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Othello
04-25-2012, 12:01 AM
So this is the official kick off of my project. Alea Jacta est and all that...

if all goes well, it will be fish, LR and Coral tank...

I believe in Lebanon it will be the first ATS only tank (and first ATS implementation) since no one I talk to seems to have heard of it ... but this is another story.

yesterday I ordered the glass parts for my sump and I will be drilling the acrylic tank to install an overflow to feed the sump on Saturday if all goes fine.

Aquarium

Measurements: L80cm H55cm W45cm which makes the volume around 180 liters (47.5 gallons I believe).

its a chinese acrylic type. used to be FW tank with a cannister, will convert it to SW. canister will go to my other tank, a 700 liter (180g) tank which already has two filters :) or I might sell it ...

I plan to remove the top cover (which contains the lights) and it will be replaced with egg crate and external lights...this will be at a second stage once I get to the corals part.

I will be drilling it on Saturday. here I have a question though: should I drill it from the back or on the bottom? which is, from your experiences, more effective? or is it a matter of taste?

I am more inclined to the hole in the back as this would save me having to drill the stand as well since the tubing will just be in the back...but I am open to suggestions. any link you can share with me would be very appreciated.

Sump
will have approx the same footprint (a couple of cm shaved off the width and length to have it fit underneath the stand) and a height of 40cm.

It will be divided into 3 compartments: one for auto top off, one for the water coming in from tank/scrubber and the central one will be left as is for now...most likely ill add some live rock and DSB if necessary...maybe also a calc reactor but this is in a future stage...

for now I plan to stay with the ATS and do things manually...

aim here is to have a working POC to prove the ATS point to the skeptics and a personal point that fishkeeping can be enjoyed without having to shell out thousands of $$$...

ATS will be over the sump actually and fed either directly from overflow or through a pump in the sump (still not sure which method to use here - again inputs welcome....)

For the ATS design, since we are close to the release date of the new SM concept, I will wait for that and design accordingly...once SM releases the design, I will go out and purchase the components and make the acrylic frame for it...

of course pictures will come for each step so stay tuned folks :)

Othello
04-25-2012, 05:56 AM
For the ATS lighting, I plan to use something like this 2147 with reflectors like this 2148 (they are by a company called Dymax and seem to be only ones available in Lebanon...unless i DIY with LEDS...)

Eventually I will work out wattage etc based on the new ATS specs and screen size required...I like the idea of the double intensity half lighting period concept as it would allow me to increase bulb life...thats if it still applies in new specs...

Othello
04-30-2012, 11:36 PM
Sump build was completed on Saturday. Its drying up right now...will be doing the first water test on Friday night....looks good...


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Othello
04-30-2012, 11:59 PM
SM, a quick question: what would you recommend at this stage: go with ATS or the new UAS? I posted a couple of drawings/drafts on the UAS forum...I am at a loss as to which direction to take since D day is getting closer and closer...plan to "kickoff" May 10th, cycling tank with LR and algae scrubber...

Floyd R Turbo
05-01-2012, 06:04 AM
You want to let the silicone dry for 2 weeks to be 100% safe. What silicone did you use?

Othello
05-01-2012, 09:35 AM
aquarium silicone. been using it for years and its quite ok.

i figure by kickoff time it woukd have dried out completely...

Othello
05-03-2012, 04:57 AM
I must admit I am at a loss at this stage...ATS or UAS or ATS with Air flow? which one should I go for???

ATS with Air through a venturi attachment sounds good since I can benefit from both concepts and it helps with the lighting on both sides of the screen...yet what makes me so reluctant is the slot in the pipe...unless i do a "morgan" modif on it using holes and a saran wrap (aka clingfilm)...

but then there would be the issue of a non submerged screen and the risks during power outages (basically there is around 5 min between power out and generator kicking in, and should generator fail for one reason and I am out of the house, we are talking around 4 hours of no-power)

what i like in the UAS is the submerged part and the relative easiness ...downside is the lighting...unless i do two one sided screens or find a way to make things work with mirrors....

help!!!!

Doompie
05-04-2012, 03:09 AM
Depending on the planned size of your screen, but I would go for the UAS. About the size of floyds would work well on that sized tank. Have you seen his growth after just 2 weeks? Quite easy too build, and low running cost with the low flow pump, LED's and an air pump..

For my existing waterfall, I've added just an airline down the center of the screen and raised the water level a bit.. that had kicked the growth really good.
When I had to rebuild now, I would probably go for a smaller screen UAS build with LED.

The mirror option is also quite easy if you would follow the small box build. You could just go and buy chrome window tinting foil and sticker that to the outside of the window. When you black it out on the outside, it reflects like a mirror of plexiglas (no light breaking).

Also there are air pumps available with backup battery, when the power fails. A low flow pump and low power LED could be easily backed up for hours with a simple 12V->220V/110V converter a charger and a yellowtop car battery fe.

Othello
05-07-2012, 05:18 AM
Ok

so I went out and got what I think/hope are good materials for the screen in addition to a very nice air stone...check the pics:

Screen: I got two types of screen...one with small squares and another with larger ones...they were 10$ per square meter...got one square meter per type just in case :)

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then this airstone caught my attention:

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I will be using it as support...

I am thinking a Morgan kind of hookup, with the screen looping around the stone, and held on top by a rod that sits on the sumps edges...maybe some egg crate to frame the whole setup as someone posted on the site...

the way I am thinking is to use the entire height of the sump as screen size and only light the area corresponding to what I will be feeding...what do you think??

Othello
05-07-2012, 05:39 AM
this is what I am thnking of havng


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the airstone is in grey

didnt do a good job on drawing the looping of the screen but I hope it shows to a certain extent what I was thinking of.

the black squares at the top are zip ties used to attach screen to rod...

Othello
05-07-2012, 11:22 PM
Ok

Last night I got busy setting up my first UAS...here are some pics:

setting it up:

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in the sump...

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screen size is 26cm x 36cm which is roughly 936 cm2... something like 145.080 inē if I am not mistaken :S ( I hate conversions :@ )

I figured since it will be a one side only screen, better make it as large as possible. limiting factor in terms of width was the size of the air stone and height was that of the sump itself....

next step will be lighting...hopefully tonight i will get some time to go shopping for lights...either CFL or leds...still undecided altho CFLs would be easier to install as they need the least ammount of DIY...


comments??

Floyd R Turbo
05-08-2012, 06:59 AM
I would use the material with the smaller squares. It has more surface area. That looks similar to the Plastic Canvas we use over here, there should be about 7 holes per inch. It usually comes in many colors, and you should be able to get it in clear instead of opaque white. Look in stores that carry fabric and knitting supplies, that's where you'll find it.

CFLs are definitely the cheaper route, but LEDs will give you better results, and the DIY is really not that bad.

Also that is an large screen, 10 x 14 = 144 you have that right but that is 12 cubes/day, do you really feed that much? You would need to be putting 60 watts of light on each side to keep that lit properly.

You might want to review the feeding sizing guidelines. however, with the UAS what I'm noticing is that it appears you can more safely over-size the screen, I have yet to see a screen that, when it gets mature, grows anything but green. None of the gooey yellow rubbery type algae and none of the black slime stuff.

Othello
05-08-2012, 07:10 AM
Hi Floyd

thanks for the reply and constant followup :)

Actually looked very hard for that kind of screen without any success...I had to start of with something as it was too depressing to be reading without trying out at least something :) I will keep looking....btw, is it mandatory to have squares? i found a plastic screen similar to the ones in use (same material) except that there were horizontal slits instead of squares in it...do you think it would be good to use?

regarding the size, since its my first attempt at SW tanks, I have no clue what I will be feeding but I doubt it would be that much, I mean it is a small tank after all....

Plus, I figured, since not all of the screen will be immersed and I can control how much of it gets lighted up by controlling the number of CFLs and positions (so I guess that's the part that will see growth), it would be better to have a large screen...the current setup allows me to disconnect the air tube and lift off the entire structure for cleaning ...

add to it that for the time being it looks likes its going to be a one side screen only as I have no other option to light it from the other side (I found submersible leds the other day...but they come in red only... Chinese made...but nothing on power etc...will try to get a pic next time I go to that shop). I might, sometime down the road, just buy them and see if they make any diff but not at this stage...ill start off with one side and see what gives...

so do you think its a good idea or u would prefer to have a smaller screen from the start?

Othello
05-18-2012, 05:46 AM
Its been a while I know...mea culpa but because of the huge load I'm having these days, I get less and less time to play :(

some updates on the build:

I drilled the tank that will be my DT...and installed the overflow...

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Still need to glue blue acrylic to cover the back and install bulkhead and this will be done and I can start growing some algae...

funny thing is that I think im more excited about the algae growth than about the Marine fish !!!!!

Othello
06-18-2012, 06:06 AM
an update...I know its extremely slow going but heck...

too much work and things ongoing...anyways.

tank filled with RO water...took 200Liters (with the sump)...

setup the pumps to make sure circulation is OK...

added heater and a couple of poweheads to get the water mixed up well and yesterday the salt...(removed the UAS to be able to mix the salt in the sump)

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Its been ongoing since yesterday.

I am going out to get the lights today after work...then will be adding LR tomorrow once I make sure salinity and temp are at par with each other.

got myself a marine test kit (a spanish make, Sera ...only one available at my LFS)....

only issue I have is the water level in DT...its too close to the borders of the DT...the slightest shake sends water flowing down the sides...will have to find a solution presto...

on another note, will be reworking my screen tonight as well...I figured the way it was, water level was too low...thinking of removing the airstone, replacing it with some silicone tubing with holes in it...and using the side as base (which should give me a larger submersed surface area).

thoughts/comments anyone?

kerry
06-19-2012, 08:38 AM
Looking good.

Othello
06-20-2012, 01:08 AM
thanks K.

a quick question (maybe its been tackled before but I am not able to find any straight fwd answer):

should I get the UAS started before I put in the live rock or should I put them in simultaneously?

basically I am looking at two options:

Option 1

startup the scrubber, put a piece of cocktail shrimp in DT to get a cycle going, and once I get good growth on the scrubber screen and my params test out OK, dump in the LR


Option 2

put in the LR and the UAS together in the order: LR --> SAND --> UAS and let nature play its course...


what do you guys think?

Othello
06-20-2012, 04:27 AM
One more question: for substrate, I got crushed coral and am planning to have around 2" layer of it...however, I am hearing many things about aragonite being better etc...what do you guys think of it? should I exchange the CC for aragonite? and the depth of the sandbed...should I go for more than 2"??

Floyd R Turbo
06-20-2012, 11:40 AM
I am a big fan of Coralife Special Grade Reef Sand. Big enough that it doesn't blow around, small enough that looks great. CC traps waste.

Othello
06-20-2012, 11:49 PM
Yesterday was the D day :)

I got some rocks, put them in the DT and started the scrubber...

Pics below:

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I'm now working on creating water proof lights that I can place inside the sump in order to light up the other part of the screen. (check thread in DIY section)

Still have the substrate part...I will go with aragonite instead of crushed coral since all that i have read till now (including Floyd's recommendation above) does not encourage CC use...Im figuring grain size around 1.5mm...would that be good for sand sifters, gobies and other creatures?

BTW the lights are CFL type flood light with reflector inbuilt...20 real watts per bulb...2 bulbs for now...single sided screen till i figure out how to make the waterproof bulb work....will be on for a 18h on 6h off regimen...

any comments/recommendation guys?

Othello
06-22-2012, 05:35 AM
Yesterday got the sand in and some more LR

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Othello
06-25-2012, 12:40 AM
Hello all

Well its been almost a week now and not a sign of green anywhere on the screen!! lights are on for 18h a day...tested ammonia, its at 1g/l ... could it be the lights or the screen? lights are 2 CFL lights (with internal reflectors) at 24w each...

Othello
06-25-2012, 12:56 AM
Hi again

SM is this article ( http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?590-Scrubbers-and-Cycling ) still applicable?

kerry
06-25-2012, 02:39 PM
Yes it applies to the new UAS scrubber as well. I have started three tanks with a waterfall scrubber and never seen any typical nutrient spike. I started my new 150G build with my HOB UAS and never seen the nutrient spike with that type as well.

Othello
06-26-2012, 04:17 AM
Changed bulbs today.

Put in two 2700K CFL floodlights (25W each) to replace the 6500K ones.

also added one linear CFL at 30W (2700k) and one red LED floodlight (10W - its chinese so no indications as to wavelengths or Kelvin ratings).

this is what the red LED looks like (http://www.surelight.com/images/rotator/FLOODLIGHT_tutis_10w_led_flood_light.jpg) -- got the pic by gooling it on the web..will take a pic of the actual light tonight.

total watts on scrubber ==> 90W.

screen size (covered in water) : 8.5" x 13". there are about 2" that are above water level, constantly...I installed an ATO system that refills the sump anytime the water level goes down to evaporation (its around 27 degrees centigrade these days in Beirut and I have a computer fan blowing on the sump constantly to cool things off).

SG is at 1.025. Temp a constant 80F

Total LR (cured and live): 24KG for a total volume of water being approx 200L. its been in the tank for almost a week now (5 days I think).

Tests: Ammonia @ 0.5mg/l and Nitrite @ 0.5 as well. didn't test NO3 yet...more concerned with those two for the moment...

This morning I was able to see some brown spots forming all over the screen so I must assume that we r in business at last :) I will try to get some pics tonight. lighting is on for 18h and off for 6h.

almost forgot: got 3Kg of crushed coral from my LFS's aquarium...according to him, its been there for a couple of years so I'm kinda hoping I will get something along with it :P

am I missing out anything? was thinking of dropping in a clown fish (maroon) since ammonia and nitrites seem to be low...might wait for the weekend if they test out to Zero, I'll go out and buy it.

LFS was trying to talk me into a damsel fish but from what I have read, I don't want to add any fish that I would want to remove later on...but this is another story all together...

Othello
07-04-2012, 05:35 AM
Some updates as well as some pics :)

Sunday 1st July: cleaned the screen...some yellowish brown slime...cleaned it under tap water leaving some traces on the screen. wasnt able to take pics though :(

Today there are nice green patches all over the screen...took some pics...hopefully they can be seen. there is some GHA on the sumps wall though between the lights and the screen...should I remove it or leave it as its also doing some filtering?

Water params:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 10mg/l

Feeding: around five pinches of granules per day...three times a week I put in a 5ML of phytoplancton solution.

current tank inhabitants:

1- One Maroon clown
2- One blue and yellow damsel
3- Two long spined sea urchins
4- an assortment of snails (around 12 in all)
5- one cleaner shrimp
6- one RBT anemone
7- got some rock which had four purple tipped anemones on...came in last night to see that they doubled in number (weird!!!)
8- two Goniopora

pictures:

My own "chiller" - fans are hooked to same timers as lights...they go on when lights are on to compensate for heat...very effective.

the big fan goes on with the scrubber lights.
the smaller fans are arranged in a matrix: two blow in air and one blows out. they go on with the DT lights
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my scrubber lighting system :)
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Green color starting to show....dont mind the algae covering the screen :(
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a FTS
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sorry for poor quality...using my cell.

SantaMonica
07-04-2012, 09:45 AM
1. Remove all lights except for one CFL.

2. Remove the screen from the airstone.

3. Cut the screen down so it is 5 X 5 inches.

4. Rough the screen up with a hole saw or wood saw so that the holes are almost filled in with plastic pieces.

5. Attach the screen to the back of the airstone so that the bubbles flow up the front of the screen.

6. Put a light-shield in front of the airstone to keep the light off of it.

7. Tape up the ends of the airstone that are not in front of the screen.


This will give the UAS a chance to work.

Othello
07-04-2012, 11:39 PM
Thanks SM

I finally found some screen material that is similar to the ones you guys are using only its Circular. Its around 23.5 cm diameter...So I guess I will cut out a square from it...I already roughed it up using a bread knife and a circular saw blade...

your advice got me thinking of attaching it to egg crate for support and using some of the blue plastic material (we call it here carto-plast: it looks like cardboard but is plastic) as a light shield, behind the egg crate.

you say the airstone should be in front of the screen...but wouldnt the air bubbles be blowing parallel to the screen without touching it? I mean there would be around 0.5 cm gap between the screen and the stone

a drawing to show the new screen design as per SM
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Circular Screen
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Othello
07-04-2012, 11:41 PM
One more thing: 5"x5" would give an area of 25 sq inch...since its one sided, it would be sized for around 1 frozen cube a day feeding correct?

and since one CFL = 25w it would mean running the lights on for 18 hours a day?

Othello
07-05-2012, 12:51 AM
SM...regarding the current screen setup: it is not as per the initial pictures whereby the screen was wrapped around it...I changed that a while back to this:

http://algaescrubber.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2679&d=1340261168

is this what you meant by putting the screen behind the airstone or is it another kind of setup?

SantaMonica
07-05-2012, 11:18 AM
Yes with the airstone in front. You can lean the screen forward too.

Yes 1 cube a day. 18 hours.

If you use eggcrate, don't touch the screen to it on the back of the screen; it will clog the crate.

Othello
07-05-2012, 11:26 PM
thanks SM

you mean I should have the blue plastic stuff in between the screen and the crate, thereby shielding the crate from light and algae formation?

I am working on the V2 design as per your recommendations...should have pics in a day or two...in the meantime, the old screen is still doing its job fine in the sump...getting nice green grass growing on it...last night i scrapped some algae that had formed on the glass between the lights and the screen because I felt they were blocking the light from the screen...removed quite a sizable chunk to...dark green with an ocean smell to them...some bits got into the sump though and fishing them out was impossible...I just hope they will not find their way to the DT....

regarding the air bubbles and the screen...when you say tilt the screen forward, is the main aim of this to have the bubbles rub into the screen? if so, why not put the stone underneath the screen positioned in such a way that air is blowing directly onto the side exposed to light...

SantaMonica
07-06-2012, 03:34 AM
Yes shield the crate.

Yes make it so air goes directly on the exposed light side.

Othello
07-06-2012, 04:14 AM
OK great. I will apply this tonight.

so layer wise it will be: egg crate skeleton + blue plastic covering + screen

Question: do I silicone the screen onto the blue plastic sheet or use zip ties to fasten it?

with silicone I can have silicone border around the screen and a small lump of silicone at the top center location which would tilt the screen forward a little...

downside of silicone is that screen would be permanently attached...plus it would be very hard to get to any algae forming in the back of the screen...do you think this would pose any problems?

in the mean time, took a couple of pics of old screen after scrubbing the sumps glass last night...a fair amount of green on it!

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SantaMonica
07-06-2012, 09:49 AM
Ties are fine and you can still tilt it.

Othello
07-07-2012, 11:55 AM
Darned summer heat! Its around 37 degrees in beirut and cant keep the tank temp below 28-29 degrees centigrade aaaargh. I have two fans on the sump and two tall ones hitting the tank with bags of ice cubes in the sump to reduce it to around 27!!! Talk of frustration!

Hope it doesnt affect my setup.... No central ac and the room with this tank doesnt have a split installed...

Just ranting i guess hopefully itll pass without much disasters

Othello
07-09-2012, 12:06 AM
Updates:

yesterday cleaned screen...still using old screen until I finish the new one as per SM's advice.

Before
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and after
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I guess screen being too large is impacting the spread of the growth...also I fear the mesh size is causing some of the algae to fall off...the new screen will have smaller holes and better roughing

Othello
07-09-2012, 04:12 AM
Got some of the material for my new screen project. I decided it will be based on the HOG proposed by SM...I kinda like the way its dovetailed in a little box.

below are pics of the box I will be using. it is basically a plastic junction enclosure box...the holes are for cable wiring...they can be closed via rubber pads...so I will basically open as many holes as needed to get proper flow. also the rubber pads can be cut to allow for large or small holes depending on need...

here you can see the rubber pads/plugs:

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and some pictures with measurements
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for lighting I will either use the glass box i built with mirrors or else i will use something on the outside just like the HOG model

Othello
07-09-2012, 06:53 AM
here's a drawing of what I am planning...hope its clear.

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Othello
07-10-2012, 12:21 AM
After thinking it out, I will also use the same HOG principle for the lighting...I will go out and buy a second box this evening to put the lights in...it will be something like this:

2885 (my first attempt at google drawing...so forgive the rudimentary sketch).

box will be lined with mirrors and some mirror tape i found the other day (like duct tape but metallic/mirror color)...i have the possibility of using one, two or three CFLs based on the screen size...if one, it will be in the middle, if two, i will leave the central hole empty etc...

will have to see how to keep both boxes aligned though...dont know about magnets as the boxes are relatively heavy...maybe if I take apart those magfloats and use the magnets in them :P or was thinking of using the magnetic strips used on fridge doors...ill check at the hardware store what they have available.

alternative option is to use some kind of plastic belt to link both boxes and have them hang over the sump glass like this:

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disadvantage would be that i will need to take out the entire system for a cleaning session...will see about some kind of detachable belt...

first things first lets get the box and the mirrors :P

what do you guys think?

SantaMonica
07-10-2012, 09:09 AM
Is fine. Could also use suction cups.

Othello
07-10-2012, 11:01 PM
Suction cups...hmmm I like the idea...and i would attach those with zip ties to the boxes via the openings originally made for the cables...I will work it out tonight. thanks SM :)

Othello
07-15-2012, 12:04 PM
okk.latest news: scrubber and light ready. went for the HOG type. screen size 60 sq in.
ill "seed" it with algae from my old scrubber and place it tonight.

Othello
07-15-2012, 12:17 PM
ill post pix by tomorrow along with build explanations coz im using my phone.

also hooked up a chiller to control the temp...not bad i must admit and a must have in summer....

Othello
07-15-2012, 11:11 PM
As promised here are the pics:

top and front views

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before installing it:

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i covered the airstone afterwards

SantaMonica
07-16-2012, 07:25 AM
Looking forward...

Othello
07-27-2012, 02:24 AM
Hi guys

its been a while...was out of town and just got back a couple of hours ago....screen hadnt been cleaned since 2 sundays ago...more preceisely 15th July....plan to clean it tonight...will surely take some pics and post them...plan also to take some tests...didnt have the time coz I got from airport straight to office :(

so updates in a couple of hours (if I manage to make it without falling asleep :P )

Othello
07-29-2012, 10:57 PM
Hello All

cleaned screen last night (after a working weekend :S )...pics below: (this is two weeks's worth of growth...darkish green...and the screen looked pretty much well covered in algae)

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tested params...Ammonia is zero but nitrates are quite high! 50mg/l!!! I wonder what could be wrong here....any ideas?

SantaMonica
07-30-2012, 02:17 AM
Only in use a few weeks.

1-sided.

Othello
07-30-2012, 02:28 AM
thanks SM

so you figure it might be a normal thing that would fix itself with time? with this screen it has been only two weeks now...

i was considering a couple of temp fixes like

1- adding some floss in the overflow drain to filter out any food particles.
right now food is floating around...there are some that sink in the sump...I put in a hermit crab and was considering a mini CUC down there to help keep this in check...
along with the addition of a third powerhead aimed at the floor to make sure nothing collects there.

so either i put the floss for 6 hours every say other day or introduce the CUC to clean things up. what would you recommend


2- PWC. till now I havent done any since i began...i have an auto top off for evaporated water but no water changes...should i go for one (PWC) or its useless?


tenants seem to be in good condition and unaffected by the relatively high nitrate level...fish are growing fat and soft corals seem to be blooming...even gonioporas seem to be satisfied (they open up pretty well and when I feed they kinda bloat up to double size then resume old size after a couple of hours)

so what would you advice?

Othello
07-30-2012, 02:33 AM
gonios in action

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3012

SantaMonica
07-30-2012, 04:13 AM
Just let it run.

Othello
07-30-2012, 04:32 AM
OK cool.

I will do that and keep this thread updated with any news.

Many thanks.

Othello
08-05-2012, 11:33 PM
Cleaned the screen last night...tufts of green grass with white patches in between them...then I discovered a layer of algae had grown on the glass between the lights and the screen...peeled it off and it came up in sheets!! I guess it was preventing light from getting to the screen as needed.

also upped the lights on time to 18 (they were 12) ... nitrates are still in the 50s but I am giving it time...

the corals look great ... fish as well...will post a FTS tonight or tomorrow morning :)

heres what the screen looked like...had to brush the algae off with a toothbrush...:

3036

SantaMonica
08-06-2012, 07:14 AM
You can just slide it along the glass and let the fish eat it.

Floyd R Turbo
08-06-2012, 07:44 AM
Watch your nitrates and phosphates closely. Both myself and Kerry have noticed rising N on our UAS tanks. I have made some modifications to mine to see if it makes a difference, but I've been running mine for 4 months and growing algae well so I didn't expect the issue.

Bottom line is that this is still considered an experimental version IMO and shouldn't be relied on for primary filtration, so if you think you need a PWC, then do it, it cannot hurt. I did.

That said, don't go freaking out about it. There is plenty of evidence that most corals actually are not harmed by level of nitrate <100 ppm, contrary to what most people think. Just watch for problems with corals, and if you see them, find the root cause and make necessary corrections.

kerry
08-06-2012, 07:55 AM
I to had ok growth, nothing that had me worried until Floyd said his were high so decided to check due to a little cyano but the tank is new so I was not to concerned about until reading the post by Floyd. Mine were in the 40-ish range. Anyhow, I have bumped up hours because I had just a bit of brown algae and knocked the feeding down a bit. We should have some results in a couple days.

SantaMonica
08-06-2012, 08:42 AM
Keep in mind these are 1-sided UAS... which are weak.

kerry
08-06-2012, 09:34 AM
My one sided UAS is doing just great!!! Its on a 10G and I feed it a little more then what its rated for. Its my HOB on my 150G thats lacking, I hope to get pics some time this week when I pull out the screens to clean them.

Othello
08-06-2012, 11:21 PM
Watch your nitrates and phosphates closely. Both myself and Kerry have noticed rising N on our UAS tanks. I have made some modifications to mine to see if it makes a difference, but I've been running mine for 4 months and growing algae well so I didn't expect the issue.

Bottom line is that this is still considered an experimental version IMO and shouldn't be relied on for primary filtration, so if you think you need a PWC, then do it, it cannot hurt. I did.

That said, don't go freaking out about it. There is plenty of evidence that most corals actually are not harmed by level of nitrate <100 ppm, contrary to what most people think. Just watch for problems with corals, and if you see them, find the root cause and make necessary corrections.


Thing is im too busy these days to afford a frekaout :P

tenants seem to be doing ok though in the sense they move around normally, chase each other etc...no lethargy observed nor any odd behaviors seen in all the fish and inverts in tank...corals are doing fine as well... I also read that some softies like gonioporas do well in "dirty" water which seems to be the case in my tank right now...

my plan is to let it go for a couple of more cleanings...testing in between...if after 3 more cleanings (thus totalling 5 weeks since i installed the screen) nitrates are still up, I will go for a PWC...maybe a 50% one....and if after a total of 3 months running the screen nitrates are still high, I will then see what to do...

Othello
08-06-2012, 11:43 PM
I have one question that just popped into my mind here: with the type of growth I get (as per last screen shot) would it be better to let screen grow over a longer period...say shift cleanings to every 10 or 14 days instead of every 7?

I upped the lighting from 12 to 18 hours on and 6 off...that was sunday night...I will check it tonight to see the growth on it...

kerry
08-07-2012, 04:35 AM
You could go some more days if the bottom layer is not brown and falling off. I am worried that I am doing something wrong due to the fact the one on my nano is doing just fine buy my 150 is not but I get a ton better growth with my 150 screens.

Floyd R Turbo
08-07-2012, 06:22 AM
As far as nitrates go, you can let them get as high as 100ppm before you risk long-term damage to your fish, but corals are a different story. Some of them do not line any nitrate/phosphate, others are very tolerant and some prefer a little dirtier water, such as LPS and softies. As long as your display algae is under control and you don't have corals dying off, you're probably OK, but it's just something to pay attention to so that if you do start noticing a problem, you can apply a quick remedy (PWC)

Othello
08-07-2012, 11:37 PM
:idea:

I agree with you Floyd. time will tell I guess :)