Ongoing scrubber issues

[WannaRace]

I'm very tempted to do that, Ace, but the slot in my pipe is so perfect I don't want to mess it up :P

For practice, I've attempted one on another pipe and boy did I butcher it..

[WannaRace]

Well, bored on my day off, relaxing, thinking...

So, I planned everything very carefully and took my time with the work. I cut and scraped a new 5x5 canvas. I upgraded the pump and put it all together.

I cleaned out the slot pipe on the inside and there was a bunch of green sheets of algae that came out. Hopefully, this will remove some nutrients from the water that was flowing through there the whole time, but more importantly, helps start new growth. I opted out of seeding the screen with the old one just to see if this new start brings new algae.

Here we go!

[Garf]

I feel this is a good plan. Good luck

[WannaRace]

Here is my brand new screen at work:

WEEK 1


WEEK 2


*Screen is only lit on this side. Next week I will add another LED bulb on the other side.

I will be cleaning the screen at the 14 day mark, which is in two more days. So far, looking pretty good.

[WannaRace]

Did my first cleaning today. The screen was full of green hair algae, more than I've ever seen before. Going on another 2 week run and hoping to fill in the entire screen this time around.

[Kerry's Reef]

With ALK that low, your screen pH must be going up and down like a yoyo ! Your ALK consumption is a direct link to bicarbonate uptake. I would keep your cleaning very regular to keep growth reduced. This should allow the sodium bicarbonate to increase your KH to reasonable levels, then hopefully you'll get greenage on your screen.

A partial waterchange wouldn't do any harm either.

Edit - 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate is a lot in a low calcifying tank, how are you adding it ?

First off, I just wanted to say this has been a very interesting and informative thread and I've enjoyed following along. I do have a question regarding Wannaraces fluctuating Alk. I didn't see any tests for Mg in your (Wannarace's) tests...could your wild Alk swings be due to low Mg? Everything I've been reading recently on maintaining water parameters states that the Mg needs to be in the ideal range of 1280-1300 to maintain stable Alk. I ask because my own tanks parameters are very erratic atm and were before I started the scrubber on it. In my case, my cal is sky high due to my cement/oystershell/perlite walls, and, using tap water for top-offs, and, the alk and mag are swinging low in compensation (I think...I'm very much a newb as re; dosing and water chem!). I was going to do a large scale water change, but, I find wc too physically demanding at this time and I have not been able to do them. Instead, I'm trying to get my Mg and Alk in line and then see if the scrubber will bring the Cal down gradually without the water changes. (and if that works it will be a great testimony to the abilities of scrubbers to purify toxic water, lol!)

[WannaRace]

I do not have a test kit for Mg, so no, I have not tested nor dosed Mg.

I am going to check this out next, because in one day that I missed an Alk/Calc dose, my Alk dropped 2 Dkh. So something is amiss.

[Kerry's Reef]

Getting the Mg tests will certainly give you a better idea of what is happening with your tank. Even if the algae is causing the Alk swings, Mg should help stablise it more. Also, your current Alk readings may even be misleading as low Mg may be causing the reading to appear lower than they are. When my tank showed low Mg and low Alk, bringing up just the Mg caused the Alk readings to be higher. (Ok, I'm getting out of my depth here so I'm going to quit before I really stick my foot in it...just wanted to throw this out there as a possible place to research to help you get your water parameters balanced out.) :-D

[kerry]

I have not noticed a swing in Alk whether Mg is 1100 or 1500. Maybe its just my system?? I also dose a Gallon of saturated Kalk (with vinegar) a day to a 40G tank.

[WannaRace]

Just tested my Mag at 1380 so a 2 Dkh loss in alkalinity in one day is a normal swing in my tank I guess?