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Thread: how to make my scrubber better?

  1. #1
    Anartica's Avatar
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    how to make my scrubber better?

    about 3 weeks i startet my scrubber.
    it,s about 20cm x 15cm, with 16w light and a 800l/h pump.
    it,s growing dark brown algea, im cleaning it every 7 days.
    my nitrate are at 25ppm now, it was at 50ppm but i have taken several water changes since then.
    how do i get the green algea to grow?
    do i have to oppgrade somethings?
    I have a 240litre tank with 2 percula,9 chromis varldis,1 banana wrasse, 1 mandarin , 2 anemone and corals.
    my tank is over run by GHA and cyano.
    its 9 monts old.
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  2. #2
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    Many problems.

    Without even asking how much you feed, I can tell from the diatoms on the back wall that filtering is really low.

    1. Biggest problem is the light is too small, too far away, and not pointed at the center of the screen. Plus it looks blue (should look warm reddish). You are losing 3/4 of the little wattage that there is.

    2. It's a 1-sided horizontal screen that is letting water fall through the screen, so it's not even as effective as a horizontal of the same size.

    Fixes, from easy to hard:

    1. Put a sheet of white acrylic or plastic under the screen, to hold it flat, and to keep the water from running through the screen, and to keep it close to the light.

    2. Put flexible reflectors inside the box, to keep the light in. (http://www.santa-monica.cc/Flexible-Reflector_p_15.html)

    3. Find a lower "K" bulb... 2700 or 3000K is best.

    4. Get a 45 watt bulb instead.

    5. Rough the screen up a lot more, on both sides.

    6. Rebuilt it, 2-sided.

  3. #3
    Anartica's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica View Post
    Many problems.

    Without even asking how much you feed, I can tell from the diatoms on the back wall that filtering is really low.

    1. Biggest problem is the light is too small, too far away, and not pointed at the center of the screen. Plus it looks blue (should look warm reddish). You are losing 3/4 of the little wattage that there is.


    2. It's a 1-sided horizontal screen that is letting water fall through the screen, so it's not even as effective as a horizontal of the same size.

    the holes on the screen is so small that the water only run over the screen

    Fixes, from easy to hard:

    1. Put a sheet of white acrylic or plastic under the screen, to hold it flat, and to keep the water from running through the screen, and to keep it close to the light.

    2. Put flexible reflectors inside the box, to keep the light in. (http://www.santa-monica.cc/Flexible-Reflector_p_15.html)

    3. Find a lower "K" bulb... 2700 or 3000K is best.

    it,s a 3500k

    4. Get a 45 watt bulb instead.

    5. Rough the screen up a lot more, on both sides.

    6. Rebuilt it, 2-sided.
    how close shoud the light be?

  4. #4
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    As close as you can get it.

  5. #5
    Anartica's Avatar
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    is this light good enough http://shop.conrad-uk.com/1/2-a2-uk0...potlight-.html.
    im thinking one on each side?

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    No that is incandescent. It must be fluorescent.

  7. #7
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    You want the curly-Q type in the 2700K range.
    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.

  8. #8
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    If you are going to use a spotlight, get a CFL one.

  9. #9
    Anartica's Avatar
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    do anyone now where i can buy cheap CFL online?
    are there other lightning i can use?

  10. #10
    kerry's Avatar
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    walmart online
    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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