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Nathan
10-30-2009, 01:04 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.

kcress
10-30-2009, 02:25 PM
Seems possibly workable.
I would expect turf to grow all over the bottom acrylic surface if light can come thru it. It would be wet. No?

Like all these designs they will show you what you didn't take into proper consideration. :mrgreen:
So whatever you do, expect it to need some tweaking.

Nathan
10-30-2009, 03:44 PM
:oops: I forgot to mention that this will be for a freshwater tank, as I don't keep any saltwater (yet). As far as I know there is no equivalent to turf algae in the freshwater aquarium, so it shouldn't become an issue. One possible problem I can see is strongly varying light intensity levels from cleaning to cleaning due to algae blocking transmission of light from the upper lamps. It might look funny.

I volunteer to be the guinea pig for this one, unless someone points out a fatal flaw. We shall see what we shall see!

kcress
10-31-2009, 12:58 AM
As far as I know lots of people use TS with fresh water.

Nathan
11-04-2009, 10:00 AM
I know the scrubbers work in fw, but they don't seem to grow turf algae, just filamentous green algae. In any case, I've been thinking some more on this concept and want to try two versions. One will use clear PVC tubes. The other will use plastic sheet. I was looking at a clear, corrugated polycarbonate material at Lowe's today. Has anyone tried polycarbonate in a scrubber? I know terrestrial algae can cling to it as I have seen the stuff tinged with them when it was being put to its intended use (porch roof).

kcress
11-04-2009, 12:56 PM
I know the scrubbers work in fw, but they don't seem to grow turf algae, just filamentous green algae.

Well, according to SM that's what you're after with a SW scrubber - filamentous (hair) algae.