Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
Cool thread,
My step-son and I want to make an outdoor scrubber for my wife's algy infested pond
I'll try to come up with a design tonight and get it together tomorrow.
This is the pond (it has just been scrubbed out by my wife but will be green again in a few weeks):
I'm thinking of hanging the screen as a backdrop to the pot. The pond is in partial shade most of the day - but from what Zen was saying about his scrubber - a bit of shade doesn't matter. The sun is pretty harsh in this part of the world.
Pond size = 250L = 66 gallons
Therefore I need 66 square inches of screen
A screen 6" x 12" should do the job
My 6" wide screen will need a flow of 210g/h = 795L/h
Here is my plan:
A 1000 L/h power head and PVC frame with ball valve
I'll cut slits like Zen did for the flow and hold it on with zip ties
Screen - plastic canvas (if I can find it)
I'll try to devise the screen so it can lift out.
Can't see it from the front
I might add a mechanical filter box under the screen to catch the excess agly.
My step-son and I want to make an outdoor scrubber for my wife's algy infested pond
I'll try to come up with a design tonight and get it together tomorrow.
This is the pond (it has just been scrubbed out by my wife but will be green again in a few weeks):
I'm thinking of hanging the screen as a backdrop to the pot. The pond is in partial shade most of the day - but from what Zen was saying about his scrubber - a bit of shade doesn't matter. The sun is pretty harsh in this part of the world.
Pond size = 250L = 66 gallons
Therefore I need 66 square inches of screen
A screen 6" x 12" should do the job
My 6" wide screen will need a flow of 210g/h = 795L/h
Here is my plan:
A 1000 L/h power head and PVC frame with ball valve
I'll cut slits like Zen did for the flow and hold it on with zip ties
Screen - plastic canvas (if I can find it)
I'll try to devise the screen so it can lift out.
Can't see it from the front
I might add a mechanical filter box under the screen to catch the excess agly.
Plastic canvas can be had at any craft or knitting store.
As for the outside pond, make the screen bigger to make up for lost light. Taller is fine; requires the same gph.
As for the outside pond, make the screen bigger to make up for lost light. Taller is fine; requires the same gph.
OK - I doubled the height of the screen to 2' as per SantaMonica's advice:
Parts cost me:
$60AU - 1,100 L/h pond pump
$30AU - PVC pipes and fittings, plumber's tape and fishing line
$20AU - Large roll of plastic canvas blind material
+ $80AU Dremel 300 cutting tool
Cutting a good waterfall pipe is definately the hardest part. It took me a few tries before I got a relatively even waterfall. These were all rejects:
I added a PVC guide bar to the bottom of the screen that slips over the side pipes. This whole assembly lifts easily off for cleaning:
I scratched up the screen and rubbed it on algae in the pond and set it up:
The ugly thing behind the scrubber is a temporary support.
The watefall is not as even as I'd like. It is even at the top but condenses into little rivers at the bottom
Parts cost me:
$60AU - 1,100 L/h pond pump
$30AU - PVC pipes and fittings, plumber's tape and fishing line
$20AU - Large roll of plastic canvas blind material
+ $80AU Dremel 300 cutting tool
Cutting a good waterfall pipe is definately the hardest part. It took me a few tries before I got a relatively even waterfall. These were all rejects:
I added a PVC guide bar to the bottom of the screen that slips over the side pipes. This whole assembly lifts easily off for cleaning:
I scratched up the screen and rubbed it on algae in the pond and set it up:
The ugly thing behind the scrubber is a temporary support.
The watefall is not as even as I'd like. It is even at the top but condenses into little rivers at the bottom
Has anyone tried floating plants for a FW system? I used water hyacinth on my out door pond years ago. Very easy to remove when they multiply. Work great. I want to try other smaller floaters inside to reduce my water consumption on the continuous drip systems I'm currently using. Love this filter.
I only read up to page 58 at the time of this post.
!A
I only read up to page 58 at the time of this post.
!A
Griller, as the algae fills in, the water will even out. However, the more flow the better.
Accident, yes some folk combine FW plants and scrubbers.
Accident, yes some folk combine FW plants and scrubbers.
Got some green after only 12 hours:
Thanks for the assistance SantaMonica. I read the FAQ. It's full of good info but needs a dedicated freshwater section. This part caught my attention:SantaMonica;3711359; said:
I pulled the screen off and ran the cheese greater over it. It is rough now!ALGAE SCRUBBER FAQ said:
Excellent post, would love to hear more feedback from FW users.
This very well could be my next project.
This very well could be my next project.
Yes it's amazing how much faster a rough screen works.
Your flow, however, does look like it could be tripled.
Your flow, however, does look like it could be tripled.
