The new Upflow Algae Scrubber (UAS)

[kerry]

I have been to busy to get one going!! Its killing me!!! Anyway have you thought about using one of those round disc like air stones? I think I might do that.

[SantaMonica]

Any stone should work. I just thought the long ones would be easier to attach tie wraps.

[Floyd R Turbo]

no you wouldn't want to do that, because the air would only hit the screen that was directly over the disc, 90% of the bubbles would miss it. Unless you had the screen slanted. However then you may only have a single-sided screen, as eventually the algae would grow over it and bubbles would not make it thorough the screen material, leaving the other side to die.

[SantaMonica]

As the bubbles rise, however, they narrow their path and "suck up" to the screen.

[jnad]

Cut the screen so it's only as wide as the bubbles. And you can put a sheet of black or flexible reflector behind it.

Tried to cover up the light with a sheet of black pvc today but the pvc float. I have to use something that not float

Is the flexible reflector safe to use in the tank?

Jnad

[SantaMonica]

I had it in my sump for a few months.

[SantaMonica]

I think the bright green growth is preferred by pods. I've noticed that if I'm not feeding a lot, and the growth is not a lot, it will get bald spots on the screen.

[SantaMonica]

Who gets to report the first specs of green?

[Floyd R Turbo]

Funny you should ask, I just got home and checked it, will post a pic on my thread in a sec...specs of brown right now actually

[MorganAtlanta]

I started on a 1-ish cube in-tank UAS, but it will be a couple weeks until the LEDs come in. One trick is that the tank is in my son's bedroom, so the scrubber needs to have virtually zero light leakage. I've got an acrylic box mostly done. It looks a bit like an overflow box, but the flow will come in the bottom and out the slots at the top. The box is around 5.5"x11". The screen will be roughly 5x7, single sided, with the lights on the outside of the tank. Magnets on the acrylic box will match up with magnets on the heatsink to hold them both in place. The plan is to put it on a 15 gallon freshwater tank to start with, but I'm hoping to start a 30-ish gallon nano reef before too long. The in-tank UAS, will turn any tank into an all-in-one. Pretty cool.