Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everything
- Thread starter santamonica
- Start date
santamonica
Member
Ok it's worth a try; others have mentioned the same method. Maybe you can use a mirror to get more light on it. After 7 days, see if you have a light brown growth. If not, it's not enough light.
stdreb27
Active Member
Originally Posted by SantaMonica
http:///forum/post/2764738
Ok it's worth a try; others have mentioned the same method. Maybe you can use a mirror to get more light on it. After 7 days, see if you have a light brown growth. If not, it's not enough light.
I think it will be, I get alot of light into that area. It gets MH coverage as well as from the t-5's. And I've already have lots of algae in that area.
http:///forum/post/2764738
Ok it's worth a try; others have mentioned the same method. Maybe you can use a mirror to get more light on it. After 7 days, see if you have a light brown growth. If not, it's not enough light.
I think it will be, I get alot of light into that area. It gets MH coverage as well as from the t-5's. And I've already have lots of algae in that area.
T
truebeliever71
Guest
SM and others,
I'm working the design of my ATS... it's going to be a HOB style with water being pumped in from my HOB style venturi skimmer (I get a fair amount of microbubbles from it in my tank if I don't use some type of trap so I figure what the heck... why not get a lot of O2 to the algae and while reducing the bubbles to my tank) and using the blue/red LED lights they use for hydroponics as the light source.
Any thoughts on the lights? I'm going to have a 12"x12" screen for the ATS and can get 12x12 panel off ---- for around $35 shipped. It seems like a nice slimline solution with very little power consumption.
I'm working the design of my ATS... it's going to be a HOB style with water being pumped in from my HOB style venturi skimmer (I get a fair amount of microbubbles from it in my tank if I don't use some type of trap so I figure what the heck... why not get a lot of O2 to the algae and while reducing the bubbles to my tank) and using the blue/red LED lights they use for hydroponics as the light source.
Any thoughts on the lights? I'm going to have a 12"x12" screen for the ATS and can get 12x12 panel off ---- for around $35 shipped. It seems like a nice slimline solution with very little power consumption.
santamonica
Member
Vaya, looks like it's time for a cleaning on one side. Any measurements?
True, if that 12 X 12 led panel can put out at least 2000 lumen on one side, it should work. My standard example bucket uses 1250 lumens on one side, and my new acrylic uses 4000 on one side.
True, if that 12 X 12 led panel can put out at least 2000 lumen on one side, it should work. My standard example bucket uses 1250 lumens on one side, and my new acrylic uses 4000 on one side.
santamonica
Member
Today's build-of-the-day is the very first solar powered screen that I've seen on any thread. Lighting will not be a problem with this one. Uses a simple pressurized pvc frame:
vayapues
Member
Originally Posted by truebeliever71
http:///forum/post/2765194
SM and others,
I'm working the design of my ATS... it's going to be a HOB style with water being pumped in from my HOB style venturi skimmer (I get a fair amount of microbubbles from it in my tank if I don't use some type of trap so I figure what the heck... why not get a lot of O2 to the algae and while reducing the bubbles to my tank) and using the blue/red LED lights they use for hydroponics as the light source.
Any thoughts on the lights? I'm going to have a 12"x12" screen for the ATS and can get 12x12 panel off ---- for around $35 shipped. It seems like a nice slimline solution with very little power consumption.
Very nice. This is where my mind is headed for my next version. I think you could create a very simple HOB type unit, using LED lighting. I will be very curious to see how your system works. Before making version II I am waiting to see if my numbers are effected enough to make it worth the effort.
Keep us posted on your system.
http:///forum/post/2765194
SM and others,
I'm working the design of my ATS... it's going to be a HOB style with water being pumped in from my HOB style venturi skimmer (I get a fair amount of microbubbles from it in my tank if I don't use some type of trap so I figure what the heck... why not get a lot of O2 to the algae and while reducing the bubbles to my tank) and using the blue/red LED lights they use for hydroponics as the light source.
Any thoughts on the lights? I'm going to have a 12"x12" screen for the ATS and can get 12x12 panel off ---- for around $35 shipped. It seems like a nice slimline solution with very little power consumption.
Very nice. This is where my mind is headed for my next version. I think you could create a very simple HOB type unit, using LED lighting. I will be very curious to see how your system works. Before making version II I am waiting to see if my numbers are effected enough to make it worth the effort.
Keep us posted on your system.
santamonica
Member
Yes, if the LED's can grow, then you could make a little nano version with a micro pump that velcros to the side of the tank.
bonesnapper
Member
Could I turn my Bak Pak Skimmer into one of these?
santamonica
Member
If you can direct a light into it, yes. I build a nano version using this screen:
...and some other folks are working on a micro sized LED version.
...and some other folks are working on a micro sized LED version.
santamonica
Member
Today's N-and-P-lowering success are both from the UR site, and both of them were a build-of-the-day that I previously posted:
"Col" says: "Test results from tonight are N=7.5 & P=0.1 I've not had test results as low as this before. The lighting on side 2 of the screen is really making a difference. Thanks SantaMonica for all your help!
"johnt" says: "Tested today and nitrate has come down from 50 to less than 25:
Date
[hr]
8/21
[hr]
9/7
[hr]
9/14
[hr]
9/20
Nitrate----60
[hr]
*
[hr]
50
[hr]
<25
pH
[hr]
8.24
[hr]
*
[hr]
8.23
[hr]
8.27
Mag
[hr]
1394
[hr]
*
[hr]
1335
[hr]
1440
Cal
[hr]
500
[hr]
*
[hr]
465
[hr]
460
dKH
[hr]
7.2
[hr]
*
[hr]
8.6
[hr]
8.3
SG
[hr]
1.026
[hr]
*
[hr]
1.026
[hr]
1.026
Temp
[hr]
26.3
[hr]
*
[hr]
25.3
[hr]
24.8
Phos
[hr]
0.25
[hr]
*
[hr]
0.1
[hr]
<0.1
* = Started Scrubber
"First a big drop in Phosphate and now an equally impressive drop in Nitrate"
"Col" says: "Test results from tonight are N=7.5 & P=0.1 I've not had test results as low as this before. The lighting on side 2 of the screen is really making a difference. Thanks SantaMonica for all your help!
"johnt" says: "Tested today and nitrate has come down from 50 to less than 25:
Date
[hr]
8/21
[hr]
9/7
[hr]
9/14
[hr]
9/20
Nitrate----60
[hr]
*
[hr]
50
[hr]
<25
pH
[hr]
8.24
[hr]
*
[hr]
8.23
[hr]
8.27
Mag
[hr]
1394
[hr]
*
[hr]
1335
[hr]
1440
Cal
[hr]
500
[hr]
*
[hr]
465
[hr]
460
dKH
[hr]
7.2
[hr]
*
[hr]
8.6
[hr]
8.3
SG
[hr]
1.026
[hr]
*
[hr]
1.026
[hr]
1.026
Temp
[hr]
26.3
[hr]
*
[hr]
25.3
[hr]
24.8
Phos
[hr]
0.25
[hr]
*
[hr]
0.1
[hr]
<0.1
* = Started Scrubber
"First a big drop in Phosphate and now an equally impressive drop in Nitrate"
T
truebeliever71
Guest
I have one of these on order. This weekend I'll be getting the acyrlic and piping. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
santamonica
Member
The LED, right?
michael1972
Member
can u rub any type on the screen hair, feather, grape ??
just wondering
just wondering
santamonica
Member
Technically, there are two different things: Seeding, and pre-growing. Seeding is just that... rubbing seeds (spores) of algae into a new screen so it can start growing faster. Of note is the fact that you can't really "seed" real red/brown turf, because it takes months to develop, and if you really did rub spores of real red/brown turf into a new screen, they would just die. Seeding spores is done with just any old algae you can get from your tank, since a new screen can only start by growing brown or green algae anyway. It will save you two or three days of growing time.
Start by washing your screen with soap and water to get any oils off, then rinse it several times to get the soap off. Then take rough some sandpaper and sand both sides well. Then take some algae (any kind) from your tank and rub it HARD into both sides of the screen. Then run some tap water over it, which will flush most of the visible algae off the screen. You don't want any visible algae remaining; you want the invisible algae spores to remain. And they will indeed remain, stuck into the small spaces created by the sanding. The reason you want to rinse off the visible algae in the sink is because if you don't, it will just wasn off in your tank and die, or it will just die on the screen; in either case it will cause a bit of yellowing (removable with carbon). So just avoid this by washing all the visible algae off the screen after you seed it.
First visible green growth specs will be by day 3. And it will start pulling nutrients in a week. The real red/green stiff astroturf like turf will take months, however. But all algae absorbs N and P, so there is no need to wait.
Start by washing your screen with soap and water to get any oils off, then rinse it several times to get the soap off. Then take rough some sandpaper and sand both sides well. Then take some algae (any kind) from your tank and rub it HARD into both sides of the screen. Then run some tap water over it, which will flush most of the visible algae off the screen. You don't want any visible algae remaining; you want the invisible algae spores to remain. And they will indeed remain, stuck into the small spaces created by the sanding. The reason you want to rinse off the visible algae in the sink is because if you don't, it will just wasn off in your tank and die, or it will just die on the screen; in either case it will cause a bit of yellowing (removable with carbon). So just avoid this by washing all the visible algae off the screen after you seed it.
First visible green growth specs will be by day 3. And it will start pulling nutrients in a week. The real red/green stiff astroturf like turf will take months, however. But all algae absorbs N and P, so there is no need to wait.
thauro77
Member
Here are my test results, the dates are the water changes dates as well:
08/28
Calcium 660mg/l (when I first used the filter)
Carbonate 196.9 ppm/kh
Phosphate 0.5
Nitrates 20ppm
09/04
Calcium 500
Carbonate 214.8
Phosphate 0.5
Nitrates 10ppm
09/09
Calcium 440
carbonate 143.2
phosphate 0.5
nitrates 10ppm
09/23
calcium 440
carbonate 214.8
phosphate 0.25
nitrate 5.0ppm
The only thing I don't like about the filter is the fact that it does not trap debry so tank sometimes looks cloudy.
08/28
Calcium 660mg/l (when I first used the filter)
Carbonate 196.9 ppm/kh
Phosphate 0.5
Nitrates 20ppm
09/04
Calcium 500
Carbonate 214.8
Phosphate 0.5
Nitrates 10ppm
09/09
Calcium 440
carbonate 143.2
phosphate 0.5
nitrates 10ppm
09/23
calcium 440
carbonate 214.8
phosphate 0.25
nitrate 5.0ppm
The only thing I don't like about the filter is the fact that it does not trap debry so tank sometimes looks cloudy.