Do Algae Reactors Work, And Worth It?

[Palmetto Reefer]

I just completed a similar Algae Reactor Build. I used an old Vertex Zeovit Reactor 2.0L with grow lights purchased from amazon and vinyl wrap. I purchased some Chaeto from Algae Barn which arrived yesterday. I loaded it last night and ran it for the first time. I'm interested to see how this works out. Below are the pics of my reactor... Lights and wrap cost about $20 total. I already had the reactor from previous experiment with Zeovit (which was not very successful). I'll post updates after the reactor has had a chance to run for at least a week. My only concern/question is how much flow should be going through this thing and should it be flowing even when the lights are off?

 

[Rick Cavanaugh]

Results after about 12 weeks of a DIY algae reactor

Phosban 150 reactor $40
1 meter of led grow lights $13
1 foot of 4 inch shrink tube $27 (enough for 4-5 reactors)

https://www.amazon.com/…/B01L…/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage…

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Little-Fishies-ATL…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

https://www.amazon.com/…/B003…/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage…


Amazon LED grow light power supply died after 8 weeks. Replace with another 12 power supply



Swirled the led strip around the clear part of the reactor. The adhesive is on the wrong side so you will need to cover the reactor in shrink film.

I added about a golf ball size piece of Chaetomorpha (spaghetti Algae) and I run a constant flow of water from the main return pump through the reactor 24 hours per day.

This test was in a 45 gallon seahorse tank that typically ran 5-10 ppm nitrates and 5ppm phosphates . Sea horse tanks typically are difficult to keep nitrates down without some form of nutrient export. This tank as minimal algae in it and it is more of a reef and has LPS corals.

After 2 weeks the reactor was stuffed full with chaetomropha. I removed all but about a golf ball clump and continued the test. Good sign....

After 7 weeks, a brown algae was also growing on the inside walls of the reactor which needs to be removed to allow light to penetrate. This now added cleaning needs to be done every 2 weeks. Removed most of the chaetomorpha and clean inside surface every 2 weeks.

Brownish algae growing on lighted surface is an issue, It needs to be scrubbed off every 2-3 weeks and it is difficult in a phosban 150 due to small diameter.

Nitrates are now 1 ppm and the phosphates are 0.08ppm.

Total cost is about $60 if you can split up the shrink tube between 4 people.


Elflight LED Plant Grow Strip Light(Power Adapter Included),5050 Waterproof Full Spectrum Red Blue 4:1 Growing Lamp Aquarium Greenhouse Hydroponic…
AMAZON.COM

 

[fishbox]

Results after about 12 weeks of a DIY algae reactor

Phosban 150 reactor $40
1 meter of led grow lights $13
1 foot of 4 inch shrink tube $27 (enough for 4-5 reactors)

https://www.amazon.com/…/B01L…/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage…

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Little-Fishies-ATL…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

https://www.amazon.com/…/B003…/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage…


Amazon LED grow light power supply died after 8 weeks. Replace with another 12 power supply



Swirled the led strip around the clear part of the reactor. The adhesive is on the wrong side so you will need to cover the reactor in shrink film.

I added about a golf ball size piece of Chaetomorpha (spaghetti Algae) and I run a constant flow of water from the main return pump through the reactor 24 hours per day.

This test was in a 45 gallon seahorse tank that typically ran 5-10 ppm nitrates and 5ppm phosphates . Sea horse tanks typically are difficult to keep nitrates down without some form of nutrient export. This tank as minimal algae in it and it is more of a reef and has LPS corals.

After 2 weeks the reactor was stuffed full with chaetomropha. I removed all but about a golf ball clump and continued the test. Good sign....

After 7 weeks, a brown algae was also growing on the inside walls of the reactor which needs to be removed to allow light to penetrate. This now added cleaning needs to be done every 2 weeks. Removed most of the chaetomorpha and clean inside surface every 2 weeks.

Brownish algae growing on lighted surface is an issue, It needs to be scrubbed off every 2-3 weeks and it is difficult in a phosban 150 due to small diameter.

Nitrates are now 1 ppm and the phosphates are 0.08ppm.

Total cost is about $60 if you can split up the shrink tube between 4 people.


Elflight LED Plant Grow Strip Light(Power Adapter Included),5050 Waterproof Full Spectrum Red Blue 4:1 Growing Lamp Aquarium Greenhouse Hydroponic…
AMAZON.COM

Not sure if I missed it. Are you keeping the unit submerged with that shrink wrap?

 

[nova65ss]

I just completed a similar Algae Reactor Build. I used an old Vertex Zeovit Reactor 2.0L with grow lights purchased from amazon and vinyl wrap. I purchased some Chaeto from Algae Barn which arrived yesterday. I loaded it last night and ran it for the first time. I'm interested to see how this works out. Below are the pics of my reactor... Lights and wrap cost about $20 total. I already had the reactor from previous experiment with Zeovit (which was not very successful). I'll post updates after the reactor has had a chance to run for at least a week. My only concern/question is how much flow should be going through this thing and should it be flowing even when the lights are off?

I did the same with a zeovit reactor. Are you planning to use the inner tube? I did a trial run with mine and it seems as if without the inner tube there is a nice swirling to the water in the reactor which I figured may be beneficial in turning the chaeto? Waiting to find some macro local to see how it does. I also have mine sitting up on top of some siporax to keep the light strip from being completely submerged.

 

[s2nhle]

Does the heat from the led burn the acrylic? Thanks,

 

[Palmetto Reefer]

It hasn't on mine. I was concerned about this when I put it together and checked it every couple of hours the first night I had it up and running. My LED's don't put off that much heat, and I think the constant flow of water through it helps cool the acrylic also. On my reactor build I have my reactor almost completely submerged. My grow lights are supposed to be "waterproof" and I also have them vinyl wrapped which I did two layers of wrap to eliminate light bleed and help keep the LED's from direct contact with water even though they are supposed to be "waterproof". Since my LED's are essentially surrounded by water on both sides they dissipate heat very well.

 

[Palmetto Reefer]

I did the same with a zeovit reactor. Are you planning to use the inner tube? I did a trial run with mine and it seems as if without the inner tube there is a nice swirling to the water in the reactor which I figured may be beneficial in turning the chaeto? Waiting to find some macro local to see how it does. I also have mine sitting up on top of some siporax to keep the light strip from being completely submerged.

My current and first attempt is to run my algae reactor using the zeovit module to chamber my chaeto. This way I can easily remove the chamber and thin out my chaeto when/if needed. If I find that I need more chaeto then my second attempt will be to remove the zeovit chamber and just have the chaeto in the main reactor body.

 

[s2nhle]

It hasn't on mine. I was concerned about this when I put it together and checked it every couple of hours the first night I had it up and running. My LED's don't put off that much heat, and I think the constant flow of water through it helps cool the acrylic also. On my reactor build I have my reactor almost completely submerged. My grow lights are supposed to be "waterproof" and I also have them vinyl wrapped which I did two layers of wrap to eliminate light bleed and help keep the LED's from direct contact with water even though they are supposed to be "waterproof". Since my LED's are essentially surrounded by water on both sides they dissipate heat very well.

Great to hear. thank you very much for replying. What type of vinyl wrapped do you use? Thank you again for sharing information.

 

[Palmetto Reefer]

I purchased the vinyl wrap from Amazon, see below link...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FXY7W9U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[jasonrusso]

So I wasn't happy with the performance of my converted BRS reactor so I bought the TLF Phosban 550. I needed more lights so I soldered on the remaining LEDs I had left over. When I plugged them in I noticed that the unused LEDs were a MUCH different color than the ones in use for 2 months. It's like they already wore out. Maybe this is why my chaeto growth slowed. Also, all the blue LEDs looked burnt. Anyone else run into this? I already emailed the seller on Amazon. I did cut off the used lights and soldered on the unused lights.

One more thing, how do you keep the lower sponge at the bottom. It keeps floating up to the top with the little chaeto I have left. Does it matter? Will the chaeto grow and push it back down?

 

[s2nhle]

Tagging along.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

So I wasn't happy with the performance of my converted BRS reactor so I bought the TLF Phosban 550. I needed more lights so I soldered on the remaining LEDs I had left over. When I plugged them in I noticed that the unused LEDs were a MUCH different color than the ones in use for 2 months. It's like they already wore out. Maybe this is why my chaeto growth slowed. Also, all the blue LEDs looked burnt. Anyone else run into this? I already emailed the seller on Amazon. I did cut off the used lights and soldered on the unused lights.

One more thing, how do you keep the lower sponge at the bottom. It keeps floating up to the top with the little chaeto I have left. Does it matter? Will the chaeto grow and push it back down?

I don't have much experience with the LED 5550 chips (I think this is what these are) but if they are like any other comparison of Red to Blue, at the same current, the blue will be hotter and more intense than the reds. On my Rev 3 PCBs for my scrubbers, I had 6 red 660s and 2 blue 445s, I ran the blues at 50% (in a parallel pair) and the PCB around the blues, even at reduced intensity, would slightly discolor over time.

On my Rev 1 which used PCBs on stars, 6 reds and one 445 in the center all in series (700ma), I had a few units I bought back and the acrylic window in front of the blue was crazed (micro cracks) from the intensity generated one inch away from the LED.

That said, this pic could just be showing one LED that happened to just fry, and it could be nothing else...

Intensity shift could also be heat-related, maybe these strips don't do well when they are pressed up against something? I'm not sure what they were designed for in the first place.

 

[jasonrusso]

That said, this pic could just be showing one LED that happened to just fry, and it could be nothing else...

All the blue LEDs look like this.

Has anybody who has experience with these seen this happen before? The seller is sending me another strip.

 

[hart24601]

Not in strips but my early reefbreeders value fixtures the blue LEDs all burnt just like that when running over my tank. I will keep eye on my strip although it's 4 red 1 blue so I'm not overly worried if blues go.

 

[jasonrusso]

Not in strips but my early reefbreeders value fixtures the blue LEDs all burnt just like that when running over my tank. I will keep eye on my strip although it's 4 red 1 blue so I'm not overly worried if blues go.

Isn't the blue important to get the correct wavelength?

Also, the red changed color. It went from a pink/purple to red. I don't know how important that is.

 

[chevegan]

ulva aka lettuce algae is one of the fastest growing algae's out there. And as understand it it's edible and tangs love it too. Why hasn't anyone here tried that?

 

[hart24601]

Isn't the blue important to get the correct wavelength?

Also, the red changed color. It went from a pink/purple to red. I don't know how important that is.

It can be, my burnt blues still had some blue coming through. I just checked my strip and looks ok with no change but time will tell.

At this point I am not sure if we know what colors or combo really work well in a reactor.

 

[jasonrusso]

It can be, my burnt blues still had some blue coming through. I just checked my strip and looks ok with no change but time will tell.

At this point I am not sure if we know what colors or combo really work well in a reactor.

My blues were still working, in fact I didn't think anything until I went to swap them over to the new reactor.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Isn't the blue important to get the correct wavelength?

Also, the red changed color. It went from a pink/purple to red. I don't know how important that is.

IME blue or violet is indeed beneficial but not totally critical. Also if your blues go out, you will lose that purple appearance. Not sure if that's what you were seeing, or if you were seeing something else. If you cover up the blues, the reds will appear more red, but with the blues on, the overall perception is purple-ish. Hopefully that explanation isn't very Captain Obvious of me

 

[jasonrusso]

IME blue or violet is indeed beneficial but not totally critical. Also if your blues go out, you will lose that purple appearance. Not sure if that's what you were seeing, or if you were seeing something else. If you cover up the blues, the reds will appear more red, but with the blues on, the overall perception is purple-ish. Hopefully that explanation isn't very Captain Obvious of me

That is possible, I mean these lights did mess my eyes up. After building it the first time my whole house looked green for 15 minutes.

Like I said, I soldered another length onto the end of what I was using and when I plugged in to check there was an obvious difference in color.