Hang on scrubber not growing

[submersible]

Heres my scrubber, built from a old HOB filter and theres still room for a filter pad, carbon or other. I'm not getting much growth, just some yellow, although I do get some nice green hair at the bottom of the screen, that is submerged. Using a MJ1200, screen is 5wx6, and bulbs are 19w, 12hrs on, 12 off. Started with 18/4, but didn't see much growth, so went to 12/12, and still the same. Reflectors are shiney(hard to see). I also have a ball of chaeto that is turning a pale green/yellow.
I feed 1 pinch of pellets, and just started feeding a couple tablespoons of phyto everyday. Are my bulbs too bright? Flow to little? Screen not rough enough? Its been about a month, and no green. Pics are after first cleaning.
Thanks


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/3908/img20120304143625.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/2728/img20120304143756.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Remove the chaeto, increase lights to 18 hours, double the feeding, clean every 14 days, and report back in 2 months.

[Floyd R Turbo]

LOL that's like a teacher giving an assignment or a doctor prescribing medication haha

Nice idea for an HOB design. I don't know why I didn't think of that one....

[submersible]

Remove the chaeto, increase lights to 18 hours, double the feeding, clean every 14 days, and report back in 2 months.

10-4. Thanks Doc!


LOL that's like a teacher giving an assignment or a doctor prescribing medication haha

Nice idea for an HOB design. I don't know why I didn't think of that one....

Lol. Thanks. I had the idea in my head for a while, but was waiting till the new *cough* SM design *cough* came out, to see how much different it would be, but couldn't wait any longer. I knew those old HOB filters I had laying around would be good for something... Now I just need to convert it to LED.

[kerry]

I tried it with a smaller unit but, it would not pump the water that high.

[submersible]

I havn't tried the pump it comes with. It has a U tube that feeds the pump, and the water just fills up the basin. Couldn't figure out how to feed the mesh without modifying the box, so I just put a mj1200 in the tank to feed it, and didn't use the built in pump.
I do have a hob filter with a biowheel and a little spray bar that spins it. I contemplated for a while on trying to make a spinning wheel scrubber, but opted for the vertical scrubber.


Any suggestions for the quantity, brand, and nm of leds, and drivers I could use on this? Never done a DIY led, but I'm thinking this would be a good place to start.
Thanks!

[kerry]

I have been using these LED's with great luck. They are china but he is in California and has them in stock so its never a along wait. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3W-x-10-PCs-High-Power-Red-660nm-LED-Specialist-plant-DIY-item-/110813289474?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ccfc9c02 . I have also used his drivers to however, the one rated for 4-7 LEDs blinks unless I put at least 6 LED's on it. The others I have used are just fine. I get the rest of the stuff from rapidled.com. Many others like the LED's from here better as they are better quality.

[Floyd R Turbo]

I checked with SatisLED recently and they use Epistar LED for the 660nm Reds, which are good LEDs, and Epiled for the 450-455nm Blues, but I know little about Epiled except they appear to be out of Poland. I have a batch of both of these on the way currently. I plan on using the Meanwell LPC-35-700 driver and heat sinks from HeatSinkUSA

[submersible]

I've made some modifications to my scrubber. Got tired of the spitting water, spilling light, and saw excellent green growth in the water on both sides of the screen. There was a golfball size ball of plush green algae just floating next to the screen. Green on top and bottom. The growth in the pics is what I got when the screen was vertical. So, I've submerged the screen hoping to capture that same green growth. I guess this is somewhat a horizontal scrubber now, but the screen is off the bottom, held up by pvc, so the water can flow above and below the screen. The ball that was growing/floating in the same spot did not have any yellow/dark/dying spots on its underside which didn't get any light.

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2270/img20120405162223.jpg
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/9269/img20120405162206.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Submerged will probably not grow at all.

[submersible]

Well that just sucks... lol. Its only about 1/16-1/4" below the surface, and part of the screen is at the surface of the water, if that makes any difference. Thats where I was getting the most growth without the screen there.

[SantaMonica]

All you can do is try to get as much flow over the screen as possible.

[kerry]

I had one like that and it grew algae. The horizontals are not the best option but its a start and a way to get your screen (feet) wet LOL. Your light looks good.

[submersible]

Yeah, I saw yours, looks like it worked pretty well.

[kerry]

Is it growing yet?

[submersible]

Kind of.

Heres 4/6:

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7792/img20120406181315.jpg



Heres 4/11:
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/23/img20120411120337.jpg


Heres 4/11, under the screen:

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/9568/img20120411121207.jpg


Nice green growth under the screen. :confused: I wonder if the 19w bulb is too strong. Its about 2-3 inches from the screen.

[kerry]

It does look pretty yellow. You might back it off a couple inches for a couple/few days and see what happens and maybe cut down the time ON if no change in a couple days. I would clean the screen when I make the adjustment so you can witness changes.

[SantaMonica]

Iron would help greatly.

[kotlec]

I have very similar growth.
Was trying to dose iron and ended with zero success after 3 weeks. The only result was some algae started to grow in DT. Interestingly algae in DT is the same yellowish color in one corner and dark grey or brown(hard to say under LEDs) in other. But never green. Would like to find answer to that puzle too.

Hope you will have better luck.

[submersible]

I cut the hours back from 18 to 15 and raised the light to 4 inches. I don't have any iron on hand, but will order some. Any brand recommended? Iron and Manganese or just Iron? Ferric? Ferrous?

[SantaMonica]

Kent's Iron + Manganese.