Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
Organic phosphate IS food. So you can't eliminate it. But you can reduce it.
Your last report was that Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate tested zero, so that means it's too low for the test to measure. But phosphate is still high enough to let algae grow on the glass. Here's further improvements:
More scrubber flow.
More scrubber light (both sides)
More scrubber light hours (up to 18)
Scrubber screen not rough enough (algae letting go into water.)
Clean more often (twice a week if it's still dark brown).
Less lights in display.
Sand is not fine enough in display
Sand is not deep enough (should be more that 4", or less than 1/4")
Waste is settling somewhere because of not enough flow.
Not enough clean up crew to grind up waste.
And yes, feeding too much.
Your last report was that Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate tested zero, so that means it's too low for the test to measure. But phosphate is still high enough to let algae grow on the glass. Here's further improvements:
More scrubber flow.
More scrubber light (both sides)
More scrubber light hours (up to 18)
Scrubber screen not rough enough (algae letting go into water.)
Clean more often (twice a week if it's still dark brown).
Less lights in display.
Sand is not fine enough in display
Sand is not deep enough (should be more that 4", or less than 1/4")
Waste is settling somewhere because of not enough flow.
Not enough clean up crew to grind up waste.
And yes, feeding too much.
Update: Screen Sequence
Here is the typical sequence of algae on a new screen: First is a light brown coating, like a slime. After a week of that, you clean it lightly, and the next week you get a darker brown. After you clean that, you'll either get very dark brown/black stuff which stays very hard and thin, or you'll start getting some green hair. If it's the dark stuff, clean it right way (don't wait a week). After a few cleanings of this dark stuff, it too will start turning green. After a month or two, most of the growth will be green hair. If you start getting purple cyano on the screen, it means your light is too weak or too far away. If you start getting a hard yellowish plastic-like coating that covers the algae, it means your flow is too low in that area. If you start getting bald spots near your bulb, it means you are leaving your bulb on 24 hours, when you should be turning it off 6 hours a day. If you start getting round holes in your algae, it means pods are eating through it, because you are not using freshwater in your 7-day cleanings.
Here is the typical sequence of algae on a new screen: First is a light brown coating, like a slime. After a week of that, you clean it lightly, and the next week you get a darker brown. After you clean that, you'll either get very dark brown/black stuff which stays very hard and thin, or you'll start getting some green hair. If it's the dark stuff, clean it right way (don't wait a week). After a few cleanings of this dark stuff, it too will start turning green. After a month or two, most of the growth will be green hair. If you start getting purple cyano on the screen, it means your light is too weak or too far away. If you start getting a hard yellowish plastic-like coating that covers the algae, it means your flow is too low in that area. If you start getting bald spots near your bulb, it means you are leaving your bulb on 24 hours, when you should be turning it off 6 hours a day. If you start getting round holes in your algae, it means pods are eating through it, because you are not using freshwater in your 7-day cleanings.
G'day all
I'm in the process of building/setting up my first saltwater aquarium. After some research, I came across this site. I was fascinated. Anyhow, before I sent a lot of money on a skimmer, I decided to have a go at making one of these, since I had everything I needed for the build already.
Sure would appreciate your opinion SM. I’ve attached a small video of the setup. I’ve got the tank filled with fresh water in my workshop to test the plumbing etc. Oh yeah, if my math is right I would say it’s a 40 gallon tank.
turfscrub.flv video by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
I'm in the process of building/setting up my first saltwater aquarium. After some research, I came across this site. I was fascinated. Anyhow, before I sent a lot of money on a skimmer, I decided to have a go at making one of these, since I had everything I needed for the build already.
Sure would appreciate your opinion SM. I’ve attached a small video of the setup. I’ve got the tank filled with fresh water in my workshop to test the plumbing etc. Oh yeah, if my math is right I would say it’s a 40 gallon tank.
turfscrub.flv video by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
Hello, a few questions:
I was curious as to if one could use this with a Goldfish tank sump.
is this better than a Refugium?
How should i hook it up to my OFB? the line coming down from it has a split so like.. 1" pipe splits into 2 1/2" pipes and half goes to this thing and half to the sump or.... have a Y split and angle one of the splits straight down to a 1/2" and the main 1 inch goes into the sump and what ever capacity of that 1/2" gravity fed pipe is what goes to the scrubber?
thanks,
K.
I was curious as to if one could use this with a Goldfish tank sump.
is this better than a Refugium?
How should i hook it up to my OFB? the line coming down from it has a split so like.. 1" pipe splits into 2 1/2" pipes and half goes to this thing and half to the sump or.... have a Y split and angle one of the splits straight down to a 1/2" and the main 1 inch goes into the sump and what ever capacity of that 1/2" gravity fed pipe is what goes to the scrubber?
thanks,
K.
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Mud: Very nice setup. Looks like you overflow into the sump, then pump back up to the scrubber. Lighting is positioned perfect, although I can't tell what the bulbs are (make sure you use a timer). Flow looks good in the video, and will even-out as algae fills in. Looks good to go. Post some still-pics of the whole layout.
Cardboard: Yes you can use in FW. For the same size, a scrubber removes much more nutirents than any other biologically natural setup. Here one way to set it up:
Cardboard: Yes you can use in FW. For the same size, a scrubber removes much more nutirents than any other biologically natural setup. Here one way to set it up:
Here are some stills on my setup.
first the lights - they are 60watt equivalent (3 on each side of the screen). Fixture is homemade from plywood and old bathroom fixture and some aluminum duct work.
1 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
The scrubber sits inside a bracket made from acrylic (left over from building the overflow and sump)
2 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
and it then sits on top of the sump
3 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
water gets to the scrubber via the overflow. Flow is controlled by a ball value. Fully closed all the water goes to the scrubber, fully open and no water flows the to scrubber. This way I can clean the screen without switching off the pump. 75% closed seems to be about all the water the scrubber can handle.
4 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
The screen has it's own little tank
5 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
Here is another view of it connected up.
6 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
and it slides out...and hopefully one day I'll see some green stuff there.
7 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
SM, I was wondering. When I eventually do start loading the tank. Will the screen seed just from the live rocks that I intend to cure inside the tank. (although this will be awhile yet...I didn't realize these rocks are so expensive)
first the lights - they are 60watt equivalent (3 on each side of the screen). Fixture is homemade from plywood and old bathroom fixture and some aluminum duct work.
1 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
The scrubber sits inside a bracket made from acrylic (left over from building the overflow and sump)
2 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
and it then sits on top of the sump
3 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
water gets to the scrubber via the overflow. Flow is controlled by a ball value. Fully closed all the water goes to the scrubber, fully open and no water flows the to scrubber. This way I can clean the screen without switching off the pump. 75% closed seems to be about all the water the scrubber can handle.
4 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
The screen has it's own little tank
5 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
Here is another view of it connected up.
6 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
and it slides out...and hopefully one day I'll see some green stuff there.
7 picture by Mudcrabby - Photobucket
SM, I was wondering. When I eventually do start loading the tank. Will the screen seed just from the live rocks that I intend to cure inside the tank. (although this will be awhile yet...I didn't realize these rocks are so expensive)
No. The CO2 is pulled out of the water, not the air.
You can use whatever bulbs you can fit. 2700K works good. I'd put one T8 bulb every 5", or one T5 bulb every 4".
21 is right.
Make the height so the square inches equal the tank gallons. 21 inches wide X 10 inches tall = 210 inches square = 210 gal tank.
Yes it will. And that's a very neat build... easy to service... just shut off the valve and the water diverts to the sump, so you can pull the screen out without getting wet.
You can use whatever bulbs you can fit. 2700K works good. I'd put one T8 bulb every 5", or one T5 bulb every 4".
21 is right.
Make the height so the square inches equal the tank gallons. 21 inches wide X 10 inches tall = 210 inches square = 210 gal tank.
Yes it will. And that's a very neat build... easy to service... just shut off the valve and the water diverts to the sump, so you can pull the screen out without getting wet.
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A fuge is needed if you really want larger pods. A scrubber by itself will only deliver 7-day old baby pods specks.
The heavier waste (food) that settles in the sump can indeed add N and P, just like it would if it collected in a filter sock (but at least without a sock, lighter food and pods can continue circulating). After a while, however, bacteria will finish off the waste, and it will no longer rot. Best solution is a pump, like you said. Next best is vacuuming. Actually, the very best solution, nutrient-wise, is no sump at all; that keeps 100% of the waste (food) circulating throughout the corals/fish. But since that's not practical, a pump to stir things up is good.
The heavier waste (food) that settles in the sump can indeed add N and P, just like it would if it collected in a filter sock (but at least without a sock, lighter food and pods can continue circulating). After a while, however, bacteria will finish off the waste, and it will no longer rot. Best solution is a pump, like you said. Next best is vacuuming. Actually, the very best solution, nutrient-wise, is no sump at all; that keeps 100% of the waste (food) circulating throughout the corals/fish. But since that's not practical, a pump to stir things up is good.