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Thread: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

  1. #1

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    Aug 2011
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    Harlech - North Wales, UK
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    Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    Hi all,

    I'm new to the forum game but having spent the last few weeks trawling through all the posts on here I'm convinced that algae scrubbers are the way forward. Maximum respect to the pioneers, particularly SantaMonica - wanted to build one of his 100's but it won't fit in my cabinet and we can't get 18" Nova Extreme T5HO's in Blighty... So CFL's it is then!

    I'm setting up a Betta Lifespace 680; it's a 63 imp gal / 283 litre tank (including the sump) which is fairly common but I haven't managed to find any on here with ATS's installed. I intend to run it with only a scrubber, no skimmer or reactors. I will be using natural sea water collected from my local beach in North Wales then filtered (through 200 micron sock) so I will be buying a UV sterilizer (TMC Vecton 300).

    The design i've settled on is inspired by Hobbyist's recent creation (his completed sump mounted ATS is on this site) in its three box design and only differs in that the two light boxes have clear acrylic screens to seal the front and hopefully protect the mirrored acrylic and bulbs from salt etc... Each light box will have a removable lid that the 3 lamp holders are fixed to. It will be fed from my overflow then return into the 1st chamber of the sump.

    My screen looks like it will be 12" x 7" with the bottom inch submerged in water giving 6" above water illuminated by the CFL lamps that will be in line, 3 x 18w 2700k per side. I've made a cardboard model and it all fits now just need to finish off the CAD drawings and get the acrylic cut to size.

    I will get some pictures up as soon as it's ready but really was hoping for some expert eyes to check over the numbers and also any advice about it being fed from the overflow? I read Floyd Turbo R's summary about how critical it is to know the flow and I agree but my tank is dry and waiting for pipework which I don't want to fit until the scrubber is made and in position... I'm assuming if I'm short of the 420 GPH I need I can upgrade the return pump to up the flow? This is on the list to do anyway as the standard "chinese pond pump" looks a bit suspect and underpowered.

    Question for Hobbyist if you're reading - how hard is it to remove the screen for cleaning? Do you just shut off the pump and valve then unscrew the joint?

    Thanks in advance
    "I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly."

  2. #2
    Administrator
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    Oct 2008
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    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    Welcome to the forum.

    How much will you be feeding? Reef?

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    uk
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    hi and welcome to the site, i have an sm100 installed on my betta 680 i will upload some pic's later.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Harlech - North Wales, UK
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    Thanks guys...

    I'll be feeding 3-4ml phyto plankton, 1 cube lobster eggs and some tetra flake daily. I only have 5 fish (2 small perc clowns, midas and lawnmower blenny's and a mandarin) and coral wise there's a small brain, doughnut coral and some trumpets to bring across... not much but I want to get on the SPS frags as soon as lighting and flow allow. Have always been a heavy feeder and don't plan on giving it up now nitrates won't be a problem!

    Are you concerned I won't be feeding enough?

    I will be seeding the dead rock with 5kg's of live rock rubble so will put a dead shrimp or something in to get ammonia levels up for the bacteria to develop. Do I need to have the scrubber running at this stage or will it take the ammonia away from the bacteria and hold up the seeding process?

    So marineguy does your sm100 fit in the cabinet?! If its on top I did consider that but the tank is in my bedroom so noise a bit of an issue... Did you build the sm100 yourself? As its technically oversized for the 680 do you have to clean it less frequently? Was something I liked the sound of - to allow for 10 day holidays
    "I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly."

  5. #5
    Administrator
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    I just calculated that the 72 ml/day of thick blended mussels that I'm feeding now is equal to 22 cubes a food. Plus nori, plus a dead fish each week for the eel. I have two sm100's to do all the filtering for this. Basically, each cube you feed each day needs 10 or 12 watts of filtering, on a 2-sided screen. Twice that if a 1-sided screen.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    uk
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build



    Not alot of room but an sm100 will fit.

  7. #7

    Join Date
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    Re: Betta Lifespace 680 Sump Scrubber Build

    Thanks for pics marineguy - you're not lying about the tight fit! You must have some serious bio load for all that filtration - any pics of the display tank? Would be nice to see what you've done with the aquascaping etc...

    You've really thrown the cat amongst the pigeons as i'm now unsure of which way to go, SM100 or the Hobbyist design? How do you remove the screen for cleaning? Does the whole unit slide out? And how loud is it?

    From SantaMonica's feeding regime it seems I'll be running nearly 5 times as much lighting as I need (2 cubes per day = 24w needed vs 6 x 18w CFL's = 108w planned) - my question is will that just mean I have to clean it less (once every 2 weeks or so) or will it stop the scrubber working effectively?
    "I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly."

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