My Algae Turf Scrubber Build

[Windy]

which uses lights? that amount of watts and lumens?

My lights ae overkill. I made them myself and they have 9 red and 3 blue 3-watt leds on each side. I have to run them at about 25% or they will burn the algae.

 

[Roberto CRC]

My lights ae overkill. I made them myself and they have 9 red and 3 blue 3-watt leds on each side. I have to run them at about 25% or they will burn the algae.

Red are deep red, far red or red?

 

[Windy]

Here is the build thread for my lights. I will have to look up the exact color spectrum and will get back on it. In this thread I was pretty hard on Floyd R Turbo. But despite that, he probably knows more about ATS than anybody else.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/algae-scrubber-lighting.169399/

 

[Roberto CRC]

Ok I understand.

What brand of LEDs used?

Besides the ATS have chaeto algae refuge?

 

[zemuss]

@Roberto CRC

I had Cheato growing but it didn't survive as the ATS out competes it.

 

[Windy]

All of my macro algae died when the ATS began to operate. I expect yours will do the same unless you find a way to feed it separately.

 

[Roberto CRC]

@zemuss

Light at the end you stay with the ATS or the chaeto, for which you leaned?

 

[Roberto CRC]

@Windy

Ok I understand, in my version # 1 ATS both coexist, but since version # 2 chaeto has declined a lot.
But the algae my ATS is not green nor does look like yours, I'll put more red LEDs, this time deep red.

 

[zemuss]

I left ATS running as it is a Algae farm. I am going to upgrade lights.

However I do have 4 mangroves in there for other filter benefits.

 

[Roberto CRC]

Thank you @zemuss

 

[Windy]

The lights I built were from MakersLED. I bought the heat sinks, fans, lens, wire, and drivers from them. The reds were 660nm. I am not sure about the blues, but were I to do it again, I would not use the blue at all.

 

[Roberto CRC]

Why you say that you do not use blue at all?

 

[LouieP]

I have a L2 from Turbo Aquatics, its been running for over 90 days and I have awesome growth. Click here to see my thread. Here are some of my photos of the scrubber, algae growth & harvest.



Is is about 7 days worth of growth.

 

[Roberto CRC]

How often do you clean the algae?

 

[LouieP]

How often do you clean the algae?

about every 7 days

 

[Roberto CRC]

Wao, incredible grow.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Red are deep red, far red or red?

You don't have to have blue, solid red has proven to work really good.

~SF

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

Why you say that you do not use blue at all?

I stopped using Royal Blue supplementary LEDs because even at 1/2 current, they were too strong for the start-up phase in many cases. I switched to SemiLED Hyper-violet and running these at half-current (or dimmed to 50% of the level of the reds) made a ton of difference. On a mature screen, just switching the blues for violets made a difference. Not completely necessary to have supplementary colors (i.e. anything besides 660nm Deep Red) but if you can do it, and you can run them easily at a lower amperage, I would do it.

Any colors really if you want to, but IMO violet is the best, then RB, then maybe WW. If you don't have multiple drivers, just wire them in a parallel pair within a series string and they will act like a current divider.

^^ this shows Royal Blues, but the wiring method is the same for anything. These are on MakersLED heat sinks

 

[Roberto CRC]

I have two questions, in my case I'll put 5 led deep red, but I have three royal blue and 3 warm white working, so it would be nice?

By the way, watching the ATS frabricas, I have one doubt. As is done to remove only the Maya, it is not difficult?

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

As far as the WW and RB LEDs go, I would not run these at full current. If you can, put them on a separate lower-current driver, or connect them in parallel pairs like I have shown above.

By the way, watching the ATS frabricas, I have one doubt. As is done to remove only the Maya, it is not difficult?

I have a feeling you are using Google Translator or something? Either that or your autocorrect is throwing things off!! Can't tell what you're asking...can you try again?