Experimental algae scrubber

[Floyd R Turbo]

Stop teasing. I envision you taking a picture and then uploading it

 

[frisbee]

Just out of curiosity, what are you hoping to achieve with this so called algae scrubber? Water in a bucket will most likely grow algae given light and time.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Paul's been running an algae scrubber probably since before I was born. Well maybe not that long. But long. This is just a different method he's trying

 

[frisbee]

I understand that, but why? As long as he has been in the hobby you would think that you wouldn't have to run something like that, right? Keeping a happy healthy reef tank doesn't have to be so complicated sometimes. There's a reason why books regarding this hobby don't come out that often. Technology aside, it's already been done before IMO. KISS.

I guess if you just want to throw poop at the wall and see what sticks more power to you though. GL.

 

[Paul B]

I understand that, but why? As long as he has been in the hobby you would think that you wouldn't have to run something like that, right? Keeping a happy healthy reef tank doesn't have to be so complicated sometimes. There's a reason why books regarding this hobby don't come out that often. Technology aside, it's already been done before IMO. KISS.

I guess if you just want to throw poop at the wall and see what sticks more power to you though. GL.

I actually just wrote a book. There is really no reason I built this algae scrubber as I already have an algae scrubber in this tank. This is just an experiment because my tank has always been an experiment. I am not in this to see if I can keep a reef tank going as I already accomplished that. I am not trying to keep fish alive or disease free as I already did that too. I am here to experiment. My tank has very high nitrates which don't really concern me but I would like to use algae to lower than and maybe find something that may help someone. Then maybe if I have time, I will throw poop at a wall to see if it sticks.
I bet you haven't seen to many of these motorized, revolving algae scrubbers have you? It also doesn't throw poop.

 

[frisbee]

Your definitely one of a kind Paul... That EGO never sleeps....

I'm just expecting a lot more from somebody that's been in the hobby for so long. These "greenhorns" might be one step ahead of you... While your adding they're subtracting... Don't think too much about that... One year in and that tank is prestine...

If everybody is kissing your a$$ you'll never go anywhere...

Sorry Moderators, I'm just not a big fan... (truth)

 

[cracker]

I'm with Paul on this . My tank is a big experiment as well. most of my efforts fail ,some work. I enjoy trying differing things just to see if they work. If My tank was pristine and just had to look at it, then I would lose interest. By the way how did that motorized scrubber work out? LOL

 

[DaveK]

It should be pointed out that almost every advance in the aquarium hobby was because someone tried a different way of doing something and this new way worked a lot better than the traditional method in the book.

If you can find some of the older SW aquarium books around, and compare them to what is done today, you'll see many large differences. Maybe someday I'll start a historical thread on the hobby.

 

[Paul B]

By the way how did that motorized scrubber work out? LOL

It didn't work out to well. The concept worked but I couldn't keep the wet material evenly on the spool and other things came about so I abandoned the idea in favor of this cloth hanging over the tank. I like the idea of growing algae in the air rather than under water. I realize many people think I am nuts and that is fine. No one has to try this, (or read my posts) it's just something that interests me. Many of my inventions work very well, some don't work at all, it's all good, even my huge Ego.

I have some older books from when the hobby started. Quite a few actually as when I am asked to speak, I speak about the history of the hobby. I guess I'm old.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

frisbee - why all the negativity, people read Paul's threads because they enjoy them...

Any forum is full of post of people that do things differently running their tanks, I have never seen Paul say his way is the only way, seems to me he just shares what works for him or what he enjoys trying.

To start talking about someones ego, seems like a personal attack to me and that is not what RS is about. We leave personal attacks to the other reefing forums, the ones that have all the right answers & let you know it.

 

[Paul B]

So it's been a week and this is what I have so far. Some streaks. The blobs are pieces of algae that I stuck on there to "seed" it but it looks like I didn't need to do that. A am not sure why it is growing in those streaks but I assume in a few weeks the thing will be covered in algae. If that is the case, I will make another piece of cloth and change it or just clean it. I don't know yet. But it seems this will grow algae much faster than a submerged screen because I added a piece of this cloth to my algae trough almost a month ago and it is just barely growing anything. This is just a test to see if the algae grows better in air and using a cloth instead of a plastic mesh. Yes, I realize I am not curing cancer, it's just a hobby and I also realize people have been making all sorts or algae scrubbers for decades. I like it.

 

[cracker]

Paul I'm considering trying a plastic screen looped over the manifold Like Your last pic. That way there is no screen stuck into a slot to clog up. I'll use zip strips. By the way that stitch job looks pitiful. You need a better seamstress !

 

[Paul B]

Paul I'm considering trying a plastic screen looped over the manifold Like Your last pic. That way there is no screen stuck into a slot to clog up. I'll use zip strips. By the way that stitch job looks pitiful. You need a better seamstress !

My Mother should have seen that. She worked in a sweat shop as a seamstress all her life.
I tried to get done fast so the stitches kept getting bigger and bigger.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Paul I'm considering trying a plastic screen looped over the manifold Like Your last pic. That way there is no screen stuck into a slot to clog up. I'll use zip strips. By the way that stitch job looks pitiful. You need a better seamstress !

Someone did this several years ago actually, drill holes in a pipe instead of a slot, works OK. Algae grows heavy where the canvas comes together and diverts the flow sideways, but draping black plastic over that part eliminates that issue.

 

[StirCrayzy]

Or drape a handy snap on black plastic extrusion over that pipe, right Floyd

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

except those don't work over s wrapped pipe