New scrubber - new sump

[pyrocide]

I decided to take my old 29 gallon and make it into a sump specifically for this scrubber.

Tank specs:
Neo 90 with dual OF 1 return
Mixed reef, mostly SPS
70ish lbs LR
TR Ocellaris
2 Green Chromis
6-line Wrasse
3x pajama Cardinals
Cherub Angel

6" NWB Reef Octopus Skimmer
Rio Hyperflow 32HF return pump


Built the scrubber with a 9x10 very rough screen and 2 CFL 42W bulbs on each side.

Here are some pics

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss304/Pyrocide_photos/Fish%20Stuff/IMG_0511.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss304/Pyrocide_photos/Fish%20Stuff/IMG_0512.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss304/Pyrocide_photos/Fish%20Stuff/IMG_0513.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss304/Pyrocide_photos/Fish%20Stuff/IMG_0515.jpg
http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss304/Pyrocide_photos/Fish%20Stuff/IMG_0514.jpg

Questions:

I have no gotten much green algae, just some brown stuff that seems very easy to remove with some running water.

How long does it take to initially get green/brown/hair algae going?

Its been running for about 3 weeks, cleaning every sunday, along with skimmer cup.

Are the light placements ok?

I can control the flow of the scrubber by ball valves, however i cannot measure how fast the GPH is, is there a way to tell if its too high or too low flow over the scrubber?

Thanks

-Tony

[SantaMonica]

The light on the left is too far away. Can't tell about the one on the right.

[pyrocide]

If i move the lamps closer together it feels as though i am spot lighting the scrubber. Should be roughly 4-6" from the scrubber to the light correct?

[SantaMonica]

42 watt bulbs can probably be 5". You'll be able to tell by if you get a yellow spot.

[pyrocide]

Here is the latest shots of the scrubber after 7 full days.

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0533.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0531.jpg

[SantaMonica]

If it's the very first week, then it's very good. If it's the second week, it's ok. If it's the third week, probably need stronger lights.

[pyrocide]

If thats the case, I will be replacing them with these

http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Lig ... ogId=10053 (http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Light-Bulbs-Compact-Tube-Fluorescents-Compact-Fluorescents/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbmatZ1z11xa2/R-202067799/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

It might have actually been the fourth cleaning...lost track. In anycase, It needs new bulbs.

[SantaMonica]

Those are strong bulbs... will need 5" from the screen.

[pyrocide]

Ok well, after a full week with the new bulbs, Im not sure im getting where im supposed to be. Not sure what im doing wrong.

Here is a pick of scrubber right before cleaning

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0556.jpg

And this is what i scraped off the scrubber.

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0559.jpg

The image doesnt really describe what this stuff is, it is more of a bubble type slime that collapses almost instantly with light airflow. That image is the entire scrubbers resulting "growth" deflated. It doesnt feel like oil perse but it is very slick. Smells like the ocean or a rock pulled from the ocean.

Unless this is what i am supposed to be getting i cannot really say I will keep the scrubber idea going, I really have no idea what im doing wrong here. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[SantaMonica]

The light is not making it to your screen. Can you hang the bulbs by their wire so that they are sideways? If so you can make a beer-can reflector:
http://www.radio-media.com/fish/BeerCan.jpg



Also be sure you have then ON for 18 hours, and OFF for 6 hours, and not the other way around.

[pyrocide]

They are on a timer to come on at 4a to 10p everyday.

I cannot understand why my refelectors, which are the same as so many others are not getting 42W CFL to the scrubber that is ~5" away.

[SantaMonica]

The pics I saw showed that the bulb was sticking out of the reflector. Any part of the bulb sticking out does not get reflected.

[pyrocide]

Those 42W CFL are quite large and in charge.

Recommend any other bulbs for the reflectors i have?

[SantaMonica]

How about just bigger reflectors.

[pyrocide]

Would these be a viable solution, you think?

I will have to see how far the bulbs stick out if at all.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?par ... &cId=PDIO1 (http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=203219-1373-FL-302NPDQ8&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3122295&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1)

[SantaMonica]

Yes, at 13 inches across, it's a big one.

[pyrocide]

My scrubber pad is only 9x10. Will this cause any problems?

[SantaMonica]

What I think would be better is a 33 watt bulb in your current reflector, but moved up to 3" of the screen.

[pyrocide]

going to have to redo my plumbing but if thats the best course so be it. Thanks Santa Monica.

Also Im prob going to get a new screen, I seem to have torn a 3in rip in the screen i have...

As well, the 33w bulbs are not the spiral? They are the straight tube?

One last thing, due to my current sump dimensions I will have to raise up the scrubber higher than the water level, resulting in higher rate of microbubbles. Is it possible to have a LONG scrubber pad without having direct light hit it so that the micro bubbles are not so prevalent, or would that cause issue?

[SantaMonica]

Get spirals.

Longer screen is ok.

[pyrocide]

The only bulbs homedepot and lowes have is 30W Spiral CFL soft white bulbs.

Picked up two of those, a whole mess of plumbing materials and going to two this weekend on a new scrubber pad.

[pyrocide]

OK well I had some time last night after work to do some work on my scrubber.

Here is what im currently sitting on right now. *still need to do a new scrubber pad

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0564.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0563.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0562.jpg
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af245/captkrill/IMG_0565.jpg

[pyrocide]

Anyone got any comments on my new plumbing/scrubbing set up?

[SantaMonica]

Looks good for a 60 gal tank.

[pyrocide]

60 G?

This is on a 90G with a 29G sump.

Water volume im probably sitting at 65-75G of water due to the amount of sand and rock I have.

The screen is 9x10. I thought that was recommended for a 90G tank?

[SantaMonica]

Two 30 watt bulbs = 60 total watts are good for 60 gal. More accurately:

Scrubber Size Guideline, using feedings:

Each cube of frozen food you feed per day needs 12 square inches of screen, with a light on both sides totaling 12 real watts. Thus a nano that is fed one cube a day would need a screen 3 X 4 inches with a 6 real watt bulb on each side. A larger tank that is fed 10 cubes a day would need a screen 10 X 12 inches with 60 real watts of light on each side. If you feed flake, feeder fish, or anything else, you will need to blend it up super thick, strain out the excess water, pour it into a cube, and see how many cubes it is. And for Nori, 8 square inches = 1 cube.

[pyrocide]

I guess I need to rethink the lighting again...

Those 47 watt bulbs were about what i was supposed to have for that screen size.

[SantaMonica]

The picture says 30 watts.

[pyrocide]

No, what I was meaning was that the 47W bulbs i initially had before you suggested the 33W bulbs.

Once the scrubber takes off and gets the PO4 down to minute amounts, will the scrubber be large enough to handle the bioload on the tank, or will it never be enough?

[SantaMonica]

If the scrubber is not strong enough, the nutrients never will come down to small amounts; there will always be readable test amounts, and there will always be some display algae.

[pyrocide]

Forgive my ignorance on this, but what was the reason behind saying getting 33w bulbs, when the 47W bulbs were the right bulbs?

[SantaMonica]

Any bulb bigger than 43 watts tends to burn the algae too much. You'd have to pull the bulb really far back to stop that, and most sumps don't have the room. Besides, multiple smaller bulbs covers the screen better.

[pyrocide]

Guess im gonna need a new sump to fit multiple bulbs in.

As well, is it ok to have a large screen than what the tank is? For instance instead of having a 9x10 screen is it acceptable to have a 14x8 screen to fit 2 7" wide reflectors on one side?

[SantaMonica]

Bigger screen is ok if you have more bulbs to cover them. Try to stay with one watts per square inch.

[pyrocide]

I was thinking the 14x8 screen would be good if the sump i have can accomodate a 14" long scrubber. Thats a 112 sqin scrubber, and having 4x30W bulbs, i figure thats right about where i need it.