Wall unit.. 2 waterfall, 1 UAS.

[thepotz]

Ok, so I've read and read, designed, redesigned, messed up, redesigned again, and I think I have an OK system. we'll see. my system needs to be mounted to a wall inside a cabinet over my tank, so I can get to my tank by lifting a board with my tank display lighting. pictures will explain alot. I'll post them as soon as i transfer them off my phone. My big question is... I'm running a canister filter with bio stars. Is it OK to keep running my bio filter with this algae scrubber? Are there any drawbacks?

[thepotz]

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[thepotz]

sorry for the terrible quality of pics. I need one more desk lamp, since the UAS was kind of an addition, since the new idea, and I just started to understand the theory behind the UAS in general. The black lines go to co2.

[thepotz]

Here are pics of the scrubbers I'm trying on my 55 gal FW tank. Containers are Better Homes and Garden snack containers from WAL-MART. Black lines go to co2, and yes, I need another Light. (workin on it)24772478247924802481

[Floyd R Turbo]

ha ha that's wild!

[kotlec]

Is this yellow stuff - tank water ?

[Floyd R Turbo]

CO2 is for plants? with that much scrubbing, they're going to get out-competed.

Also I just thought of this, you have the UAS first in line, then the waterfall #1. This might be a problem. You have no head pressure on the waterfall slot, so it will be rather easy for algae to fill in the slot, which would cause water to flow a little slower, meaning that you will have a water column of pressure build up which will increase the flow rate. In sumps with direct overflow feed, this generally is not a problem because you have a vertical head of several fet and the flow never really slows down. This action also forces water through the slot at higher pressure to get the same flow rate which prevents the algae from building up and completely blocking the slot. You do not have this. The minute you get any algae growing in the slot on #1 your UAS is going to back up and overflow. This is why top-of-tank scrubbers need to be direct pump fed, not passive feed by any means.

The #2 waterfall will have the same issue, but the head pressure can be achieved in this one by filling the #1 container. Of course the drawback is that your #1 container will be filled and will not grow.

At the least, I would get rid of waterfall #1 and allow the head pressure to build from the UAS down to the waterfall #2. Better yet would be to remove #2 and put the UAS there as that need zero pressure, then your pump is providing pressure to the waterfall.

[SantaMonica]

How much feeding?

[thepotz]

2-3 worms a day. Floyd, you are absolutely correct about the passive flow, that is why I have passive "flow-by" just for the overflow prediction you talk about. (good eye) But till I come up with yet another new design, this will work 8 days at a time. Sorry for not posting lately, I was gone at work for 4 days.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Where is your passive flow by? Not seeing it in the pics.

[thepotz]

The ends of the tubes are wide open, so that if the slot does clog, the water will still pour out the end. Wait till you see my next build... It'll look nothing even close to this!

[Floyd R Turbo]

So you mean your waterfall slot tubes are not capped on the ends? Once your screens are matured, the full flow will slow to a trickle toward the end of the weekly cycle because of algae in the slot, unless you block the slot. But at least you've got the overflowing part covered and have a plan to re-do it.

[thepotz]

8 days. algae is growing gangbusters!262326242625

[thepotz]

that last pic on the right is after cleaning. I have 2 screens, so I clean them alternating every 4 days, to make an 8 day rotation. the uas I haven't cleaned. cuz the growth seems even and the color is bright emerald green, and the algae doesn't seem to be dying off!

[thepotz]

the white areas on the uas is bubbles sticking to the walls of the container.

[Garf]

WOW - looks like freshwater algaes are fabulously adapted for scrubbers.

[thepotz]

I think the co2 has alot to do with the rapid growth.

[thepotz]

look at all the algae!268126822683268426852686
The uas has grown so much you can hardly see the bubbler now!

[Floyd R Turbo]

whoa. now I would be worried about detachment and drain clogging!!!

[thepotz]

I haven't cleaned that 2nd screen yet, but will today. it's just good to know it's working so well!

[kerry]

That fresh water algae grows SUPER FAST!!! I cleaned my dual screen on my 150G every 4-ish days.

[SantaMonica]

Yes do watch the detachment. It's kind of like a fuge that lets go and goes through the pump.