Experimental algae scrubber

Paul B · Jun 1, 2015

I have been experimenting with this concept and so far the small version grew an enormous amount of algae so I built one on a larger scale. It is basically just a cotton sheet suspended over my tank by an acrylic tube that has holes drilled in it which tank water drips through slowly flowing over the material then back to the tank. A light is hung in front of it. Soon, hopefully, it will be covered in algae.

reef208 · Jun 1, 2015

Interested to see how the cotton sheet works vs. plastic screen method. That'd be cool if it worked better.

Windy · Jun 2, 2015

The cotton will rot in 2-3 weeks in my experience.

Jeffys · Jun 2, 2015

You need to use the plastic sheets. Had bad luck with cotton. I always have used the motto, "Kotton Kills"

Paul B · Jun 2, 2015

My old algae trough uses a plastic screen and I will admit that lasts forever. But you need much more flow on the plastic to keep it wet. My original cotton experiment which I added many months ago, maybe over a year is still working just fine and it completely covered in algae. I think it will last a year in which time I can easily remove the cotton material along with the algae and add another one. It's just an old Tee Shirt.
I was going to use screen on this one or at least a man made material such as nylon or orlon, but this is an experiment like everything else I do. If it doesn't work, I will use a different material. But as I said, my initial tests with cotton is working fantastic. We shall see.

This is the original experiment. This was a small sheet of cotton material draped over the algae trough. Water is not even pumped over it, it is just wet from one edge laying in the water flow inside the trough. I peeled algae from this to seed the new device. This grew in a few weeks.

reefwiser · Jun 3, 2015

Never hurts to try Paul. Looks good so far.

Paul B · Jun 3, 2015

My tank is and always has been an experiment, I am surprised I haven't crashed it yet.

Letsmod · Jun 3, 2015

Is the water from your supply to sump or return to tank ?

-Logzor · Jun 3, 2015

Paul, looking at your picture of the test-filter and your description, are you saying the cotton is just suspended over the water and is just wiking up moisture? Looking forward to seeing the result of the drip method, I actually just modified my drain to have a plastic algae scrubber, maybe I'll post some pictures.

Paul B · Jun 3, 2015

Letsmod said:
Is the water from your supply to sump or return to tank ?

I don't have a sump, they were not invented when I set up my tank.

-Logzor said:
Paul, looking at your picture of the test-filter and your description, are you saying the cotton is just suspended over the water and is just wiking up moisture? Looking forward to seeing the result of the drip method, I actually just modified my drain to have a plastic algae scrubber, maybe I'll post some pictures.

There is an acrylic tube with holes in it holding up that cloth which is just suspended over my tank. Water is pumped into the tube to run water over the cloth.

Paul B · Jun 7, 2015

The thing started to grow algae from the top down. I added some iron paper clips to the cloth to see if the algae grows faster in those places. It's a test

Paul B · Jun 8, 2015

So it's been a week and this is what I have so far. Some streaks. The blobs are pieces of algae that I stuck on there to "seed" it but it looks like I didn't need to do that. A am not sure why it is growing in those streaks but I assume in a few weeks the thing will be covered in algae. If that is the case, I will make another piece of cloth and change it or just clean it. I don't know yet. But it seems this will grow algae much faster than a submerged screen because I added a piece of this cloth to my algae trough almost a month ago and it is just barely growing anything. This is just a test to see if the algae grows better in air and using a cloth instead of a plastic mesh. Yes, I realize I am not curing cancer, it's just a hobby and I also realize people have been making all sorts or algae scrubbers for decades. I like it.

Windy · Jun 9, 2015

Why not a wool sock?

Paul B · Jun 9, 2015

Who knows? That may be the next experiment.

Windy · Jun 10, 2015

Just funning!

d2mini · Jun 10, 2015

Fess up Paul.
Your supermodel wife told you to do the laundry and this was your solution.

Probably so she never asks again.

Paul B · Jun 10, 2015

My Supermodel wife tells me to do the laundry all the time. But I am Man enough to do it. I also change diapers when we babysit (in an emergency).
Real Men can do anything

leroytigerjohnson · Apr 2, 2018

I have been considering using filter sock material for one I just set up. I would think the surface area would be better than the roughed up plastic. Any input?