1st UAS scrubber

[Ericsson]

This is my first go at a scrubber. I feed roughly 1/2 cube a day at the Moment so I'm using a 4x3 scrubber. Very basic only using a 12watt cfl bulb and tin can as reflector. My sumps running externally temporarily as I cracked my origional one.

This is just a test but I plan to do a waterfall scrubber

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_CB5B727F-33BF-4DAF-94D7-5CC9A98603C7-650-0000004ABCDEE84E_zps9018178e.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=CB5B727F-33BF-4DAF-94D7-5CC9A98603C7-650-0000004ABCDEE84E_zps9018178e.jpg)
http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_6C69AD4A-8A44-4354-A235-16F80D6983DE-650-0000004AC4056CB2_zpsa2c28ae7.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=6C69AD4A-8A44-4354-A235-16F80D6983DE-650-0000004AC4056CB2_zpsa2c28ae7.jpg)

Here's a picture from around 7 days of growth.

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_67AD03D4-C995-4205-B972-3C771A99836A-650-00000049427AD3F9_zps820b6be8.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=67AD03D4-C995-4205-B972-3C771A99836A-650-00000049427AD3F9_zps820b6be8.jpg)

How does it look so far, should I be getting better growth?

Tanks been running for around 7 months so far. I've been using Red Sea test kits for no3 and po4. No3 doesn't register with any colours keep getting a blue unlike any other and po4 is always 0.08 so I need to get some elos test kits as I'm not happy with those results.

[SantaMonica]

Let it go 14 day; should thicken up.

Also if you could put a white plastic sheet behind the screen, it might help.

[Ericsson]

I'll put some acrylic mirror behind and see how it goes.

[Ericsson]

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_6fa6776e957fda36da180750de76af6e_zps0cc0ad24.jp g (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=6fa6776e957fda36da180750de76af6e_zps0cc0ad 24.jpg)

Better picture of today, I think I can see some green growing now.
Lights are on 18 hours a day too much or ok?

[SantaMonica]

Seems fine.

[Ericsson]

Will this actually work or is it to basic?

[Garf]

Basic is good

[Ericsson]

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_4504F6CF-7509-458A-9581-34C1E039E668-1409-000000D5120B15AA_zpsaf725beb.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=4504F6CF-7509-458A-9581-34C1E039E668-1409-000000D5120B15AA_zpsaf725beb.jpg)

Getting better, but I came home from work to see my glass and sand covered in green. I wiped the glass and stirred the sand so my issue is, will this kick in before I get hair grass or bubble algae or shall I run some rowaphos as well?

I really want this to work but I can afford to have a major breakout.

[SantaMonica]

Make sure all the bubbles hit the front of the screen; not the back. If the bulb is "warm" or "soft" and running 18 hours, it should be green in a few days.

[Ericsson]

Getting some green patches today, looks promising.

All bubbles are hitting front.

Quick question if I change my screen will it go through the brown algae stage again?

[SantaMonica]

Yes. You can speed it up by rubbing some old algae on the new one.

[Ericsson]

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_028C6801-114C-43F2-A649-13FC21EE1003-119-0000000554CDB583.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=028C6801-114C-43F2-A649-13FC21EE1003-119-0000000554CDB583.jpg)

At what point shoud the brown be cleaned?

Ignore the white it's just some filter floss that caught.

[SantaMonica]

14 days.

[Ericsson]

An update incase anyone is interested :rolleyes:

Day 12:

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/th_6C5E793D-7068-4E67-9E64-E06FE2780491-741-0000009EB77EB823.jpg (http://s644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/?action=view&current=6C5E793D-7068-4E67-9E64-E06FE2780491-741-0000009EB77EB823.jpg)

[SantaMonica]

There we go.

[Ericsson]

I'll be cleaning tomorrow (day 14) should I remove everything or leave some green?

[SantaMonica]

Remove most all.

[Ericsson]

I cleaned it on Saturday, still no green but I'm getting red algae. Is it normal?

http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu169/ericsson89/5fa92f7faf7d6bd5e404f9226b4a0453.jpg

I've got my sump fixed so now the bulb is about 4" away from screen with aluminium foil behind it and a 20w bulb instead of 12w as the reflector isn't as good. I also blocked the airstone from light as it was getting covered very quickly.

[SantaMonica]

It's normal for higher nutrients. Clean all of it off, so you can see the white screen.

Might not want foil in the water.

[Ericsson]

I'm not having much luck with this so I'm going to do a 2 sided waterfall. Using 2 cube a day, would it be 6x4 with 12w on each side? Also can you have too much flow?

[Garf]

I'm not having much luck with this so I'm going to do a 2 sided waterfall. Using 2 cube a day, would it be 6x4 with 12w on each side? Also can you have too much flow?

Size and light looks ok for 2 cubes. You don't want the flow squirting all over the place, but good flow is important when the screen really gets going. As long as the water forms a continuous sheet of flow from the bottom of the screen it is deemed adequate.

[Ericsson]

So a eheim 1000 would be ok? Should I use 16mm or 25mm pipe

[Ericsson]

Would these be ok to use? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12W-LED-35W-CFL-E27-Bulb-Grow-Light-Pflanzen-Coltivazione-Lampe-from-UK-/221126747732?pt=UK_Photography_Light_Bulbs_Tubes&hash=item337c2e6654#ht_4838wt_1301

[Ericsson]

Can also get these with all 660nm bulbs, do you think up they would be any good?

[SantaMonica]

Those are ok for a small screen.