Freshwater Algae Turf Scrubber

[Zhewitt04]

I am going to build one for my 240 gallon. I have looked up a ton of info on the Internet and can't find detailed results for freshwater. Please share your input on freshwater results. I am going to show my build and results please feel free to input on concerns, questions and input.
Thanks!

 

[Jez1992]

King of Diy will tell you everything you need to know! Hes done a previous design aswell.

I did one of these on my system and works a charm. Every week I take off a fist sized clump of algae!

 

[markstrimaran]

They definitely seem to be more popular with the salt water crowd.
I have an upflow, and a water fall.
The water fall grows the most, grows well on 24x7 lighting.

The upflow has the light on the outside of the tank, which the inside glass grows algae as well as the plastic screen. Even though it has a 10 watt led, 1" away. It is also on a 24x7 lighting.

660nm deep reds, and 420 460nm blues.
On the Led spectrum. 10 to 20 watts per side

 

[Zhewitt04]

Thanks. I was going to do the water fall with grow light leds on each side. Do the same principles apply to fresh as salt? I am wondering in fresh need higher flow or higher wattage or are they the same.

 

[markstrimaran]

I have been using the salt water parameters. As far as flow and lighting.
Some of the difference will be. Leaving lights on for a 24hr duration. If your lights are powerful. It will beach out the screen. If the bulbs are too close, and when growing a new screen.
I uses Santa Monica GEM Lights, on my waterfall scrubber. Mine is not a text book example as it is single sided, and packed into a 12" × 4" sump space. It grows a colorful mix of algea greens, reds. " red beard algea"
It is 7" wide 10" long. The bottom is in 3" of sump water. The submerged part is always green hair algea.

The tanks have African cichlids. That get over fed. Mechanical filter floss gets cleaned every other day. Nitrates Max out at 20ppm with a 40% water change 5 times per month.

The more water flow you have the better.

My up flow scrubber is on a different tank. It grows only green hair algea. Using 10 watt purple grow led. The algea grows well on the inside of the glass, blocking the screen.
The bubble diffuser has to be cleaned every couple of months.

I like to prime a new screen in a tank were algea can gain a foot hold. As the diatoms, and slime can slow algea from attaching.

I have had a very turf like algea growing. It seamed to grow best with more acetic lighting. 420- 460nm. I still have a lot of it in a "ball of chauto" misspelled.

Any led that looks red but is not a genuine 660nm deep red. Is worthless.

 

[Zhewitt04]

I have been using the salt water parameters. As far as flow and lighting.
Some of the difference will be. Leaving lights on for a 24hr duration. If your lights are powerful. It will beach out the screen. If the bulbs are too close, and when growing a new screen.
I uses Santa Monica GEM Lights, on my waterfall scrubber. Mine is not a text book example as it is single sided, and packed into a 12" × 4" sump space. It grows a colorful mix of algea greens, reds. " red beard algea"
It is 7" wide 10" long. The bottom is in 3" of sump water. The submerged part is always green hair algea.

The tanks have African cichlids. That get over fed. Mechanical filter floss gets cleaned every other day. Nitrates Max out at 20ppm with a 40% water change 5 times per month.

The more water flow you have the better.

My up flow scrubber is on a different tank. It grows only green hair algea. Using 10 watt purple grow led. The algea grows well on the inside of the glass, blocking the screen.
The bubble diffuser has to be cleaned every couple of months.

I like to prime a new screen in a tank were algea can gain a foot hold. As the diatoms, and slime can slow algea from attaching.

I have had a very turf like algea growing. It seamed to grow best with more acetic lighting. 420- 460nm. I still have a lot of it in a "ball of chauto" misspelled.

Any led that looks red but is not a genuine 660nm deep red. Is worthless.

Thanks so much this is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks again