60 Cube with Algae Turf Scrubber

[SantaMonica]

Good to see your tank improving. And I'm glad that everyone has made good use of my waterfall algae scrubber version 1, designed in 2008. Next year I'll be posting and selling version 2.

 

[LouieP]

@SantaMonica, thanks for the positive feedback! To be honest I 1st looked at your units, I researched ATSs for weeks before I found this set up and your designs wouldn’t work for my system. If you were still designing & selling waterfall units I might have purchased one of your waterfall units??? I looked at many units and this one was the best for my set up, cleanest looking design & offered LEDs on a dimmer. A good friend of mine just purchase a Hog1.3x because your designs worked great for his set up & budget.

 

[SantaMonica]

Ok here's to happy tanks

 

[LouieP]

Day 75: Headed out of town for a few days so I cleaned the ATS a couple days early. I also forgot to test my chemistry today but I did test hem yesterday

ALK 230ppm
PO3 0.02 ppm
CA 520ppm
MG 1420ppm

Before cleaning



After Cleaning


Harvest

 

[LouieP]

Day 83. I had some nice growth. I turned down the flow to the ATS I wanted to try something different to see if the growth will be better or not??
Test results:

PO3 0.0 ppm
CA 500 ppm
MG 1400 ppm
ALK 201 ppm

Before Cleaning


After Cleaning


Harvest

 

[LouieP]

I added some new corals this week. That I got from @Reef Pets & I added 20 turbos that I got from a LFS


I took these photos with my phone no flash & LEDs turned to 100%.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Before Cleaning

Another great 8 days of growth!!

 

[ethridge78]

Looks like its doing good cant wait to get the new version.

 

[LouieP]

Day 90: Like my previous post I had great growth. I added a new fish Pintail Wrasse but will post a photo when I get a good pic. I also added 2 cleaner shrimp & 5 Mexican Grazers. I added the grazers because of the small amount hair algae that I have in the tank.

Test results:
Ca 500ppm
Mg 1400ppm
Alk 225ppm
PO3 .06ppm

 

[Helenareefer]

What's your flow rate? That thing is really growing some grass!

 

[LouieP]

What's your flow rate? That thing is really growing some grass!

I don't know, Im using a Mag 12 which is T'ed to my chiller then tank and the other feed my UV then ATS which I have the valve closed at least 70-75%.

 

[SantaMonica]

A handful of algae makes for a happy week

 

[LouieP]

For the smaller frags you can see the new growth on the frag plug since 10/29/15


Yellow Infusion??


Top Down
Top Row- WWC Pink Passion, 2nd ??, CV Famous Yellow (lost its color), CornBread Triple Threat (blocked)
Bottom Row- Yellow Infusion??, Pokerstar, Iron Patriot, Ultraviolet, Ultraviolet


Gender Predictor


Iron Patriot


Pokerstar


Ultraviolet

 

[LouieP]

New corals that I added on 12/1 now I have to bring the colors out.

Top Row WWC Ding Dang, Walt Disney, Taste the Rainbow, JF Fox Flame, CB Golden Jawdropper
Bottom Row RR Spartacus, RR Haystick, RR The Beast, RR Tasmanian Devil, RR Orange Machine


WWC Ding Dang is starting to get some pink on it which you cant see in the photo. When I purchased this frag it was just a single tip now its growing the 3 branches & a small new tip.
WD lost its color and was a little nub now its encrusting and Im starting to see blue on the tips.
JF Fox Flame was just a little 1" frag now it has encrusted and growing branches.
CB Golden Jawdropper started dying but its coming back.


RR Orange Machine



RR Spartscus


RR Tasmanian Devil


RR The Beast


WD you can start to see the blue tips here.


RR Haystick (I dont have a mother colony photo)

 

[Smite]

Great pickups & growth on the ATS!

I can't wait to get my email saying it's my turn to receive the new turbo!


Thanks for the informative thread & eye candy.

 

[erk]

Great progression, but it kind of looks like the iron content in your water is very low. You can tell his by looking at the top down image of your frag rack, the top right coral is very very light pink. This is typically due to lack of iron. You might consider dosing iron to help keep the algae growth going strong and to keep the corals colorful. The zeovit guide has more info on how different supplements affect coral color.

 

[LouieP]

@erk I think you are talking about the coral in the top right WWC Pink Passion, correct. I do have the lights turned on full blast so the photos are a little washed out. I do dose a little Iron & I do have an Iron test kit from ReaSea but I think it looks like a pain to use.




Heres a photo of the frag from 2015-12-10.

 

[LouieP]

Day 146: I cleaned the screen w a brush last week so the growth is not the thick.

Test results:
CA 475
MG 1280
ALK 8.96
PO3 0.0
NO3 0.0

A few wks ago I adjusted my CA Reactor. I increase the effluent flow to a nice stream and raised the pH to 7.20 on and 7.10 off. I may reduce the pH to 7.19 to 7.09 I have to do a few days of testing before I do anything.

Most of the hairy algae on my overflow is gone.

Before cleaning.


After cleaning


Harvest

 

[hart24601]

Wow. That is some awesome export you are pulling out every week. Amazing how much the system can grow in a week.

Looks like you have a handle on everything now, but in the past when I had growth like that on the sand bed I just siphoned out the sand and replaced it, it was full of nasty. I'm sure the scrubber is pulling out nutrients that have been in the tank a good while, but wonder if results wouldn't been seen sooner if replacing the sand.

 

[LouieP]

Its been 6 mths and Im getting great growth every week.

my corals grow like crazy and are coloring up. I didn't test this week but Im sure its all in line.

Before cleaning


after cleaning


Harvest