Algae scrubber as bio filter.

markstrimaran

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Nov 21, 2015
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Update: 3
13 days since last water change.
Start 13 ppm. Nitrate
End "10 ppm" nitrate
DOWN -3PPM SINCE WATER CHANGE.

PH 8.20
AMMONIA Zero.
74 F. Temp
Feeding one tsp, pellet, daily. 1/2 tsp 2x.
15. 3 watt leds 660nm.
2. 10 watt 660nm 8. 553nm 1 20 volt cob.
Apx. 35 actuall watts.
I will be doing a water change here shortly.
I will be doing water changes on the 1st and 16th of each month. For referance. The extra lights were added last week. I posted mix up about the last water change, was actually , since adding extra lights.
Working 55 hrs w/o, busy.
 

markstrimaran

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20180204_145007.jpg
Top log tank, 15 watt UFS, 15ppm
Middle, moss wall tank, 18ppm " no scrubber, under construction"

Far right, is the fluidised algea reactor, 8ppm.

The top log tank, has never had a actual reduction in nitrate until now. With the addition of the 15 led light. Over the last 2 years it always needed a quartrly fin level water change, to keep it under 30ppm.

The moss wall tank, had it' scrubber removed, as the flow was always post bacteria biofiltrated water. I am contemplating removing all of the bio balls in the wet dry. After I see how it does with out a scrubber.

The 30 gallon hatchery, is on the drip thru, scrubber. No real numbers, as it only has about 10 small fry in it. Mostly seeing how fast they grow on a algea diet, vs their siblings in the full feed algea reactor tank.
20180204_091355.jpg
Fluidised, algea red light
Fluidised moss blue light.
15177802619671729475073.jpg
Improved anaeobic denitrator, using moss? Algea, as a renewable carbon supply, need some more time.

It is 100 percent possibly to denitrate fresh water with out adding any, sugar, alcohol or similar carbon.
 
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markstrimaran

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15177896418491777670573.jpg
Removed the last bio media today. It' on algea scrubber only, for ammonia removal. Replaced all the mechanical floss with new.
 
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markstrimaran

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20180206_173631.jpg
Wrong lights, received again. I order some extras to have on hand. At eye level they look the same, but will not grow algea.

The one with the purple hue, is the 660nm
The other is 630nm to 640nm.
I have about 120 from misslabled dealers. That they sent in error.
 

markstrimaran

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Still holding zero nitrate increase , but lost a light bar, and have one at 60%. Still had 15 watts going, noticed that the PH DROPPED to 7.82, and noticed the lights.

Got one replaced with a back up.20180213_171941.jpgpin hole in the epoxy resin, that corroded the led terminals.

The light board , drilled holes, then zip tie the lights on. has turned into an algea growing, scrubber screen with the balls, keeping it harvested.
20180213_173756.jpg
So time for the white, marine epoxy. The one that failed were, clear epoxy, long cure general purpose , penetrating grade.
 

markstrimaran

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Ph 8.0 with the new light set. Got some other sets drying,20180214_113101.jpg
Having a time with missabled lights again. I have other "grow lights avaliable"
The small 3 watt leds, are just really fast to set up.

It' has been awhile since I used a orangish red led, since I have a sump open, thought I would try them again. As I wait for the dealers to figure out were they put all the 660nm deep reds.20180214_140552.jpg
 

markstrimaran

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20180214_171749.jpg
620nm lights. New20170721_163851.jpg
660nm deep red,
Only this deep red will grow algea. Fast enouph to be worth while.
 

twentyleagues

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Flint town!
View attachment 1299799
620nm lights. NewView attachment 1299800
660nm deep red,
Only this deep red will grow algea. Fast enouph to be worth while.
So in your opinion a standard 65k bulb would be a waste of my time setting up an algae scrubber with? What about those pinkish grow lamps? I've got all the bit's and pieces to do a drip system on my tanks and in all reality I could drip out upto 50% system volume daily but that seems wasteful. Algae scrubber was my next goto to help keep things in check with a moderate drip of 80% system volume weekly and me gravel vac weekly too. But from reading this thread it also seems that algae scrubber is better at removing nitrate before it becomes nitrate.
 

markstrimaran

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2700k CFLS, Work, for the first 10 months, 65k. Maybe depending on manufacturing process.

Alot of the led grow lights are "pinkish" are not in the correct bandwidth to grow alot of algea.

Santa Monica filtration systems, has the Gem5 leds, for $200.00. I have 4 different tanks with scrubbers so I don't have a grand to spend on lights.
I had a set a while back and they work great.


The scrubber works best in front of traditional bio media.
 
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