Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everything
- Thread starter SantaMonica
- Start date
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
wringo: Your flow is great! But the light is terrible. Move that light down to the middle of the screen, 4 inches away. Make sure it's sealed with silicone so salt spray won't get into to it (then just cut out the bulb with a razor blade for replacement). Add more reflector. Where is the bulb on the other side?
donj: The aquaripure remove nitrate and nitrite. A scrubber removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia/ammonium, phosphate, metals, C02; it adds oxygen and copepods, and it raises pH. And a scrubber cannot crash and kill a tank. And it's free if you build build it. But yes a scrubber needs lights.
wringo: Your flow is great! But the light is terrible. Move that light down to the middle of the screen, 4 inches away. Make sure it's sealed with silicone so salt spray won't get into to it (then just cut out the bulb with a razor blade for replacement). Add more reflector. Where is the bulb on the other side?
donj: The aquaripure remove nitrate and nitrite. A scrubber removes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia/ammonium, phosphate, metals, C02; it adds oxygen and copepods, and it raises pH. And a scrubber cannot crash and kill a tank. And it's free if you build build it. But yes a scrubber needs lights.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Hi Santa.
I am in the process of setting up a sump on my 23litre edge tank i converted to marine.
nano scrubber you designed.. how does it work exactly?
Here is the design for the nano scrubber box. This can be easily built by giving the plans to an acrylic shop. They can either build it for you, or, they can cut the pieces for you and you can silicone it together (use only aquarium-safe silicone)...
full size: http://www.radio-media.com/fish/25.jpg
Hi Santa.
I am in the process of setting up a sump on my 23litre edge tank i converted to marine.
nano scrubber you designed.. how does it work exactly?
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Bulb goes in the middle. Water goes down screen on both sides and drain out the bottom (just drill holes)
Bulb goes in the middle. Water goes down screen on both sides and drain out the bottom (just drill holes)
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Oh i see. Good design.
Are you selling ready made ones like the larger version?
Oh i see. Good design.
Are you selling ready made ones like the larger version?
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
The 100, yes:
Algae Scrubbers • View topic - Now Available: Santa Monica 100 Acrylic Scrubber
The 25, later this year.
The 100, yes:
Algae Scrubbers • View topic - Now Available: Santa Monica 100 Acrylic Scrubber
The 25, later this year.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Hi, Santa, Oh that 100 is going to be FAAAR too big for my needs..
Guess i will have to do the self build :s
......................
Santa.. Ok i am in the process of designing your smaller one.
Where would the scrubbing material go?
Also where did you envisage the water flows from?
Hi, Santa, Oh that 100 is going to be FAAAR too big for my needs..
Guess i will have to do the self build :s
......................
Santa.. Ok i am in the process of designing your smaller one.
Where would the scrubbing material go?
Also where did you envisage the water flows from?
Last edited:
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Use aquarium-safe silicone.
Here is an earlier design; it's 5 tall by 7 long now. Rough up the windows so you can't see through them; this will diffuse the light.
Use aquarium-safe silicone.
Here is an earlier design; it's 5 tall by 7 long now. Rough up the windows so you can't see through them; this will diffuse the light.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
I'm about to start cycling a tank and was wondering about a few things.
1) Is it advisable to use a scrubber during the cycling period? Why or why not?
2) Will I produce large algal blooms if I overfeed once the scrubber is up and working?
3) Does it make sense to use this in conjunction with macro algaes or will they just die off?
Thanks for all input.
I'm about to start cycling a tank and was wondering about a few things.
1) Is it advisable to use a scrubber during the cycling period? Why or why not?
2) Will I produce large algal blooms if I overfeed once the scrubber is up and working?
3) Does it make sense to use this in conjunction with macro algaes or will they just die off?
Thanks for all input.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Cycling your tank with your scrubber running is fine. The favorite food of algae is ammonia, and next comes nitrite, and then nitrate. So since the ammonia will be kept low during cycling, more of the natural inhabitants in the rock will survive because they are not being poisoned. Also, this extra time that the algae gets to develop during the cycling will allow the screen to be more ready for when you start stocking. You can then start feeding your tank heavier, sooner, since the algae will already be available to absorb a lot of ammonia, nitrate and phosphate. Growth on the screen, however, will be limited until you start feeding, because there is just not that much to filter during cycling, because a lot of the ammonia etc that develops during cycling is actually from animals that die during the cycling itself (because of high ammonia) and not from the shipping. So after after you stock and start feeding, the screen will have much more growth. Usually takes just a few days to get all zero readings.
If you mean blooms in the display, no. It will grow darker on the screen, however, and will need to be cleaned more often.
Cannot use with other macros; they will die.
Cycling your tank with your scrubber running is fine. The favorite food of algae is ammonia, and next comes nitrite, and then nitrate. So since the ammonia will be kept low during cycling, more of the natural inhabitants in the rock will survive because they are not being poisoned. Also, this extra time that the algae gets to develop during the cycling will allow the screen to be more ready for when you start stocking. You can then start feeding your tank heavier, sooner, since the algae will already be available to absorb a lot of ammonia, nitrate and phosphate. Growth on the screen, however, will be limited until you start feeding, because there is just not that much to filter during cycling, because a lot of the ammonia etc that develops during cycling is actually from animals that die during the cycling itself (because of high ammonia) and not from the shipping. So after after you stock and start feeding, the screen will have much more growth. Usually takes just a few days to get all zero readings.
If you mean blooms in the display, no. It will grow darker on the screen, however, and will need to be cleaned more often.
Cannot use with other macros; they will die.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
I was actually planning on using base rock with a small amount of live rock to cycle, only because it's cheaper. However, if I cycle the tank with a deli shrimp won't the scrubber eat all of the ammonia so that the beneficial bacteria cannot proliferate? Thanks for your response.
I was actually planning on using base rock with a small amount of live rock to cycle, only because it's cheaper. However, if I cycle the tank with a deli shrimp won't the scrubber eat all of the ammonia so that the beneficial bacteria cannot proliferate? Thanks for your response.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
You don't need to add anything to get a cycle going. Matter of fact you don't want a cycle at all. It kills the things (that were) living in the "live" rock. Best would be to get a rock from the ocean and put it in your tank in 5 minutes. Everthing would still be alive. But the shipping process kills a lot, and when that dead stuff gets in your water, you get your cycle. The scrubber just eats the results so the water does not get any worse. A skimmer actually does more harm than good, because not only does it not remove any ammonia (which is what is killing the few things still living), it remove the living critters as they get out of the rock and swim around.
So no, you do not want/need a cycle.
You don't need to add anything to get a cycle going. Matter of fact you don't want a cycle at all. It kills the things (that were) living in the "live" rock. Best would be to get a rock from the ocean and put it in your tank in 5 minutes. Everthing would still be alive. But the shipping process kills a lot, and when that dead stuff gets in your water, you get your cycle. The scrubber just eats the results so the water does not get any worse. A skimmer actually does more harm than good, because not only does it not remove any ammonia (which is what is killing the few things still living), it remove the living critters as they get out of the rock and swim around.
So no, you do not want/need a cycle.
waucedah_joe
Active Member
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
OK here's the test results to date from my LED scrubber. All tests are with Salifert Nitrate test kit. Wasn't until I decided to get parallel results with the newly bought test kit that I noticed the one I had been using had expired over a year ago. So, results before 4/17 were with an expired test kit and results after were with a new test kit.
1/21/10 - new scrubber installed
2/27/10 - cut scrubber lights back to 12 hours.
4/4/10 - scrubber lights back to 18 hours.
4/17/10 - new nitrate test kit.
Nitrates
1/24 - 25
1/30 - 10
2/14 - 5
2/20 - 2.2
2/27 - <0.5
3/7 - 2.5
3/14 - 2.5
3/21 - 2.5
3/28 - 2.5
4/4 - 5
4/11 - 2.5
4/17 - 2.5 (old kit) - <0.5 (new kit)
5/2 - <0.5
5/9 - <0.5
5/16 - <0.5
OK here's the test results to date from my LED scrubber. All tests are with Salifert Nitrate test kit. Wasn't until I decided to get parallel results with the newly bought test kit that I noticed the one I had been using had expired over a year ago. So, results before 4/17 were with an expired test kit and results after were with a new test kit.
1/21/10 - new scrubber installed
2/27/10 - cut scrubber lights back to 12 hours.
4/4/10 - scrubber lights back to 18 hours.
4/17/10 - new nitrate test kit.
Nitrates
1/24 - 25
1/30 - 10
2/14 - 5
2/20 - 2.2
2/27 - <0.5
3/7 - 2.5
3/14 - 2.5
3/21 - 2.5
3/28 - 2.5
4/4 - 5
4/11 - 2.5
4/17 - 2.5 (old kit) - <0.5 (new kit)
5/2 - <0.5
5/9 - <0.5
5/16 - <0.5
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Here is a super easy DIY nano tank that can easily be made at an acrylic or glass shop. You would want at least a 13 watt bulb no matter how small the nano:
Here is a super easy DIY nano tank that can easily be made at an acrylic or glass shop. You would want at least a 13 watt bulb no matter how small the nano:
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Hey SM, I've got a RSM 130 and always had NO3 and PO4 problems with it. Replaced skimmer, pumps, rack, removed bio, added mp10 and koralia, and after 1.5 yrs of doing water changes and cleaning everything, the problem remains. So, 9 mos ago I stopped doing water changes and have beautiful turf and hair algae throughout my tank and levels are fine now! Just add alk and calc and mag.
I've read your complete thread (truly revolutionary) and am ready to make the move to a scrubber. I saw your built-in nano design and wondered if you have any further plans that include the RSM 130?
I haven't been online here for some time, but there's a thread for my tank. I'll post some new pics soon.
Hey SM, I've got a RSM 130 and always had NO3 and PO4 problems with it. Replaced skimmer, pumps, rack, removed bio, added mp10 and koralia, and after 1.5 yrs of doing water changes and cleaning everything, the problem remains. So, 9 mos ago I stopped doing water changes and have beautiful turf and hair algae throughout my tank and levels are fine now! Just add alk and calc and mag.
I've read your complete thread (truly revolutionary) and am ready to make the move to a scrubber. I saw your built-in nano design and wondered if you have any further plans that include the RSM 130?
I haven't been online here for some time, but there's a thread for my tank. I'll post some new pics soon.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Hi again. Further up the page I asked if it was ok to use an ATS during cycling. You said yes and your reasoning is certainly logical. However, I was thinking about what would happen if the ATS failed. Since the ATS eats all of the ammonia before it can reach the nitrifying bacteria, they never build a large population. Now this is all good and well unless the screen fails in which case the nitrifying bacteria population has a massive bioload to handle and therefore cannot do so quickly enough for the tank's inhabitants to be saved (in most cases anyway). I would guess that you would just do large water changes to combat this. Is this logic flawed? Am I missing something? Will bacteria populations never build up to substantial levels as long as a skimmer is taking their food? Thanks. Just a thought that occurred to me and I could see this being the reason why people have heard that scrubbers can crash overnight.
Hi again. Further up the page I asked if it was ok to use an ATS during cycling. You said yes and your reasoning is certainly logical. However, I was thinking about what would happen if the ATS failed. Since the ATS eats all of the ammonia before it can reach the nitrifying bacteria, they never build a large population. Now this is all good and well unless the screen fails in which case the nitrifying bacteria population has a massive bioload to handle and therefore cannot do so quickly enough for the tank's inhabitants to be saved (in most cases anyway). I would guess that you would just do large water changes to combat this. Is this logic flawed? Am I missing something? Will bacteria populations never build up to substantial levels as long as a skimmer is taking their food? Thanks. Just a thought that occurred to me and I could see this being the reason why people have heard that scrubbers can crash overnight.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
MileHi... no plans for anything nano-tank-related, other than the nano 25 external, which won't be ready until later in the year. And built-in-tank scrubbers are way too big of a project for me. But they are easy for you to do to just one tank. It will eventually pull the algae from your display and put it onto your scrubber screen.
Nigiri: Scrubbers cannot crash, at all, much less overnight. They either grow a lot, or a little, but once they are growing they do not stop. The folks who post on forums and say that scrubbers "crash" have never run a scrubber, or they are involved with the marketing of skimmers and thus are lying. Thousands of scrubbers have been built and run in the various scrubber threads on different sites since August 2008, and not one has ever "crashed". After all, how can algae "crash" if there are always nutrients to eat.
As for cycling, the rock either came with its own bacteria, or it developed its own bacteria, regardless of a scrubber.
MileHi... no plans for anything nano-tank-related, other than the nano 25 external, which won't be ready until later in the year. And built-in-tank scrubbers are way too big of a project for me. But they are easy for you to do to just one tank. It will eventually pull the algae from your display and put it onto your scrubber screen.
Nigiri: Scrubbers cannot crash, at all, much less overnight. They either grow a lot, or a little, but once they are growing they do not stop. The folks who post on forums and say that scrubbers "crash" have never run a scrubber, or they are involved with the marketing of skimmers and thus are lying. Thousands of scrubbers have been built and run in the various scrubber threads on different sites since August 2008, and not one has ever "crashed". After all, how can algae "crash" if there are always nutrients to eat.
As for cycling, the rock either came with its own bacteria, or it developed its own bacteria, regardless of a scrubber.
Re: Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everythin
Nigiri IMHO I think your line of thinking is correct, the posts I have read of people talking about a "Crash" is normally due to burning the algae, power failure, basically loss of algae due to a malfunction of some sort. I have never read anything about a algae just dying off a screen all of the sudden but a malfunction of any type that causes a complete loss is crash.
If Ats is your only filtration and you do loose all your algae to a malfunction "Crash" it could/would up your bio load to a point the bacteria couldn't keep up and potentially kill your tank mates.
The reasons above are why I would never rely solely on one method of filtration, you wouldn't run an ATO with just one float switch so why would you run your whole tank on one filtration method, **** happens a backup and a backup plan is your best defenses to avoid serious issues. Just cause you can don't mean you should.
I'm not a skimmer rep or salesman just a fellow hobbyist.
Nigiri IMHO I think your line of thinking is correct, the posts I have read of people talking about a "Crash" is normally due to burning the algae, power failure, basically loss of algae due to a malfunction of some sort. I have never read anything about a algae just dying off a screen all of the sudden but a malfunction of any type that causes a complete loss is crash.
If Ats is your only filtration and you do loose all your algae to a malfunction "Crash" it could/would up your bio load to a point the bacteria couldn't keep up and potentially kill your tank mates.
The reasons above are why I would never rely solely on one method of filtration, you wouldn't run an ATO with just one float switch so why would you run your whole tank on one filtration method, **** happens a backup and a backup plan is your best defenses to avoid serious issues. Just cause you can don't mean you should.
I'm not a skimmer rep or salesman just a fellow hobbyist.