From: erno@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Erno Pena)
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 07:14:51 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Building an ALGAL SCRUBBER for marine aquaria...
Algal Scrubber for Marine Aquaria
Sometime this summer, before I build my 75 gallon wooden tank, I plan on
building an algae scrubber for marine aquariums. I've seen quite a few
already, and I know there is much discussion about them in the book _Dynamic
Aquaria. I hope someone out here can offer some advice on my design.
This is my plan: I have an 12 gallon shallow plastic bus tray about 8 inches
deep and 24 inches long. I will mount two bulkheads at opposite sides for
water intake and output. There will be a Tri-Lux or similar plant fluorescent
lamp above. The water will be about 5 inches deep and will be fed by gravity,
which should provide a slow circulation. The water from the overflow box and
prefilter will be split, with some going into the scrubber, and the majority
into the drip plate. The water will travel through the scrubber and out into
the drip plate.
So far this is the easy part. The hard part is making the screen on which the
algae will grow, and actually seeding the scrubber with algae.
I plan to use fiberglass screen formed into a wavy pattern that affords me a
greater surface area. I will take some thick, stiff, plastic coated wire,
form it around the screen into a wide wave with about an inch between crests.
The water will flow down the troughs of the waveform instead of through. I
chose the screen because I've seen pictures of scrubbers using screens, and
because it will also allow water to flow through it, through a wall of algae.
Once the scrubber is built, I'll seed it by going to the local fish store and
asking them to take a small bag and fill it with water and a small bunch of
green hair algae from their reef tanks. I'll take the scrubber, attach hoses
to the in- and outlets and connect them to a small powerhead to circulate the
water, add the starter algae culture to the screen, and let the light grow
the rest. There should be a rather lush growth in a few weeks, by which time
I should have my tank built and cycling.
The only maintenance for this scrubber should be periodically adding
phosphates and removing excess algae. This excess algae can be fed to your
fish, making the scrubber double as a food machine. Other than this, I don't
see much more maintenance required.
Well, that's my plan. I included diagrams below for clarification. I hope it
works. What do you think? Is there anyone out here with experience building
these things? There are a few questions I have however.
- Are there places where I could buy a good, abundant algae starter
culture to speed things up?
- I plan on having only two fluorescent bulb for lighting. Should I get
more?
- I plan on adding some phosphate for additional fertilization for just
this scrubber. Good idea, right?
- Exactly what type of algae should be grown in this scrubber? I forgot
what _Dynamic_Aquaria_ recommends.
- Is there a general size requirement for scrubbers for a given tank
volume? (i.e. would this ~10 gallon algae scrubber be able to support
a 75g tank?)
I can't think of any more. Please email or post your thoughts and criticisms.
I'll post a summary of all the comments.
Thanks.
erno
top view
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|---| lighting |---|
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| end view |
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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--
E r n e s t o F. B. P e n a
---------------------------------
erno@uiuc.edu NeXTmail accepted
From: erik@marge.phys.washington.edu (Erik D. Olson)
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 18:02:01 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Building an ALGAL SCRUBBER for marine aquaria...
In article <1992Mar27.071626.26599@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> erno@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Erno Pena) writes:
>Algal Scrubber for Marine Aquaria
>Sometime this summer, before I build my 75 gallon wooden tank, I plan on
>building an algae scrubber for marine aquariums. I've seen quite a few
>already, and I know there is much discussion about them in the book _Dynamic
>Aquaria. I hope someone out here can offer some advice on my design.
Cool. Now I know of three people (including myself) who are interested
in this. I am also planning on building such a beast, though for a fresh-
water tank (this time, at least).
> [plan deleted. Synopsis:
1. shallow pan, water flows bulkhead-to-bulkhead.
1a. plant light
2. fiberglass mesh screen around a wire for the turf.
3. trickle filter as well?
4. seeding algae from local fish store.
5. phosphate fertilizer
1. I got the impression from _Dynamic Aquaria_ that the most important
item of the scrubber was the dump bucket allowing the water to surge over
the turf. You don't want to do this?
1a. The details for light and size is given in a big table in Chapter 12
(I don't have the book in front of me right now, so I don't remember
the page number). I am going to use those sizes as guidelines. I think
it was .085m^2 for a 70-gallon tank. The lighting you suggest may be
way too small. The prototype in the book uses 4 HO or VHO bulbs (200
watts or so).
2. I am going to construct my screen like a common windowscreen. I
think I'll even use some of that plastic windowscreen mesh. It will be
a plastic grooved frame with some plastic cording that they use for
windows to jam the screening in there. The tough part here is grooving
the plastic frame, but I have a table saw available. I suppose if I didn't,
then I could use wood and nails to accomplish it.
3. Why use a trickle filter as well? I got the impression from the book
that you don't need (or want, for that matter) any filtration on this
system. Maybe I missed something.
4 & 5. Dunno. Was a little hazy on aspects of seeding and fertilizer.
Be sure to post your progress on this! Also Todd OBrien (tobrien@macalstr.
edu) worked for Dr. Adey's group at the smithsonian and knows firsthand all
about these... might want to talk to him.
Erik Olson
---
Erik D. Olson erik@marge.phys.washington.edu
University of Washington olson@phys.washington.edu
Cosmic Ray Labaratory
From: patti@hosehead.intel.com (Patti Beadles)
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1992 23:56:10 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Building an ALGAL SCRUBBER for marine aquaria...
FWIW, _Dynamic Aquaria_ is a book that is frequently criticized by many
knowledgable folks who have read it. I've also heard severe criticisms
of the Smithsonian aquarium that is run with only algae scrubbers.
You will need a relatively large activated carbon filter to deal with
the byproducts of the algae. This will need to be changed frequently.
--
patti@hosehead.hf.intel.com | I don't speak for Intel, nor vice-versa.
75555.767@compuserve.com |
(503)-696-4358 | A1: Yes, I'm the one with the big fishtank.
or just yell, "Hey, Patti!" | A2: A lot, a lot, yes you can see it sometime.
From: Grant.Gussie@phys.utas.edu.au (Grant Gussie)
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: Algal Turf Scubbers
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 1995 10:37:48 +1000
In article , Sony.Fischer@fc.co.za (Sony Fischer)
wrote:
> I have not yet set up this system but will in the near future.
So newbies BEWARE!!!
This article is essentially a condensation of the controversial book
"Dynamic Aquarium" by Adey and Loveland, which is the only book in the
reference list BTW. As such, the book's methods are repeated as fact and no
mention is made about the controversy regarding the book or the
effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Readers should be aware that a great deal of concern and disagreement
exists in aquarium circles about the effectiveneess of the algal scrubber,
and despite the fact that the technology has been available for several
years, the scrubber has not seen wide-spread successful use or acceptance
in reef aquarium keeping.
The reefkeepers FAQ contains a detailed critical review of the algal
scrubber, including an investigation of the claim (repeated in the article)
that it has been successfully used in various public aquaria. I have
personally seen the Townsville Aquarium and can attest that the aquarium
does not support the diversity of life or maintain the colour of the water
that approximates the real Barrier Reef, upon which I have considerable
diving experience.
I have however noticed a discrepancy between the article and the book, as
the article suggests using ozone protein skimmers. Protein skimming removes
considerable particulate material (including plankton) and, of course,
ozone is germicidal, so the use of ozone skimming is contrary to Dr Adey's
desire to maintain high plankton levels. Perhaps the article's author would
care to comment.
To add a little to the controversy, I would like to comment that I believe
that the algal scrubber would however offer some significant advantages
over the now-traditional Berlin method.
First of all, since the scrubber is illuminated at night, better day/night
stability is achieved.
Secondly, the massive amounts of environmentally sensitive and expensive
live rock are not needed.
In my opionion, some combination of the berlin/dynamic systems is likely to
be the way of the future. This system, as I see it, would have abundant
porous rock which is SEEDED by a small quantity of highest-quality live
rock, as well as massive protein skimming (without ozone) of water both
entering and leaving an algal scrubber. A thick gravel bed (seeded with
some live sand) will be somewhere in the system...probably between the
scrubber and the second protein skimmer. I see two skimmers as being
important. The purpose of the first skimmer is to remove proteinious wastes
from the invertebrates and fish in the main tank before they reach the
scubber,thus reducing the heterotrophic bacteria load on the system. The
purpose of the second skimmer is to remove algal spores and exudates from
the algal cells before they return to the main tank, and to reoxygenate the
water when the scrubber lights are off. The "algal scrubber" may however
use something other than microalgae. A giant clam or a macroalgae filter
comes to mind.
As you can see, this system removes the problems with the Dynamic aquarium
(uncontrolled micro algae growth and yellow water) by adding a second
protein skimmer that removes algal spores and exudates. It however
maintains the benefits of the dynamic system, in that better day/night
stability is maintained and the use of live rock is kept to a minimum. The
problems with it are that the plankton levels are lowered by the skimmers,
and that since the seed-rock organisms first have to spread to the porous
dead rock in order to offer biological benefit, the break-in time for this
system would be long.
Any comments on this "system of the future" are welcome.
--
internet email: grant.gussie@phys.utas.edu.au
www home page: http://reber.phys.utas.edu.au/~gussie/
