Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[SantaMonica]

Here's an idea: How about a directory of scrubber builders, with the following info on each builder:


Location:

City
State
Country

Material that the builder knows how to use:

PVC
Plastic
Acrylic
Glass

Components that the builder knows how to build:

Pipe
Screen
Frame for floppy screens
Bucket for screen
Box for screen
Sumps/Fuges with Scrubbers
HOB Scrubbers
HOT Scrubbers
LED Scrubbers


Misc:

Turn-around-time
Price range
Experience (number of scrubbers built)
Guarantees (if any)
Customer help after the sale
References
Misc items available (pump, timer, fan, unions, clips, etc)
Example drawings available?
How large/small can builder handle?


One problem with posting a directory is that it will need constant updating and re-posting. Would there be a better way to do it than posting in a thread? I could host it on my site where I put all the pics, or I could put it on the algae scrubber site. But ideal would be being able to post it here, and be able to edit it here.

 

[GlaringToast]

Scrubber Build

I am in the process of building a scrubber for my aquarium, I'm fairly new to salt water so please if someone has something to say be nice about it. I've dealt with almost nothing but a$$holes since I started this hobby because I don't have a degree in Marine Biology. Anyway, I am a pretty skilled DIYer and I love building stuff. I will definately post some pics of my scrubber when completed. I dont have a fitting to connect the input to mine as of right now so the project is at a stand still as I have gone completely broke...boooo. Anyway it's a project out of spare parts and stuff i've found so it's not amazing in the aesthetics department but it's not terrible. I would be interested in building these for people but money is a little bit of an issue lately. Let me know if I can help. If I could this for a little bit of extra cash on the side it would help me and them out. I know I'm babbling so I'll quit hahaha. Thanks for the idea SantaMonica and let me know what you think!

 

[SantaMonica]

Will be neat to see your homegrown version. That was my first one... the tubing was held to the waterfall pipe with packing tape. There is no pressure after all.

Soon as I figure out how/where to create a directory, we'll put you in it.

 

[GlaringToast]

Flow for scrubber

Is it okay to have MORE flow than you need? I understand you need at least a certain amount but I read through the whole forum yesterday and didn't see anywhere where it said that you can't have MORE flow.

 

[SantaMonica]

Can't have too much flow or light.

 

[GlaringToast]

Filter is done.

Aesthetics was not a huge factor but I tried to tidy it up a little bit. Light running are 13 watt CF and a random super bright CF, just checkin to see how it works as i'm going to replace them with the 120 equivalents once I have some money. I also have a I believe t5 or t4 (not super high power but lights pretty decent) fluorescent light on the BOTTOM of the container. Like I said previously I need to wait to hook it up until I find the funds for a barbed fitting. then all will be well *celebrate*celebrate I have some red slime already and I've had some nitrite and nitrate problems and this tank has only been up almost 2 months. I'm hoping this will take care of a lot of this. I also tried to tell my girl friend's brother in law about this for his green hair algae overtaken tank and he said it was a stupid idea so I want to rub it in his face when it works. Thanks Santa Monica and let's hope all goes well. Gimme some comments on the build (keep in mind, it's not my most attractive work but it won't be in sight most likely.)

GlaringToast

 

[SantaMonica]

Screen looks like a nice build. Certainly big enough if lit both sides. Novel idea putting in the bottom light... if you can keep the bottom clean, it might help. You'll want as little water in the box as possible, so the exposed screen gets near the bottom light.

 

[GlaringToast]

Agreed, i was wondering if I should drill the 90 degree barb at the top for quicker water flow attach an airline tube to it or something.

 

[SantaMonica]

For what? Air?

 

[SantaMonica]

Ok here is a directory template; If you would like to be listed as a scrubber builder, copy and paste the below info into a PM to me (do not post it here on the thread). I'll compile it from there...



Location (fill in)

Country:
State:
City:

Material that the builder has worked with (delete the rest)

PVC
Plastic
Acrylic
Glass

Components that the builder has built (delete the rest)

Pipe
Screen
Frame for floppy screens
Bucket for screen
Box for screen
Sumps/Fuges with Scrubbers
HOB Scrubbers
HOT Scrubbers
LED Scrubbers


Misc (fill in)

Turn-around-time:
Price range:
Experience (number of scrubbers built):
Guarantees (if any):
Customer help after the sale:
References:
Misc items available (pump, timer, fan, unions, clips, etc):
Example drawings available:
How large/small can builder handle:

Contact (fill in)

Phone:
Email:
Personal or Business Website:
Forum Username:
Forum Website:

 

[GlaringToast]

air flow

Don't you get faster flow with an air inlet? Like when you try to empty a gallon jug by flipping it upside down it has trouble as opposed to when you let as much air flow as water.

 

[SantaMonica]

No, it won't help at all. No air is trapped in this system.

 

[SantaMonica]

.
This is a big Success Of The Day: "zennzzo" on the MFK site has the first freshwater scrubber success story of any thread, and he did it with a solar powered scrubber! Has has an outdoor inflatable pond that went from this:

To this...

... and it's still improving. He's in Southern California, and here are the pertinent parts of his build:


10/10: Subscribed for sure. I'm going to try this oustside in the sunlight...I would think there is enough light?

10/12: I am building one right now with plexi sheet. Started with a 1/8th sheet of clear plexi. 32" x 15" = 480 sq. inches. (good for a 650gal huh?) I sanded the plexi sheet with 40 grit in a cross-hatch pattern. Did the frame with 3/4" PVC pipe and couplings. I cut the slots with a table saw for the water to flow and used zip ties to keep it in place. A 1/2" hose barb for the water inlet on a "T". I'm building the stand so it will set in a small rubbermaid tote. I'll run a submersible pump with prefilter via hose to the 1/2" hose barb, then I will plumb an overflow, 1" gravity fed, a few inches off the bottom of the tote, back to the pond. These are pics of what I have so far...

10/13: [Realized he needed screen and not plexi] Plastic Needlepoint canvas...piece of cake, WalMart carries that. Does the holes per inch matter?, because the thicker it is, the larger the holes are. [Answer: Not really]

10/15: [Will be in] direct sunlight aprox 7 hrs. AM sun on one side and PM sun on the other... southern exposure.

10/16: "sunshine on my scrub-ber, makes me hap-py" **

 

[SantaMonica]

After rubbing what green Algae I could scrape up, into the mesh like a caveman, the water is now running full width, and it looks slimey(?) shiney. [Flow is] 400-450 I would have to estimate, possibly more. I used a table saw with a carbide tipped blade for the slot and cross-cuts...Make [the pipe] longer than you need so you have something to hang onto while you are sawing the slot. The cross cuts are 1" apart and the blade height was set at 1/4" for the 3/4" - sch 20 PVC pipe.

I am chalking the ground to see if there is better exposure time about 80-90 degrees counter clockwise.

10/22: Woooot! OK we have what looks like the start of something very interesting. Here's the thing... it's down at the bottom where it gets the least amount of direct sunlight...??

The canvas was seeded with what I could, and then rinsed thoroughly. That's something you said in the thread. There was no visable green on that canvas [when started].

10/26: 10 days out, no foil, no mirriors, just good ol sunlight. I did move the tub 45 degrees counter clockwise to pick up more direct sun...

There are 4 medium KOI in there, and it's cycled. Just recently, 2-3 days ago? Algae took off in the pond almost over night.

10/30: day 15, pure solar power. this is what she looks like now...

I didn't see anything for a week, and then it started as a little bloom on just one square. After seeing where the growth pattern is, I would have used some 10 grit carbide paper on the plastic...the rougher the surface the easier the initial the spores can attach. The top where the plastic canvas goes into the spraybar, got scratched the most from fitting and re-fitting the screen...it has thick green algae on it and it is shaded alot of the time. So in summary, go as rough as possible on the prep...I say. See the high spots of the grid? I wish I would have sanded the crap out of it with bigger grit. I'm still getting good flow across the canvas anyhow.

11/1: same position 17 days from virgin screen. Seems the last 48 hours has been a bit overcast and the screen looks fuller...anybody else think so?...

 

[SantaMonica]

11/4: here ya go, 20 days out. funny thing is it's been overcast and it rained a couple of days...

11/6: 21 days out, and now it is filling in with dark slimey looking stuff. And here is side view of the frame...

11/9: 25 days out... The algae [in the pond] is receding. 3 days ago [the pond] was totally covered. Like Magic it is disappearing. And this pond is in direct sunlight too...

 

[SantaMonica]

.
11/10: will see if the algae grows thick now...it is filling in real good. Here are some shots of some super clear water...It has always been decent, but since the algae has been disappearing from in the pond, it is getting noticeably crystal like...the fish, at the same temp seem to be more active as well...

11/11: the bottom [originally] looked like the dark green you see here, but all the way across, no clean areas at all. You can see the algae is receding in the pattern of the current...

11/12: 28 days from bare screen; indirect sun for all of the daylight hours, and 4 solid direct sun hours...

It's a relatively inexpensive project for the results you can produce. If you are anything like me, no matter what others are getting, I had to see for myself, first hand. I have less than 20.00 invested, but I use the Sun and a gravity return. The concept is basic, add your twist to it and see what you come up with...it just might be better than the others.
.
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[SantaMonica]

Well I thought more folks would want to be a scrubber builder, but so far only one person signed up to be in the directory that Worley set up:

Algae Scrubbers • View topic - Builder Directory

But at least those who want scrubbers (but don't have the time or ability to build one) can now have it done for them.

 

[SantaMonica]

Here are some other builds to give you more ideas:


"Nickq" on the UR site:

"Duijver" on the MFT site:

"Big Tanner" on the RS site:

 

[SantaMonica]

"Cleous" on the FG site:

"Coopattack" on the FG site:

"Cvermeulen" on the MFK site:

 

[SantaMonica]

"Doenuttz" on the MFK site:

"Dohn" on the MASA site:

"Tapz" on the RP site:

"Freetareef" on the RF site:

"Glaring Toast" on the MFT site:

"Goodisor" on the MASA site: