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Thread: The new Upflow Algae Scrubber (UAS)

  1. #321
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    Totally.

  2. #322
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    Quote Originally Posted by Floyd R Turbo View Post
    So by that are you saying that the bubbles might reduce the scrubber's tendency to suck up bicarbonate when CO2 is lacking, since it is getting CO2 from the bubbles? I dose Alk like crazy and it is disproportionate to Cal so I know it's the scrubber. I think it was Ace or Kerry that got better growth just by putting a fan on the screen so it seems that blowing air into the slot tube on the waterfall scrubber would reduce bicarbonate uptake as well.
    Floyd R Turbo - please look at post 272

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    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica View Post
    Totally.
    This is when we know SM was replaced by a 19 year old valley girl.

  4. #324
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    Quote Originally Posted by joelespinoza View Post
    This is when we know SM was replaced by a 19 year old valley girl.
    Thats Totally Funny!!!! Love it.
    I get the same Floyd. I thought about trying the fan but my 40G is an open top and I already top off at LEAST 1/2 gallon a day. Maybe I could try to add a hose to the feed pipe to the slot pipe like a power head has and pull air in that way.
    150G. Reef/Mix
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    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.

  5. #325

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    what about dealing with bubbles? any air stone bubbles would be a pain to remove in a saltwater set up. especially if in the display. or am i missing something?

  6. #326

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    What would benifit from the air injection the most? Air direct to the roots or the leaf? and what part is actually taking up the nutrients?

    The reason I say this is if you could run the bubbles up the center of the canvas essentially having 2 back to back but with a gap. say the distance of pvc pipe (Floyd style) at the bottom where the air is exiting the stone or possible direct from the tubing with pin holes (pending on what size bubbles are more benificial). With the top of the canvas actually joining or an even smaller gap say half of whats at the bottom like a chimney / \

  7. #327
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    Quote Originally Posted by greenmachine View Post
    what about dealing with bubbles? any air stone bubbles would be a pain to remove in a saltwater set up. especially if in the display. or am i missing something?
    Your not missing nothing. I am trying to deal with micro bubbles in my HOB test unit. The HOB has venturi air injection that creates micro bubbles like a skimmer. I might have to not use this feature and put air stones at the bottom instead.
    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. #328

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    Jwoyshnar's UAS test

    Got mine put together last night. My bubbler and screen is mounted right above the slotted pipe I have coming from my overflow. Plenty of bubbles/flow going across the screen. It's lit by a 100 watt cfl for now til I build a led fixture for it.

  9. #329

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    Jacob.morgan78's UAS test

    First, I've never had an algae scrubber of any type and have a one year old "typical" reef tank. I plan to keep my skimmer running at first but have it on a timer to only run during a certain time of day. I would eventually phase it out hopefully. I also have the typical reactors: GFO, GAC. I would phase out GFO but keep running carbon more than likely. I currently have a stand alone 10 gallon refugium with some LR, chaeto, and gracilaria... no sand. It's fed with a small MJ style pump and drains to my sump into the return section, skipping the skimmer. The UAS would go into the stand alone refugium. At first, what time a day do you think would be best to schedule my skimmer to be on? and for how long?

    Now to my plan for the UAS. I'm trying to decide between two ideas. First, I could just use the airstone and tie the screen to it very similar to Scott's pictures here: Thanks Scott! http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...t26-s-UAS-Test

    My second idea would be to feed my refugium with a MJ1200 with the venturi hose attached. The water/air output of the MJ would go through vinyl tubing to the bottom of my refugium. I would attach a small diameter (undecided on size) pvc to the vinyl tube. I would cut a slot in the pvc for the water/air to be pushed out of. I would attach the screen to the pvc (undecided on how) for the water/air to move up the screen. I'm also undecided on screen size and bulb wattage. The screen would be lit from behind the refugium and be one sided for now.

    My main concern here is bubbles and salt creep. I plan to insert a thin, flexible piece of acrylic into my sump to act as a baffle before my drain. It would fit snuggly into the tank against each side and rise above the water line but not above the height of the tank. I'm also going to get a piece of glass cut to fit perfectly on top of my refugium above the section before the baffle (the only part that should have bubbles in it). This glass top should keep most (I hope) of the salt creep from getting out of the tank.

    I would keep the rock in there along with the other macro algaes. I would expect the UAS to out-compete them for the nutrients and things would kind of take of themselves.

    A couple of things. I have a one year old and my wife is less than thrilled with me spending a bunch of time with my tank (which I'm fine with because I'd rather spend time with the family anyway). What I'm getting at is don't expect this to move along very fast. I do what I can, when I can. And, I'm battling an issue with my Apex at the moment which demands my free time. Second thing, feel free to rip my ideas a new one!!! :-) I'm okay with constructive criticism and welcome it seeing how I'm new to algae scrubbers and not an expert (yet) on reef tanks :-)

    Thanks for taking a look!!!

  10. #330
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    Air direct to the roots or the leaf? and what part is actually taking up the nutrients?
    Both. Any algae that grows needs turbulence, CO2, and light.

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