I need help!! The algae in my scrubber is dying!!!

[xeunsfreeman]

Here is the situation. I made a simple scrubber with four T5 light on both side. I follow most the old design and it work great with my marble goby aquarium. But for my second tank, my algae is like disintegrating. My second tank water seems to turn green easily and nitrate is way of the chart since the algae is dying. Please help!!! oh yes, the algae in my scrubber is nearly two weeks old and they are brown like colour.

 

[KcMopar]

You need to clean the screen if the algae is falling off and be sure its SUPER rough. You might need more light or flow? How many watts, screen size, and GPH across the screen??

 

[xeunsfreeman]

yeah... I am doing the cleaning now. one t5 light of mine is 14 watts so around 56 watts on the system since I got 4 T5 light install. My screen is 64 cm in height and 38 cm in width. Err... what is GPH? But I agree that the flow is slow and it is not covering the entire screen at all. I will install another pump and see how it go.. thanks for the attention.

 

[KcMopar]

Your width is 15 inches. So you need a pump that will deliver 450GPH at the head (height) you have it over the tank. I you get one that will do about 700GPH you should be safe if your height of head is not more then a couple feet or so. Also you need to almost double the light, You have about 375 inches of screen so you need that much in wattage too. So you need about 188 watts per side. See this Algae Scrubbers • View topic - New sizing guidelines .

 

[xeunsfreeman]

OH MY GOD!!
Thanks for the info... I need to cut down on the size ... I have 2 pump with 1380 L/H, 23W. How do I convert it to GPH? Is GPH Gallon per hour? Is it enough? I need to buy an even better light too.

Thanks for the info.

 

[KcMopar]

How big is your tank and how much do you feed? Your pump does 364 GPH each at zero feet pumping height, so if you have to pump water up this amount goes down.

 

[xeunsfreeman]

My tank is 36 inch in length, 18 inch width and 18 inch height. I feed 3 pinches of small fish pellets for my baby fishes. I have a Mystus spp. in it. Two to three feet the length of the tube from the pump to the filter. Hope there is enough info.

 

[KcMopar]

Looks like you could get away with a small screen 3"x4". Although if your fish get bigger or you plan on getting more critters and feeding more you need to use a bigger screen. I have the same tank you do and have a 9x6 screen that works great.


An example VERTICAL waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:

1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen)
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen)
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen)
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen)
10 square inches (50 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen)
5 square inches (50 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen)
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen)
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)

 

[xeunsfreeman]

With your guidance now I can really start rearing successfully some fishes I like. The challenge for my country now is to find the light that have enough watt for my screen. I have to go light shopping this weekend. . Plan to get LED light but its so expensive here although I know its more powerful and last much longer then normal T5 light.

 

[KcMopar]

I built my own LED light. I used the red 660nm LED's that are offered on ebay. They also have the power supply to run them and I got the heat sink and adhesives for the LED's at rapidled.com. I am happy to have helped!!! You are welcome. I and many others here are always here to lend a hand.

 

[xeunsfreeman]

Built own LED light?? Can I build one too?? Can you teach me?? Its so much easier to build one that fit my requirement then to buy one that is so hard to fit my screen...

 

[KcMopar]

There are many threads here for building lights.

 

[xeunsfreeman]

Is it possible to use this LED link How to make a LED Flashlight bulb - for 2, 1.5 volt batteries (3 volts total) Photo Gallery by dloftus at pbase.com for my LED design? I am no electrician so I am just testing around. The design for a flashlight so is it possible to use it?

 

[KcMopar]

I do not think that will get it, check out this link: Algae Scrubbers • View forum - Designs . Also check out: Rapid LED Home Page

 

[xeunsfreeman]

Thank you so much !!! My Algae is growing so well!! Thank you again!!

 

[eric8x]

I have the same tank you do and have a 9x6 screen that works great.

 

[xeunsfreeman]

I am still using my T5 fluorescent light but I shrink down my screen to 6x25... It still not enough of wattage coverage but it has a splendid growth already. My Mystus spp. is about 1kg in weight so I do not think an 9x6 screen can support that fish with the amount of baby fishes its eating.