New algae scrubber

[Lusitano]

Here in Portugal where I live, there is not that algae scrubber moviment...I believe at least in the internet forums, I am the first one...or...at least one of the few...

I wonder why...
;)

more water surface (Allmost 1 meter square meter...for my scrubber), less pH swings...and less nutrients...
tank size 120x60x60
scrubber size 60x45
1250 liters per hour in the scrubber (more or less)

some pics of an older design...I got it improved a little...I think... (the old one was made in the last week, in 3 days it collected a lot of algae, but I was not glad about the speed of the water, so I made the new one...last day)
http://waterinspiration.blogspot.com/20 ... ubber.html (http://waterinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/09/algae-scrubber.html)

my webcam...sometimes it's on sometimes it's off the air...
http://reeftv.dyndns.tv:86/

and finally one hd movie
http://www.vimeo.com/6824400

I will make some reflectors but only in the right side of the scrubber, the left is occupied by some mangrove trees, that I want to mantain...

So...what is your take?
good design?

[kcress]

Welcome to the forum Lusitano.

Another Portuguese Explorer!

Looks pretty good to me.

From the photos it's impossible to get the feeling you are running 1200L/hour down that screen. I would only wonder if the flow may be a bit too slow. It looks more like 300L/hour. If the turf gets going you will find it to be too little flow.

[Lusitano]

The fotos were from an previous model...1 week old
;)

Yes maybe not even 300 l/H... I was not glad with it (holes instead of the new improved slit)

With the new one I fill an 5 liter bucket in 20 seconds... (more or less)
so 15 liter per minute, something like close to 900 liters.

I do not have holes, but a slit, maybe more water and less "turbulence"

The pump is an 2500 l/h one, regulated for 1250 liters per hour, because of drop in flow (60 cms height), and back pressure...I ended up with 900 liters...
In the previous "model" some of the outflow was diverted...now it's all for the scrubber
;)

new photos:
http://waterinspiration.blogspot.com/20 ... ubber.html (http://waterinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/09/melhorei-de-novo-o-algae-scrubber.html)

[SantaMonica]

Congrats on your new scrubber. Here are two things I noticed...

First, you need to add reflectors to your bulbs. Without reflectors, you are losing over half the power. Get some clip ons like these:
http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com ... c-338.html (http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/grow-light-reflectors-c-338.html)

Just visit your local hydroponics store.

More importantly, I see that the way you did your screen was by looping it over the pipe at the top. Unfortunately, this will not work. The looped part will clog with algae in a few days and all the water will run out the ends onto your floor. So, if you really can't do a slot in the pipe (and a stiff screen), then at least undo the loop, and attach the screen to just one side of the pipe. This of course means that the screen would be one-sided, and therefore you'd need to move both bulbs to that side.

[Lusitano]

thank you for the reply...

it's not in loop...
the loop is in the interior of that pipe, the one that has the water, not outside it, that was in the first iteration of the scrubber...

yes it didn't work...
:(

that is the net enters the slot folded (2 layers), it's a very thin net...
inside (in the interior of that tube) there is the loop,the net doesn't fall because the fold inside it, has a small diameter tube, only marginally bigger than the slot, let see if it indures ...might not work of course...

for the reflectors yes I will make ones, only for the right side...the mangrove trees needs lights and are opposite the net...in the left side

I believe it works, I have lots of detritous on the sump, needs cleaning (I had an previous DSB there), and it sometimes colects in the slot, and even with lots of garbage it works, cleaning is extremely easy...

a simple thin plastic, and I push the net inside (the inner tube rises, leaving a bigger hole...the slot...and everything passes though...the gaqrbage that is).

[Lusitano]

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad24 ... 1254290722 (http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad246/AlgaeNator/fullscrubberinstall.jpg?t=1254290722)

I might add this kind of slots (I only have one, in the length of the tube), don't know if it will work better...
more water flow for sure and less energetic one...

[Lusitano]

I was still not satisfied...

I put horizontal slits...and still better... more water,less noise and less water outside the net...

but I imagined that If I used larger holes instead, it would even be better...
and that was what I got...

Still more water, and no shotting to the lights...
;)

photos for you to see...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/S ... 5B1%5D.JPG (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/SsVOAqBsF-I/AAAAAAAAAYE/kldHMtSihpA/s1600-h/100_0709%5B1%5D.JPG)
In the picture above, you can see the previous attempt, and the last one (bellow design).

The last one is better much better, it can even sustain 2500 l/h, without "moisterasing" the lamps...the noise is a bit ridiculous...and I guess to much water...
;)
so I decreased the water flow until I get no noise... still the one who got more water flow, without issues...

bellow, you can see the fold inside the tube...I guess it's an easy aproach to fixate the net..., and it works...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/S ... 5B1%5D.JPG (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/SsVOAPLGiyI/AAAAAAAAAX8/HnLJ__rCrPs/s1600-h/100_0700%5B1%5D.JPG)

pictures of it working:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/S ... 5B1%5D.JPG (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/SsVOBHCtuWI/AAAAAAAAAYM/vm7DrmhfGRA/s1600-h/100_0710%5B1%5D.JPG)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/S ... 5B1%5D.JPG (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aZd4u6ysNSw/SsVOsHjvHJI/AAAAAAAAAYU/8Bw4LtLiMA4/s1600-h/100_0714%5B1%5D.JPG)

[Lusitano]

compare the new video here:
http://www.vimeo.com/6861775

with the old design...
http://www.vimeo.com/6824400

much still much water, so I have more than 900 liters per hour for sure.

I will make some kind of reflectors, and post the pics of them after...

[Lusitano]

The problems I faced probably are the ones someone faced before...

The more the tangential is the impact of the water in the frame, the better...
the simple way is to get close to the frame. that way you do not miss...
when the water acelerates, it is better for the water to get contact with the frame, when acelerating, don't know why...maybe it's static electricity going around...we get speed reducing, from the start, don't know for sure why but this is a fact. The frame attracts the water and the water do not leave the frame...that is what we want.
more speed of the water is also not good, the speed wins the force of the attraction of the object, and we get spills

the larger the holes, the better, more water you can put in, without spilling.,
less speed for the water, and more thoughput, with larger holes, not too much large you could end up with less water flow in the end of the tube...

I used an slit, the frame/net inside of the slit, but I guess I had some trouble to increase the water flow...the net was compressed between the sides of the slit, and the water was going through with increase speed, but with less water...
the same effect when we put an finger in a hose...more speed with less water.

then I made several slits perpendicular to the bigger one, but that was not a good idea, cause, some water didn't went into the net.
why not put holes instead of those slits...
produced a good result...but when dirt collects into the small holes, I got diverted water, why not bigger holes...and it certain worked...

What is your saying about this?

;)
sorry about my english...

[Lusitano]

this video, I believe talks more than what I can say in words.

http://www.vimeo.com/6896499

[Lusitano]

finally I put some reflectors on my algae scrubber, I remove probably more than half a kilo of wet algae every week, if not more, to much fish food, I know...

movie of my algae scrubber with refletors:
http://www.vimeo.com/8795366

the reef is still improving you can see it here:
http://www.vimeo.com/8795037

The reflectors were made with acrylic, aluminum foil was glued to the outside of the reflectors, no water sprinkles in them, everything is waterproof, and the aluminum does not get wet...

tel me about what you tihnk,
Thanks in advance

[SantaMonica]

Here are pics of yours below. Looks very good. The first pic is a splash/light guard you probably will want to use. Those strong bulbs will cause lots of algae in your slot, and this will cause spraying sideways. Since your pipe is so high up, the spray will go outside the sump. This spray guard will block light from reaching the slot, so it will not grow there.

[Lusitano]

thanks SantaMonica, well, true, it does gather some algae, and those guards would be nice in there...
never had a problem, but it could happen...
it will be my next thing on the scrubber.

Regards!
António Vitor aka lusitano

[Lusitano]

I thought about this issue, and I believe it never sprayed sideways outside the screen (out of the sump), because the water (sideways the water has to conquer more screen) touch the screen something with electric afinity I believe, many holes, and the speed of the water cannot win this...

of course, this could happen if some of those holes clogued, the rest of the holes would get a more velocity water, If I build the guards it would be safer, and I could havee more velocity in the water, the pump is at 50%.

the sprays usually do shoot outside the screen but never sideways..I had for several hours 2 of those holes spraying my light fixtures, I am glad I did a good job in waterprofing those fixtures.

the aluminum foil of the reflectors are even glued in the back of the acrylic, if there is spraying towards the reflectors, I would not get aluminium in the water...
time to buy some acrylic for the guards...