Nathan
10-30-2009, 02:04 PM
I had an idea for a low-profile above-tank horizontal scrubber that would be incorporated into a custom canopy and allow a set of lamps to serve double duty as scrubber lights and display lights.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/canopyscrubber.png
It essentially consists of a clear plexi "pan" that the water flows through, with banks of lights above and below. The lower lamps serve as the main tank lights as well; the upper lamps would no doubt contribute some light to the display too. This design could use a removeable screen as the primary algae attachment site, or simply use the plexi pan itself. Alternatively, instead of the pan, clear tubes could be used to move water from one end to the other with their inner surfaces being the primary algae attachment sites. The tube setup would be easier to construct, but the pan might offer more useable surface area and would also be a convenient place to grow algae on stones for grazing livestock such as snails.
The lid of the canopy, including upper lamps, would need to be hinged or removeable to permit ready access to the screen. It would be prefereable that this lid also allow access to the display for normal maintenance.
Any thoughts? I have some extra plexi and am in the beginning stages of building a scrubber-in-a-box for my main tank. I figure I can build one of these for a smaller tank, and work on it while the joints on the other project are setting up.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/canopyscrubber.png
It essentially consists of a clear plexi "pan" that the water flows through, with banks of lights above and below. The lower lamps serve as the main tank lights as well; the upper lamps would no doubt contribute some light to the display too. This design could use a removeable screen as the primary algae attachment site, or simply use the plexi pan itself. Alternatively, instead of the pan, clear tubes could be used to move water from one end to the other with their inner surfaces being the primary algae attachment sites. The tube setup would be easier to construct, but the pan might offer more useable surface area and would also be a convenient place to grow algae on stones for grazing livestock such as snails.
The lid of the canopy, including upper lamps, would need to be hinged or removeable to permit ready access to the screen. It would be prefereable that this lid also allow access to the display for normal maintenance.
Any thoughts? I have some extra plexi and am in the beginning stages of building a scrubber-in-a-box for my main tank. I figure I can build one of these for a smaller tank, and work on it while the joints on the other project are setting up.