The new Upflow Algae Scrubber (UAS)

[Ace25]

How do you know what the design is. Perhaps I have missed a key post!

They are not posted yet, but a few people (you can see who they are, the ones that were posting in this thread before it went public) have additional information about the other revisions. They can't say what they are though, so no point in asking.

[Garf]

They are not posted yet, but a few people (you can see who they are, the ones that were posting in this thread before it went public) have additional information about the other revisions. They can't say what they are though, so no point in asking.

I think you may be surprised in how much work has gone on behind scenes. I love new concepts, right or wrong.

[Floyd R Turbo]

No we don't have any more information that you have by reading the original post. SM only revealed the design on post #1 to us so we know nothing except what has been described in the thread that has all those technology/embodiment release dates. I don't know if he will continue to give us a month-ahead peek but I'm guessing not.

Garf the design is in the original post of this thread.

[joelespinoza]

Make it out of 2 pieces, held together by magnets. The outside is a black plexi box with an exposed heatsink on the back and exposed LEDs on the front that are held 1.5" away from the glass and magnets around the outside.

The inside (in the tank) is a black plexi box that has an encased heatsink, and encased LEDs and holds the screen nearly right up against the glass (with room for bubbles) and 1.5" away from the LEDs on the inside. It has magnets around the outside and you fill the compartment that has the heatsink and LEDs with mineral oil (so the LEDs and Heatsink are submerged in oil) then seal it up tight. With mineral oil the cooling of the in tank LEDs is not an issue and there is no compression issues, since it is non compressible, as long as you can seal it well you could use any thickness of plastic in any depth tank.

Then run vent tubes from the inside box up to the surface with a 90 degree bend at the surface to slow the bubbles.

The idea is clear in my mind I will try to use sketchup to draw some pictures, although I suck at it so the result might be lackluster. But I think the idea is very sound and workable.

Ace my idea is not for a DIY project so much, this would be an advanced model that could be mass produced, 3-4 heights could cover 99% of all home aquariums, it would be efficient (dual sided LED), clean, and elegant. You could buy the scrubber put one side inside the glass and the other side outside the glass, slide in the screen, plug in the pump and turn it on. It could be easily cleaned and the bubbling would not be an issue.

A mineral oil filled device inside the tank is a bit scary, but if it is well sealed it should not be a problem. It has the advantage of being a non compressible medium so plexi thickness would not be a issue at any depth and you could cool LEDs easily while they are sealed inside the aquarium. That takes care of 2 major problems with high power LEDs inside an aquarium., it would also make the inside half slightly less bouyant.

[Ace25]

I think you may be surprised in how much work has gone on behind scenes. I love new concepts, right or wrong.

This one area is really not something you want to make those types of assumptions about. You know what they say about assumptions. I can pretty much guarantee that there has not been a lot of work done behind the scenes on this new design by Santa Monica. It seems he is doing the same thing he did the first time around, release a general idea and let the hobbyist solve the issues for him. The fact Santa Monica can not post 1 single picture of this design working on a saltwater tank even after I called him out on in in this thread is really all I need to see. After a full year of having this idea, if it were me, I would have thousands of pictures showing how it works and progress shots week to week and the second I made it public those pictures would be proudly displayed in the first post.

I have a big issue with the conflicting information already posted. Early there was talk about bubble sizes/wooden airstones and those were ruled to not be good for this design, then Santa Monica hints at a ventri type design which IS a protein skimmer pump/method for creating fine bubbles. I asked again, which is it, fine bubbles are bad and don't work, or they are fine and do work..... no response.

Sorry to be the bad guy here, but I don't take anything at face value. I will listen to everything, study it myself, even experiment myself to see if it holds true, but this one I have already experimented with the parts (airpump/stone) and I know without a doubt it is not a good design. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with air pumps and stones will know how bad of an idea this is. There is a reason larger Protein skimmers stopped using them long ago (they clogged and needed to be replaced often).

Sorry Floyd... as you can see, even I made an assumption going off of Santa Monica's post. When he said the venturi pump alternative was already solved I assumed others were informed about this as well.

what about using a venturi system on a powerhead to deliver the air instead?
Taken care of

Bottom line, if I thought this was a great idea and would work better than the old method, I would be in here pointing out all the ways it is better, but unfortunately it did not turn out that way.

[joelespinoza]

The purpose of the airstone is to move water (nutrients) and air (CO2) accross the scrubber screen right? Chances are there is some gradient between how useful it is to use air vs a powerhead and aeration/CO2 saturation in the water.

I would imagine in a highly circulated reef tank a powerhead moving water upwards across the screen could probably provide a similar amount of CO2 as a bubbler,or at least sufficient for good growth. You may have to increase the flow of water but it seems reasonable. Where as in a mostly stagnant freshwater application a bubbler could be a far better choice.

[fauxjargon]

A ventri method is just like I said in my very first post, putting a screen inside a skimmer. Seems that isn't a good idea because of the microbubbles, are microbubbles now ok, a few hours later? This is SOOOO confusing having different information going around already.

And you confused the heck out of me.. boundary layer critical.. now less boundary layer is better?

A protein skimmer Venturi typically sucks air then puts it through the needle wheel to get tiny bubbles. A Venturi like the ones that goes on a powerhead outlet produces much larger bubbles.

[Ace25]

The purpose of the airstone is to move water (nutrients) and air (CO2) accross the scrubber screen right? Chances are there is some gradient between how useful it is to use air vs a powerhead and aeration/CO2 saturation in the water.

I would imagine in a highly circulated reef tank a powerhead moving water upwards across the screen could probably provide a similar amount of CO2 as a bubbler,or at least sufficient for good growth. You may have to increase the flow of water but it seems reasonable. Where as in a mostly stagnant freshwater application a bubbler could be a far better choice.

As Santa Monica once said to me, in his entire quote "Google algae Boundary Layer". Man of few words.
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.230...47698944050937
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.230...47698944050937

[Ace25]

A protein skimmer Venturi typically sucks air then puts it through the needle wheel to get tiny bubbles. A Venturi like the ones that goes on a powerhead outlet produces much larger bubbles.

So my AquaC Remora that uses a Maxijet 1200 w/venturi isn't the same thing? No needlewheel/pinwheel impeller, just an old fashion MJ1200 powerhead.

[michael007]

Thats what I want to know before I start experimenting... Does this method produce better/thicker/green HAIr algae per inch than the waterfall method. I personally think SM you should of realised the best design first and worried about the dodgy diy after. Most people that are serious about this hobby want there tanks clean and sleek. I am not going to put a screen dangling in my tank, I also have huge water movement in my tank and I dont even reckon I could get a screeen to stay vertical easily.
I have some ideas on how to build one for my tank but I want to know it is BETTER than my already succesfull waterfall. Im imagining that I could build a slimline type box hanging from behind my tank hidden completely, using some sort of venturi pump.... I guess that this is something that SM's final embodiment or whatever would look like... I just dont get the secerecy, I hoping that it is not just a money grab and is ACTUally a significant breakthrough in performance.....
cheers

mick