Finally! 90g scrubber - 40sq inches

[mess7777]

Good day all,

I finally got it done and built my scrubber this weekend. 5x8 screen, with a 23w CFL on each side. I need to get a reflector for the 2nd light fixture, at the moment it is bulb only.

I did the "loop" method introduced by Morgan. The saran wrap was key, without it I had more of a fountain than a waterfall! Thank goodness for that or it would have been a total failure.

I set it up on Saturday night and already have algae starting to grow, so far looks like it might even be the green kind! We shall see though, I won't be dissapointed if something else grows since the guidelines indicate green can take a few weeks to take hold.

Current set up has an insump undersized skimmer which does virtually nothing(my opinion). Despite this skimmer, water changes, ample live rock, attempts with filter socks, siphoning the sand bed, sump bottom etc I cannot control nitrates and phosphates.

N - 40ppm or more. API test kits are not good once you get past 20ppm....orange and orange/red are difficult to distinguish. Could be 60ppm even.
P - .5 !!!! I have traditionally been using Rowaphos in afilter bag which kept it lower(around .25) but I stopped it so I can see the scrubber do it's thing. After all once it gets that high is there really any difference, I can hold out a couple weeks while the scrubber takes hold.


I am very excited to think that in a month or two(amybe less, being conservative) I might finally have N and P under control.

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to get a good picture due to my sump design, this was the best I can do.

[sklywag]

Growth already in two days? Wow! A good wat to start growth although you don't seem to need it is to clean the glass and or tukey baste the rock where algae is growing. It'll then get in the overflow and get stuck on the screen.
We, or should I say I? Like full tank shots.

[mess7777]

FTS - why not.

unfortunately, i am a euphyllia lover but they don't love me. As you see they are doing poorly, maybe because of Phosphates and Nitrates being high. Hopefully the scrubber will take care of it and they will come back in time!



I do hope the scrubber makes me more proud of my tank, would love to be another success story. I have read a couple accounts of frogspawns doing poorly with ATS, hoping that it is the opposite effect for me!

[mess7777]

Another shot from this morning. I swear there is more growth just from today, maybe I will take a pic every morning before work and do a progression at week end.

[SantaMonica]

I've not heard that about frogspawn... just softies.

[MorganAtlanta]

If you put some black plastic (like from a trash bag) over the top to cover down to just below the edge of the loop, you won't get growth in the loop. Growth in the loop would mess up your flow.

[mess7777]

If you put some black plastic (like from a trash bag) over the top to cover down to just below the edge of the loop, you won't get growth in the loop. Growth in the loop would mess up your flow.

Thanks, that is the plan. The bags I do have are green and extremely transparent, i will install a black light blocking sheet when I clean it this weekend. photos from this morn, quite a bit more than yesterday.

[mess7777]

4 days in, starting to fill in nicely. First thoughts of a green screen are quickly turning to brown!! No big deal though, i have high nutrient levels so this was expected.

I will definitely need to block the light to the loop as algae is growing quickly in there which could disrupt the flow if it gets to be too much. Also the colors are not really that different between these two pics, they are taken with a blackberry so take it for what it's worth.

[Floyd R Turbo]

in the tank I ran it, frogspawns and hammers clamped up. I took them out and put them in my non-filtered tank and they are doing better. dunno why they just hate it.

Nice "morgan" pipe

[mess7777]

in the tank I ran it, frogspawns and hammers clamped up. I took them out and put them in my non-filtered tank and they are doing better. dunno why they just hate it.

Nice "morgan" pipe

no offence floyd, but i hope that doesn't happen to mine! Maybe other people can chime in to say if they experienced anything similar with frogspawn, hammers, etc.