+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 7 1234567 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 62

Thread: Now Available: Screens you can buy

  1. #1
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566

    Now Available: Screens you can buy

    Update Oct. 14 2009:

    I finally have the plastic canvas, so I'm now making screens that are double-layered and roughed up. You can post your requirements here. This is the exact same screen setup that I tell people to make themselves, using a hole saw for the roughness. Cost will be 20 cents (0.20 USD) per square inch (6.25 square cm), plus shipping;






    Final screen version

    The previous screen material that I had people testing was starting to rip where the tie-wraps went through, so it was not working. I did find a custom manufactured solution to solve this, which used a solid sheet on the inside of the screen, but it was just too much money. So it looks like the best screen material for me to offer is extreme-roughened, double-layered, plastic canvas.

    As you know, if you already tried to rough up plastic canvas, all the work is in making it rough. You have to use a hole-saw (by hand), since sandpaper does not leave the "jagged" pieces that you want. You really need the jagged pieces which will grab hold of the algae, so the algae won't let go and fall into the water. This is of course because more algae growth (i.e, more filtering) means more weight. You DO want lots of algae (weight), but you DON'T want it to fall off of the screen. It should look like this:










    Since the prickly catcus-like parts don't show well on the camera, I did a towell-drop test on the canvas. Here is the roughed-up version:
    http://www.radio-media.com/fish/CanvasTowellDrop1.mpg

    Versus the smooth version:
    http://www.radio-media.com/fish/CanvasTowellDrop2.mpg


    And both sides of both layers needs to be rough, so that algae will stay on the inside (between the layers) of the screen after you clean the outsides. And since the algae stays on the inside of the screen, you can clean the outside as hard as you want (scrape all the algae off) without worrying about "keeping some algae on the the screen".

    So since this material has already been proven by hundreds of people who are using it right now (athough I never see it roughed up enough), it is just a matter of how much money is fair for a completed screen. If there is enough interest, then I'll start selling them.

    It looks like I can make them for 20 cents per square inch. This is equal to:

    0.20 USD per square inch
    .032 USD per square cm
    2.65 MXN per square inch
    0.43 MXN per square cm
    0.22 CAD per square inch
    .035 CAD per square cm
    0.14 EUR per square inch
    .023 EUR per square cm
    0.12 GBP per square inch
    0.02 GBP per square cm
    0.28 NZD per square inch
    0.45 NZD per square cm
    0.28 SGD per square inch
    .045 SGD per square cm
    1.49 ZAR per square inch
    .024 ZAR per square cm
    1.31 FRF per square inch
    0.21 FRF per square cm
    2.20 NLG per square inch
    0.35 NLG per square cm
    70.0 PHP per square inch
    11.2 PHP per square cm


    Shipping would be extra of course. Also, the screen area is just the finished screen size; you don't have to think about the multiple layers. So as an example:

    A 10 X 10 inch screen = 100 square inches = $20 USD = $265 MXN = $22 CAD etc.
    A 40 X 60 cm screen = 2400 square cm = $76.80 USD = $1032 MXN = $84 CAD etc.
    A 3 X 6 inch nano screen = 18 square inches = $3.60 USD = $48 MSN = $3.96 CAD etc.

    So post on here if you would get one at this price. There needs to be enough people otherwise it is not worth setting up to do it. If there is enough interest (at this price), then I will make them.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Canterbury, UK
    Posts
    426

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Sounds like a good idea, my screen was never rough enough, so a few weeks ago instead of cleaning half of the screen I used a whole saw to rough up the areas I was cleaning, which also had the affect of cleaning that area too. A week later instead of getting slime algaes, which I've been getting a bit too much of in the last month, the macro green algaes started to grow, really fast too, and only where it was roughed up more. So the next cleaning roughed up the other half of the screen (I do it in horizontal strips as mine is one sided), but it's clearly obvious that even roughed up with sandpaper the plastic mesh grows more slime algae than others, but as soon as it's roughed up, as above, then more useful algaes grow pretty fast.
    Would you offer one sided, double layered roughing for a little less, otherwise it seems a little expensive for single sided (e.g. mine is 22"x30"=660 sq in)?

  3. #3
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566

    Re: Screens you can buy

    You actually would not want roughing on just one side. You need the algae roots to get down between the canvas layers and grab hold. This requires roughing on all sides. And a single-sided screen may need roughing on all sides even more than a double-sided screen, because there is no algae on the bottom side to connect with the algae on the top; thus the top will let go faster.

    By the way, if you had a rough enough screen, you would not have to clean in strips; you could clean the whole thing down to the plastic, but there would be plently of green hair holding on inside the screen to do the filtering.

    Green hair needs the roughest screen because green hair sticks out into the flowing water like a bush in the wind, and gets swept away. It's just now being seen how important a rough screen is. But that's what gives green hair a lot of surface area in contact with the water. Also, being transluscent, green hair does not block as much light.

    Yours is a giant screen, and would take a whole day to make. Also, if the hole saw slips, you end up cutting through a big piece of canvas and would have to do the whole thing again. I wish I could do it for less, but it's too much work. I'm sure there are plenty of volunteers that would do it for you though.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    39

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Hi Santa
    Would love a screen, first though, the acrylic box. Im setting up a new system of about 250UK gallons net of liverock but not incl. 40gal. refugium/sump and want to run a remote scrubber acrylic box like your personal one or the similar design you presented on here.

    So I need to get one made and then fit the screen. Would a screen of 28"x9" be good or could I get away with less (once a week clean is the aim) Seem's like a big screen!, im thinking a 30" long box and 10" high and 4" wide to accomodate a 2"drain(plus bulkhead) for gravity return. Pipe coming in from pump around 1".

    What do you think? Can I get away with a smaller screen? plus theres an inch or so to fit into the pipework!
    What you consider the size to be, i'll take one let me know.
    Dan

  5. #5
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566

    Re: Screens you can buy

    30 X 10 is good. Is about 1" per gallon. You want two separate screens though, so you could split it vertically and clean one each week. Make the box 5" wide, so you can look down into, and get a wiper down into, the box (without removing the screen). You need at least 150 total watts (75 per side) for medium filtering; I'd use 30" T5 bulbs, 3 on each side. A 2" drain should work, but 2.5" would be better. You'll need at least 1000gph going through the pipe.

    A screen for this would be straight-forward. Just make sure the design lets you lift the screen out easily.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Posts
    39

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Thanks Santa,

    Because the scrubber box is using gravity drainage return, it will be up high, so getting above and cleaning in situ would be cumbersome. I would be dissconnecting at the union and lifting the screen/feed pipe out (leaving box in situ)to take to the sink for cleaning down on one side for that week and then cleaning each side alternate weeks, is that right?

    Correct me if im wrong, two screens are roughed up, glued/stuck together somehow to make a thick base for algae to grow. Then insert into pipe, cable tie in for permanence, then lift out each week for alternate side cleaning? So thats ONE screen essentially (two permanently fixed together)? Will this still be ok given your idea for splitting two verticle screens and cleaning one each week?

    Thanks for the spec sizes, lighting and flow rate, will design to this spec.

    Once im clear on the final spec I can go ahead and find someone to build the box and let you know re the screen.

  7. #7
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Correct except you only cable-tie the screen, not glue.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Posts
    1

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Hi Santa

    Would love a screen to. I made an acrylic box just like yours. My screen has been running for 4 months now and its just slime algea. Have been noticing white stuff growing on it, don't know what it is I'll post pics later.

    Regards

  9. #9
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566

    Re: Screens you can buy

    Yes post some pics. Are you cleaning every week?

  10. #10

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    20

    Re: Screens you can buy

    i would get a screen. My current screen is double layered, would i need to get 2 screens or only 1 since it is really roughed up?
    I tried to rough mine up, it looks rough, but not nearly as much as your picture.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 7 1234567 LastLast

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