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Henkie
08-04-2015, 01:47 AM
Hello everyone.

I would just like to share my current system with you.

It is a sps dominant system.
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Here is the pic of the scrubber running
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For lighting I am using 1 watt leds, 9 reds and 2 blues
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After the implementation of the scrubber my nitrates have dropped from above 10ppm to 1-2.5ppm on the salifert color chart.

SantaMonica
08-04-2015, 09:57 AM
Very nice. You should show those pics of super-growth :)

Henkie
08-05-2015, 05:48 AM
I just want your thoughts on whether I should look to reduce my photo period.
Currently the leds are on 16 hours and then off for 8.

Reason for the question is since the nutrients have dropped off a bit the algaes color changed from a nice dark green to this light green.
This has been the growth in about 8 days.
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Bacon
08-05-2015, 07:48 AM
nope, keep it up. Dark green = higher nutrients, light green = lower nutrients. As long as you are feeding, your algae will grow. You might even run the LEDs longer.

Henkie
08-05-2015, 01:32 PM
I never knew that.

Thanks for the info.

Just for interest sake, does the type of algae growth change?

The growth in the beginning was more hair algae type of textures and lengths.
The new growth is a lot "shorter" but much stronger and dense.

SantaMonica
08-05-2015, 04:27 PM
Yes you will get different types.

Naptalene
08-06-2015, 03:44 AM
I love your tank :)

Henkie
09-17-2015, 04:05 PM
Growth from some previous clean ups

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Henkie
09-26-2015, 04:46 AM
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SantaMonica
09-26-2015, 10:12 AM
Lots of coralline :)

Henkie
10-18-2015, 02:29 PM
Some more growth pics

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A tank shot as well

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Henkie
02-10-2016, 09:49 AM
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SantaMonica
02-10-2016, 04:48 PM
I think you have enough calcification... you can send me some :)

Henkie
04-21-2016, 01:31 PM
Just an updated picture of the tank
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Then I would also like some advice.

Currently I am running a screen (lit only on 1 side) 25cmx18cm giving me 450cm2.
The screen is lit by 11 x 1 watt leds consisting of 9 Red and 2 Blue on a photo period of 16hours.

I feed the following amounts:
1 x small mussel (for copperband) which gets thawed before feeding
3 x pinches of fish pellets (one pinch per serving) or flakes (I alternate between the two)
and every second day half a cube of brine shrimp

I still need to run about 250ml of phosphate media to keep my levels acceptably low otherwise I start to get a algae layer on my sand bed.

I would like to know what adjustments I should make to my scrubber to eliminate the use of phosphate media completely?

Currently I am using the upflow design for what its worth.

Your assistance will greatly be appreciated

SantaMonica
04-21-2016, 04:21 PM
Nice and clean, with white growth tips :)

Well for your current scrubber, you can certainly use more light. You could go as high as 45 LED watts.

Mean time you could take your current LEDs up to 22 hours.

Also, if some brown on the sand is the only concern, just add a sand-sifting diamond back goby; he will eat through the sand in no time.

Henkie
04-22-2016, 08:41 AM
Will try increasing the photo period over next few weeks, thanks

Henkie
05-09-2016, 08:44 AM
The increase in photoperiod did not do the trick.

I currently have 0 nitrates (salifert) and get measurable phosphates on salifert.

It is a reasonable assumption that the scrubber cannot remove phosphates without nitrates begin present.

So the question is what is the lowest photoperiod I can run my scrubber at? The aim is to try and get nitrates up to allow the phosphates to be utilised by the scrubber.

SantaMonica
05-09-2016, 08:24 PM
I have always believed that if a scrubber is strong enough, it can pull P down even with very little N, and if anything you can just try feeding more. But this is based on very strong scrubbing, similar in levels to reefs.

So it might be worth trying a test in your case; keep the scrubber full power, and dose potassium nitrate, up to maybe 20 ppm, and see what P does.