd better test the water the fish were still in. It had come straight from the top of the tank that morning. I got something like:

Nitrates: 400
Nitrite: 0.4
Ammonia: 0.25
Phosphate: 5.0

Seems the fish had been living in this and we'd just dilluted it some with the water change from toping off the tank. 3 anemones and a dozen soft corals were living in this too. So, in go the fish. I'm running around trying to figure out what to do. The protien skimmer is dead and hasn't worked for more than a year (thanks for telling me now!). The LFS store is closed because their moving too. I'd been "priming" an ATS screen in my shop using wastewater from our Bio Cube. It had been going for about 2 weeks and was nicely green but not thick at all yet. What the heck...I slap it in the sump and start it running with 4 CFL floods from WalMart. Then to bed to have nightmares of my daughter waking to a tank full of death.

To my pleasant surprise, the next morning everything was alive and, apparently, well! I go to work installing the hood, chiller, etc. By that evening I took another water sample and got:

Nitrates: 200
Nitrite: 0.2+
Ammonia: 0.25
Phosphate: 5.0

Everything seemed fine. I'm wondering if I'd messed up the readings on Thursday. Saturday was mostly a day off. The ATS had grown thick already so I scraped it. Just a few measurements:

Nitrates: not measured
Nitrite: 0.2
Ammonia: 0.25
Phosphate: not measured

Last night's water parameters:

Nitrates: 15 (I kid you not. 15. Checked this over and over. The 10X dillution I started with showed undetectable. I'd needed a 10X dillution before, just to get a reading. Got this 15 on straight tank water.)

Nitrite: 0.2
Ammonia: trace
Phosphate: 3.0

Thursday night I thought I was in the middle of a slow motion trainwreck, but by today all looks good. Thaks to all who have contributed! You lead me down the right path.

 

[MyFishEatYourFish]

i've got the prototype hang on tank scrubber going and its working like its supposed to. the test tank is a 29 gallon and i will be overloading it and overfeeding to test capabilities. probably a bunch of damsels and some sps to prove it works and can handle anything.
drawbacks to test tank
- too small
- filter is capable of 144 gallon tank going by the 2 sq. in. lit per gallon
- modifications will be required
this first test tank is really just to prove the thing works and to figure out where it needs improvement in form and function. later limits will be pushed with tank size and so on. this test will however show that the ats will curb nutrient spikes in such a small environment.


update on my tank. no waterchanges since sompletion of ats over six months ago with multiple thriving sps, polyps, and a softies. algae growth is slowed though what algae does grow is much harder than normal because it is corraline and that crappy tough brown stuff. my plants, chaeto and small grape calerpa show almost no growth, unfortunately xenia grows much slower than i would like too. one thing that everyone skimping on waterchanges must know is to keep up on additives, coral vite, calcium, magnesium, stonium, molebdenum essential elements etc.
the best part is my nitrates and phosphates are still undetectable!!!

thanks santa monica for starting this great thread!