FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah ,i'm liking that cave too...Makes me want to redo mine ..I have caves but you can't see into them like yours ..Cool, I like the cave area all the way to the left.
Porc Chop's Tank
- Thread starter Hondatek
- Start date
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Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm thinking about altering one pipe from my overflow into a turf scrubber feed pipe . How much strain would that put on my overflow if mount the pipe tightly to the top of the sump tank? I don't want the overflow to crack . would that change the flow through my sump and skimmer?
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
OK,so you have 2 feeds going to your sump now ?
If you just make one to go the screen and still overflow into your sump you won't lose hardly any turnover ...May have to tweak a little..
It really won't be any added strain..The screen pipe will need to be supported ..I just use another PVC pipe to support the end of it..
This will actually be a great time to get the screen started and growing too...By the time your ready to add the fish back in that thing will be a denitrifying machine
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
Awesome . I have most of the Materials already. Need another ball valve and a few elbows and a cap . Should I leave the fuge or cut it out ? It just has cheato and sand right now.
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
get rid of it ,,you won't need it anymore and the cheato will just end up dying ...The screen is going to suck up all the nutrients now
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok . Only downside is the 55 has a cross brace so that will limit the screen size but I still think it will be a good size.
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
The smallest i'd go on your screen size is about 12X12 ,14x14 would be ideal ...Basically you want the square inches to equal your water volume..
so 10x10 is good for 100 gallons and so on .
There are revised versions to this now based on feeding amounts but i still stick with the other method and it works just fine.
so 10x10 is good for 100 gallons and so on .
There are revised versions to this now based on feeding amounts but i still stick with the other method and it works just fine.
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
So if 12 by 12 won't fit then just call it off because its not worth it ?
Ibrahim
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hondatek said:
How about a screen that's like 11 by 18
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
Right ,it doesn't need to be square ,,just need the surface area for the growth
Mine is 20 x 15
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
I can fit and 18 inch long screen for sure . May have to play with the water level in the sump to get the 11 inches . Or 10 if I keep an inch in the water.
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
That will be the limit ,no more than that should be under..ideal to not have any ,but should be fine
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
Gotcha . I'll make it work.
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
So far chop is eating normally in qt. He did injure one of his eyes sometime yesterday. I'm hoping that will go away with some time and it's nothing serious.
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
I got my sump all ready for the ats tonight. I took off my uv sterilizer and took all that out. Removed all the baffles except the one after the skimmer. I have some questions on this scrubber. How far into the slot do you insert the screen? Also when I go to scuff the screen up do leave any section unscuffed right below the pipe or just scuff it where it inserts? It looks like I will be using a 18 by 12 sheet.
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah Honda ,leave about 1/4 of an inch on the top of the screen smooth and insert that into the slot
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok . Glad I asked i was thinking i needed the screen further inside the pipe like an inch. Thanks . What did you use to attach the screen? I read people use plastic shower curtain rings but I was thinking zip ties.
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
definitely not an inch,,1/4 inch will be good...I also use zip ties...I take my whole pipe off though ,and i only take the whole screen out of the pipe once a month to clean the slot..
OP
OP
Hondatek
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ok cool I plan on having a union so it will be easy to do that. The only other things I'm hazy on are how often do you pull the algae off the screen and how much do you leave on there ? And what kind of lighting? I use 6500k daylight bulb for the cheato is it the same for the ats with a light on both sides?
FTMMWS
Aquarium Advice Addict
Mike the bulbs you use now won't work..They will likely burn the algae..You'll need to get something around 2700-3000K ,usually the warm/soft white light bulbs are this..I started out with CFL floods but have switched to the spirals and they have been working just as good except they put out a lot less heat ..
14-Watt (60W) Soft White CFL Light Bulbs (4-Pack)(E)*-ES5M8144 at The Home Depot
You will need to clean it off every seven days ,i do mine on Saturdays ..
Your first few cleanings you will be concentrating on getting all the brown ,red,yellowish stuff off..There will be mostly this color for the first few cleanings..Green should start to show up after a few cleanings ..May take longer or may show up sooner..All depends on your nutrients in the tank..Leave any green growth you see during this period of time ..
After a few weeks more green will start growing..This is when you'll start cleaning the whole screen.but leave all the growth thats in the screen...In other words ,don't ever scrub it clean..
Keep in mind it won't always be green from this point on..I still get some brown and red growth..
14-Watt (60W) Soft White CFL Light Bulbs (4-Pack)(E)*-ES5M8144 at The Home Depot
You will need to clean it off every seven days ,i do mine on Saturdays ..
Your first few cleanings you will be concentrating on getting all the brown ,red,yellowish stuff off..There will be mostly this color for the first few cleanings..Green should start to show up after a few cleanings ..May take longer or may show up sooner..All depends on your nutrients in the tank..Leave any green growth you see during this period of time ..
After a few weeks more green will start growing..This is when you'll start cleaning the whole screen.but leave all the growth thats in the screen...In other words ,don't ever scrub it clean..
Keep in mind it won't always be green from this point on..I still get some brown and red growth..
