Algae Scrubber Design for a 34 Gallon Solana?

[braeburn]

Hello! I first saw SantaMonicas post on algae scrubbers at ReefSanctuary; my neighbor just started/converted to a 55G saltwater tank and we did a DIY overflow into the sump setup scrubber and it works GREAT!

I would very much like one for my Solana 34 gallon, as the volume of the tank is much smaller in comparison and the scrubber would be a great addition.

The question is: Would my only option for an algae scrubber be an in-bucket, separate system from the tank? I do not believe I can get this to work in the rear chambers, as there is very little room and the middle chamber would really be the only way to go; the problem with this would be fitting lights into it and also the fact that the water level in the middle chamber is somewhat high.

I am very tempted to do some other form of overflow into a sump and remove the back portions of the tank, but I am not sure if this is a good idea or not!

Thank you in advance :)

Jason

[SantaMonica]

Some people have put them into the compartments; look at the examples to see. Otherwise, a scrubber would need to go above the tank and drain down into it. A bucket, or simple horizontal, or a compact vertical like I'm designing, would work.

[braeburn]

Thank you for your reply! I will have another look at the different designs and see if I cannot come up with something. The middle chamber would be the only place it could work I would think, but the water level takes up most of the room and from what I have read the screen that is submerged will not be effective.

Thank you again! :)

[braeburn]

It's been a while since I posted but I found a solution for my Solana.

I removed the back compartments completely and installed a CPR overflow box. I now have an algae screen flowing down into a 10 gallon fuge. I am still running the skimmer in the fuge until the screen gets densely populated, and just to be safe. I hope to be able to get rid of it as it is very noisy!

This all was not as easy as some of the other mini designs, but I am glad I did this. There's no heat issues at all now that the black back is gone and I have a fan blowing on the algae screen - keeps it at a nice 76-77 degrees day and night :)

Not to mention the benefits of the scrubber, along with added water volume. The amount of added space in the display tank is considerable too!

I am happy to post pics if anyone would like.