Refugium. algae scrubber and other filtration suggestions

[danh]

I've got a 20g long sump for my 93g cube.

I'm planning to use my main return pump to feed another 20g or so refugium with a rubble bed and some algae that will overflow back in to my other sump. I feel like the feed to that sump would be really easy to make in to a top down algae scrubber since I'll have a light in there for chaeto already. I feel like I haven't seen anyone here using a scrubber.

Can someone give me some info on a good, cheap light to use and the affects of reverse lighting? I will at some point be using kalk in my ATO water so I may not need that.

I haven't been able to find much on a dsb used as a filter. What exactly is a dsb supposed to do? Why not add that in to a standard overflow box? Also as far as using an overflow box, has anyone put mangroves in the box? At least for looks.

 

[enderg60]

I love scrubbers and have a huge one on my tank. I use basic curly bulbs and cheap clip on reflectors currently and it works just fine.

Reverse lighting is fine but not required. It helps balance out the ph drop that occurs when the lights go off. I have my scrubber lights off from midnight to 6 am.

Deep sand beds are not really used much anymore because they need to be cleaned every few years or they may crash and take the whole system with the.

For mangroves, Ive never actually seen any evidence they do much. Sure its a plant and will absorb nutrients in the water, but cheato or a scrubber will do that more effectively.

My basic filtration is carbon reactor, skimmer, tons of live rock and a scrubber.

 

[hzheng33]

if you do a double sided algae scrubber, it's 4x more effective than single side. also, a reefer told me that it's so effective that he doesn't run gfo, carbon, or any other reactor anymore because of it.

 

[danh]

Well then, scrubber it is. With using kalk, would the ph stability from reverse lighting be necessary? I am definitely going to run some carbon, but probably not in a reactor.

Double sided meaning two lights, right?

Any suggestions for decent low priced LEDs for this? Maybe specifically with the right spectrum.

 

[tcampbell23]

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Algae Scrubbers For The Win


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[danh]

That's a nice set up. I don't think I have that much height under my tank though. I may have to may it long. I like the way you've got it set up with a container over the refug draining in to it.

I think to save on materials and space I am going to run my water through the pvc that the sheet hangs from so one line gets both sides. Any ideas on optimal flow?

Ordered this one.

 

[tcampbell23]

If I did it all over again, I would do it with one line. The 2 lines spraying creates a lot of noise from water crashing down and the holes get clogged from time to time.

For light I just grabbed 2 HDX Work light fixtures from Home Depot and 2 6500k bulbs from Walmart. Works great for me. I have to clean it every 1-1.5 weeks


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[tcampbell23]

This was Ricky's (Ricky5415) design though. And for the inexpensive was of it, it does more than its jobs. I lost color in my SPS for a little while because the phosphates dropped so quickly


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[hzheng33]

tcampbell23;1085134 wrote: This was Ricky's (Ricky5415) design though. And for the inexpensive was of it, it does more than its jobs. I lost color in my SPS for a little while because the phosphates dropped so quickly


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that's why it looks familiar. he has better picture of what he's able to pull off every 2 week. we are literally talking about a mat of algae

 

[danh]

Now I've just got to find the tanks to use. That looks like a food storage bin you're using???

As far as mangroves go I figure if I can get them to grow they'll do SOMETHING.

I don't test much other than nitrates in my FW tank. I added two big piles of pothos to my overflows a few months ago. No noticeable change in nitrates with an API test kit but the prochilodus I had in there started eating shrimp shortly after... which told me that the algae they had been grazing on (that I could never actually see) was likely not growing any more. So I may try to put a mangrove in the overflow. If it will grow it will be nice to look at anyway.

 

[tcampbell23]

It's a critter keeper from petco that we drilled holes in. The plastic holds up well and won't crack when drilled like the smaller tanks would've


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[crocogator106]

I'm running one on my tank, installed it when I set the tank up. It's in the last stages of the cycle and it has been great at removing nutrients. I have not had any type of algae bloom (yet anyway) and my tank cycled in about 3 weeks.