New waterfall scrubber - a test!

[jedimasterben]

Hey all. My attempts at a horizontal scrubber fail miserably, and an in-sump kinda-upflow-ish one didn't grow anything, either. So, eff it, went waterfall.

Started with this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_18__20_46_52.jpg

Lit on both sides by two different 23w CFLs (one 2700k, one 5500k) as temp lighting while waiting for my LEDs and heatsinks to come in.

Got this after just three days (where the other scrubber attempts went for weeks with zero growth of even diatoms):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_21__20_47_13.jpg




So this will be a test. My first algae scrubber I made was a waterfall that was lit with one 2700k 23w CFL, and the other side by a DIY LED array that was just shit I had left over from testing and building my display lighting and fuge light (4x generic 660nm, 4x generic 405nm, 4x generic 450nm, 2x Luxeon Rebel ES 5000K). The LED side had ridiculously phenomenal growth, and I always wanted to test that same ratio versus the 'proper' 660nm and 450nm combo.

The new scrubber is 100% LED. One side is lit by 10x 660nm Luxeon Rebels and 4x 445nm Luxeon Rebel ES. The other side is lit by 4x 660nm Luxeon Rebels, 4x 445nm Luxeon Rebels, 4x 430nm LEDgroupbuy customs, and 2x 2700k Luxeon Rebel ES. They're both powered at 700mA by a pair of Meanwell LPC-35-700. Pump is a Maxijet 1200. I think the total screen size is like 8" x 6" or something like that.

Without further ado, pics.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_24__16_44_05.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_25__18_19_30.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_25__20_57_43.jpg

Red/blue side
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_25__20_57_47.jpg

Mixed side
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/2013_08_25__20_57_52.jpg


PAR is measured at around 400 or so on each side of the screen (Apogee PAR sensor). I should run the lights for 9 hours or so, right?

[jedimasterben]

Oh, and here are pics of the old waterfall setup that was fantastic.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/2012_11_23__23_55_38.jpg

After four-ish weeks from a brand new screen, no diatoms, no slimy stuff on the LED side, just thick friggin hair algae.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/2012_12_31__16_51_55_zpsf1ec120e.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/2012_12_31__16_52_03_zpsb2f5fe28.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/2012_12_31__16_51_35_zpsa0dd16d5.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/2012_12_31__17_06_36_zps32ba65d4.jpg

And the ridiculous fuge light, just because lol
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/60g%20frag%20tank%20reef/20121223-IMG_0227.jpg

[SantaMonica]

Use a guideline of hours based on growth. 9 hours to start, but less if burned yellow, more if dark or black.

[jedimasterben]

10-4.

[hart24601]

I saw that user name and knew some crazy LED setup would have to be in there!

[jedimasterben]

Of course! Go big or go home :)

[jedimasterben]

Still no hair algae growth. Just this grey gunk. I then realized I was still running that timer on 18 hours. Whoops :)

Gonna cut it in half and see what happens.

EDIT: Also remembered that I only started feeding the tank a few days ago after a 14 day hiatus. Skimmer was still going batshit during that time, though, so nutrients were there somewhere.

[jedimasterben]

Cleaned the screen today. Still haven't adjusted the controller, too lazy to reprogram it to shorten the light cycle lol.

This is what came off:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/IMG_20130922_205224681.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/jedimasterben/Aminals/Fishies/Shallow%20reef%20system/IMG_20130922_205206944.jpg


Looks tasty, huh? Only a few tiny patches of hair algae so far, but it's better than nothing.

[jedimasterben]

Also forgot to mention that I got my diffuser screen stuff in, and has been put onto both heatsinks. PAR is around 280-350 on each side.

[jedimasterben]

So I switched from the MJ1200 to the Mag5 - holy damn, what a difference! It's ridiculous! Now there is a rapid sheet of water flowing evenly down the sheet instead of seeing water just trickle down. Only downside is now there is a very slight 'hissing' sound the tank makes from the water passive through the holes drilled in the pipe.

With the Mag5 in place, the whole bit is a few inches shorter than it was before - so instead of lowering the LED heatsinks down, I just angled them down so the light is more incident. Hopefully I can get this damn thing to start growing! All this feeding I'm doing is bringing back the dreaded dinoflagellates!

[Floyd R Turbo]

Oh dang, you were using an MJ1200 on that setup? I could have told you that was useless - MJ's have horrible head loss against backpressure. Mags are probably the best against that.

[jedimasterben]

Well, you should a told me then :p

The last waterfall used some little waterfall pump from home depot, and it was great , and I would have used it again, but I managed to snap off bits of the impeller. Whoops :)

[hart24601]

Getting better growth now?

[jedimasterben]

Nope. Flow is several times what it was, PAR is around 250-300 on each side of the screen, and light duration was cut in half. Still no dice.

[jedimasterben]

Nothing but a touch of bryopsis growing on the screen. I guess I can add myself to the list of those are scrubber cursed. :(

[Arno]

It might be a bit Kate But is see you have covered the algea with a platic foil.
I Geus thuis could be the problem because the main idea of the waterfall. Ethos that is get a lot of exposure to the air that's why it grow better and the fact the the water layer thinner but still.

[jedimasterben]

No, the plastic wrap does not affect the growth - air still flows behind it. :)

[Arno]

Yes is see airflow but also fresh air I mean not only need air it need the CO2 in the air if is partially sealend it might get enough CO2

[jedimasterben]

I would actually love for a design to be fully sealed from outside air since my house has incredibly high CO2 levels, which affects my tanks (daily pH peaks at ~7.8, night pH doesn't change too much but is usually 7.65-7.7).