Counter Weight Algae Scrubber

[cwaist]

Hi I am new to algae / turf scrubbers but have been doing alot of reading over the last week or so. I am in the process of setting up my new 250g Sps reef and frag system as I am in the process of downsizing from my current 400g setup.
I have got very limited vertical space so am looking to make a counter lever turf scrubber and use it as a small surge as well to aid the flow in my tank.
I got the idea from the inland aquatics turf system which they have used for many years to run there system.
I just wanted to know if any of you guys had got this type of system and if so could offer some tips and your thoughts on this type of setup?
My main sticking point at the moment is im not sure what material to use for the algae to grow on.
By the looks of it most people are using the plastic canvas stuff but im concerned that this stuff is a bit light and wont stay in place for my type of system.
I thought I could use a large plant water tray the type used in the hydroponic setups for the counter lever tray and put a off set hinge on it so the water fills at one end and then when the water builds up to a set height it pivots the tray and dumps the water to the tank.
Any advice would be great

[cwaist]

4167

This is a quick sketch of what ive got in mind

[Floyd R Turbo]

That's a horizontal dump bucket scrubber, just like the kind that Walter Adey invented 30 yrs ago. you need the screen to be at least 4x as large as the vertical double-lit version and probably 4x the total light as well. As far as substrate growth material it's the same as everything else - plastic canvas, roughed up.

I would very strongly suggest that you find a way to make a vertical scrubber. Horizontal are not only horribly inefficient for their size, they are not as effective as well.

[cwaist]

Cheers for that it was a big help as I have been able to do a bit more reading about it with the proper name. By the sounds of it this looks like its the old way of doing things.
I think ill have to look at the vertical style one then.
I was drawn to the horizontal style one mainly as ive got loads of room for a horizontal and I liked the ease of cleaning ect.
I dont mind if the filter needs to be 4x the size but I am not willing to use 4x the light as thats the main reason that im down sizing in the first place to try to lower the running costs.
What sort of size screen am I looking at for a 250G

[Floyd R Turbo]

Based on feeding now. Take a look at the Algae Scrubber Basics (http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?1291-Algae-Scrubber-Basics-The-Summary) start on poast #26 for the last version I wrote about a year ago

[cwaist]

Cheers ive just used the calculator it says that I will need a screen 104 sq inch which is about 8" wide by 13" .
Does this size sound ok or do they work better if they are taller rather than wider?
Is there a post to work the flow out?
Also how come the photo period is only 9hrs if using leds but 18hr if using normal bulbs?

[cwaist]

Also Turbo sorry for keep picking your brain but I was just reading one of the other threads and saw your L4 fixture and if you dont mind I just wondering where you got the heatsinks from which you are using?

[Floyd R Turbo]

I get them from MakersLED, the inventor/company is 30 miles north of me and in the same club, we talk several times/wk. I stock those and sell individual fixtures / kits if that is what you need for a horizontal scrubber.

LEDs are more intense and also more spectrum-specific. There is a guideline that covers "high wattage" or "high intensity" lighting (with respect to CFL) but LEDs fall into this category with the right arrangement. So that is what you are seeing - 9 hours/day because of intensity

Your screen 8 x 13 would be for about 8 cubes/day when vertical and lit on both sides by 100W total of CFL (50W on each side). If that were a horizontal screen, you would still want all 100W or more on one side, and then it would only be good for 2 cubes/day. Due to a recent discussion on intensity requirements of single-sided screens, I'm thinking that you would actually want 200W-400W (CFL) on a 100 sq in horizontal screen. That would help to prevent the roots from dying due to shading. The lighting recommendation for horizontal screens is probably outdated and worth changing. LED guidelines are sort of coming into focus as well.

[cwaist]

Yes sorry I was working on the vertical design I over did the feeding a little as my tanks are normally quite well stocked plus im hooking a large frag system up to the tank along with sun corals ect so will be feeding the corals quite a bit and wanted to make sure I over did the filter a bit.
I would use leds to light the filter as ive been doing alot of work with leds over the last 12-18 months and have got plenty in stock.
I was looking at the heatsink as it looks like it would make a nice housing for my diy led light for over my display tank.
Have you got a website?