Gearing up to rebuild: 125g

[snakeblitz33]

Yup.
Try increasing the flow over the screen. Might need to rough it up more. Addin the second light will help.

 

[reefkprz]

I pulled the algae screen today and took your advice snake and roughed it up more, there was actually a couple spots of good turf algae starting on it. so we shall see if roughing it up more helps.

 

[reefkprz]

Page 10 already? wow
was cleaning my front glass today and finally noticed some coraline spotting on the back wall which is a good sign it means phosphates are low enough not to inhibit coraline growth.... YAY
still have some red slime which is getting better slowly. I need to find a massive wad of cheato soon for my sump.
havent noticed any difference in algae screen p[roduction since adding a second light and roughing it up more.
also noticed a lot of bubble algae forming throughout the tank on my live rock. I'm going to have to find my foxface soon before it gets to epic porportions.

 

[reefkprz]

I really want to do something to my tank today BUT I cant think of anything to do that wont cost $$$ since I am currently broke as a joke.
so far this morning I have razored my front glass stirred the aerobic layer of my
sand bed ( about the top 3/4 to an inch)
also added some poly batting to my HOB filter to try and catch the particulate stirred up from the sand bed
now I'm chomping at the bit wishing I could do something else.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/180#post_3475400
I really want to do something to my tank today BUT I cant think of anything to do that wont cost $$$ since I am currently broke as a joke.
so far this morning I have razored my front glass stirred the aerobic layer of my
sand bed ( about the top 3/4 to an inch)
also added some poly batting to my HOB filter to try and catch the particulate stirred up from the sand bed
now I'm chomping at the bit wishing I could do something else.
When I'm broke, I just watch the fish...

lol
What kind of flow rate do you have rushing over that algae screen and how many watts are the bulbs that you are using? 35-40gph of flow per inch of horizontal screen works pretty good for me. I also use 26w 2700k bulbs less than 4" away from the screen - preferably closer. Post a pic and let me see if I can find any flaws.

 

[reefkprz]

here are a couple pics the lights are about 9 inches away 2 65w 65k CFL spirals I had to remove one of the lights to get the 3rd picture

 

[reefkprz]

I managed to move the lights a couple inches closer but I cant get 4 inches its just not in the cards.

 

[snakeblitz33]

ok...
A couple of things and thank you for posting a picture. Why do you have it on a slant anyway?
1. Remove the slant and let the water fall down it.
2. Change your bulbs out to 26w CFL 2700k to 3000k if you can / when you can. This color spectrum has been proven to grow hair algae quicker and easier.
3. Increase the flow over the screen as much as you can. The screen has to have a lot of flow over it so that hair algae can get started growing well. Once the algae starts growing well and the screen gets really well seeded, then you can mess with your flow rate. As I see it in the picture, more than half the screen isn't getting any flow over it. This is a big mistake...
4. Another mistake is not putting your lights close enough to the screen. By decreasing your wattage and putting it closer to the screen you are actually maximizing the amount of light the algae gets.
5. You are not removing the brown/red gunk from the screen. That gunk is prohibiting hair algae from growing on the screen.
If you would like, I could draw you up a diagram of a better design of an algae scrubber so that it will work in your sump and do a much, much, much better job than it is now...

 

[snakeblitz33]

Oh, and remember also that CFL bulbs intensity drops off dramatically after two and a half to three months. So, if those bulbs are more than three months old anyway - you should have tossed them by now or used them in another fixture in your home.
65w bulbs can burn the algae if you put em' too close. That's why I recommend decreasing your wattage and putting the bulbs closer. 65w bulbs also add a heck of a lot of heat to the water unless you have a fan blowing on the screen.
you need a lot more water flow over that screen!!!

 

[reefkprz]

cool I'll see what I can do with the tips you've given me. I like the sloped screen for how my sump is and the materials I had on hand when I built it.
I will clear the sludge off the screen
I will see about new bulbs but currently have no $
I'll go dig around in my back room and see if I have a bigger powerhead for feeding the screen.

 

[snakeblitz33]

This is a scrubber screen I was growing on a clients tank six months ago...

As you can see by the light green algae that is growing in a round shape - that is where the 26w CFL 3000k bulbs were placed 3" from the screen.

 

[reefkprz]

found 3 maxi 1200's all missing the key part the spout.

 

[snakeblitz33]

That sucks! because I have three spouts but no pumps!!!! Did you take em'?????

 

[reefkprz]

Bye bye fish budget for the month. just lost 1st and second gear shift fork in my truck 130$ down the drain. and I dont even have the money right now. could be worse I suppose but its rotten timing.

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by reefkprZ http:///t/390234/gearing-up-to-rebuild-125g/180#post_3475521
Bye bye fish budget for the month. just lost 1st and second gear shift fork in my truck 130$ down the drain. and I dont even have the money right now. could be worse I suppose but its rotten timing.
Well that stinks!! Why does life have to get in the way of our fish tanks?
I really like the concept you are going for with the sump. Do you think that stacking LR rubble with eggcrate would benefit any sump??

 

[snakeblitz33]

That sucks. Best o luck with fixing your truck. I'm almost In the same boat myself.

 

[reefkprz]

the algae screen is starting to show more green algae growth. I keep wiping the sludge off the screen every day.
tank still has cyano I am hoping eventually the screen will catch up to and over take the cyano.

 

[snakeblitz33]

yeah, it takes a little while for the screen to start growing green algae when you have a lot of cyano build up in the display tank. It will eventually start growing green.

 

[reefkprz]

cool photo of the hundreds of microdusters spreading in my benthic zone of the sump.

 

[gemmy]

Neat!!