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Rosenaa
12-11-2009, 01:55 AM
Hi everyone, first time poster, first time ATS :)

Im thinking about building a scrubber for my 45 gallon (180 liter) tank. I started the tank in august and haven't added any fish yet. Its because I'm trying to start my tank the Bornemann way, with 3 month cycle period and 3 month of reef building and then slowly add fish. Now my problem is, that although I have no bioload and that my test kit shows zero, I still have a small algae on the rocks. I am thinking that it might be the stones leaking something? Secondly I started my tank on tap water, which I regret but done is done :(

My question is now, will a scrubber work when I have no bioload in my tank? Im thinking a 20x25 cm (8x10 inch) screen using a Tunze silence 2400 with 2x26w 2700 kelvin lights on. Also a side question, do you think having a scrubber helps in having mandarin fish in such a small tank, with the scrubber producing pods?

worley
12-11-2009, 03:24 AM
Hi and welcome to the algae world :D.
If you have liverock it could easily be some small dieoff that has leached phosphates/nitrates into the water that the algae has quickly absorbed so the readings are still zero.
The algae scrubber will take a lot longer to get started without any bioload as it really has to wait for something to die in the tank (e.g. the algae on the rocks/glass) before it has anything to grow with, but when you start adding load to the tank it should kick in quickly.
The size sounds about right, could maybe do with the next size up of lights (make sure you use some sort of reflectors).
As for the pods, yes the scrubber will help, if you lightly rinse the screen in R/O fresh water inside the tank (lightly enough so the algae doesn't come off) the pods should slide off into the tank, and it'll encourage them to reproduce in the tank anyhow. Bear in mind Mandarin fish need a pretty well established tank with lots of liverock.

jgreen1025
12-11-2009, 08:56 AM
I'm trying to start my tank the Bornemann way, with 3 month cycle period and 3 month of reef building and then slowly add fish...
I wouldn't worry about a little algae on the rocks - it's perfectly natural, especially if your tank is brand new. I'm not sure which article you read by Borneman but he explains that the algae will go through certain cycles, taking up nutrients as it grows. So don't worry about it - maybe get a few snails to deal with it (make sure you buy snails that will eat algae (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php)).

Maybe you've already read these articles, but following are some links that I found especially helpful when I set up a skimmerless tank following Eric's (and Ron Shimek's) methods:

Skimmerless tanks (http://www.reefs.org/library/members/e_borneman_120898.html) by Borneman
Sandbeds and food production (http://www.dtplankton.com/articles/sandbeds.html) by Ron Shimek
How sandbeds work (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.php) by Ron Shimek
Mything the point (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.php) by Borneman (see #15)

Good luck!

Rosenaa
12-13-2009, 02:31 AM
The size sounds about right, could maybe do with the next size up of lights (make sure you use some sort of reflectors).


I will of course use a reflector :) But when you say next size of light, do you mean watt or kelvin?

worley
12-13-2009, 06:05 AM
Next size up in Watts, the colour temperature in Kelvin is fine

Rosenaa
12-13-2009, 07:09 AM
Another question: Can I use spot light? I read that Halogen is of no use...

EDIT: Im a bit not so DIY so I have to ask: Will this work for me? http://www.nettobuild.dk/shop/nordlux-p ... 4907p.html (http://www.nettobuild.dk/shop/nordlux-photo-alu-24907p.html)

worley
12-13-2009, 08:28 AM
Yes, that will work well as long as you can get a compact fluorescent bulb to fit it.

Rosenaa
12-13-2009, 08:48 AM
And my main language is not english, so is the type you mention the same as energy saving bulbs?

worley
12-13-2009, 10:23 AM
Sorry, yes, that's the same thing.

rainerfeyer
12-14-2009, 06:15 AM
Welcome to Algaescrubbers.net, Rosenaa!

Your English is just fine!

Rainer

Rosenaa
12-14-2009, 07:55 AM
Hey Rainerfeyer,

Thank for the compliment :)

I just ordered the light and the plastic canvas. So when my LFS opens tomorrow I will get the plumbing and ready to turg scrub my tank :D Looking forward to this, as Im more into using natural ways in keeping my tank clean than cemical/mechanical :)

Rosenaa
12-15-2009, 11:13 AM
On another note - Are Algae Turf Scrubber succesfull against Botryocladia skottsbergii (red bladder algae) a.k.a Red Valonia :?:

SantaMonica
12-15-2009, 03:20 PM
Any nuisance algae can be defeated if you get the nutrients low enough. Cyano, however, is the one exception... it will remain until the very end.

rainerfeyer
12-16-2009, 08:54 AM
Although I have not had any Cyano in weeks, a credit to the scrubber, I must say that I never really minded seing it - I always looked at it as the 'beginning of life' which it really was. Of course, it can take a tank over and that is, well, then end of life?

:)


Rainer

Rosenaa
12-17-2009, 12:19 AM
Hehe I dont have problems with cyano - only those stupid small greenalgae on the rocks and the red bubble algae. I have received the plastic canvas and the lamps. Going to the LFS tomorrow to get the plumbing, I will ofcourse take pictures of before/after and during the setup :)

Rosenaa
12-29-2009, 03:23 AM
So I have my screen up and as posted around 8x8 inches with light from both side on 45 gallons. There are already after 3-4 days some growth on it, so I am optimistic. And since I dont have any bioload in the aquarium, I have removed my skimmer.

Now I have a question about the lighting - I use 2x23w energi saving bulbs 2700 kelvin. I have found out I can buy from a local store 33w 2700 kelvin. Should I try them out? Or is 2x23 enough? Will the 20w extra help me?

SantaMonica
12-29-2009, 11:56 AM
You have plenty of light. Most important now will be a very rough cactus screen.

Rosenaa
01-01-2010, 01:47 PM
As promissed a picture or two of my ATS.

One thing I have already noticed is that I dont have to clean my glass as much as I used to. Also the brown algae in my main display have started to turn green some places :) I am looking forward to when the screen will remove the red bubble algae!:)

Are there anything I can do regarding helping the ATS on the way? Remember I do not have a bioload except for snails, a seastar and of course corals. And because of this most of my bad stuff are in the algae in the display? Or am I mistaken?

Rosenaa
01-01-2010, 01:47 PM
and some more:

SantaMonica
01-01-2010, 02:10 PM
Lighting is good, screen looks good, but I can't see flow off the bottom (if it were a lot, there would be waves in the sump) so I'll hope it's enough. Now your goal is to just fill up the screen with green!

http://www.radio-media.com/fish/Sticker.jpg