New configuration

[Tom]

Hi, need some help.
look this video and tell me what i need do do.
setup:
Tank: 65 gallons
screen: 15x25cm (2 screen like sandwich)
light: 4 bulbs (1 of 25w and other 18w on each side) with reflectors 18 hour on and 6 hour off
flow: i don´t know exatly, but looks good (i placed an plastic over the screen to stop the splashing There are some ploblem?)
fish: 2 small clows fishs
coral: 1 leather umbrella, 1 leather devil hand, 1 carpet brown, 1 kenya tree, 1 zoa baby blue.

The scrubber are running with this configuration for 3 days.
as you can see in this video i have a lot of brown algea in the display.
should i do something or just wait the 7 days?
thanks a lot.

http://youtu.be/yD_tkqcZqKU

[SantaMonica]

Flow is good. Plastic bag over screen is good. Wattage is good, if all pointed at screen.

You say screen is 2 layers sandwiched together? If so, you really do not want this because the middle gets too thick and dies from lack of light. If you can, remove one layer. This might make the water flow too much however, so you might want to leave it until you rebuild it.

Rocks are new, and have not grown periphyton on them yet, so nuisance algae is normal. Don't move the rocks, or change flow or lighting on them at all any more, so they can grow a nice level of periphyton.

[Tom]

Ok, i´ll wait the last 4 days until next cleaning and i´ll remove one layer of my screen.
i need to fix the pipe for the new screen size. i´ll do that saturday.
and next week i show you the results.

Thanks a lot again
see ya

Tom®

[Tom]

Hello.
there are a new video of my scrubber.
and this is the results 3 days after changes.
is it good, need something else?
how long it take to die the algea in the tank and to grown green algea on the scrubber?
The periphyton how long it take to grow ?
thanks a lot


http://youtu.be/dWthdL9lAY4

[SantaMonica]

Looks very good. Let grow 10 days and clean in your sink.

Each cleaning will then grow more each time. It will not grow a lot, however, until you have more fish and you feed more.

Slime on the rocks will go away in about 1 month.

Periphyton will take 1 year to thickly cover all rocks.

[Tom]

When we talk about feed, live food like Brine Shrimp is included?
thanks for you answer and help.
next week i´ll show you my tank and scrubber again.

[SantaMonica]

Anything you put into the tank is food.

Yes do show the pics :)

[Tom]

http://youtu.be/2m1U8gMeNKg
there are a new video of my tank and scrubber

need some help.
i dont know what i´m doing wrong
i´m not feeding so much.
Tank: 65 gallons
screen: 15x25cm (2 days after cleaning)
light: 4 bulbs (1 of 25w and other 18w on each side) with reflectors 18 hour on and 6 hour off

thanks again.

[SantaMonica]

Not doing anything wrong. Tank is new, correct?

Next time show video of scrubber before cleaning, not after.

Rocks still do not have much periphyton on them. When they get more, it will help.

[Tom]

yes its a new tank.

thanks
next week i´ll show you the screen before cleaning.
should i dose kalkwasser, iodine or anything like that? or just wait?
can i add some new fish and corals during this time?

thanks a lot.

[SantaMonica]

Rock are probably still cycling (dead stuff rotting inside). Another month and the cyano should go away.

You could add a few small fish, and maybe a few soft corals like you have now.

Probably don't need to dose yet; once coralline starts growing, you can add a little baking soda.

[Tom]

Good Night
this is my screen before cleaning
http://youtu.be/jinLla0S7Qs
------------------------------------
this is my screen after cleaning
and the result of 9 days growth
I could not clean with 7 days
http://youtu.be/sWoV9kQ4prs

tell me what you think about please.

thanks a lot.

[SantaMonica]

Looks good.

Is the screen very roughed up?

[caldone]

If this is your first tank, Id slow down a bit! nothing good happens fast in reefing.

[Tom]

santa Monica: thanks for the answer and help
i think the screen is very roughed
when i pass my hand over the screen it looks good

caldone: thanks for the answer and help too.
I know that nothing good happens fast in reefing.
but i just wanna know if i´m in the right way

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/1vVwCg4pL90

Hi Santa Monica.
I don´t know more what to do to make my algae scrubber works.
more light, more flow, less light less flow, light closer or far, 7 days cleaning 14 days cleaning
and nothing to have green growth.
this video is my today cleaning with 9 days.
what you think about.
Display:
220 liters
3 small fishs
5 soft coral
no skimmer

Scrubber:
screen: 14x25cm
light: 4 bulbs, 2 25w and 2 18w, all 2700k
distance: 10cm
2 side light
help´me please.

Thanks a lot.

[Tom]

http://youtu.be/ecmXy3HG5jY

one more video of my tank.

[SantaMonica]

Hello again,

You need more light. Your rocks are still curing (decaying), and putting a lot of nutrients into the water. This is growing slime on your scrubber, and needs more light to grow greener, sooner. And you are loosing light with those reflectors. So at least, move the lights closer. And run the light for 22 hours.

However, you can just run it like this if you want. As the rocks cure (no more decay), nutrients in the water will go down, and the scrubber will grow greener.

Clean the clean now, with a brush in your sink, to get the slime off.

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/79Mied3fir8

hi. this video show the changes.

light:
Bulbs - the same
distance - 4cm
time - 22 hours

lets see what will happen.
thanks for reply.

[Tom]

http://youtu.be/earmz6Hhahw

A new video of my scrubber, 5 days after changes.
how is it going?

thanks for help me.

[SantaMonica]

Did your water flow stop?

Clean everything in the sink, and try to get more water flow. Make sure the pipe slot is not clogged.

[Tom]

Yes i turned of my pump to show only the algae on the screen.
yes i can increase the flow.
i´ll make a new video tonight to show the flow
and i will clean everything in my sink today.

[Tom]

Good Night every one.
Santa Monica, as you know i have some problem im my algea scrubber.
for this a did some changes in my filter.
i started it again with a new screen, more rounghed than the other 22 hours of light.
and this is the result of 8 days growth, what you think about.

http://youtu.be/i-jsWYxntoY

bulbs: 2 - 25w and 2 - 18w each side

need some chenges?

[SantaMonica]

Looks good. In another week, brush off the slime.

[Tom]

good afternoon Santa monica .

i´m not having the right growth yet in my scrubber, i wonder if my problem is the screen size.
my screen is 14 x 36cm (5,5" x 14,2").
light: 2x 25w each side.
is my screen too big for my sistem?
i have a lot of algea in my DT.
and i need to clean the glass once a week.
and i have also cyano in DT.

[SantaMonica]

Did you brush off the slime?

[Tom]

Yes with 7 days. (last friday)

[SantaMonica]

Ok pics of the screen.

[Tom]

http://youtu.be/01dHayB3e0c
one more video.
one day after cleaning.

[SantaMonica]

See how it looks in 10 days.

[Tom]

thanks a lot.
let me ask you another thing.
many users of scrubber has a kind of pink leds to light the screen, what kind of led is?
how many leds should a use to have a nice growth? how strong must be the leds? any pink led works the same?
thanks for help me.

[SantaMonica]

They are not pink. They are red and blue. They are called plant-grow lights. A 20 watt one on each side of your screen will work nice:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291399671385

[Tom]

thanks for you answer.
there is a especific kind of led?
i say that because i can buy leds so easy here, to make a diy reflector for my scrubber,
but i need to know the especification of the led, how many of each one a need to use.
do you have some diy project do show me how to do one reflector of led to my scrubber?
thanks again

[SantaMonica]

here is one idea:
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?3030-Slim-LED-ATS

and:
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/showthread.php?3223-ATS-Led

Also just search here for LED in the Keyword box:
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/search.php?search_type=1


You want red 660 nm 3-watt LEDs, on a heat sink.

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/ClWdwrMxJhM

6 days growth, is it normal??
thanks.


this kind of led is good..
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-660455001-kit-100-pc-led-alto-brilho-5mm-vermelho-100-resist-p-12v-_JM

[SantaMonica]

Looks like not much feeding? How is nitrate and phosphate?

If you want LED, try these:

1 or 2 of these on each side:
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-644403558-10w-holofote-waterproof-led-grow-light-_JM

or 1 of these each side:
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-653605427-15w-grow-led-lmpada-para-plantas-internas-_JM

or 1 of these each side:
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-650913565-lmpada-led-36w-para-plantas-led-grow-light-lamp-homebox-_JM

or 1 of these each side:
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-646710830-24w-lmpada-led-grow-light-lmpada-para-plantas-_JM

[Tom]

should i clean today or wait 10 days?

[SantaMonica]

Clean now.

[Tom]

ok i´ll clean now.
i have only 3 little fish. should i feed more even so?

[SantaMonica]

Depends what your nitrate and phosphate are.

[Tom]

i´m not able to measure it now cuz my test finished.
but i have lot of cyano and some green algea in the DT.
this means that a have a high nitrate and phosphate level?

[SantaMonica]

No, you need to measure.

[Tom]

Before cleaning
https://youtu.be/v-yGfApWWJ4

after cleaning
https://youtu.be/v-yGfApWWJ4

[SantaMonica]

It's filling in. You don't need LED if you don't want it.

[Bacon]

those links are to the same video...

[Bacon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFgNrR7X3U8

After video - it looks like you really cleaned it hard, did you scrub it with a brush?

[Tom]

is it ok?

https://youtu.be/OzTIqeZNcFc = light of my scrubber 2x25w cfl bulb


https://youtu.be/82AYb71tJBk = screen before cleanning 7 days growth

[Bacon]

You don't **have** to clean it every 7 days. Let it grow, if it doesn't have enough growth to scrape off, don't clean it. go 14 days minimum, if not longer. It should not take you more than 8 weeks to get growth started, ideally you should have thick growth by 6 weeks.

[SantaMonica]

Are you feeding much? I looks like there is no feeding.

[Tom]

Bacon: thanks for your reply i´ll try to let it grow more

Santa Monica: I think i am feeding enough for my three little fish, should i feed more even so?

thanks for help me, everyone.

[SantaMonica]

Try feeding twice as much for two weeks.

[Tom]

Santa Monica: ok
should i clean the screen with 7 days growth? or let it more time?

thanks a lot

[SantaMonica]

Let's see a picture at that time.

[Tom]

Hi.

new screen 20x20cm
light 1x25w and 1x18w cfl bulbs 2700k each side
6 days growth

http://youtu.be/oGZUZMAlbX4

is it good, should i clean with 7 days?
Thanks

[Bacon]

You have nothing to clean off, so no, don't clean it. Something is not right if you still have a bare screen after this long. Do not clean at all until you have some growth. Let it grow for another 14 days then post another video or pic.

Also, you need to siphon all of that cyano out of the tank at least a few times a week. Never let it get that thick, that is competing with your algae scrubber. Remove it all as often as needed!

[SantaMonica]

Yes I think you need to siphon all the cyano out. Don't clean the scrubber.

[Tom]

ok i´ll do that,
but whats is wrong in my algea scrubber?
tank + sump: 71 gallon
screen: 7,5" x 7,5"
light: 1x 25w and 1x 18w each side - total=86w
flow: i cant measure this, but i think is good, but i can change it if necessary to more or less flow,
try to see by the video if my flow is good.

the screen is new it has 7 days now.
my last one was so patched because i did many changes in it to fix some problems.
so, i wanna ask you all if this kind of growth is normal for a seven days screen?
I thank you Bacon and SM for help me.

Have a nice night

[Bacon]

screen: 7,5" x 7,5"
light: 1x 25w and 1x 18w each side - total=86w

Light level is good. Reflectors look good too. This is not the issue.


try to see by the video if my flow is good.
Flow looks fine to me. This is not the issue


but whats is wrong in my algea scrubber?
There's nothing wrong at this point because...


the screen is new it has 7 days now.
^^ this. you can't expect a brand new screen to grow algae instantly. It takes several weeks, sometimes several months for algae to attach and grow. IN the meantime, you need to remove anything that is competing with it. Don't just let the cyano take over. The cyano is likely competing with your scrubber at a chemical level. Meaning, the cyano is releasing chemicals into the water to inhibit the growth of other algae, including the algae on your screen. You need to get rid of that cyano!

I would also run som activated carbon to remove the cyano-produced chemicals from the water. This will not hurt your scrubber, in fact, it may help to put the carbon in line before your scrubber to remove any of these chemicals before the water gets to the scrubber screen.


so, i wanna ask you all if this kind of growth is normal for a seven days screen?
Yes, normal for 7 days. Don't clean it unless you have:

1) growth that covers the whole screen
2) a slime coating (yellow or brown/black) that is preventing growth from attaching

In either case, when you clean the screen, you only need to swipe your palm across the screen and then lightly rinse

Just a helpful hint, you can embed the videos by clicking this little icon

6183

then pasting in the URL to the YouTube video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGZUZMAlbX4&feature=youtu.be

[SantaMonica]

I think he meant that it is 7 days from last cleaning.

I do think the cyano is the problem. Is the most cyano I have ever seen.

[Tom]

no, SM it´s a realy new screen.
8 days today
i "siphoned" the cyano and today i´ll put the activated carbon before the scrubber.
Thanks for help.

[Tom]

hi everyone.

I put some activated carbon in my tank.
now i need to know how long should i leave it there.
i read that carbon put the trace elements out of the water, how can i put this traces back again in the tank.
what kind of dose need i do from now on?

i put it in a wrong place because you said "it may help to put the carbon in line before your scrubber to remove any of these chemicals before the water gets to the scrubber screen."
and the only way i can do that is to place the carbon bag in front of my overflow.

thanks.

[Bacon]

It doesn't look like you have any significant coral growth, so trace elements are not a concern. These are generally replaced by water changes and/or feeding (if you feed a variety of food, and good quality food). So no need to dose anything until you get the cyano gone and the scrubber growing, and then you start getting good coral growth.

You can put the carbon wherever you want, it's just "best" if you can place it in a position such that the water runs through it before it gets to the scrubber.

Carbon will last a few days, maybe a week or so, depending on 1) how much flow is going through it 2) if it is in a reactor vs in a media bag loose in the sump 3) how dirty your water is. Once it's used up, it will basically be inert and you can just leave it in there and it will do no harm.

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EapUDn8bIQ

11 days now how is it going.
5 days with activated carbon.

[Bacon]

I don't know what is preventing your screen from growing, but just let it continue to grow for another 10 days.

How much do you feed your fish every day?

[SantaMonica]

Seems to only grow in the darker areas. Try less hours of light.

[Tom]

hi Bacon thanks for reply, tomorrow i´ll make a video to show how many i´m feeding my fish.
hi Santa Monica thanks for ya too, how many hours do you think is good 12 maybe 8? - i´m running it 18/6
but today i´ll change for 12/12
thanks for now

[Bacon]

It's not growing at all, in general. I would change your hours to 12 total and split it up into 2 hour segments with about 30-60 minutes between. So:

2 on
1 off
2 on
1 off
2 on
1 off
2 on
1 off
2 on
1 off
2 on
7 off

[Tom]

ok Bacon i´ll run it like that. from now on

thanks

[Tom]

video of feeding.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njzXdq8d7B4

[Tom]

video of feeding.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmFPpoWkvVk

[Bacon]

That's pretty minimal feeding, probably less than 1/4 cube/day. Run the lights as I suggested and see what happens

[Tom]

thanks Bacon.

i´m running the light like you said

let me ask you another thing.
today i was looking for my tank and i saw 5 fireworm inside it, should I be worry about it?

[Bacon]

They're probably not fireworms, they're probably bristleworms. Check to make sure. Bristleworms are scavengers and are just fine

[Tom]

what do you think about it growth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUfIcdKWsMI

fireworm or bristleworms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0iGgN3usCw

[Bacon]

Growth is looking better, just let it continue growing (no cleaning quite yet)

That's a bristleworm

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ZmT6oHNic


how is it going?

[Bacon]

Finally....GREEN!!!

The reason that you're not getting growth in the middle where the intensity is the highest is probably because of low feeding and large screen. But that's OK - it should eventually fill in. Just give it time. I would not increase feeding. Just let the scrubber continue to grow.

It is important, at this point, that you are careful about how you clean the screen.

You do not want to scrub the screen with a brush.

You do not want to remove any green growth.

At the most, you should only rub the screen gently. Use only the tips of your fingers. You only want to remove growth that loosens up easily.

After you rub the screen with your fingertips, rinse it off with either 1) room temperature tap water, or 2) some water from the tank.

Also, remember that you do not need to clean the screen every 7 days. You should only clean the screen when it looks like it needs it. That might mean letting it grow for 14 days before cleaning.

How many days has it been since the last time you cleaned?

[Tom]

today is the 4th day after last cleaning.
thanks for help me.

[SantaMonica]

In 7 more days it should be full :)

[Bacon]

today is the 4th day after last cleaning.
thanks for help me.

That is great for 4 days! Post another video at 7 or 8 days, but don't clean it...it might not need it until day 10, or 14, or later even.

[Tom]

before cleaning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2O7Ep75c8o

algae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOPKyI1hNTI

14 days growth
18 lighted
is it ok?

[Bacon]

Yes! Finally!

Remember, just scrape the screen and rinse lightly - do not scrub it with a brush. Your next growth cycle should have more green and less of the yellow gooey stuff.

[SantaMonica]

Very nice! Go to 22 hours of light.

[Tom]

What can i do to help my scrubber to eliminate the cyano faster? My scrubber is growing well but slow maybe cuz the small feeding. Can i do something or just wait. The only filter i have is a waterfall algea scrubber.

[SantaMonica]

You have to just wait. You can point a powerhead at the sand, which will help the sand.

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWLScFGW59U

how is it going?

[SantaMonica]

Can you move the lights back a little bit? The middle is getting too much light, and the edges are not getting enough light.

[Tom]

i have no space to move the ligths back but i can decrease the lights by removing a bulb each side.
i have 4 bulbs 25w each one.
can it help. keep only 2x25w?

[SantaMonica]

Yes remove one bulb each side.

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_lSDTWRej8

5 days growth left side
2 days growth right side

How is it going now?
i divided the screen, there ar some problema?
i removed 2 bulbs, now my scrubber is running with 2x25w bulbs 18 hours on
let me ask another thing, now that my scrubber seems to grow more, the cyano in dt seems to get stronger is it normal?
thanks a lot.

[SantaMonica]

The 5 days looks good.

A divided screen is good; let's you keeps some growth after you harvest.

Yes, when nuisance algae in the aquarium is reduced, cyano will sometimes increase because it no longer has to compete with the nuisance algae. However after some time, coralline will cover those rock surfaces, and this coralline will out-compete the cyano.

[Tom]

Thanks for help me.
Another question. My last fish died today, and as i dont know what is wrong i'll keep my tank 3 to 4 months without fish. I Only have now some soft coral.
What can i do during this time to keep the growth im my scrubber? Shound i feed the tank even so?
Thanks again.

[SantaMonica]

Yes, put small food particles. This will also feed the inverts and microbes.

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/PZR4m-Mx_tA
How is it going?
It is the only thing a have in my screen in several weeks. Is it good?
The cyano im my dt is the same. No changes it seems that my scrubber and the cyano is good friends lol.

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

Without fish, there will be little ammonia. Algae grows the most with ammonia.

Where is the cyano?

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/Q-_WAvZ9KLM

This is the cyano.
Should i put some ammonia in the tank. If yes how can i do that?
Thanks

[atoll]

If your tank has cycled then all you need to do is just add fish to the tank they will produce ammonia for you.

[SantaMonica]

Never add ammonia.

Your rocks are still white and have not been covered in periphyton. After they are covered in periphyton, the periphyton will fight off the cyano.

[Tom]

Thank you both for the answer.
Let me make some other questions.
If someone wants to keep only soft coral in a tank, without fish. can he use an algae scrubber as his only filtration?
if so how can this person have a good growth in his scrubber, without ammonia and low nutrients?
how can i help my rocks to be covered by periphyton faster?
and coraline what can i do to make them grow.

Thanks again.

[SantaMonica]

Yes you can always use only scrubber for filtering.

Remember your goal is not good scrubber growth. Your goal is good water. Your scrubber will not grow if it does not need to.

What is Periphyton?

Periphyton is what turns your rocks different colors. You know... the white rocks you started with in SW, or the grey rocks (or brown wood) you started with in FW. After several months or years, the rocks become a variety of different colors and textures. Why? Because the periphyton that has grown on it is a mix of different living things, of different colors, and thicknesses. And the important part is: It is LIVING.

That's right: The colored stuff that has coated your rocks is all living organisms. Sponges, microbes, algae, cyano, biofilms, and of course coralline. After all, "peri" means "around the outside", and "phyto" means "plant". Ever slipped in a slippery puddle? That's probably periphyton that made it slippery. It's a very thin coating on the rocks, sometimes paper thin.

There is a lot of photosynthetic organisms in periphyton, and this of course means that they need light; but they need nutrients too (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate). And as you might figure, they will be on the lighted portions of the rocks. And they will grow to intercept food particles in the water, based on the water flow. Just think about how sponges orient their holes for water flow; the micro sponges in periphyton do it too but on a tiny scale.

What about under the rocks, in the dark areas? Well these periphyton don't get light, so they are primarily filter feeders. So they REALLY grow and position themselves to be able to intercept food particles. And they don't really need to fight off algae, because algae does not grow in the dark, so they have no need for anti-algae tactics like plants in illuminated areas have.

Reef studies have shown that at certain depths, more of the filtering of the water comes from periphyton and benthic algae than comes from the phytoplankton which filters the deeper water. And in streams, almost all the filtering is done by periphyton. So, what you have on rocks that are "mature" or "established" is a well-developed layer of periphyton; and all the things that comes from it.

This is why mandarin fish can eat directly off the rocks of an "established" tank (tons of pods grow in the periphyton), but not on the rocks of a new tank. Or why some animals can lay their eggs on established rocks, but not new ones. Or why established tanks seem to "yo-yo" less than new ones. Even tangs can eat periphyton directly when it's thick enough. Yes periphyton can also develop on the sand, but since the sand is moved around so much, the periphyton does not get visible like it does on rocks. So thick periphyton on established rocks is your friend. And totally natural too. Keep in mind though I'm not referring to nuisance algae on rocks; I'm only referring to the very-thin layer of coloring that coats the rocks.

But what happens when you "scrape the stuff off your rocks"? Well you remove some of the periphyton, which means you remove some of your natural filter and food producer. What if you take the rocks out and scrub them? Well now you not only remove more of your natural filter and food producer, but the air is going to kill even more of the microscopic sponges in it. And what if you bleach the rocks? Well, goodbye all filtering and food producing for another year. It's an instant reduction of the natural filtering that the periphyton was providing.

However, what if you just re-arrange the rocks? Well, some of the periphyton that was in the light, now will be in the dark; so this part will die. And some of the periphyton that was in the dark will now be in the light, so it will not be able to out-compete photosynthetic growth and thus will be covered and die too. And even if the light stays the same, the direction and amount of water flow (and food particles) will change; sponges that were oriented to get food particles from one direction will now starve. So since the light and food supply is cut off, the filtering that the periphyton was providing stops almost immediately, due only to the re-arranging of the rocks.

Starvation takes a little longer. The periphyton organisms won't die immediately, since they have some energy saved up; but instead, they will wither away over several weeks. So on top of the instant reduction in filtering that you get by just moving the rocks, you get a somewhat stretched-out period of nutrients going back into the water. And after all this, it takes another long period of time for the periphyton to build up to the levels it was at before: 1 to 2 years. Even changing the direction of a powerhead will affect the food particle supply in the area it used to be pointed at.

So a good idea is to try to keep everything the same. Pick your lighting, flow, layout, and try to never move or change anything. It's a different way of thinking, but you should have a stronger natural filter and food producer because of it.

[Tom]

how is it going? 7 days growth. shound i clean it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWWZF9eEc9c


what animal is that?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C-fSa-15Rc

[SantaMonica]

Not sure about the animal; some type of tubeworm thing.

Your growth has been the same for a while. Try feeding 3 times as much every day, for one week, and see if it affects the growth.

[Tom]

Thanks for reply.
just to remember, i have no fish in the tank.
i will start to put fish next week.
should i feed 3 times more even so?
i have a lot of cyano in the DT.

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

No, I thought you had fish. Scrubbers don't grow much at all until you start feeding.

[Tom]

So what should i do? Let it alone and wait? clean the screen? Or this growth is good for a tank without fish?

[SantaMonica]

It's fine. But it does not matter what it does without feeding.

[Tom]

good morning,
when my last fish died in 11/02/2015 i sent to you a post and you replied me with.


Yes, put small food particles. This will also feed the inverts and microbes.

so since then i am feeding small particles in my tank. even so the gowth is good?

[SantaMonica]

It's fine. When you have fish it will grow more.

[Tom]

so, it´s not necessary to clean the screen? just let it grow?

[SantaMonica]

If you are not feeding, you do not need to clean.

[Tom]

Hi. good afternoon for everyone.

SM, i don´t know why but the cyano in my DT is becoming more strong each day.
i am trying hard to siphon it every single week trying to help my scrubber to figth it, and nothing good happens.
i heard that if i turn my Dt light off for 3 day all the cyano will die.
question:
doing that will hurt my scrubber?
and the periphyton will die too, ( i know that i have few periphyton)?

Thanks again.

[SantaMonica]

Cyano will not hurt anything. You can leave it.

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/ZHkhlyM3d4s

What about this growth.

[SantaMonica]

That is about all you are going to get until you start feeding animals who make ammonia.

[Tom]

Now i have 4 little fish. One week ago i put 4 little clown fish in the tank.
How long it take to start to grown green?

[SantaMonica]

As soon as you start feeding. Your screen is very big though, so it will stay very thin unless you feed a lot.

[Tom]

Thanks for reply.
Same time ago i read some thing here that said, if a person has a very big screen he can let it grown more time without cleaning is that true?
Or should i cut my screen and make it smaller.

[SantaMonica]

No you cannot really let a waterfall screen grow more weeks. Even if not thick growth, the pods will start eating it. And if it is thick growth, the roots will get shade and die.

Even an upflow needs to be harvested. They will not shade the roots and die, and will not overflow, but the pods will still start eating everything.

[Tom]

https://youtu.be/IzH5mfSdS-g

Hi SM, this is my 7 days growth after some changes.
How is it going now?
Looks like it is working now.

[SantaMonica]

Yes much better :)

[Tom]

6466
Some one knows what is that around my kenya tree?
Thanks

[SantaMonica]

Bubble algae (valonia).

It might go away. Or Emerald crabs sometimes eat them.

[Tom]

Hi santa monica.
Fist of all i want to thank you for help me with my algea scrubber.
This is the result of my scrubber in the last week.
How is it going?
https://youtu.be/s_o-rurSg28
And this is my tank getting better.

https://youtu.be/iQNlplMdXGM
Thanks a lot.

[SantaMonica]

Wow that's great. Proves that dark growth does remove lots of nutrients. The growth should start getting more green as nutrients get less.

Run the lights more hours if you can.

[Tom]

Thanks again. I want to change the cfl bulbs for this leds http://m.ebay.com/itm/10PCS-3W-RED-80lm-650nm-660nm-LED-Plant-Glow-Light-with-20mm-Star-Base-/321088886684?nav=SEARCH
What you think?
Should i rum the lights 22 hours?

[SantaMonica]

Yes those work good, and you can drive them at 0.5 or 0.6 amps.

Yes try 22 hours.

[Tom]

And the 30w is good. 15 each side? Ou should i use 30w each side?

[SantaMonica]

30 each side

[Tom]

Hi santa monica.
Now i am running my scrubber as you said 22 hours.
What should i see now? More green?
Some friends here in Brasil said that an algea scrubber
Can't suport a tank with many tang's in it, is that true?
How long shound i let the light running 22 hours?

[SantaMonica]

More light will grow brighter green, which should filter more.

Yes an algae scrubber filter can support tangs, and any other fish, coral, snail, or other animal. Algae does all the filtering in the ocean and reefs and lakes. All of it. You just need to have enough scrubber filtering.

Once yours is growing well, you can probably have 4 medium tangs.

[Tom]

Thanks for reply.
I am running my scrubber with 2 25w bulbs, one each side.
Would it be the case to put on more bulb each side?
If so what's the W of that bulbs?

[SantaMonica]

Yes it needs more light. Probably twice as many watts.

[Tom]

Ok.
I put more 2x25w bulbs.
Shound i keep it the same 22 hours or back to 18?

[SantaMonica]

Keep 22 hours, unless they burn a bald spot.

[Tom]

How is it going now.
https://youtu.be/kzqyqReKMXA

[SantaMonica]

Very nice. Even more light will help.

[Tom]

Thanks.
I have no space to put more light and my reflectors support only 2x25w bulbs.
can i change the flow or move my reflector closer?

[SantaMonica]

Yes closer.

[Tom]

How is it going now.

https://youtu.be/ytjTGebQu-Q


https://youtu.be/flPFjwi5De8

[SantaMonica]

Congratulations... is very good.

Scrape all the dark stuff off the screen, so you can see the white screen again.

[Tom]

Hi Santa monica.
What an algae scrubber do in tap water?
Exemple: if a put only tap water in a tank and run an algae acrubber in it, can i use this water as top of water in a reef instead of RO water?

[SantaMonica]

If you let the water sit in a bucket overnight, you can use it for top-off.

[Tom]

Only the bucket with water, without an algae scubber?

[SantaMonica]

Yes just put the water into a bucket, about 15 cm deep, and the next day you can add it to the tank.

[Tom]

Santa Monica, Good afternoon
Is this information below up to date?


Q: What advantages are there to wide screens? If a screen is narrow, but taller, and has the same area, isn’t it the same?
A: No. The big difference is in the amount of water processed; A screen twice as wide will flow twice as much water, and this makes a big difference in how fast it can eat the nutrients out of the water. Also, if part of the slot gets blocked by something, a wider screen will not be affected as much as a narrow screen.

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

No it is not up to date. If the screen area is the same, a wider version is not better. Except of course for the clogging part.

[Tom]

Hi Santa Monica, its me again. lol
i was looking for the reasons why we can`t let the CFL bulbs more than 3 months and i do not figured it out.
what happen to a scrubber if we do that? what happen with the algae in the screen?
thanks a lot.
and i´ll make a video to show you how my tank looks now.

[SantaMonica]

CFL bulbs will get weaker quickly. You will not notice it until you replace with new bulbs.

Yes let us see the tank now :)

[Tom]

Hi SM.
What is the best design, a waterfall or a upflow algae scrubber?
I am thinking about to change mine to save a space.
I have a waterfall.
If you can, say to me the positive and negative points of each one please.

Thanks a lot

[Tom]

i dont know if you need this information to help me with the upflow algae scrubber but here you go.
i have 73 gallon of water in my tank. and only 4 little fish but i wanna add more fish soon as possible. thanks

[SantaMonica]

Well the best to save space is upflow. Requires no space above the water.

You can put one in and leave the waterfall, then you can remove the waterfall later.

[Tom]

Good.
But there is any limitations in upflow? The amont of water in the tank shound be considered? How many 3w leds should i use? Red 660nm and royal blue?Screen size?
Thanks

[SantaMonica]

How much space do you have?

[Tom]

I have in my sump a space of 22x30 cm. Where i want to place the upflow.

[SantaMonica]

Probably on the front of the sump, and put a light on the outside, shining in.

[Tom]

what you think about this bulb?
https://www.amazon.com/White-3000k-Equivalent-Incandescent-Listed/dp/B00CX3TR1K
it will work in a scrubber?
how long can i use it?
thanks

[SantaMonica]

No, you want a "plant grow" led. Probably 20 watts.

[Tom]

Hi Santa Monica. good afternoon
I am on my way to build a bigger saltwater tank, 200x60x(45 or 50)cm.
and I saw some time ago in one post here that the best setup for a saltwater tank with only an algae scrubber,is without a sump, is it true?
if yes, the best scrubber to build is a upflow algae scrubber?
how big should be the screen and the power of the pump?
if you could, please give me the informations i need.
or send me some material to read about this matter.
Thanks a lot.

[SantaMonica]

A sump is optional. It is used for other things too. But if you can do your top-off, and dosing of Cal, Alk, and Mag very slowly into the display, and don't do water changes, then you will not need a sump.

If no sump, then an upflow is the only easy option. You will want to easily be able to reach down into it and pull up growth. Preferable is to have 2 scrubbers, and clean one at a time.

Make each one a box about 15 x 15 x 30 cm high, black plastic with strings epoxied inside, and put air bubblers at the bottom.

Light it from outside the tank with a 40 LED grow light on each one, or get the new underwater lights here:

http://www.santa-monica.cc/product.asp?itemid=84

Do some drawings for it.

[Tom]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/10W-Deep-Red-660nm-Blue-440nm-7-2-LED-driver-Plant-Grow-Growth-lights-1PCS-/252004596878?nav=SEARCH

This one wil work?
4 each scrubber

[Tom]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-3W-Deep-Red-660nm-High-Power-LED-Bead-20mm-Star-PCB-Base-for-Growth-DIY-/331144118031?nav=SEARCH

Or this one here.
3w x 14 leds each scrubber

[SantaMonica]

Each of the 10w is probably running 5 watts each. But 4 of them on each upflow scrubber (and two scrubbers) would be a good start.

Each of the 3w would probably be running at 1.5 watts each. So 14 of them on each scrubber, should be good.