+ Reply to Thread

Thread: The new Upflow Algae Scrubber (UAS)

  1. #181
    Banned
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    940
    Me, being to uber hobbyist with nothing else to do in life but research and experiment on reef tanks, decided to slap one together real quick and try it on my 60G. Everyone already knows my thoughts, but I wouldn't be a very good researcher if I simply dismissed the idea without even trying it as written. I put the airstone/screen it in the center of the sump which is a 20G tall tank. Ran into my first problem... screen won't stay vertical. I have it zip tied to a blue 12" airstone, screen is 12" long by 9" tall (still under water) and the screen just flops over to one side even with the air pump unrestricted. Suggestions?

  2. #182

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    289
    I thought I was in a time warp/lapse/something. I've been monitoring this post everyday and then all of a sudden it's 3 weeks in. That last 9 or 10 pages with in the last 12 hours? Crazy.

    So, three weeks of design play and no posted pictures?

    So the Floyd and SM100 style completly sealed with an inlet on the bottom on one end with airstone below it with the exit on top at the opposite end and flow will carry bubbles the length of the screen. Fed by overflow. Did I just describe a horizontal skimmer? Can I get the trademark/patent on that design? A skimmer body with a screen held down with weights minus the skimmer cup and the water just overflows out. Hm......

  3. #183
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566
    Skimmers remove N/P
    No, they don't

    they just do it at an earlier stage when the compounds are in a state where they can attach to bubbles (larger food particles).
    Food particles are not equal to N and P, any more than the smoke from a steak is equal to the steak. Skimmers remove the "steak", but leave the "smoke". Algae remove the "smoke", but leave the "steak".

    there is a giant column of air bubbles below the screen that is at the surface, are you saying in an empty breeder tank the flow created by the air bubbles will not push the N/P to the surface where the screen is at?
    Not sure what you mean, but an empty tank would be empty, except for bacterial films on the walls. In this case the N and P would be about the same throughout. And if any N or P were "pushed" to the surface, it would recirculate back down, following the current.

    What about the £150.00 I have spent over the last 3 months building an ATS. Wasted?
    That would be a different concern. But think about it this way: you learned of it here first, before any other site.

    this design is going to be much harder to DIY
    Like I was saying before, the simple versions are super easy to DIY but are ugly. The complex version are impossible to DIY, but are beautiful or invisible. That's what manufacturers are for.

    additional information about the other revisions
    Actually everyone now has the same info. The only descriptions of future designs are in the mfg section.

    The purpose of the airstone is to move water (nutrients) and air (CO2) accross the scrubber screen right?
    Yes. But also for the air-water interface to remove the boundary layer via turbulence.

    I just dont get the secerecy
    It's for licensing manufacturers.

    Can I get the trademark/patent on that design?
    If you could have, you can't now that you've said it.

  4. #184

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    australia
    Posts
    48
    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica View Post
    Yes. But also for the air-water interface to remove the boundary layer via turbulence.
    So this is a proven, more effective way of supplying algae with nutrients???

    Thats what I reckon is the most important thing is. More bang for buck if you may. I might knock one up and let it compete against my vertical waterfall scrubber. just make them of equal size and lighting... WOuld this be a reasonable test??

  5. #185
    Banned
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,710
    Quote Originally Posted by Ace25 View Post
    Me, being to uber hobbyist with nothing else to do in life but research and experiment on reef tanks, decided to slap one together real quick and try it on my 60G. Everyone already knows my thoughts, but I wouldn't be a very good researcher if I simply dismissed the idea without even trying it as written. I put the airstone/screen it in the center of the sump which is a 20G tall tank. Ran into my first problem... screen won't stay vertical. I have it zip tied to a blue 12" airstone, screen is 12" long by 9" tall (still under water) and the screen just flops over to one side even with the air pump unrestricted. Suggestions?
    Is there flow through the sump that is pushing the screen over?

  6. #186
    Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    461
    Quote Originally Posted by Ace25 View Post
    screen won't stay vertical. I have it zip tied to a blue 12" airstone, screen is 12" long by 9" tall (still under water) and the screen just flops over to one side even with the air pump unrestricted. Suggestions?

    Had the same problem. I used some rubber suckers to anchor the top of the screen to the glass.

  7. #187
    Banned
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Uk! England
    Posts
    1,212
    I started a thread a while back called Co2 turbo. I asked the question about perhaps injecting the ATS feed pump with Co2 or air. Surely the benefits of this new design is accomplished by doing just that. Lots of bubbles on the screen, more light than the new design, lot less messing around. Please point out where my logic is faulty.

  8. #188

    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    144
    For anyone with an exsisting scrubber:

    I came with this:
    Raise the water level in de scrubber box a bit (approx total of 5 cm) and add air..See the results for your selfs..
    My air bubbles even go up the waterfall a bit which makes the scrubber growth kick..

  9. #189
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566
    more light than the new design
    How is there more light?

  10. #190
    Banned
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Uk! England
    Posts
    1,212
    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica View Post
    How is there more light?
    The previous version has only got a few mm of water to pass through.

+ Reply to Thread

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts