Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#621
May 11, 2011
1,854
1
0
Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#621
SantaMonica said:
Cool! Hope to see pics....
Click to expand...
Here are some pics, the horizontal is on my Nano 10G, Nitrate level is 5-10PPM with no water change this week seeing there is no need to. This filter was just cleaned a day ago, its been about 4 weeks since I set it up and cleaning the screen weekly or sooner due to brown algae. Before the ATS my nano 10G NEVER had nitrate under 40PPM. The pic of the large ATS is one for my 150G freshwater, I am waiting for bulkheads I have order from US Plastics. I hope to have good results with the FW 150G as well!!
 

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KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#623
May 11, 2011
1,854
1
0
Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#623
SantaMonica said:
With two bulbs between the screen, it should do well. Not as well as a single screen with bulbs on both sides, but still good.

Congrats on the nano too...
Click to expand...
Hello Sir,
The two screen will have three lights. Its up and running now with only two for now. Getting parts this weekend to make the inner light water proof. The Nano is the best its been thanks to your work and info on this subject. Thank you so Much!!!! I have always said for years that I do not like the idea of filtering water you just filtered back though the stuff (POO) you just removed from it?????!!!!!! However, on my freshwater I do not think I can get away from some type of floss or sponge filter.
 

SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Large Fish
#624
Sep 15, 2008
545
2
18
Santa Monica, CA, USA
www.AlgaeScrubber.net
#624
For those who are using tap water for top-off or water changes:

Tap water sometimes contains copper to kill unwanted things. Algae eats copper, as long as the copper is not added to much, too fast. If the copper is added too much, too fast, it will stop the algae from growing for a while. So to prevent your scrubber from being affected by this, try to make sure you have as much algae on your screen(s) as possible when you add the tap water. In other words, don't clean your screen(s) before you add the tap water.
 

KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#625
May 11, 2011
1,854
1
0
Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#625
Update on my scrubber! The 10 gallon nano reef/mix is down to zero to zero-ish nutrients solid (even after a heavier feeding schedule change started 2 weeks ago) ,I hit the zero mark at about 4 weeks, now its about 6-7 weeks in to it. I just started a 40 gallon salt tank two weeks ago as well. I took my dual screen i had just started on my 150G fresh water and converted that to a single screen to put on my new 40G SW. After two weeks the nutrients are still at zero, no cycle at all yet, I do not think I will get any spike in nutrients with this set-up. I will keep you all posted on the 40G cycle. See ya!
 

SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Large Fish
#627
Sep 15, 2008
545
2
18
Santa Monica, CA, USA
www.AlgaeScrubber.net
#627
KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#628
May 11, 2011
1,854
1
0
Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#628
This was a dual screen for my Fresh water 150G but, I pulled it off and converted it to a single screen for my 40G salt water tank. Notice the 2" pipe returning to the tank. I put the tank end in boiling water so I could squeeze it down to fit between my glass cover and rear glass. The larger pipe also makes it very quiet, no gurgling or surge noise as it drains, it free flows right to the display. Its kind of a crappy pic, sorry. Its a temp set-up until I build an acrylic box. Also note with the dip down elbows, there is no reason to use orings on the pipe to seal it. This setup will not leak back out of the pcv.
2011-06-24_22-27-12_606.jpg
 

KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#632
May 11, 2011
1,854
1
0
Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#632
Its been about 5 weeks (started the weekend before fathers day) or so and the green hair algae has stopped growing in my 40G. Yeah!!! Its all receding, maybe just a few percent left at the base of a couple rocks that my coral beauty snacks on. Just amazing. Started this 40G salt from Jump with an ATS. IT NEVER CYCLED!!! I have little pods, tiny feather dusters, and other critters thriving like crazy. Coraline already starting to spread across the tank. Nutrients are always zero to just barely detectable on both the 10g and 40g. Also a note on the 40G, I never had to do a water change yet!!! No test results ever got past barely detectable. I have been dabbling with an ATS on a 10 gallon Freshwater as well. Same results so far. I am building a bigger one for my 150G FW in a few weeks and will keep everyone posted.
 

SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Large Fish
#637
Sep 15, 2008
545
2
18
Santa Monica, CA, USA
www.AlgaeScrubber.net
#637
A reminder about lighting:

Stronger lighting is always better, until you start "burning" the algae. Burned algae will be yellow, because it is getting too much light but not enough nutrients from the flow. More light requires more nutrients, which give you more filtering.

So if you have yellow growth, increase the flow so that more nutrient are delivered to the algae. If you can't increase flow, then add some iron. If you can't add iron, then reduce the number of hours the lights are on. Do not reduce the wattage, however; stronger light for less hours is better than weaker light for more hours, because weaker light will grow darker algae. Stronger light grows bright green algae, which does the most filtering.
 

S

SaltWick

New Fish
#638
Aug 21, 2011
3
0
0
Missouri
#638
I am setting up a new 90g tank. I am getting an Eshopps Refugium rated for 125g - 225g. Is there any reason why I can't have the overflow from my main tank go to the first compartment of the sump, have a 350gph pump in that compartment pumping water to a 1" pvc pipe (and still have some overflow into the refugium) that will go up and over the second compartment where the plastic screen (10" wide by 10" long) will hang over the refugium (and into the water about an inch)? This would then have a 26w 2700k cfl flood lamp on front and back to light the screen and refugium at the same time. Then overflow into the third compartment where a pump rated for 700gph at a 4 foot head will pump the water back to the main tank.
 

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