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Thread: New sizing guidelines

  1. #51

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    Just curious, does a protein skimmer have any effect on the screen size?

  2. #52
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    Not really.

  3. #53

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    I don't quite understand what you mean by real watts, not equivalent. Does that mean you can't use the energy efficient bulbs or you can but make sure you use the real wattage when buying the bulbs instead of the equivalent watts?

  4. #54
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    You can use them but calculate using the real and not equivalent.

  5. #55

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    Excellent. Thanks. Do you have to worry about heat at all? I built my scrubber out of an old CPR aquafuge and I'm curious how hot the bulbs get close to the acrylic.

  6. #56
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    I don't think so.

  7. #57

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    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica View Post
    New Scrubber Sizing Guideline (Sept 2011)
    HORIZONTAL screens: Multiply the screen size by 4, and the wattage by 1.5
    I generally like your new guidelines, since it is pretty clear my scrubber is over-sized.
    But I do have a problem with that statement from my experiments with horizontal scrubbers.
    I actually feel the recommendation should simply be: Don't do a horizontal scrubber.
    The problem is not so much size/lighting, is that the algae cannot grow up away from the screen
    properly, and do not have max-efficiency to really out compete the algae in the main tank.

    Don't get me wrong. I know that horizontals do work. And certainly reduce nitrates.
    But I feel you should keep the message simple. Promote what is clearly best : Vertical waterfall.

    And to be honest, I think the horizontal issue is why a lot of old scrubbers had issues in the past.

  8. #58

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    I think it is kind of understood horizontal scrubbers are not optimal, however sometimes you do what you have room for. That being said I believe the reason you want to have 4x the screen size is the very reason you listed, the algae cant grow up very far so it has to spread out.

    A grass lawn needs more surface area to take up the same nutrients a forrest does, it just makes sense.

  9. #59

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    Perhaps I could get some guidance on my rebuild.. I recently adopted an algae scrubber with a 10.5 x 13" screen (way to big and expensive to light), I adapted it to my aquarium by gravity feeding it from my 125 g tank above in the dining room. It has two ~50 watt CFLs with reflectors on both sides. The acrylic is half moon cut to fit the reflectors on the sides. (link to facebook is picture of it)
    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...type=3&theater

    Even though I am gong to rebuild, the problem with this scrubber currently is I can not open my ball valve from above all the way. I get tiny air borne water bubbles which get the reflectors and bulbs wet. I did put a bead of silicone around the base of the bulbs, but its still just risky. The bubbles seem to come primarily out of the slot, but I believe some also are coming from the tank below. Any suggestions to fix this design, perhaps make the slot a tiny bigger? Wouldnt mind fixing the bubbles in the meanwhile so i can increase flow, im tired of the big yellow spot in the middle!

    ok, but now to the brass tax. Regardless of above scrubber, I need to rebuild. I want to make sure I understand all this...

    a 3x4 2 sided screen would need 12 watts per side, and scrub approx 1 frozen cube per day. I would like to be able to handle at -least- 2 frozen cubes per day so I would need to double my screen size, 4x6 and run 24 watts per side.

    Questions...
    Does putting the CFLs outside the acrylic and not directly next to the screen impact growth?

    How do you calculate screen sized based on your bio load or anticipated stocking?

    Would it be wise if I anticipate heavy fish stocking that I go with a bigger screen from the start, or by not feeding approximately what the scrubber was built for will the algae not grow as well and thus not filter as well.

    Thanks in advance, if anyone has plans for a box of this sort that would sit on a 55 gallon sump im all ears and eyes. Thanks so much!

  10. #60
    kerry's Avatar
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    Check out this link for sizing: http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...ing-guidelines . I cannot the link to work.
    150G. Reef/Mix
    125G. 3 Regular Oscars/1 Jack Dempsey
    75G. 20+ Africans
    40G. Fish/Reef. Algae Scrubbers on ALL my SW
    10G. SW Fish/Reef.
    10G. SW Hospital/new fish quarantine/pod breeder tank
    6 stage RO/DI system 200 GPD.

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