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Thread: How do I get even screen flow?

  1. #41
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    Nice growth... must be a record here. The growth on the left half of the screen is perfect spaghetti-type algae.

    Your other macros are still there because you are still just not scrubbing strong enough. A scrubber can only pull out nutrients based on how many photons of light it is receiving. Although your one bulb may seem bright, and it may seem to be growing a lot, it could grow much more. There are definately enough nutrients in the water do do it, otherwise the other macros would be gone.

    Doubling the bulbs would give twice the number of light-photons per unit area, thus allowing it to pull twice the nutrients out per unit time. Of course, this would fill up the screen twice as fast. In your case, however, it seems like your screen is already physically maxed out in 7 days (is probably undersized), so the double-bulbs would loose their growth effect after the screen started getting thick (because of shading).

    The important thing is if your tank is the way you want. But if you really want to out-compete the other macros (without adding screen size), you could double the bulbs and start doing 3D scrubbing, which artificially gives more "area" or "volume" for the algae to grow and contact the water. You do this by raising the level of water in the box to about 1/3 the height of the box. As the algae grows, the bulk of it will start backing up the water even more, and the water level will rise even higher. As the level approaches the top of the box, the algae will be fully filled-out from top to bottom and from screen to wall; you will then have the most filtering power that you can have with that size screen. Actually could try this without adding bulbs too.

    It gets to be a delicate balance when you are trying to extract the most power possible out of a given size. The power maxes out when the box is full to the top with algae and water, but then you have to watch overflowing, and then, as soon as you clean it, the power drops.

    As for long term ionic balance (except of course for cal, alk, mag and str), it ends up being the same as the ocean, since algae is what controls the balance in the ocean too. In other words, the more algae-based your filtering is, the more your system is like the natural ocean (which is all algae based). The algae remove ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, inorganic nitrate, inorganic phosphate, metals (like copper, aluminum and iron), and CO2 out of the water. Alkalinity may in some cases be decreased (depending on your system's aeration), because of algae's slight use of bicarbonate to get CO2 when there is not enough CO2 in the water. Lastly, organic molecules are put into the water: Carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, enzymes, lipids, and these amino acids: valine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, methionine, aspartate, glutamate, serine, alanine, and proline, which are what corals need.

    So in addition to your normal cal, mag and maybe strontium additions (which are not algae related), you'll want to check and keep the alk up, by adding baking soda. I add about a half cup of baking soda a week to mine. So based on how much aeration your system has, you'll want to add up to about 3 or 4 cups a week. Just go by the alk tests. Also, if your growth ever starts to yellow, you can just add a little iron to make it green again.

  2. #42

    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    Thanks for the detailed reply. Very interesting re long term Ionic balance. Strontium I have not measured or looked into yet. What about Iodine, whats your thoughts on it?

    Just to confirm, the T-8 single tube is over the refugium macros, on the scrubber I run 4 T-5 tubes on a D-D Razorlight, thats 4x39 watts 3000k tubes, two either side, hence the reason I'm getting such tremendous growth from 300 sq. in. of screen and zero Nitrates/Phosphates.

  3. #43
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    Ah ok, but the extra bulbs concept can still apply.

    Iodine is used by algae, but is supplied by nori, if you feed it. I have not done any testing for Iodine.

  4. #44

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    Hi mate,

    very nice setup. What type of lighting set are you using?

  5. #45

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    Sep 2009
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    Sorry for late reply. I use the twin Razor lights form D-D (Gieseman). One 30" twin T-5 light each side for 156 watts total to light a 300 square inch screen (10"x30"). Produces strong algae growth, cleaned every 7 days to keeps no3 and po4 at 0.

  6. #46

    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Re: How do I get even screen flow?

    OMG

    thats great!!!!!!!!!

    you are using only 156 watts on a total 300 sq inch and you have that much grow?

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