upgrade to LEDs

[Byron]

I have now moved ATS from overflow to the sump, light is not right yet but it is now double sided. I'm waiting on LED's to arrive. I have attached photo's of screen from overflow ATS (has been there for 12 days) screen clean and ATS upgrade.

[Byron]

180418051806180718081809
Hi Guys,
Starting to get somewhere now, LED's arrived yesterday. I wired up first side today. I have basically gone with Ace's advise but I did add some more LED's seeing my driver could handle 12 LED's. I have wired up (for each side of scrubber) 6 x red 660nm, 2x 2800k, 2 x 420nm, 2x RB. The other shots of screen cleaning at week 3 under CFL's. Will keep you posted on build and results with the LED's.
Ben

[Ace25]

Looks good! Definitely keep us updated. I have a feeling it is going to work fantastic.

[Byron]

Thanks for your advise Ace, made it a lot easier to build!!

[kotlec]

Where you buy heatsink ?

[Byron]

Hi Kotlec,
Bought it at-
http://www.aquastyleonline.com/categories/DIY-LED-Lighting/Heat-Sinks/
Cheers Ben

[kotlec]

Thanks mate ;)

[kerry]

Let it grow a bit longer next time. I find my LED scrubber explodes with growth the second week.

[Byron]

18121813
Thanks Kerry, will do.
This morning I have temporarily put the LED's in on one side. I havn't finished ATS or the LED's for the other side yet. But I'm eager to get some good growth. It's a bit cramped in the sump but you get the idea (moved CFL's out of the way to get the shot)

[Ace25]

Did you use LED Seal on it to protect the LEDs? Or at least have a splash shield (they will get splashed on, no question). Those pictures are way to tiny, I can't see much. Your screen almost seems smaller than the LED light, which I would say if it is anywhere close, then you could move the LEDs in closer to the center of the heatsink, otherwise the 4 reds on the end will be wasting 1/2 their light off the ends of the screen.

[Byron]

You can't see it in the shots, but there is a perspex shield protecting the LED's. Again bad photo, but screen is larger than LED unit.

[Ace25]

ok, sounds good.. what's up with the 2"x3" photos? Did you pick "avatar size" LOL.

[Byron]

Ha Ha, my computer has a special feature to edit all build faults. It does this by shrinking the shot LOL!!

[Byron]

1856185718581859
Hi Guys,
I now have a my scrubber set up with LED's both sides. Growth this week was twice as much on previous cleans. I did let it grow out to 10 days instead of 7 (thanks Kerry). Water is all measuring 0 for N & P. Expecting big things in the next 7 - 10 days.

Cheers Ben

[Ace25]

Looks good... but looks like it could be pretty loud with the water dropping off the bottom of the screen. Why not just make the screen go down to the water level, even if the LEDs won't cover the bottom part completely?

[Byron]

Good question Ace! I have used an old QT glass tank for the scrubber box. There will be a better version, but I thought I would wait to see what SM has in store for us before improving this. See attached photo of my glass cutting efforts (they make it look so easy on youtube) I did get the hang of the diamond hole saw though!Noise hasn't been a problem either (yeah). I would like to build next scrubber with double screen or I may cut this screen up the middle.

Cheers Ben1860

[kerry]

I hate it when that happens!!! I have done that to a new tank!!! Glad the longer growth period did better for you.

[Byron]

Tested my water today and came out with both 0 for N & P. Coraline algae is really starting to take off, it looks like miniature plating Monti's! I cheated today and did a 30% water change and vacuumed out detritus (not sure why? old habits I guess). Anyway a bit of a milestone for me today, I have switched off my skimmer!

I'm really enjoying concentrating on feeding corals and fish, instead of wondering if this (my food) will pollute the tank. All my fish are looking full and healthy and my corals are growing. I can now tell my fish were hungry and my corals were starving!

I'm going to have to get up to speed pretty quickly with my CAL, MAG etc. I was relieing on my weekly water changes to keep everything in check. I'll keep you up dated on the tank, now the skimmer has gone. I know this is the right thing to do, but it goes against the last 8yrs of reef keeping (Berlin method) that has been drummed into me.

Cheers Ben

[kerry]

Those need to be dosed pretty regular or they get away from you in a hurry!! Congrats on the skimmer shut down.

[gmoney243]

Gratz on the change spread the word :) you'll love ur scrubber.

[Byron]

1987198819891990199119921993
Hi Guys,
Here are some shots of my latest cleaning. This screen is 13 days old. It looks like I have either burnt one section or left the cleaning to long. An interesting point, the algae has only died off around the areas of the Royal Blue LED's. So I have turned the LED's down to 85% (approx) I will see how the next clean goes, but I have ordered more red LED's to change out the blue. IMO Red seems to get the best growth. The skimmer was turned off on day 7 of this screen. Tank is looking great!! Look fwd to any comments!
Cheers Ben

[Ace25]

Not really seeing the "dying spot from the blue". I see very high nutrients and lots of cyano, very common on a new scrubber. My 60G tank took over 2 months of the "cyano" phase before it finally went away and I got good green using CFLs, looks like your getting green MUCH sooner than I did on that scrubber of mine.

[SantaMonica]

Looks like the general pattern of greener growth with stronger light, which is in the middle of the screen.

[Byron]

Thanks Ace,
Had a look back and it's seems I have been running some sort of ATS for 8 weeks now. I started with an over flow ATS (horizontal) then I went vertical with CFL's and poor reflectors. And now to this current LED one, this is by far the best ATS yet I have had. Very happy with the LED's!!!! Hope you right re nutrients etc. If you are it just goes to show how crap hobby tests kits are!! Water is still reading 0 for N & P.
Ben

[Ace25]

The only thing I would recommend right now is cleaning the screen a little sooner. As soon as you get a solid layer of "slime" type stuff I would clean it, probably only take 4-5 days tops on your system right now. It is just a phase and it will go away eventually, so nothing at all to be concerned about. I think your LED light is near perfect and I wouldn't change a thing in regards to your lighting, just let it go and I am sure with a few more cleanings the screen will look even better than my LED scrubber, which is still a very nice thick solid green every week. Like you, I couldn't be happier with the growth I get from my LEDs.. the 42w CFLs I use on my other scrubber on the other hand are a joke in comparison. I think your LED selection is even better than mine which is why I think you will eventually get even better growth than I get. :)

[Byron]

I know this is probably in FAQ, but is it the screen that matures or the tank, in regarding to getting rid of cyano and getting green on the screen?

[SantaMonica]

It's the removal of nutrients from the water and rocks.

[Byron]

Thanks SM

[Anartica]

where did you buy your red led?

[Byron]

http://www.aquastyleonline.com/products/Epileds-LED-3W-Red.html

[Byron]

205420552056Hi Guys,
Here is a clean on day 7. Really happy with the growth! Lots of green coming through. Only cleaned half the screen both sides. More photo's to follow.
Cheers Ben

[Byron]

206020612062

[kerry]

Its looking good, growth is about what I get. My screen is a bit over sized too.

[Ace25]

Looks like your moving in the right direction. The slime phase is starting to die off now and the green algae is starting to take root, just like it should. Another month from now I bet you have a screen that is solid green. :D

[Byron]

210821092110
Hi Guys,
Cleaned the 2nd half of my screen this morning, this half is now 12 days old. Terrible photo's (in a rush) but green is coming on strong. Have added fish this week and increased feeding's quite dramatically. N is reading P is up to 0.25. I have backed off the feeding slightly.
Cheers Ben

[kerry]

Good growth!!! Are you prepared to dose for Alk, Ca., and Mag???

[Byron]

Hi Kerry,
Yep dosing now, just doing it manually at the moment. Cal & Alk are good but my Mag is down around 1000. I hesitate to bring it up to quickly, and I also want to buy a new MAG test kit. The one I'm using is pretty old.

[kerry]

Good deal, I almost had a crash because of not dosing properly. Mag can be dosed kinda heavy from what I have seen in my tank but, as always keep an eye out as some tanks react different then others. They say 100 points increase per day max so go with that first, I hit mine with 175-200-ish when I dose but I never dose huge back to back with huge changes.

[Byron]

215721582159
Hi guys,
Here are my latest cleaning shots, I think my scrubber/tank is now were I want it to be. I have got good green growth on the ATS screen. The tank is literately coming to life. I have increased both coral and fish feeding significantly and the tank is all the better for it. In the last 8 weeks I have switched off my GFO, removed one of my large DSB, this was in a plastic bin beside the tank, turned off my skimmer and I'm know longer doing a 200 ltr a week water change each week. My water has never been cleaner!! Now I'm happy with my scrubber I'm going to focus my attention to continuous feeding. Thanks for all your advise guys, you have all been brilliant. I think it will be a little monotonous to keep posting screen cleaning's so I will stop the.se now. Soon I will send some tanks shots through so I can (hopefully) show before and after shots of a ATS tank with continuous feeder

[Byron]

215721582159
Hi guys,
Here are my latest cleaning shots, I think my scrubber/tank is now were I want it to be. I have got good green growth on the ATS screen. The tank is literately coming to life. I have increased both coral and fish feeding significantly and the tank is all the better for it. In the last 8 weeks I have switched off my GFO, removed one of my large DSB, this was in a plastic bin beside the tank, turned off my skimmer and I'm know longer doing a 200 ltr a week water change each week. My water has never been cleaner!! Now I'm happy with my scrubber I'm going to focus my attention to continuous feeding. Thanks for all your advise guys, you have all been brilliant. I think it will be a little monotonous to keep posting screen cleaning's so I will stop the.se now. Soon I will send some tanks shots through so I can (hopefully) show before and after shots of a ATS tank with continuous feeder

[kerry]

Looking good Sir.

[Byron]

285228532854
Hi Guys,
Thought I would show you my latest clean. I could not be happier with my ATS! Tank has no measurable N or P, I have been able to reduce LR in the tank, skimmer has gone no more water changes etc
Feeding 7 - 10 cubes a day. I was cleaning half the screen once a week, but it is growing a lot better cleaning the whole screen every 14days. I have increased the lights from 14 -18hrs per day.
Cheers Ben

[SantaMonica]

!!!

[Byron]

285528562857
and here are a few shots of the tank, sorry about quality!

[kerry]

Awesome!!

[Byron]

Thanks Kerry, having a few issues getting my dosing right. My KH climbed way to high and unfortunately claimed a beautiful Hammer coral that I have had for over 5yrs (bummer) I was over zealous with baking soda in my top off water. It doesn"t help that I'm red/green colour blind and miss read my CAL test (using Troic Marin Bio Cal) and added more Cal which also raises KH which just added to the problem.

[Garf]

I would get somebody else to read your test results. Nice tank Byron.

[Byron]

Thanks Garf! yeah i do the the tests now and my wife reads them

[kotlec]

Hanna checker is way to go then. I belive they have one for KH as well.