DROP1.4

[SantaMonica]

A big benefit of natural algal filtration is that it grow pods, naturally. So not only does the algae absorb ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, CO2 and metals, but copepods and amphipods get lots of natural food (that's what they eat - algae) so they multiply a lot. And they are protected inside the scrubber, until they fall out of the holes. And, the amphipods get to eat the copepods too. Bristleworms and fireworms get to eat everything. Then the tube worms and forams (foraminifera) stretch out into the turbulent flow to catch food particles. Natural reef rock is covered with all this stuff in the periphyton which grows on the rocks (at least until it's lifted out into the air, which kills a lot of it.)

Here, our DROP1.4 scrubber® has been running for months in a saltwater reef pond, and was never cleaned. So the life developed naturally in it, and consumed the algae as fast as it grew which is why there is not much growth visible. If you want natural food production, this is how to do it. But only do it with an upflow scrubber, because a waterfall will let go of the growth down the drain.

For filtering, you would want to clean/harvest periodically and not let it continue to grow. Cleaning, especially in freshwater, removes most of the pods so there is less consumers of the growth, and thus more growth to absorb nutrients.

[SantaMonica]

Update: Since the Fusion 700 air pump is no longer available, the Danner AP-4 is now recommended for most scrubbers, except the SURF4 or 4x which can use a Danner AP-8, and the SURF8 which needs a large single-outlet pump.

Note that all HOG and DROP models have 1 air inlet, therefore the 2 outlets of the Danner AP-4 pump can be combined into 1 with a "T" or "Y" fitting, and this will give you a lot of air which can still be reduced with the control knob. If you don't want to combine the outlets, then the smaller Danner AP-3 pump has only 1 outlet, but it also does not have a control knob.

https://www.dannermfg.com/supreme-ox...lume-air-pumps

[SantaMonica]

Most algae scrubbers have lots of light escaping, even with light blockers. But look how dark our DROP scrubber is; only one dot of red light out the top.

[SantaMonica]

This DROP1.4 growth is beyond green or dark green, and is approaching brown or black which absorbs the most nutrients per gram of weight.

[SantaMonica]

This DROP1.4 scrubber® has just been brushed clean in the sink. Looks like the black shade screen has been used, but it should not be, because the dark growth means it needs more light, not less.

[SantaMonica]

This DROP1.4 is dealing with lots of high nutrients in the water

[SantaMonica]

This is a good example of how a thin coating of slime in the left photo (with the black shade screen to reduce light), after a few brushings/cleanings, can fill with green hair algae on the right.

[SantaMonica]

This black plastic shade screen from a DROP (tm) scrubber even has growth on it. Once removed, all the growth will be on the white Green Grabber® rocky surfaces.

[SantaMonica]

This DROP1.4 or 1.4x shows how the strong PAR of the GEM5® lights on the side walls burn through the dark thick slime. This slime should have been brushed out sooner, but since it's here, the red 660nm light continues to shine through and thus filtering continues. Note that this slime would have already fallen off the screen of a waterfall scrubber (because it's above the water) but bubble upflows like this DROP are under water and thus the water supports the slime and keeps it from escaping. This is one reason why you don't see slime as often on waterfalls... because the slime has already fallen off and gone down the drain.