Algae scrubber as bio filter.

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Nov 21, 2015
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Ammonia still in the safe area.
I did a WC, nitrates above 20ppm , so doing another WC tonight.

It surprised me that It is working. I figure ammonia would register a little bit. So I am going to reduce lights down to five, "15 watts and use only 5 balls. For a couple of feedings and see.

I have a few other fish I can add to the tank. But not any real monsters.

I got some new, sea chem alerts orders, and an ammonia liquid test kit, first one I bought since 1992.
 

H]-[H

Fire Eel
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Oct 11, 2008
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Interesting.. I was just thinking of making one but now I've second thoughts lol
Weird thing though, I always thought algae would use up all nitrates in the water perhaps in a huge mass?
 

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Algea scrubbers, burn nitrate slowly, but seem to remove ammonia, much faster.

I am getting really curious, how algea only filtration, will effect nitrate on water change day.
 
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markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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15 ppm nitrates,
5 leds, 5 algea balls, Feeding 1/2 tsp 2x day.

Oh and I broke my heater, doing a water change. 20171208_173453.jpg
If need to I can run 1 ball. With a quart jar, in the waterfall drop.
 

markstrimaran

Potamotrygon
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Ammonia dosing, .25 ml, or
5 drops of 2.5% clear kitchen "Austin'" into 60 gallons of water, should bump the ammonia too.
.100 ppm. (1ppm) is bad. 2ppm is lethal.
.025 ppm is safe.

I might try it. When I am around to monitor it.
 

tarheel96

Polypterus
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Feb 2, 2015
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Algea scrubbers, burn nitrate slowly, but seem to remove ammonia, much faster.
Yeah. Algae uses both ammonia and nitrate. I've read about how ammonia, not phosphate and nitrate, causes algae to grow. That's just not true.
It's also suggested that algae spores need ammonia to grow. If that's true, algae would spread faster in your tanks without biofiltration than in without.
You've run scrubbers in tanks with biofiltration before.. is the algae spreading faster without ammonia oxidizing bacteria competing with it?
 
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