my scrubber algae D.I.Y

[dor_L]

Hello, I wanted to share the algae scrubber I built for a rear sump with a lamp for refuge, I want to remove nutrients in a natural way by the algae, what dangers are there in this and what should I know and be careful?, there is chato algae and hair algae.Should I turn on the refuge light while the light in the display tank is off or turn on both at the same time? I turn on for 10 hours, is that enough or more?


Thank you for your response

 

[Weaverjay101]

Lighting schedule depends on your nutrients. If they're acceptable then run while the tank lights are off. If they're high then run 24/7

 

[Glenner’sreef]

18 hours seems to be a common setting among many reefers. Bottom line though, if your algae scrubber lights are on half the time as your display light, you’re going to produce algae. It’s an effective way of filtration. Nice diy.

 

[dor_L]

Thanks friend, I will probably turn on the lighting continuously 24/7 and follow their change, watch for updates

 

[VintageReefer]

Typically you start off with 24 hours until you get good growth then you reduce to around 18 -20 hours depending on your nutrient levels

They should be on 100% of the time your display lights are off and then some overlap time while display lights are on

 

[dor_L]

18 hours seems to be a common setting among many reefers. Bottom line though, if your algae scrubber lights are on half the time as your display light, you’re going to produce algae. It’s an effective way of filtration. Nice diy.

Today I cleaned the glass that had algae growing on it, I saw air bubbles trapped inside the hair algae that grew on the algae scrubber and the glass of the rear compartment, is this normal?

 

[Dan_P]

Hello, I wanted to share the algae scrubber I built for a rear sump with a lamp for refuge, I want to remove nutrients in a natural way by the algae, what dangers are there in this and what should I know and be careful?, there is chato algae and hair algae.Should I turn on the refuge light while the light in the display tank is off or turn on both at the same time? I turn on for 10 hours, is that enough or more?


Thank you for your response

Here are some possibly useful ideas.

Some folks light the algae during night in an attempt to keep the pH from falling too far.

You can run the lights 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Some folks run 24 hours. It is not what algae evolved to do but it seems to be OK

If the water flow is too slow, you will find increased growth of slime. This is likely a result of stressed algae.

If the algae growth results in a crowded refugium, this will stress and possibly kill the algae. You might need to harvest algae more often. The rate of harvest is a tug-o-war between having enough algae to keep nitrate down and stressing the algae with overcrowding.

As you might guess, a refugium is not something that can be ignored, especially small ones.

 

[dor_L]

thank you for your responseI checked the nitrate, it stands at 2 PPMThe phosphate in the API test kit I see 0.25 and in the Slippert test I see 0Earlier I tested with 16 ml of water and it showed me a wrong result, this time I tested according to the guidelines of the Red Sea and it came out 2 PPM

 

[Jasongtr]

thank you for your responseI checked the nitrate, it stands at 2 PPMThe phosphate in the API test kit I see 0.25 and in the Slippert test I see 0Earlier I tested with 16 ml of water and it showed me a wrong result, this time I tested according to the guidelines of the Red Sea and it came out 2 PPM

Careful trying to reduce nutrients with 2ppm, not long to go and it's zero.

My home made turf scrubber reduced my nutrient levels by 5ppm some weeks

 

[dor_L]

Careful trying to reduce nutrients with 2ppm, not long to go and it's zero.

My home made turf scrubber reduced my nutrient levels by 5ppm some weeks

What to do to bring them back?

 

[Jasongtr]

What to do to bring them back?

Dosing, but run them at zero and you risk dinos, you don't want that

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Today I cleaned the glass that had algae growing on it, I saw air bubbles trapped inside the hair algae that grew on the algae scrubber and the glass of the rear compartment, is this normal?

Normal. Mine does the same thing.

 

[dor_L]

next time i take photo of this

 

[dor_L]

I'm looking for information about accelerating hair, what does it feed on, how does the whole action of absorbing toxins take place, does anyone have any information?

 

[SantaMonica]

Get the book Dynamic Aquaria... it covers this.