This RAIN4 screen has a giant growth ring which protects the center section from light-blocking and flow-blocking that often happens otherwise (see http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...3-Growth-Rings )
This RAIN4 screen has a giant growth ring which protects the center section from light-blocking and flow-blocking that often happens otherwise (see http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...3-Growth-Rings )
All other waterfall algae scrubber designs (which we created in 2008; see Ats2008.org) require you to disconnect and disassemble the unit to get to the growth on the bottom tray. This was a problem. The RAIN2 and RAIN4, which we created to solve this issue, allow you to lift off the LED dome lid with one hand so you can observe any growth on the tray, and then you can lift the tray off of the water pipe also with one hand (as shown) to take it to your sink. And you never have to turn off the water flow when doing this.
One-handed removal of the RAIN2 (or the RAIN4) dome LED lid lets you get to the growth easily. In this photo, the water pipe is turned a bit so the growth is more visible. And now, with one more hand you can lift the tray and all the growth out, or remove the red cap and slide the screen out. Without turning off the water or disconnecting anything else.
Answer to question: Because in saltwater, scrubbers absorb nutrients much faster than chaeto refugiums and thus can be about 5 times smaller; and for freshwater, chaeto does not grow at all (the only other option is plants)
A rather packed RAIN2. Imagine if you had to clean this out of a scrubber box.
RAIN2 which looks like the first week operating in high-nutrient water. One of the GEM5 lights is turned on, at the bottom on one side. Note the good even flow of water off the bottom of the screen.
RAIN2 screen which has too much light, even though only a lower GEM5 light is turned on. Orange growth is from too much light, and not enough iron or other nutrients. The screen holes need to be brushed out, and some iron or nori can be added to the tank.
A full screen of light-green Cladophora species growth on a RAIN4 (tm) waterfall algae scrubber. Note the bottom of the tray is at the waterline, making it silent, while still allowing space below the tray to put things. There is good flow, but it is not very visible because it's inside the growth.
RAIN2 waterfall algae scrubber from a saltwater sump, showing black slime growth that has just been brushed clean. Dark and black slime like this should be brushed completely off, including out of the screen holes, because the slime cannot hold on well to a waterfall screen (it can however hold on well to Green Grabber rocky textures in upflow models).
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...he-best-filter
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...-it-looks-like
RAIN2 being scraped with a credit card, after being lifted up out of the tray:
RAIN4 in the first growth cycle
https://youtu.be/DDKAQ66tG2M
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