Pre scrubber mold problem

[chriswf]

Okay, so here's some pictures of me TESTING different methods to see how water flows. I've been messing around with the DRILLED pipe and I was fixing to test the SLOTTED pipe (after I get around to TRYING to cut one).

BUT, I'm getting mold on my canopy.
The wood is sealed, like 3+ coats of polyurethane sealer. But my canopy retains humidity. ESPECIALLY on the side where it comes out of my refugium. The mold only really grows here. But grows FAST here.

I was going to put the glass or plexiglass over the top of the tank, but then that'll ruin the ATS idea because the ats won't be able to flow into the water.
It's a lose/lose situation.

Put lids back on under canopy, lose ATS but get rid of MOLD.
Keep lids off, use an ATS, but tank rapidly grows mold towards the bottom.

Here's the pics, again this is trial and error to see how things work WITHOUT the LEDs plugged up yet.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-02-39_573.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-02-34_225.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-02-23_200.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-02-15_961.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-02-08_937.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-01-57_816.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/psychoninja911/scrubber%20mold/2013-01-12_19-01-51_670.jpg

The mold is sort of obvious in the pictures now. I've been wiping it off every night, looks like that the next day.

P.S. that white small 1" pipe isn't doing anything but holding the coroplast down(white plastic sheet). The 90 degree elbow is just propping the pipe arm up.

The pee trap at the end that actually goes UP before it goes DOWN, I use that to help water pressure build up to increase flow out the drain holes, while still maintaining a safety net in case the drain holes were to clog.
White trash bag is to stop spray, of course.

Again trial and error lol.
But first the mold problem right?

Open to all options - thanks!

[chriswf]

And yes, I've already thought about doing a scrubber box BEFORE my refugium, but plexiglass appears to be mega expensive at Home Depot... Unsure of the cost from actual plastic suppliers so far.

AND yes, I've thought about putting my scrubber above the sump/refugium hole, but then I'll steel gather a bunch of humidity I think... I'd have to build a top - still in thought though.

[SantaMonica]

Add a fan, or do an upflow in the fuge instead.

[chriswf]

Well, it sounds like I'm cutting the Fuge walls out, and gunna use it for my ATS.

I don't know. I mean, a few people have talked me out of Upflows now. Floyd or Bud Carlson? is one of the people. He said if I do an upflow I'm joining an experimenting.
Waterfall is proven to work.

I don't know.
I can cover the refug pretty easily. Plus, I don't think the bioballs in there are even doing anything. I took the hornwart out and put it in my Fry tank because it grows REALLY FAST, then blocks the light out from other parts of the hornwart and kills it, so I have a HUGE pile of needles that accumulates.
Ugh, Hornwart was a bad idea.

[SantaMonica]

Upflows work fine if you build them right. Same with waterfalls.

[Ace25]

Is the mold on the inside or outside? If it is on the inside, paint it with something like 'Killz', which is an anti-mildew primer.

I agree with Floyd... upflows are still very much experimental and do not work nearly as well as a waterfall. I would not recommend an upflow scrubber to anyone at this time unless you just want to experiment and not expect good results. Maybe I will change my mind about them in a few years when all the bugs are worked out by all the people experimenting/doing the work for Santa Monica. Floyd and I have both tested the UAS against a waterfall and it is night and day difference using Santa Monica's UAS guidelines. Floyd has some post on here somewhere showing the difference.

[chriswf]

Is the mold on the inside or outside? If it is on the inside, paint it with something like 'Killz', which is an anti-mildew primer.

I agree with Floyd... upflows are still very much experimental and do not work nearly as well as a waterfall. I would not recommend an upflow scrubber to anyone at this time unless you just want to experiment and not expect good results. Maybe I will change my mind about them in a few years when all the bugs are worked out by all the people experimenting/doing the work for Santa Monica. Floyd and I have both tested the UAS against a waterfall and it is night and day difference using Santa Monica's UAS guidelines. Floyd has some post on here somewhere showing the difference.

Oh yeah the mold is definitely on the inside. If it were outside... well I'd have no clue why mold would grow on the outside.

You see, inside my canopy there's NO tank lid right now, so the humidity in there is dripping wet.

But, someone else had told me to use a polyurethane wood sealer and mold wouldn't grow on that?.........
Sigh.

Anyway, I'll probably try the Killz thing next.

[Ace25]

Another option, which is what I do, put 2 small/quiet 80mm computer fans on the top of the canopy to exhaust the humid air. I understand exactly what you are talking about. In my canopy, without the fans on, it is a rain forest inside overnight (water condensation dripping off everything), with the fans on, it is dry as a bone.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Can you take a few pics of the full setup, I can't quite get a handle on what is going on here. Like a full tank shot with all the doors/canopy closed, then another with things open so I can see where things are in relation to each other

Also - this is a FW planted system, correct?

[chriswf]

Can you take a few pics of the full setup, I can't quite get a handle on what is going on here. Like a full tank shot with all the doors/canopy closed, then another with things open so I can see where things are in relation to each other

Also - this is a FW planted system, correct?

I'll get the pics soon. I have 2 dovii cichlids in the tank, I took the hornwart plants OUT. The hornwart is now in my fry tank.

Here's something I failed to mention before....
I can lose 3 gallons of water a day to evaporation if I have NO canopy or NO lids.
I know it sounds extreme, my water is 78 degrees F, my appartment is cold right now, as I LOVE cold weather. Cold/dry appartment with a warm humid tank = tons of evaporation?. I guess thats Texas for you.

The evaporation doesnt occur if I have a lid on. Meaning there are no leaks lol.

So if I increase ventilation, I increase evaporation again.
I guess warm freshwater, water heavily aerated from falling through sump, into tanks, bubbles, etc, increases evap too?