Nano Algae Scrubber

[leepink23]

Greyfish Aquatics makes nano scrubbers. I used him for mine, I bought a 302 aquatics scrubber but didn't like the lights or spray bar so Greyfish custom built better parts for me.

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

Sorry to hijack the thread a little bit but what are the dimensions of the 50???

11x7x7

 

[Finhead]

I tried finding the one you posted but couldn’t!

Not sure I follow? The one I posted I built myself, what is it you need to know? I posted the brand of container and the light I used, was there something else you needed? It's not a hard piece to build, water pump into a 1/2 or 3/4" PVC pipe with a slot and screen attadhed. Light on the outside of the container with black paint to block stray light and go.

 

[mtfish]

I agree that a DIY scrubber would be the cheapest and will work just fine. A question I have is with the volume of water you have in your system, wouldn't water changes achieve the same thing without adding another piece of equipment? I always say keep things as simple as possible and your troubles will be least.

 

[sundog101]

Did someone mention a new small clearwater scrubber?

Don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone know what lights clearwater uses? Or any of the other brands?

 

[leepink23]

Don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone know what lights clearwater uses? Or any of the other brands?[/QUO5TE]
Greyfish uses custom built lights, red/blue 3 watt, he uses same leds, drivers, dimmers and heat sinks as Turbo Scrubbers, except he uses blue instead of violet

 

[lion king]

I would do a reactor for a tank that size. I'm not familiar with the reactor you have, but it's easy to wrap some leds around it and see. My reactors keep my high bioload tanks down with very very low nitrates and undetectable phosphates. Reactors are so easy to maintain, I find scrubbers to be a pita to maintain. I find reactors are just as efficient on smaller to medium size tanks, you can't get much better than 10 nitrates and 0 phosphates.

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

Don't want to get too off topic, but does anyone know what lights clearwater uses? Or any of the other brands?

We use an IP65 rated red/blue growth light. The reds are in the 660nm and blue is the 420nm spectrum. We have an announcement coming out soon as we are in the process of switching to different lighting supplier (there is a hint on our fb page) with our own spectrum of growth lighting that no one else can offer.

 

[Becca Lane]

I made a AS for my Red Sea Reefer Nano (21 gal) from a Tfal acrylic storage bin a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe a mesh screen (for kniting I believe) a grow light and a Maxijet powerhead. Just drilled a few holes with a reg hole saw, just have to go slow. Taped off where I wanted the light to shine thorugh and painted the outside black.

How often do you run the light?

 

[Becca Lane]

I made a AS for my Red Sea Reefer Nano (21 gal) from a Tfal acrylic storage bin a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe a mesh screen (for kniting I believe) a grow light and a Maxijet powerhead. Just drilled a few holes with a reg hole saw, just have to go slow. Taped off where I wanted the light to shine thorugh and painted the outside black.

Also where does the water exit?

 

[Becca Lane]

Also where does the water exit?

And how did that not shatter!! I’m looking into maybe doing your idea

 

[Finhead]

Also where does the water exit?

On that scrubber I ran the light on a 3hr on 3hr off cycle for the best growth. The water exited through a hole cut in the bottom, it was ran in a Red Sea Nano so it was sitting on a shelf where the topoff water tank was supposed to sit.

 

[Finhead]

And how did that not shatter!! I’m looking into maybe doing your idea

Shatter? What would shatter? It's a Acrylic T-Fal container, I can't see how it would shatter? The pic is with the top off, same as this one.

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

Shatter? What would shatter? It's a Acrylic T-Fal container, I can't see how it would shatter? The pic is with the top off, same as this one.

It’s different acrylic. Have you seen the homemade chaeto reactors? They wrap the lights at round them and I haven’t seen one make it more than 6 months. There is a reason why it’s sometimes better to leave it to the pros on this stuff. Especially when you are taking about thousands of dollars in corals and fish in your tank.

 

[Finhead]

It’s different acrylic. Have you seen the homemade chaeto reactors? They wrap the lights at round them and I haven’t seen one make it more than 6 months. There is a reason why it’s sometimes better to leave it to the pros on this stuff. Especially when you are taking about thousands of dollars in corals and fish in your tank.

I know all about the grades of acrylic etc I used to build acrylic pieces for people back about 15 years ago, cast mostly. This box was in use for 2 years and didn't have any of the same stress cracks from heat. There is enough space between the box and the light plus there is only 13 watts total against the side not a string of LED pressed up tight.
But I get where your coming from, can't sell your scrubbers if people can build them for 1/3rd the price right.

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

I know all about the grades of acrylic etc I used to build acrylic pieces for people back about 15 years ago, cast mostly. This box was in use for 2 years and didn't have any of the same stress cracks from heat. There is enough space between the box and the light plus there is only 13 watts total against the side not a string of LED pressed up tight.
But I get where your coming from, can't sell your scrubbers if people can build them for 1/3rd the price right.

No need to get nasty about it sir. But if you’re willing to trust your DIY job over an open water source, then by all means build a DIY. However don’t be shocked when something goes wrong and nukes your tank.

 

[Finhead]

No need to get nasty about it sir. But if you’re willing to trust your DIY job over an open water source, then by all means build a DIY. However don’t be shocked when something goes wrong and nukes your tank.

LOL I build stuff for a living it's what I have been doing for 25 years, I have been DIYing reef tank pieces for well over 20 years now. I think I'll be good.

 

[Nihilus]

I apologize for not reading through the entire thread, but a ATS on a 12 gallon tank is more trouble than it's worth IMO. Don't OVERthink it....

 

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

LOL I build stuff for a living it's what I have been doing for 25 years, I have been DIYing reef tank pieces for well over 20 years now. I think I'll be good.

Maybe... but don’t tell someone who has never done it, that they need to do it that way. I’m not against people doing a DIY but if they have never done it or don’t know what they are doing, then that’s where problems can happen.

 

[Finhead]

Maybe... but don’t tell someone who has never done it, that they need to do it that way. I’m not against people doing a DIY but if they have never done it or don’t know what they are doing, then that’s where problems can happen.

Sure but they have to start somewhere, this is aperfectly easy project to do so. Cheap easy and works, so that is why I sais why not try it. Why push our product in a DIY section? Kinda not the place is it?