Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everything

J

jski711

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Well i ditched my euro reef skimmer and have not noticed any side effects from doing so. i'm still doing water changes on a regular basis but i have increased feedings tremendously and have no adverse side effects from doing so. and this is the 301st post. nice thread.

Jake
 
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K

Keifer1122

New Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

id send u an email with pics but i dont no ur email address but ne ways its a 75g with 29gal tank for sump the lights i use are 40 watt cfls comparable to 150w but to day i picked up the big daddy cfl 65 watt/300 watt comparable 3,900 lumens so i cleaned yesterday to the point where everything was off except for the red turf that didnt come off plus i want that to grow i i think.but the screen was bare and today the screen is covered. been in for 2 weeks not much growth the first week. but adjusted to my tank and now my first week cleaning was about the same growth that grew (lol) in one day.yesterday from today.its12x12. right now i have toooo many fish a buddy i work with was gettin out and i bought his liivestock and equip.ive been trying to sell off these fish on craigslist no one shows up.
1.yellow tang
2.hippo tang
3.big royal gramma
4.blue green chromis
5. 2 clownfish
6.mandarin
7.coral beauty
8.small bangaii cardinal
and i only have about35lbs of liverock maybe. thats pushin it 2" sandbed
run an undersized skimmer i think euro reef usa made for 55g i test with api nitrate test and i lost color chart but yellow good red bad im orange and since ive been testing it looks like its getting a lighter color. was usually just goin up everyday but with the new light i think that will speed up the growing process.
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Cool Jake, how about a tank pic.

Keifer check pm.
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Today's N-and-P-lowering success stories are both from the UR site, and both of them were a build-of-the-day that I previously posted:

"Col" says: "Test results from tonight are N=7.5 & P=0.1 I've not had test results as low as this before. The lighting on side 2 of the screen is really making a difference. Thanks SantaMonica for all your help!

"johnt" says: "Tested today and nitrate has come down from 50 to less than 25:

Date------8/21--------9/7---------9/14--------9/20

Nitrate----60-----------*-----------50-----------<25
pH---------8.24---------*-----------8.23---------8.27
Mag-------1394--------*-----------1335--------1440
Cal---------500----------*-----------465----------460
dKH-------7.2----------*------------8.6----------8.3
SG---------1.026-------*------------1.026-------1.026
Temp-----26.3---------*------------25.3---------24.8
Phos------0.25---------*------------0.1-----------<0.1

* = Started Scrubber

"First a big drop in Phosphate and now an equally impressive drop in Nitrate"
 
JNicho

JNicho

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Hey SM...I have a 10G plumbed into my system that used to be a fuge and then a frag tank...because of the overflow at the top of the tank it's not feasible for anything else other than a floating screen...any thoughts on what would need to be done to make a successful floating screen setup?
 
pinantanjohn

pinantanjohn

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

I haven't heard anyone mention in this thread, but there is a large (100 watt+) compact flouro that is used for hydroponics (which is exactly what you are doing) that would be far more efficient than the little bulbs and reflectors I've seen on here. Physically they are about 4 inches round and a little over a foot long. 125 watt bulb generates 8500 lumins give or take at a good wavelength for green growth ( probably good for the red/brown algae too)

Anyone trying these?

John
 
J

jski711

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Got a link to these bulbs? I might try an old compact flouresent fixture on one side and see what happens. Imo I think the 5500k bulbs I have aren't the best for growing the turf. Post up a link though!

Jake
 
ConcreteReefer

ConcreteReefer

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Are you going to post this on every Forum on the net?
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Jnicho: I don't see why you can't do a regular screen. Any pics?

pina: I'm just now looking into different bulbs, but don't know about the one you mention.
 
K

Keifer1122

New Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

yea the 65 watt one is the biggest they sell at home depot but i have seen them online bigger 200watt comparable/to a 800watt. but i have no room there long mine is still a spiral shape and its almost the length of 12x12 screen
 
JNicho

JNicho

Member
Floating Screen Project

SantaMonica said:
Jnicho: I don't see why you can't do a regular screen. Any pics?
Click to expand...

fish_090308_004.jpg


This is my basement sump setup...In this photo you can see the 10G frag tank (which is currently not setup, but I can get it running again easily)...it is already lit by 3 6500K bulbs, so I think I have ample light...and I would be able to float an approx. 200 sq/in. screen in it.

Question on the screen...I was thinking about a 1/2" PVC frame around the screen so it would float well...should I position the screen so it is very slightly below the surface of the water, very slightly above (don't think that would work as it would dry out, or try to get it almost exactly flush with the water's surface?
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Why can't you just set up a vertical screen in the 10g? For floating, you don't want a frame because that will slow the water from splashing across it, unless the water is dumping down from above. If you use the plastic canvas:

Everything Plastic Canvas - Plastic Canvas 7 Mesh 12" x 18"

... it won't need a frame, just a few small pieces of foam here and there to keep it from turning sideways. Intense flow will be key.
 
Varga

Varga

Well-Known Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

I have an idea, why not have multiple vertical screens in a 10g tank and have a big light over them????? would that work? or put the light in between the screen? screens would have acrylic picture frames that just slide into slots siliconed inside the 10g.

multiturf.jpg
 
JNicho

JNicho

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

The problem I have is the 10G is drilled for an overflow near the top so it runs nearly full...and I didn't really want to drill another hole (I know a $10 tank big woop!)...if I have a screen floating on the surface (so it stays wet but the top side is exposed to air) with water coming in on one side and draining out on the opposite side shouldn't that accomplish the same thing as a vertical screen? or does the water need to actually flow down/over the screen?

Another option I could do would be to add a spray bar to the inlet side...I can adjust the overflow to lower the water level a few inches...that way I could have the screen on a bit of an angle (it would still be far from vertical)...I'm afraid if the spray bar was at the top of the screen (or back of the tank) the lower side of the screen (at the front of the tank) would not get enough water since I think the screen would still be horizontal enough that the water would run through the holes to quickly.

Here is a pic of what I have setup right now (former fuge/frag tank which is currently empty except for water):
fuge1.JPG


Here is a pic of the modification with the spray bar and angled screen:
FUGE2.JPG
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

Varga another user was gonna do the same thing, but it's so much screen area that you'd need a hugd tank to support it. Plus, you'd need to run T5HO's across the entire top, and maybe sides, to give enough light.

Nicho why can't you just use an elevated screen above the waterline like varga does? Similar to your second pic, but just extend the pvc up to give you the square inches needed to match your tank.
 
K

Keifer1122

New Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

just making a quick observation ur sump/refugium tanks looks full to the brim. (what if the power went out)but anywho theres a perfectly good shelf right to the left of everything that could easily accomadate a 5 gal bucket on the top and if not there u can easily hang a 5 gal bucket anywhere with a simple screw hook combo and ur done just like SM demonstrated in the first few post. its versatile (plug and play)all u need is a pump. it can be all the way across the room if u wanted it to be.that is with the right pump and light .also if its elevated higher than what its going into for draining purposes. i mean ur fish room looks like mine. clutter is not a problem. so i dont think a 5 gal bucket will be a prob. but if it is, then id say go for ur idea but when u do the screen have the bottom touch the water just a little i think to avoid the splashing cause ur water levels r so high. HEY SM post my pics. all i have is wood dowels holding up my slotted spray bar over my 29 gal and it would easily fit over a 10 and plus theres no spitter spatter when my pump runs.
 
JNicho

JNicho

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

So are you saying my fish room is messy! LOL! Just kidding. I have plenty of 5G buckets so that's always a possibility...I just have the 10G already in place and it has 6500K lighting in the hood so I was just trying to be hard headed and use what I already had, LOL! I'll have to play around with it and see what happens...if it doesn't work to my liking I haven't invested much, and can easily do something more like what's already been built.

The fuge tank was running full at the time the photo was taken...if the fuge pump is turned off their is only a minute additional volume as the pump for the fuge is very small and the water level is just barely above the overflow...the water level in the sump is pretty full but still several inches below the top...I have siphon breaks on my returns...if the return pump is turned off the sump is very full, but does not overflow...beyond that I don't worry a whole lot...the sump is in the basement with a concrete floor and a floor drain...even in the wost case scenario, if a couple gallons did overflow the top of the sump it would not be an issue...thanks for mentioning that though...years ago when I set up my first sump I learned all about siphon breaks and leaving a little extra room in the sump, LOL!
 
tigerarmy90

tigerarmy90

Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin

can any of you running this contraption post pre and post perameters...I want here the success stories :)
 
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