ATS: Pushing the Limits...
When i first read about SM's ATS article in another site a couple of years back, i instantly got hooked. There are numerous claims on the web about the wonders of this filtration method and i wondered since then if these claims were true. Fortunately, i now had the chance to experiment on this through my daughter's investigatory project. So, on to the experiment...
DIY ATS specs: single screen (~10" x ~6"), 4 T5 NO's warm white, fed by a 2000lph pump
DIY ATS Thread >>> http://www.reefphilippines.com/forum...hp?f=8&t=12984
AUG 1/11
since some of the claimed benefits of an ATS system is that it can also filter out heavy metals and provide the numerous vitamins and minerals needed to support demanding organisms , i decided to make the sw solution out of an ordinary saltmix and tap water...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...%20IP/AUG1.jpg
inside the ATS...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...20IP/AUG1A.jpg
AUG 4/11
i did some tests...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/.../AUG4TestA.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/.../AUG4TestB.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...20IP/AUG4B.jpg
...frankly i was a bit frustrated when i saw the readings.
AUG 11/11
after 10 days...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...20IP/AUG11.jpg
no screen growth yet
AUG 13/11
i put this jar with organic waste in it... kitchen wastes, pingpong ball-sized dog poop :shock: , 2 tablespoons of fertilizer.
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...20IP/AUG13.jpg
and after a couple of hours here's what happened...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG13B.jpg
AUG 14/11
readings...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG14TestA.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG14TestB.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG14J.jpg
since i can't get the reading that i want, i added half of this to the water...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG14H.jpg
the back label says:
urea nitrogen = 19%
nitrate nitrogen = 19%
ammoniacal nitrogen = 2%
total phosphorous = 19%
AUG 16/11
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG16C.jpg
algae are now visible...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG16B.jpg
AUG 17/11
readings...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG17TestA.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG17TestB.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG17D.jpg
screen growth...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG17A.jpg
AUG 20/11
readings: ammonia continued to rise so as nitrite. but phosphate dropped from 10 to 5 in 3 days since the screen had almost tripled its growth.
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG20TestA.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...AUG20TestB.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG20D.jpg
tank:
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG20A.jpg
algae growth: dark green & slimy
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG20B.jpg
AUG 21/11 (cleaning day)
algae growth (before cleaning the screening)...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG21E.jpg
after scraping the screen...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG21D.jpg
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG21B.jpg
the screen chamber (before cleaning)
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG21C.jpg
all cleaned up:
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG21A.jpg
AUG 23/11
readings: ammonia is at exactly 8.0 compared to the last reading which is darker than 8.0 color guide...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG23A.jpg
the tank: coloration of the tank is still dark even after removing the jar last saturday (AUG 20)...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG23B.jpg
screen growth: algae is starting to build up again...
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...0IP/AUG23C.jpg
AUG 24/11
screen growth:
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/...20IP/AUG24.jpg
suggestion are very much welcome. ;) i'll post more details later. thanks for viewing!
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
Interesting that it grew green even with high N and P. The difference here is that urea/ammonia is high too. Of course, that is algae's favorite food.
It will take 5 or 10 screen cleanings to get that many nutrients out of the water.
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
yeah i figured that's the reason. i was actually expecting a dark growth...
btw, thanks again for helping me with the design and for sharing this very simple and yet efficient technology to us. more power! ;)
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
That...is...gross...and hilarious! The dog poop scrubber!
That screen material doesn't have much surface area. I take it plastic knitting canvas is hard to come by in the Philippines?
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo
That...is...gross...and hilarious! The dog poop scrubber!
That screen material doesn't have much surface area. I take it plastic knitting canvas is hard to come by in the Philippines?
hahaha!! i was under the impression that the ats are now being used to treat waste water. so we've thought of simulating the water in the sewage...
yeah the screen lacks surface area compared to the knitting canvas even after achieving the cactus effect. we have the knitting canvas here but the thing is, i haven't found the chance of going to any store that has it yet due to work. but i'll change them soon.
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
Yes, algae growth is a standard part of sewage reclamation, coming after the biological filtering stage.
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
I like that scrubber tower in that last article. Now that's a large scrubber!
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
i'd like to do the RAC some time... anybody did this before?
Re: ATS: Pushing the Limits...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo
I like that scrubber tower in that last article. Now that's a large scrubber!
That guy in the picture and the system behind him looks a lot like the guy in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OebPtG6J-dg
