Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) DIY build

[Floyd R Turbo]

Pic?

 

[redneckgearhead]

This pic was the day I set it up I have since doubled the lights and am in the process of adding two per side PC lights with reflectors. I think that will help.

 

[redneckgearhead]

Ok just tried to put the PC's in there I dont really have room. I am going to try to move some stuff around tomorrow and get them in there I think it will help alot. BUT if I cant get em in there I will just add some more CFLs to the set up.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

What kind of bulbs are those in the pic?

How rough is your screen? It needs to be really rough.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Screen today. Need to clean it tomorrow, that will be cleaning #4

 

[maxst2]

Lookin good man.

So... i went back and forth on SW or FW. Since I got powerheads and the lights... i just decided that ive gone past the point of no return for SW lol.

I really want to incorporate this into it though. I do have room under the tank for something small and about 15inches high. I could do 12" High x 20" wide.. and use a rubber maid tub or something for the tank...but I dont know what sort of pump for a return. Got anything used?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

How big is the tank and what is the total vertical space under the tank?

For a SW tank with an ATS, you want to size the ATS and the pump. What really matters when designing an ATS SW system is the flow over the screen. The flow between the tank and sump is really not that relevant, you want to add powerheads anyways to increase the circulation within the DT. This is especially important for corals, not so much with a FOWLR so it helps to know what you're starting with.

Also, you want to determine well ahead of time how strong you want the scrubber to be.

You generally want 1" of screen per gallon of water. If you're getting fish that are messy, like triggers and puffers, you probably want bigger. a 20x12 screen would filter very well for a 200 gallon system if it was properly lit.

What you are shooting for is a minimum of 35 GPH per inch of screen width. So 20" wide is 700 GPH.

This is where I ran into the problem of flow, a Mag 12 with 4-5' of head should exceed that rate, but since the pump needs to have 2x the diameter output hose of the pump nozzle (3/4") and the bulkhead is for a 3/4" fitting, you're hosed and I only get 433 GPH, which is why I am getting so much yellow growth. I need to double the flow and I don't know if I'll be able to do it. Pay attention to this thread, and read this one also:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f60/mag-12-and-flow-rate-135603.html

as I will be trying to fix the problem soon.

You could also switch the dimensions and do 12 wide by 20 tall and then you would only need 450 GPH.

But yes, a rubbermaid tub would work fine, many people do that. I personally would use a standard glass tank. If you have an outage, then depending on how you plumbed the system you could fill the tub up all the way, and at that point you could risk it splitting because they bow pretty hard, at least the cheap softer ones do. The sturdier hard ones like pond tubs are better but may not fit well underneath the DT, unless you're putting it off to the side then it doesn't matter.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Cleaning #4 today. Front:

Back

Thickness

No after pics. Had to replace DT lamps, that occupied me. Check out the difference here:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/tank-journal-125-reef-125546.html#post1174501

 

[maxst2]

I have a pretty small place to work with under the tank. The dimensions listed are pretty much the max. lol

How much weight do you think a setup for a 55 gal tank would weigh?

 

[Kristall-99]

im interested in how you disconnect your supply line/mesh from your piping. without turning your pipe. curious as to what that connection is called you used.thinking about making one similar to yours.

 

[redneckgearhead]

My "mesh" is zip tied to the pipe and I just snip the ties and remove it.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

If you're talking about the union, a PVC union is two halves, one is threaded and the other is not, and the outside part is a nut that slides over the non-threaded side and you screw it on to clamp the 2 parts together. If you are unfamiliar with what a PVC union is, go to any hardware store.

If you're ever in Des Moines and want to see it in person, feel free to PM me. The tank is in Grimes and I live in West Des Moines.

 

[Kristall-99]

well i work at a local lowes Ive just never stopped to look at all the pvc fittings we have. I'm usually outside with all the plants. no time to go clear across the store to see what we got

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

My screen is green!!!

Here's this week's growth:

11/10 1 day after cleaning #4

11/12 Day 3

11/15 Day 6

Finally!

And I tested Phosphates today - maximum 0.03 on Salifert, which ties the lowest reading I've ever seen on this tank. The other time it was this low was a few days after adding 250 mL of RowaPHOS (which is expensive as all get out) and lasted about 3 months at 0.03-0.10 before slowly climbing back up.

 

[Smitty]

Did you do anything to increase the flow? Much more green this time than I've seen in the past.

I would have to look back but I could have sworn you said you would only clean one side of the screen at a time but that isn't the case from the pictures...

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

yes, the FAQs on algaescrubber.net say that you should clean one side at a time every 7 days for the first couple cleanings, I caught that after I had done 3 cleanings and asked about it, he said it's not a big deal unless you have a nutrient spike after the cleaning that makes you worry. If you ask me, there's no way I could have cleaned one side of the screen the 1st week, it just rinsed right off. Second week was a bit more, but it didn't start getting to the point where I had to push it off with my fingertips until the 3rd cleaning.

I just did the 5th cleaning, and I had to use the backs of my fingernails to scrape the algae off. It's picked up strength in a big way in the last week. SM's description of the 5-week to maturity cycle is spot on in my case. Here are pics:

Rinsing in tank (releasing pods)

Scraping

Clean

I challenge anyone to eat this.

 

[maxst2]

Nice! Looks like its working pretty well for you so far.+1 on natural methods. Who needs all those fancy doo-dad's....

 

[Ziggy953]

Awesome progress and work! I love seeing a DIY natural filtration method in use and being successful!

 

[ChizerBunoi]

This reminds me of aquaponics. So do you end up cleaning it less often in the future or is it still a weekly task? Now that you are scraping it off, it seems time consuming. What if you took a bristle brush to it?

 

[maxst2]

This reminds me of aquaponics. So do you end up cleaning it less often in the future or is it still a weekly task? Now that you are scraping it off, it seems time consuming. What if you took a bristle brush to it?

Eventually there will be a thick rough turf - which is more powerful cleaner than what you see above. You'll end up cleaning one side then the other side next time you clean from what I read.