160 gallon Fuge system with UAS connected to 1000 gallon system

[Michael_Brijs]

Would the principal work?

the refugium system will be a 3 compartment system with the 1st compartment being the UAS compartment
the 2nd will be a macro algae section with the 3rd section being a deep sand bed.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/4-2.jpg

the blue pipes will be 1/2" PVC pipes just to secure the screen in between. Red pipes are the locked PVC connecters glued to the bottom of the tank to secure the PVC hold bars into. The white PVC line is the flow line which will bring water into the Refugium system with 2 outlets streaming into the second chanmber and 1 controlable intake into the UAS chamber. Would it matter what flow of fresh water comes into the UAS chamber?
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/3-2.jpg

the 2 screen will be 6" x 6" each which would give me a screen of 36 SqI per screen and a total of 72 SqI of one sided screen available
This should be enough to make get me a 3 cubes per day feeding (correct?)
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/1-3.jpg

Both screen will be fed with the air bubbles connected to a 5" long airstone each driven by separate airpumps.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/2-2.jpg

Both airstones will be slid into a custom made acrylic device that concentrates the flow of the bubbles into a narrow flow over the screen
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/5-1.jpg

I am currently still undecided on what the lighting would be but most likely it will be an LED block connected against the outside glass which would fit the size of the screen.
Both screens can easily be removed for cleaning from the top and could even be turned around after every cleaning to maintain growth on both sides of the screen.

your advise would be welcome on how to improve on anything or any issues I might have overlooked.

[SantaMonica]

Welcome.

Consider waiting on the macro's.

Make a 2-sided scrubber instead of 1-sided. Use reflectors if you need to. Or put it diagonal in the corners.

Keep the scrubber at the top, not at the bottom.

You will probably have plenty water flow.

Your sizing is correct.

Drop the airstones and use bubble ports instead, or sliced airline. Keep light from hitting it.

[Michael_Brijs]

Santa,
Thanks
What would be the advantage of a double sided UAS? I think the double sided one makes construction hard?
Could I not increase my feeding possibilities by making the screes larger? Was thinking to go to 6" wide and 10" long which would double my capabilities right?
To move the screens up would be only to avoid direct light on the air supply?
What is a bubble port?

[SantaMonica]

2-sided make the roots last twice as long, with same wattage

Larger 1-sided increases filtering also, but needs more wattage.

Moving screen up will make it easy to clean.

Bubble ports are holes in plastic.

[Michael_Brijs]

Thanks
think I will try the larger screen. or you think the actual height of the screen would effect the stream of bubbles?
The idea would be actually to remove the the white PVC pipes with the screen clamped in between as it is just loose into the red PVC extenders.
so easy to remove and clean at all time.
Will be needing space to clean the glass to regularly I guess?

[Michael_Brijs]

would these lights work or not strong enough?
http://www.gtmall.com.au/all-red-225-led-panel-grow-plant-hydroponic-light.html?

[SantaMonica]

Height does not matter.

Will need to clean the glass too.

Those lights are only 13 watts... not enough. Get 45 or 55 watt ones.

[Michael_Brijs]

came across these lights they look very good?
this is the description of the lights
These lamps consist of 48 x 1watt high-intensity LEDs -> Red (30x665nm, 8x630nm) + Blue(6x460nm, 4xWh), at 60°+90°; they are designed to fit the colour spectrum required for plant growth, with a mix of 630 and 660nm Red, along with Blue and White, this light will give a very good results especially in the and fruiting stages.



The White LEDs, which have most of their energy divided between the blue(440nm) & orange end of the spectrum, as can be seen by the graph for the white LED light, the main reason we included these was that, they give energy to the 440nm chlorophyll peak & a sprinkling of frequencies right across the light spectrum, including as you can see in the orange part of the spectrum, that’s why they appear white, these frequencies appear to be like trace elements, as they are only needed in small amounts.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/LED.jpg

[kotlec]

This light looks promising.

[MorganAtlanta]

Do you have a link to that light?

[Michael_Brijs]

Its a shop in Australia and they only had one left which I bought allready.
I also bough 4 9W strips with the same LED on it the 3 660 and 3 630reds with 2 460blue and 1 3000Kwhite on each strip
which would make a total of 36W for the second screen
so one screen will be lit with the box the other one with the strips.

[joelespinoza]

Dont do the deepsand bed. It will probably just increase your phosphates.

[Michael_Brijs]

yeah I was doubting about the deep sand bed???

[SantaMonica]

If you have enough rock, you won't need a dsb. If you have little rock, a shallow sand bed will help with ammonia if something happens to your scrubbers.

You should have redundant scrubbers that can operate by themselves, preferably on separate power circuits.

[Michael_Brijs]

both scrubbers will operate separated from each other.
one with the 45W red LED box the other one on 4 strips of 9x1W red LEDs

[SantaMonica]

81 total LED watts = 162 CFL watts = 13 cubes.

[Michael_Brijs]

hope this is the same in practise then I guess the over feeding days will be over

[SantaMonica]

If you are not feeding at least 6 cubes, I'd reduce the size.

[Michael_Brijs]

I would be adding loads of Anthias en Chromis so I guess I will be reaching 6 cubes a day

[SantaMonica]

Well make it 2-sided, for best filtering.

[Michael_Brijs]

first look of the 4x 9W strips that arrived
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled2.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled1.jpg
pictures taken with my webcam but they are mighty bright
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled3.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled4.jpg

[Michael_Brijs]

and the 45W box
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled6.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/Untitled5.jpg

[Michael_Brijs]

Santa
any comments on the lights?

[SantaMonica]

Never used them but they seem strong enough.

[Michael_Brijs]

Ok started the construction of my scrubber as I had the fuge cleaned out and ready to be set up again
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0768.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0767.jpg
the air-stone will be fitted in the down PVC tube with a slit made in it to maintain a steady stream of bubbles over the scree that will be fitted later.
Am waiting for my Dremel to make the slits.

[Michael_Brijs]

the Dremel finally arrived so had my first screen for the UAS installed.
made grooves on the outside PVC to lock the screen and a groove on the bottom PVC where the air-stone is installed inside.
The screen was made very rough with a saw blade.
the screen is 6" x 10"
One more screen to go tomorrow.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0785.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0786.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0788.jpg

[Michael_Brijs]

Finished up the second screen
the actual size from both screens is 6" x 8.2" and 6" x 9.8"
Have plumbed the flow to the screen into the total return of the Refugium and will be controllable.
not sure if the stones I have used will give me enough bubbles but I guess I will have to try that when adding some water to see what kind of performance I am getting.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0789_zps6da4358f.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0790_zps6b86cf6b.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0791_zps84e4912d.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Will you be able to reach in to wipe the glass?

[Michael_Brijs]

yes if you look careful on the last picture there is a magnet installed between.
Also both PVC constructions with the screens can be removed
will show picture of that later.

[Michael_Brijs]

did adjust the design a little
easier access now to the air stone.
here you can see too the set up with one screen present and the other removed
both screen can easily be removed for cleaning
now the lights will have to be added and the glass for the chamber compartment will be placed tomorrow.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0816_zpsd2863851.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0817_zps0cbc2429.jpg
The black screen will be used to block the light coming from the scrubber into the Fuge
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0818_zps3eb8f483.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0819_zps5854a098.jpg
Hope the screen is rough enough
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0821_zpsd9cdb1db.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Screen looks good.

You might be able to use some white backing to reflect at least some light to the back side.

[Michael_Brijs]

I will be using an airpump capable of 2 x 240LpH which is 4LpM
should be more then enough right?

[Michael_Brijs]

Changed the background to white as it would reflect more light to the back side of the screen.
Installed the first LEDs on it and tried them out today
looks great even I say so myself lol.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0836_zpsf8a4d5f4.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0839_zpsbec423ee.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0838_zps401c17b0.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/oxbow70/DSCF0837_zpsc0fe3227.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Try 1 lpm for each 10 cm of screen.

[Michael_Brijs]

so the screen is 18cm which makes 1.8LpM = 108LpH over each screen.
Guess I will turn down the air pump a bit then.

[SantaMonica]

More bubbles are always better.

[Michael_Brijs]

not sure if u see enough but made a little clip.
should i make the slid thinner maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmrqIps-vM4&feature=youtu.be

[SantaMonica]

Seems good

[Michael_Brijs]

Seems good

forgot to mention too change the pump into 2 outlet with each 150LpH outtake
this clip was taken on max settings

[SantaMonica]

Yes the multi-outlet pumps are usually better.