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That's a little better, but you still have the issue of using a submerged plastic canvas screen. Essentially that is a horizontal scrubber, which are not very efficient due to water flow characteristics. That's why the old style horizontal scrubbers were either dump bucket or surging. In both...

I don't think that is going to work well, but it's hard to tell what you are trying to do. It looks like you have a vertical screen that hangs in the water, and this is attached to a horizontal screen as a method of support? If that's the case, the horizontal support screen will block nearly...

Here's a start http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/algae-scrubber-basics-163817.html#post2074730

Algae removes nutrients out of the water column as it grows, just like a plant. So nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, etc. It's pretty much as simple as that. I don't have personal experience with freshwater scrubbers, but I know several who run them. The algae grows thinner/finer than in...

I built mine, the one I run on a 144g reef is this one 4x6 screen under LEDs, mounted on a sump. It an older version. typical 12-14 day growth keep N and P in check Also have a larger one that I run on a 210 in a restaurant This is about 2 weeks into a new screen (seeded from an old...

If by stink you mean you expect it to make your house wreak, no. Imagine cleaning a canister filter weekly, and his much that can stink, and cut that in half. It's all a matter of perspective. Algae scrubbers should not stink, especially when growing right (GHA doesn't smell bad)

I personally have never run a scrubber on a freshwater aquarium, just saltwater, and saltwater grows a completely different type of algae. But as far as being only for tank with a nitrate problem, I do not concur. They can be used on any type of aquarium and while the primary purpose is...

I have run waterfall algae scrubbers for years and have not really had any of the problems described above. They can smell when you remove to clean them but that's about the only time, and not worse than a skimmer cup (actually no where near as bad, those can have a sewer smell). If you grow a...

Plus you gotta see C&c if you're thinking SW. Or Sea of Marvels in N Liberty (weird hours)

What are you paying for salt that you need to get it shipped from New England to get better prices?? Reef crystals at Clowns & Corals in Washburn gets it by the pallet. Or DR F&S is cheap every day

Reef keeping isn't all that difficult. IMO FW planted was more of a pain. I like both but algae scrubbers work great in SW (FW too just differently) and that takes a huge edge off PWCs. 125 is a great size. I think it would be cool to have FW and SW side by side. Also the DIY tank stand thread...

There's a few GIRS members I know right around that area.

I read between the lines and got all of it, no worries!

Greg, I'm getting loopy trying to follow your loops :) I run all scrubbers on dedicated pumps. I didn't always, but it's safer. The reason is not the algae clogging anything, it's something getting into the plumbing and stopping up the slot pipe from the inside. Snail, anemone, etc. Ok so...

Yeah, ever since my very first scrubber, I've always gone with the fully enclosed acrylic box. But you don't have to go that far. You can hang thin acrylic sheets over the slot pipe as spray protectors for the lights, they might warp but they're cheap to replace. You can extend the screen...

Ok here is a current set of how I have the one in the first tank set up. Larger unit. before after (used new screen, cut up old one to seed it) LED lights on (back side only, other fixture removed) I route the drain into a filter sock but that's just for trapping bubbles 10 days...

This is an older version of what I have on this tank now but it gives you an idea of the general concept. I am horribly lacking in uploaded photos, I have hundreds on my PC but haven't had time to scale them back and upload. Here is another one, same unit as the above, just sitting on a...

You do not want a secondary exit for the water, or else it will end up bypassing the screen. The slot pipe is essentially pressurized

Ooops oh ha ha it already is your thread duuuh

When you get into that volume, IMO, the tank volume starts to become a little more of a factor that drives up the screen size, because of turnover rate. You can only put so much water over a given width of screen before you start hitting a point of diminishing returns. So what I would do is...

All relative to screen width. Go through that 'basics' series of posts - about 12 or so of them. You need 35 GPH for each inch of screen width. That's the general guideline. Detachment has 99% to do with screen roughness. This video I show how I use to do it, now I make a few passes across...

Depends on tank size and feeding amount really. So you're talking about parallel screens. The issue then is getting light to both sides of the inside sides of each screen. Scrubbers sized for feeding rates are much smaller than those sized per tank volume so remember that with your design...

2 layers of screen? No. You only want a single screen or else you will end up blocking light between the screens. Make sure it's plenty rough too.

That depends on how you build it. I run several of this type of scrubber and have zero problems with dying off at lower layers. That happens only when you wait too long between cleanings. Also light source has a lot to do with it. With CFLs, layer die off happens faster. With LEDs (if close...

I have no issue with light blockage at all, any algae that grows on the acrylic surface between the lights and the screen gets cleaned off with each cleaning.