Icecap pro algae scrubber

Fredrxn · Feb 1, 2023

Anyone have this scrubber?…thinking of getting it for my tank my tank

Eagle_Steve · Feb 3, 2023

Fredrxn said:
Anyone have this scrubber?…thinking of getting it for my tank my tank

I have the medium scrubber on my 180.

I grows algae well and does not create any heat when running. I say that, but in my sump/tank combo, there has been no change in temp with it running. It may generate some heat in smaller setups, but I would not assume it would be much.

I would recommend it if you have room in your sump and stand and if you do not feel like making your own. It is built pretty well and took quite a beating when I redid how my sump was laid out.

I mention the room under stand, as that is a big part to think of. They are quite tall and you have to remove the lid, then lift the pipe/screen out from the top. This can be done at a slight angle, but you may knock some algae off with the screen rubbing the inside some. This can also be avoided if doing it at an angle, just by using your hand to help guide the screen out. This is what I have to do and it is not really a big deal.

Indymann99 · Feb 3, 2023

I built my own, its about the same as Small size. Its only been running for a week so will report back on growth in a month or so.

Fredrxn · Feb 3, 2023

Eagle_Steve said:
I have the medium scrubber on my 180.

I grows algae well and does not create any heat when running. I say that, but in my sump/tank combo, there has been no change in temp with it running. It may generate some heat in smaller setups, but I would not assume it would be much.

I would recommend it if you have room in your sump and stand and if you do not feel like making your own. It is built pretty well and took quite a beating when I redid how my sump was laid out.

I mention the room under stand, as that is a big part to think of. They are quite tall and you have to remove the lid, then lift the pipe/screen out from the top. This can be done at a slight angle, but you may knock some algae off with the screen rubbing the inside some. This can also be avoided if doing it at an angle, just by using your hand to help guide the screen out. This is what I have to do and it is not really a big deal.

Hey I have a question about the scrubber did you set it to the water height when you turn the power off to return pump?. If I do the algae scrubber pump is almost out of water

Eagle_Steve · Feb 3, 2023

Fredrxn said:
Hey I have a question about the scrubber did you set it to the water height when you turn the power off to return pump?. If I do the algae scrubber pump is almost out of water

I se time so that the screen is just a bit out of the water. Pump is about 2” under water, maybe a little more.

Fredrxn · Feb 3, 2023

Eagle_Steve said:
I se time so that the screen is just a bit out of the water. Pump is about 2” under water, maybe a little more.

Ok thank sorry to keep bugging u…. Algae scrubber is very loud I hear water falling..will this go away? Do u have any tips for me ? Should I keep the lights on 24/7 tell it breaks in?…agean thanks for all ur help….was very tight fit but I got it in

Eagle_Steve · Feb 4, 2023

Fredrxn said:
Ok thank sorry to keep bugging u…. Algae scrubber is very loud I hear water falling..will this go away? Do u have any tips for me ? Should I keep the lights on 24/7 tell it breaks in?…agean thanks for all ur help….was very tight fit but I got it in

Waterfall sound get quieter, but try to lower it until it gets very faint. This is how I set mine. It is now silent.

For duration, this will need to be adjusted by how much nutrient reduction you need. I would start out with 24 hours until you get some growth, then cut it back to 8 and watch nutrients. Adjust up or down as needed to keep nutrients where you want them. Little bit of testing and adjustment of time on is all that is needed for that.

Also, once they start growing algae well, they can bottom nutrients out quickly. So I would check the screen after 3-4 days and if you have even a little growth, turn down to 8 hours. Then check in 3 days for how much grew and test the tank. You want growth, but do not want 0 nutrients. Again, this varies by tank and you will need to test nutrients to get a good balance.

Fredrxn · Feb 4, 2023

Eagle_Steve said:
Waterfall sound get quieter, but try to lower it until it gets very faint. This is how I set mine. It is now silent.

For duration, this will need to be adjusted by how much nutrient reduction you need. I would start out with 24 hours until you get some growth, then cut it back to 8 and watch nutrients. Adjust up or down as needed to keep nutrients where you want them. Little bit of testing and adjustment of time on is all that is needed for that.

Also, once they start growing algae well, they can bottom nutrients out quickly. So I would check the screen after 3-4 days and if you have even a little growth, turn down to 8 hours. Then check in 3 days for how much grew and test the tank. You want growth, but do not want 0 nutrients. Again, this varies by tank and you will need to test nutrients to get a good balance.

Thanks for the info

Turbo's Aquatics · Feb 5, 2023

Fredrxn said:
Should I keep the lights on 24/7 tell it breaks in?

Generally you should never really start a scrubber on 24/7 lighting. IMO that's reserved for when you absolutely need it, that's not a goal for everyone to get to.

It all depends on your system and the scrubber but it's best to start out with around 8-9 hours/day on the light and minimum flow.

By that I mean just enough flow to cover the screen, or about 75% of it at least initially. After it gets some initial growth (it will get invisible slime after a few days, then diatoms) it will even out. If it's not roughed up at all, that might take longer. I don't know if the IceCap guys have finally figured out that using plain non-rough plastic canvas is causing their customers to have problems...so if this is the case with yours, at minimum take a piece of 80 grit-ish sandpaper to each side (30 seconds per side is all you need) and you'll be better off.

If your current flow is super noisy that might be because you have it cranked way up, or the pump they supply is oversized - which would be fine if it is, as long as you can dial it back. You only really need enough flow to cover the screen. Initially, anything beyond that and you're rinsing away the algae that's trying to attach.

Leave it at minimum flow for a while (probably 4-8 weeks) until you start to get regular growth that is well attached. You can add hours to the light cycle and bump the flow up a bit if you start to see signs of good attachment, but don't get overzealous until your a couple months in. See how your system reacts.

When increasing flow and photoperiod, do these over time. Don't go over 18 hours/day until you're at full flow and aren't getting what you need out of it.

Always remember, the metric is not how much algae you are growing, you can't force that. It's what your tank looks like and how everything is balancing out.