Swhite's UAS LED test

[SWhite]

A couple hours playing with various scraps of acrylic, egg crate and a $0.59 piece of screen gets me this:

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1244.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1254.jpg

This will go in an empty compartment in one of my fuges. The screen will be tilted at 15* to force air contact. It has stand-offs at the top which will lean on the side of the tank. The small piece of acrylic in front/bottom will be painted black and help prevent the air stone from growing algae. Both pieces can be easily removed for cleaning. And if there is any issue of attempted floating I can weigh down the egg crate in the back.

While I am estimating that I would need 120 inches by the end of summer, this one's surface area is only about 75 square inches. But it fits perfectly in that particular section. If I need to make a 2nd screen I have real estate elsewhere I can use.
At this point I really just need lights and an air stone.

I'll likely get an air stone soon but the LEDs might be a little while off. Would it be even worth my time to throw a 15w CFL spot light that I already have at the screen once it's installed until I get my LEDs?

[kerry]

Looking good sir.

[SantaMonica]

Will be a good idea to see if the tilt really helps.

[SWhite]

So as a test fit I threw in some crappy 1" air stones.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1248.jpg

The 15* angle of the screen causes the bubbles to fan out to a 4 inch spread at the top. Once I get a proper air stone I should have excellent coverage.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1246.jpg

[spideybry]

I am really digging this look. It forces air contact, the solid piece of acrylic behind the screen doesn't let air push through but redirects it up, and looks like the effect is to get total screen coverage.

My only suggestion would be to use black acrylic for where the small piece of angled acrylic is so it prevents light from getting to the airstones, hopefully minimizing the amount of algae they will grow.

This is a solid idea, but I am wondering how I can carry something like this over to be converted on my algae scrubber at home. I have a SM100 and don't want to lose the effect of growing algae on both sides. Maybe it is possible to create a V shaped scrubber at perhaps the same angles as you have so as to get the most coverage. I will be putting some drawings together today. Sorry for the highjack of the thread.

Definitely will be following along on this one.

[SWhite]

Actually the screen is on a 1/2 acrylic frame. But it doesn't look like many of the bubbles pass through. And once I have green mat growing no air would get through anyway.

None of my available spaces really allow for an easy 2 sided screen with out building an external box. That's one of the reasons I REALLY like this new UAS concept as it is basically plug and play with out running any new pipes for water.

I had always intended on painting the front shield black once I get a proper air stone.

Just for kicks I have a CFL spotlight on the screen to see if I can get any positive growth until I can fund the LEDs.

[spideybry]

Ah gotcha. Did you just use rods for that? Here is a little mock up of what I was thinking to do with mine. Going off your idea, but making it a V set up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/spideybry/Screenshot2012-05-10at121544PM.png

[SWhite]

I added a photo in the first post of the back of the screen.

I would think that it would very much encourage contact with the bubbles. Just need to make sure it's still easy to remove and to clean. But I have no actual experience just theory-craft.

[spideybry]

Ah I see what you did now. If the bubbles are big enough they shouldn't go through.

I need some acrylic -.- I wish I could fabricate with acrylic lol.
I would make a removable V, kind of like what you have there, make it all one piece that I can slide off the screens.. would be epic.

Either way, looking forward to see how this goes.

[SWhite]

Where I have gotten my acrylic: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.aspx?catid=443&parentcatid=795
And some cement: http://www.amazon.com/IPS-Weldon-Acrylic-Cement-10315/dp/B003HNJEY0
Some basic tools and there you go.

[spideybry]

I would buy sheet acrylic, but I don't have a table saw to cut these guys. If I did, I would be making all sorts of stuff.

[MorganAtlanta]

You can order acrylic already cut to size from tapplastics.com for a pretty reasonable price. They do a much better job cutting than US Plastic. You can make mods to the basic cuts with a Dremel, jig saw or drill, then just glue it together with weld-on 16 and you are good to go.

[SWhite]

Still working on getting my LEDs together. Here is my UAS with a 15w CFL spotlight and 2 undersized air stones after about 2 weeks:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1306.jpg

It was more of a joke than anything but it is definitely going to be ready once I get the proper lights.

[SWhite]

Got a proper bubble wand and bigger air pump and have great coverage on the screen now. Unfortunately have to wait another week on LEDs as they sent me the wrong color...

[SWhite]

Here is my LED box build. 8 red and 2 blue, removable diffuser, some gasketing just because I had it. Just waiting on the power supply and then it's ready to go.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1330.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1331.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1332.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Disco!

[SWhite]

Got my LED power supply today...We be scrubbin'!

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1346.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1347.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1348.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1349.jpg

[Fishuntbike]

Very nice

[SWhite]

Because of the way I mounted my screen I need something to scrape against. Built a little table that fits snugly behind.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1354.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1356.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1355.jpg

[SWhite]

Week 1 results after adding LEDs:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1385.jpg
Scrapped it down and I could feel rootyness bellow the slime. And then I flipped it over...

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1384.jpg
A few patches of bright green on the back!

So I think having had it 'priming' for a couple weeks with a CFL really helped it jump right to action once I got the LEDs. Area of the screen that is still white are due to the bubble wand shade at the bottom and the fact that there is a small area on the right that doesn't get much of the bubbles.

I had been hesitant about the tank face growing algae but just giving a it a quick scrape twice a week is enough to combat it so far. I also removed my biopellets this week and I'm still running my skimmer for now. I figure I'll wait for the screen to hit full on green and the nuisance algae to clear up a bit before dialing it back and eventually off.

Looking forward to what next week brings.

[kerry]

It looks like its on its way toward green.

[srusso]

Nice work, keep it posted! Thank you

[Fishuntbike]

looks good

[SWhite]

Week the 2nd after adding the LEDs:

Front:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1421.jpg

Back:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1422.jpg

Looks like there is a little more bright green on the back.

[SWhite]

Almost finished with the 2nd version, 2 sided. There will be mirrors mounted to the 2 egg crate angle walls.

Quick video of the bubble test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuFbGV3RfiU&feature=youtu.be

[SantaMonica]

Great bubbles.

[SWhite]

Here are a couple out of tank shots:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1460.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1459.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Should work good if enough wattage and food for that size.

[SWhite]

And it's done:
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1461.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1462.jpg
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1463.jpg

Bubble test video again just to keep it together:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuFbGV3RfiU&feature=youtu.be

There is some light leak that I can cover if it becomes an issue, but it's a closed/covered section so it's not likely to be able to get too out of hand.

I've also started to see a decrease in my cyano this week, which is really nice. So now with a little less than double the screen size I should really see some improvements now. I'm expecting to drop my photo period as it's been 18 on and 6 off. 12/12 I'm guessing is what I'll go to once the tank is showing real improvement.

[srusso]

nice work, hows the growth?

[SWhite]

I just made it 2 sided today but before I was getting good growth single sided. You can look earlier In the thread to see the pictures.

[acorral]

It's very simmilar to mine, you will notice great improvement with the 2 sided conversion

[SWhite]

It's very simmilar to mine, you will notice great improvement with the 2 sided conversion

Currently I think I'm having mixed results. With 5 days into this growth it doesn't look anywhere near as thick compared to how the single sided looked. But what concerns me more is that the mirrors are filming up so fast. Having to clean them 2-3 times a week. We'll give it a few weeks to see how things progress.

Also one of the mirrors seems to have lost some of the reflective areas in a couple small places. I'll inspect it fully when I scrape my screen on Friday. Also I'm going to add something to cover up the exposed egg crate to lower the non screen surface area for algae to grow.

[SantaMonica]

Removing the white backing is what removes the reflector material.

[chibikaie]

Here is my LED box build. 8 red and 2 blue, removable diffuser, some gasketing just because I had it. Just waiting on the power supply and then it's ready to go.


Serious newbie here - do you mind giving a few more specifics on what kind of LEDs you used?

[kerry]

You need the 660nm 3 watt LED's.

[SWhite]

Yeah I got the LEDs from this guy on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/ledtoplights/m.html?item=110800347347&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649&_trksid=p4340.l2562

But it could be from any number of sources, ebay or otherwise. What else would you like to know? Happy to try and answer any questions.

[kerry]

Yeah I got the LEDs from this guy on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/ledtoplights/m.html?item=110800347347&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649&_trksid=p4340.l2562

But it could be from any number of sources, ebay or otherwise. What else would you like to know? Happy to try and answer any questions.
That is where I get my LED's and I get my thermal adhesive pads and drivers from www.rapidled.com.

[chibikaie]

Thanks for the specifics. I'm actually trying to use plants right now, but definitely interested in buying or rigging a scrubber if they don't work out.

I suppose algae prefer the red light? I thought blues were recommended for growth, but I know that is for land plants.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Yes, that is why fluorescent sources have been recommended to use 2700-3000K - lots of red.

[SWhite]

I'm giving it another week, but then I think I'm going back to the single sided version. So far the 2 sided just hasn't had near as much growth on the screen and there is lot more maintenance having to clean the mirrors every other day.

[SantaMonica]

Maybe the mirrors are not as effective as a true light on the other side. Makes sense, since the one light needs to go through a lot of water.

[fauxjargon]

Ah gotcha. Did you just use rods for that? Here is a little mock up of what I was thinking to do with mine. Going off your idea, but making it a V set up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v406/spideybry/Screenshot2012-05-10at121544PM.png

I like your idea, but you have to ask yourself at what point do you go from a double sided scrubber to a pair of single sided scrubbers?

[fauxjargon]

Maybe the mirrors are not as effective as a true light on the other side. Makes sense, since the one light needs to go through a lot of water.

A typical vanity mirror is 70-80% reflective at most, and the light has to pass through any surface film or algae on the mirror twice to get to the screen. So maybe by the time the light gets to the algae in a real-world scenario you have lost half of it.

[SWhite]

Been a few months since I posted. Moved back to the single sided screen canted at 15* into the bubble 'wall', 18 hours on per day, LEDs (8 red 4 blue), weekly scraping of brown/yellow slime. Last week a glimmer of green. This week it got bigger.

Upper left corner, is much greener than photo indicates. Pretty excited to see it moving to another stage of turf scrubbing finally.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1909.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Looks like the right side is getting more bubbles.

[SWhite]

Looks like the right side is getting more bubbles.

Yeah I now notice there is a little more air on the right, but the whole face does get pretty well saturated with air. Next time I clean it I'll make sure the air wand is not fouled.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t206/armorbimbo/IMAG1910.jpg

[SWhite]

2 more tiny spots of green on the screen this week! Another big change in the last 3-4 weeks is the amount of slime algae that grew on the sides and bottom of the scrubber chamber. It went from thick and lots to almost none in the last 2 screen scrapings. I see both of these things as good signs of progression.

[SWhite]

The screen is getting a tiny bit greener every week. But the 'exciting' news is that there was a nice little fat tuft of green hair algae growing on the bubble wand. First time I've had hair algae in the scrubber chamber. LOL, well it's exciting for me anyway.

[SantaMonica]

Yes, and since the wand is near the lights, it means that at least the lights are strong enough at some locations.

[wspepsilon]

Hey buddy,

New to the algae scrubber world... been pouring over everything i can get my hands on the last week or so in prep for my first DIY. Been told that these UAS options are still in the experimental phase and don't work quite as well however, due to setup ect i'm giving serious thought to going this route. Quick question for ya, you mentioned in your first post that you had ~75^2" so basically a whole sheet but thought that you might need to double up down the line. I know you tried and failed with the mirror idea but am curious if you still feel that doubling up would be beneficial? I've also heard that sizing is based on feeding and this seems to be a bit over sized to me based on that scale. Are you feeding a lot or what's the thought behind screen size coming from you? Thanks for the input! Oh and looks like you've had great progress!

[SWhite]

Sorry for the delayed response. Yes I feed quite a bit and the seahorses are messy eaters, only partially digesting the food. I'm up to, and stopping at, 7 sea horses now and feed at least 5 cubes a day. While the screen may be undersized I think that the temps I run, 70-73*F, are retarding the growth compared to warmer tanks.

The stuff I scrape off isn't very deep/thick. I'm moving to a 10 day schedule to give it a chance to fill in better. The bits of hair algae that grow in the same area as the screen but not on it only grow about 3/8" weekly, so I'm not too worried about too much growth on the screen in that 2 days.

The hair algae in my tank is everywhere but as long as I see improvement on the screen I'll stick with the scrubber. As well I have 2 pincushion urchins eating all of the macro and bubble algae. Hoping that they will work on the hair as well, but there is still plenty of macro to eat for the time being.