Show me your algae scrubber
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MaccaPopEye
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I'm at work right now so I cant get the image links off of photo bucket for you but I will try and remember to post some pics of my DIY waterfall scrubber when I get home.
What kind of space do you have? Are you looking for an up-flow or waterfall style scrubber? Waterfall scrubbers are more efficient for the same size grow screen as they are lit on both sides, but they require a bit of space above the sump. Nothing wrong with an up-flow though, especially if you have a smaller tank or an AIO.
If you want a waterfall scrubber and want to buy one, get a turbo aquatics scrubber. They look awesome and I would love to own one eventually, the removable growth chamber would make it so easy to clean, and because they are designed so well the whole thing is very compact and looks good. With a bit of effort though you can build a DIY waterfall scrubber in an enclosed box. If you want an up-flow scrubber you can get them from Santa Monica. They also seem very easy to make.
This is a really good and comprehensive video of making a DIY waterfall scrubber. And is also probably one of the best DIY designs I have seen (mainly because it uses off the shelf lights and I really don't like messing with electrical stuff). If I had of seen this before I built mine, I would have followed this video almost exactly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOSI5WhlNAA
Also have a read of this site:
http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/
This will help you correctly size a scrubber to your system, determine how much light it needs, how much flow etc.
(I don't know if the pictures are missing on that site or if my stupid work computer is just blocking them but hopefully the pics work too)
Cheers,
Macca
What kind of space do you have? Are you looking for an up-flow or waterfall style scrubber? Waterfall scrubbers are more efficient for the same size grow screen as they are lit on both sides, but they require a bit of space above the sump. Nothing wrong with an up-flow though, especially if you have a smaller tank or an AIO.
If you want a waterfall scrubber and want to buy one, get a turbo aquatics scrubber. They look awesome and I would love to own one eventually, the removable growth chamber would make it so easy to clean, and because they are designed so well the whole thing is very compact and looks good. With a bit of effort though you can build a DIY waterfall scrubber in an enclosed box. If you want an up-flow scrubber you can get them from Santa Monica. They also seem very easy to make.
This is a really good and comprehensive video of making a DIY waterfall scrubber. And is also probably one of the best DIY designs I have seen (mainly because it uses off the shelf lights and I really don't like messing with electrical stuff). If I had of seen this before I built mine, I would have followed this video almost exactly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOSI5WhlNAA
Also have a read of this site:
http://algaescrubber.zohosites.com/
This will help you correctly size a scrubber to your system, determine how much light it needs, how much flow etc.
(I don't know if the pictures are missing on that site or if my stupid work computer is just blocking them but hopefully the pics work too)
Cheers,
Macca
Catchemall
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This my diy scrubber been up for a month got the led lights on eBay 660nm red and 450 blue. Pump is a team rio 1100 super quiet pump. Remember 35gph for inch of width screen and 12sq in of screen per cube of food a day.
jeremy
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I don't have pics of mine. But I have a Turbo Aquatics L2 rev3 algae scrubber. Works great. Excellent build quality.
He just came out with a new model scrubber and is building and sending them out now.
He is a sponsor on here too.
He just came out with a new model scrubber and is building and sending them out now.
He is a sponsor on here too.
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Bump!
MaccaPopEye
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Thanks for the reminder Rev 
I'm at work again so I just emailed myself the links to the pics so hopefully they work.
Dry fitting the acrylic together with one of the lights to make sure it fits.
The finished scrubber. I made it a lot longer than I needed to as I wanted to be able to move the lights in and out until I found a good spot. The main motivation for making an acrylic box for the scrubber was to keep light spill to a minimum (I think I did ok for my first time working with acrylic).
I started a scrubber because my tank got taken over by algae hard and fast. Almost one year running with no algae to be seen. Then within a month every single rock was covered in a thick matt of long green hair algae. I could manually pull it off of all the rocks and it would be back within a couple of days. I added a whole bunch of snails, increased GFO, water changes, lowered light intensity, and was constantly pulling it out. Nothing seemed to slow it down over a good 3-4 months until I got the ATS up and running.This is a comparison of the same rock the day I started the ATS and just over 4 weeks later. The GHA rapidly reduced for the first 2 months and then started to slow down a lot but it is still slowly receding which is the important part.
Here is a photo of the first 6 cleanings. Cleaning #1 was only 5 days after I started the scrubber (should have left it a bit longer but I was excited haha). Keep in mind I am in Aus so the dates are day/month. I am due to update this pic with the next 3 cleanings tomorrow
Over the last few months experiencing the algae outbreak and attempting to come back from it I have lost some coral and some have pulled through. This one is a coral that I thought was lost when I started the ATS and it has slowly been making it's way back
Cheers,
Macca
I'm at work again so I just emailed myself the links to the pics so hopefully they work.
Dry fitting the acrylic together with one of the lights to make sure it fits.
The finished scrubber. I made it a lot longer than I needed to as I wanted to be able to move the lights in and out until I found a good spot. The main motivation for making an acrylic box for the scrubber was to keep light spill to a minimum (I think I did ok for my first time working with acrylic).
I started a scrubber because my tank got taken over by algae hard and fast. Almost one year running with no algae to be seen. Then within a month every single rock was covered in a thick matt of long green hair algae. I could manually pull it off of all the rocks and it would be back within a couple of days. I added a whole bunch of snails, increased GFO, water changes, lowered light intensity, and was constantly pulling it out. Nothing seemed to slow it down over a good 3-4 months until I got the ATS up and running.This is a comparison of the same rock the day I started the ATS and just over 4 weeks later. The GHA rapidly reduced for the first 2 months and then started to slow down a lot but it is still slowly receding which is the important part.
Here is a photo of the first 6 cleanings. Cleaning #1 was only 5 days after I started the scrubber (should have left it a bit longer but I was excited haha). Keep in mind I am in Aus so the dates are day/month. I am due to update this pic with the next 3 cleanings tomorrow
Over the last few months experiencing the algae outbreak and attempting to come back from it I have lost some coral and some have pulled through. This one is a coral that I thought was lost when I started the ATS and it has slowly been making it's way back
Cheers,
Macca
a49panhead
Active Member
I was going to go with a down flow. I don't have much space so I was thinking of getting http://www.expressions-ltd.com/Algae_Scrubber_ATS_Box_p/ats-box.htm. And 4 of there lights that they make for it. What do you think if this one. Was looking for some diy design to try to save cash.
915MANG
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I like the scrubber, Ive been thinking about getting the lights since they are water proof.
MaccaPopEye
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It's not a bad box. But for that kind money I would just get a Turbo aquatics scrubber.
You could also DIY something the same very easily. But it's up to you
