Critique my new scrubber...

[Zagzoo71]

Hello all...

Been reading here for a few months learning and looking.. Soooo Just got my new 180g in the wall finished.. started up with no skimmer.. and installed a 10" x 12" scrubber with around 350-400gph pump water falling into my sump. I used 2 LED grow lights (one on each side). Not the reflectors are for mounting purpose only. So tell me good bad or start over.. lol

http://vid2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/Zagzoo/Scrubber.mp4
Thanks..


Frank

[SantaMonica]

Welcome,

Seems like a good enough start. Those lights might be overly focused, and might burn the middle of the screen, if they have enough wattage. But you can see how the growth develops.

[Zagzoo71]

I have them 5" off screen on both sides... with 150lbs of rock equaling 3 cubes.. i can only go 2 more cubes with current setup? I was thinking of adding 1 more exact setup in about 2 to 3 months after tanks gets up and running for awhile.

[SantaMonica]

Well your screen is 120 square inches which if illuminated properly should be for 10 cubes. Instead of adding another one, just cut the screen vertically and clean half at a time.

[Zagzoo71]

Well your screen is 120 square inches which if illuminated properly should be for 10 cubes. Instead of adding another one, just cut the screen vertically and clean half at a time.

So my 36w of LED grow lighy on each side enough? Distance good?

[SantaMonica]

I think the lights are too close, but wait to see what the growth pattern is and see about adjusting then.

[Zagzoo71]

Ok got a noob... question.. a little over a week into cycling my new tank (150lbs new dry rock, plus 2 pieces of live rock. Did the raw shrimp for 4 days) my scrubber is get to be white'ish looking hair on it?

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

Does not really matter during cycling.

[Zagzoo71]

Well 2 days after ammonia spike finally dropped to 0... here is what my scrubber looks like... good pattern starting?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/Zagzoo/20170225_105810.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/Zagzoo/media/20170225_105810.jpg.html)

[SantaMonica]

It's really going to burn in the middle. Maybe you can put a diffuser in front of the light.

[markstrimaran]

It's a 12 bulb, 36 watt, good for a 5" green spot. As my best guess.
Might burn, but hard to tell with the camera, as bright lights, mess with the camera.

[Zagzoo71]

after my tank had it's diatom bomb... which all went to my algae screen, i cleaned it off. Added 4 chromis and this is what is looks like after 4 days.. center section down to a 4" circle starting to fill in nicely, alot of dark green algae (my phone sucks for taking pictures, tried it with flash off) Also, split the screen into 2 verticals.

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[SantaMonica]

Yea spreading that light out would really help the majority of the screen, and let the middle fill in.

[Zagzoo71]

Yea spreading that light out would really help the majority of the screen, and let the middle fill in.

I moved the lights 5 1/2" from screen (current photo i just posted).. move back farther?

[SantaMonica]

Yes if you can.

[Zagzoo71]

so I am getting dark green hair grow here and there.. I know my tank is "new" and cycle finished. Added 4 chromis and 1 orange sholder tang, 3". will the scrubber still fill out or I need more in the tank. Have a few corals, butI know they dont count for hardly anything. Just curious if there is enough in the tank to start getting the thick algae?

[SantaMonica]

Probably will stay thin and brown, but should still work fine. Mainly want to get the light evened out.

[Zagzoo71]

New little upgrade to my scrubber.. made some arylic splash enclousers.. 2 peice box, for easy cleaning. splash box covers 3 sides and under each light. Will the arcylic act like a diffuser and move should I move the lights back in closer?

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Thanks

[SantaMonica]

No don't move the lights.

[Zagzoo71]

Weird.. over last day my one screen has filled in over 2x, almost 80% All my lvls are still (according to my cheap API testing ktis) 0, with a ph 8.0 to 8.2.

[Zagzoo71]

Am i on the right track here? I just cleaned 1/2 my screen got about 1/4 cup between the two sides. Look at the pictures the bright green took a razor blade to clean it off, rest cleaned off with a credit card. The bright green good or bad? All the rocks in my tank just went thur a major leech (all were new dry rocks).

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Thanks...

[SantaMonica]

Yes the dark looks good. If you can diffuse the center more, it will burn less and the outer areas will grow even more.

[Zagzoo71]

So the hard green algae is burn? I moved the lights back another 1/2" and shortened the lights on. Wonder if i should open the led and take 2 or 3 leds out of the circuit?

[SantaMonica]

No, the light colored center is burn. It really just needs a big lens.

[Zagzoo71]

IF I wanted to change my lights over from the 36w LED grow light.. with my 12x10" screen.. how many red and blues is actually needed for 4" away? I want to make a LED board to slide into a black acrylic box so I can actually drop scrubber down into sump more.. with these big LED grow bulbs I have to leave it above the sump.

[SantaMonica]

36 LED watts per side is fine. 12 LEDs of 3 watts each. 600ma.

[Zagzoo71]

Well... since screen still hasnt filled 100% full still leaving a 3" clear middle (no burn), I up'ed the flow to around 600-700 gph. Screen nows fills in 100% and grows quicker and thicker. Woot!!

Now an issue.. Im getting gray'ish black cyno on the sand.. I know the "new" dry rock i used when I started the tank will leech for up to a year.. will the scrubber eliminate it? Im still ready in the 0 range for nitrates/nitrites/ammonia.. last time I checked the phosphates with a hanna checker it read 0.0. sal 1.025.. temp 77%.

[SantaMonica]

Yes all scrubber remove the nutrients that cyano need, although cyano is not grey. Cyano also uses food particles, so increasing water flow across the sand will move those particles away. Or get more CUC like a sand-sifting goby is the best way.