New Scrubber Build on my 180

[dead fish]

OK, so I've been buying the stuff to put together an algae scrubber over the past week or so. I finally picke up the last few piece today so I took a stab at putting it together while watching TV tonight. (Note: Using a Dremel in the living room is messy.)

The whole thing went off without a hitch, really. It's chugging away on the tank now. Now we'll see if it makes any algae.

Here's my parts list:

3/4" PVC

PVC Endcap

PVC elbow (slip/threaded)

3/4 to 1/2" threaded to hose barb

1/2" tubing

maxijet 1200

Portable hanging folder box

Two 5" shop lights.

2 CFL bulbs

Here are some pics:

The parts:
3722

Top view:
3723

Spray Bar:
3724

Side View:
3725

Bottom:
http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/2012-12-21203135_zps983a748c.jpg

And a video:

http://youtu.be/Him1SoQ2jJk

[WannaRace]

Size screen and wattage of bulbs?

[dead fish]

They are 20 watt bulbs. The screen is one standard sheet of the mesh cut down by about 3 inches in length.

[SantaMonica]

40 watts = 40 square inches of screen = 3+ cubes.

[dead fish]

I'm sorry, I'm real new to this. I don't understand what that means.

[SantaMonica]

Scrubbers are sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons or liters you have. So...

An example VERTICAL upflow or waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:

1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or
5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)

High-wattage technique: Double the wattage, and cut the hours in half (to 9 per day). This will get brown screens to grow green much faster. Thus the example above would be 12 watts on each side, for a total of 24 watts, but for only 9 hours per day. If growth starts to turn YELLOW, then increase the flow, or add iron, or reduce the number of hours. And since the bulbs are operating for 9 hours instead of 18, they will last 6 months instead of 3 months.

HORIZONTAL screens: Multiply the screen size by 4, and the wattage by 1 1/2. Flow is 24 hours, and is at least 35 gph per inch of width of screen [60 lph per cm], EVEN IF one sided or horizontal.

LEDs: Use half the wattage as above. 660nm (red) is best. You can mix in a little 450nm (blue) if you want.

Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.

Clean algae off of the screen:

Every 7 to 21 days, or
When it's black, or
When it fills up, or
When algae lets go, or
When nutrients start to rise

[dead fish]

Rock n roll. Thanks. Sounds like I should be golden. Much appreciated.