Easy scrubber 95 gallon tank step by step

[badstraw]

Hi guys!!

I was thinking to build my own scrubber like for the past few months.. And now I decided to give it a shot.

I got a 95 gallon tank, for filtration im using a SRO 3000 skimmer and a phosban reactor with GFO, but recently I started to get a few patches of algae and diatoms over the rocks.

The screen size is 6x4 inches..I really like simplicity, so that's why I grabbed a piece of aluminum and put 5 LEDs, 4 reds and 1 blue.

After a week, this is how it looks ..


http://youtu.be/c3EwgpiaR2c

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I'm getting a mostly brownish-yellowish growth .. Is it ok?

I want to show you my progress every week guys, I hope to get good results.

[SantaMonica]

Welcome.

Very good for 7 days. Let grow 14.

[badstraw]

Update:

Hi guys this is the growth that I'm getting, just a few patches of algae..

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Is that ok?

[SantaMonica]

Needs more light. Do 20 hours, and move the LEDs closer.

[badstraw]

Thanks for the input , I appreciate your help!!

I'm using 4 (660 nm) reds and one (455 nm) royal blue LED, basically the LEDs are 3 and a half inches away from the screen and I let them run for about 9 hours a day.

Should I still put them closer?

[SantaMonica]

Yes 1.5 to 2"

[badstraw]

Update:

This is how it looks now :



Te LEDs are 2" away from the screen

[SantaMonica]

Try the pics again.

[badstraw]

Let me try again ..

[SantaMonica]

Need to see it in white light.

[badstraw]

Thanks for your help !!

This is how it looks under white light.

The LEDs are working 15 hours a day, so... should I increase the amount of hours to 20 instead of 15?

Wouldn't that be too much light ?

[badstraw]

http://youtu.be/17BS4oeFyt8

Here's a video, what do you think?

[SantaMonica]

Let's see how it does.

[badstraw]

Here's an update :

The LEDs turn on at 11 pm and go off at 4 pm..

The algae looks a little bit thicker and looks kinda greenish - brownish ..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auDnefgQZP8

Should I start cleaning the algae every week? How does it look?
Do you guys think its working now?, I still need to test the nitrates and phosphates..

[Floyd R Turbo]

You have a pretty bad flow restriction issue. Almost all the flow is down the left side. I saw a purple zip tie, looks like it is blocking a lot of flow. Even with that, your algae looks good. That "clumpy" growth is typical on a new screen, eventually the rest will in, but you need to fix the flow issue.

[SantaMonica]

I'd clean it all off.

[badstraw]

Ok guys here's another update:

I was getting more growth so i cleaned the scrubber off for the very first time ..
Check out the pics and video!!

You're right Floyd , the flow goes to the left side of the screen, I'm still thinking how I can fix that..perhaps adding another zip tie?


This is how it looked before It was cleaned:


http://youtu.be/RuMOi4GLCBQ

And then this is how it looks now:




Should I start cleaning the screen every week no matter what?

How many hours do I leave the LEDs on?

[SantaMonica]

If you could even out the light across the screen, it would help

[Floyd R Turbo]

You have too many zip ties IMO, too many things blocking and diverting the flow.

[MorganAtlanta]

Use fishing line, instead of a zip tie, to tie the screen to the loop that goes over the pipe. Also, consider laying a piece of black plastic (like cut from a garbage bag) over the loop to block light and smooth out the flow.