Mega Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover - DIY!

[SantaMonica]

One of the big benefits of a scrubber is that it keeps food in the water. Here is an update pertaining to this:

Part 1 of 7:

Taken from "Reef Food" by Eric Borneman:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/eb/index.php

"Detritus, marine snow, particulate organic material, and suspended particulate matter are all names for the bits of "dirt" [food] that flow around the reef; material that is composed of fecal material, borings, algae, plant material, mucus, associated bacteria, cyanobacteria and other particles. Decomposers (mainly bacteria and associated flora and fauna) break down waste material in the water, on the reef, and primarily, in the soft sediments. The result of their presence and action is not only a food source in and of itself, but provides raw material for channeling back into the food chain, largely through the benthic algae and phytoplankton.

"Phytoplankton [food] are small unicellular algae, or protists, that drift in the water column. They may be very abundant in and around coral reefs, and they are capable of absorbing large amounts of organic and inorganic nutrients. [...] Some of the reef animals can feed directly on phytoplankton; many soft corals, some sponges, almost all clams, feather-duster worms, and other filter feeders utilize phytoplankton directly as a food source. Small animals in the water column, termed zooplankton [food], also utilize phytoplankton as a food source. For the smaller zooplankton, phytoplankton and bacteria are the primary food source.

"Both of the [photos not shown] are from reefs on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The left photo shows the clear "nutrient poor" (oligotrophic) waters of the outer reefs. The right photo is of an inshore "nutrient rich" lagoon reef off Townsville. Notice how coral coverage in both systems is high, and even though the green phytoplankton-filled lagoonal reef is nutrient rich, it supports a high density of Acropora.

"Coral reef food sources, then, are largely produced by the ocean. Bacteria, detritus, phytoplankton, zooplankton, small benthic fauna, mucus, and dissolved organic and inorganic material of various types and sizes are what comprise the majority of food on a coral reef.

"In aquaria, we are faced with several realities. Our phytoplankton and zooplankton populations are generally negligible to non-existent in comparison with coral reef communities. Those which do exist are either rapidly consumed without having a chance to reproduce, or they are rapidly removed or killed by pumps and filtering devices or suspension-feeders. Coral mucus, bacteria, detritus, larval benthos and other "psuedo-plankton" might be present in a reasonable amount if the water column were not stripped. On the other hand, dissolved organic and inorganic material [nitrate, phosphate] levels are frequently much higher than they are in the ocean. [...] Even very well maintained aquaria are generally found with much higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorous than wild communities. Even though many desirable organisms are able to utilize these nutrients, levels in most aquaria are very unnatural, and coral reefs under such conditions often wane or die - a process known as eutrophication.

"It is the lack of water column-based food that results in limited success with the maintenance of some desirable animals, such as crinoids, flame scallops, clams, certain corals, sponges, bryozoans, and many other invertebrates. Even the symbiotic (zooxanthellate) corals [like SPS] suffer, despite many obvious long-term successes with these animals.

"In terms of previously mentioned export mechanisms, it really does little good to be cultivating or adding more food material in the water column if it is all being rapidly removed by filtration devices. Live rock and sand provide abundant filtration, and some of the articles in past issues describing the set-up and use of unskimmed tanks are, in my experience, something that should be seriously considered. Algae Turf Scrubbers are also viable systems that provide low ambient water nutrient levels [of nitrate and phosphate] while maintaining higher amounts of food and particulate matter in the water. I also feel that if protein skimmers are used, they should probably be used in an intermittent fashion.

[johntanjm]

Thanks.

As l'm only using Ehiem 1262 with abt 3,000 l/h water return, should l just channel all the return water to the screen via the horizontal pipe, and totally cut off the vertical pipe where water run into the sump?

unless you have a really big screen then i suggest channeling ALL the water onto the screens. best if you have 2 return pipes, one to screen, one to sump. put a valve on one of them so u can still regulate the flow to ensure a nice waterfall effect.

[johntanjm]

Creetin keep us updated with the growth from the warm light. maybe i should try swtiching bulbs

[wilsontantw]

Wilson: Congrats on a relatively unique design! Can't tell about the flow since I don't know what it is, but you don't have control over it anyhow. The lighting, however, we will need to work on. The little desk light you use will not work; you need some real power to shine down in there. Get at least one, and if you are serious, two of these:

http://www.buylighting.com/23-Watt-R40-Com...p/tcp1r4023.htm

...along with a clip-on socket, and aim them down towards the middle of the screen. Your screen is small and one-sided, and therefore needs extra light power to make up for it. Also, I notice that you attached the screen to the top of the overflow passage; you need to move it to bottom, so that the water flows on the outside of the screen. When the screen fills with algae, light will only be on the backside of the screen; that's where the water needs to flow too. Use little hooks or something to hold the screen at the bottom of those acrylic cutouts. But most important: the lights!

Thanks for your reply SM. This is a lazy man's design. You are right on many counts!

1) i dun have control over the overflow. (i'm using an Aquabee 5000 return pump, so that should be the flow rate).

2) There's really no 'real power' in the light... i just recycled my sump light to try if this works for now.

3) The screen is also one-sided and relatively small.

Har, but maybe the image doesn't show it well... the water does flow through (front and back) of the entire screen. Looks like a water fall...

Fun Fact: it silences my overflow noise! Now it's so quiet i wonder if my overflow is blocked!

I doubt i can use those bulb you show, unless i DIY a connector myself. A clip-on socket cannot be attached on my overflow box.

But i do have an idea... (maybe i'll just hang the bulb - dangling in the middle of the box).

I have high hopes on this... to reduce my skimmate and remove the nuisance algae!!!

Will keep everyone posted.

[Creetin]

Creetin, a very unique design for you too! What is the tank size? You are right, you need to spread the flow horizontally with a spreader bar or something.

How far is the bulb from the flowing water?

Can you put another bulb in there? Twice the light power is twice the nutrient removal.

Hi SantaM, my tank is only a 2feet by 14inch by 14inch tank. e scrubber takes almost half of e width...

ya e spreader bar will be tricky, i will try with magnets and see wat happens...

the bulb is probably 4-5inches away. space is maxed out although i can throw in some more lighting if i need to but the reason i got a 20w was to max out by using just 1 bulb.... says on e tornado box, equivalent of 100w

i guess time will tell if my design works. one thing i know is algae grows about anywhere there is strong light thus i reckon is just the surface area or how big i need e scrubber to be... hence e vertical design

BTW those who wana get the clip on light, u can get it from best denki. its only $14...i got it from IMM outlet. alternatively try home fix they have a few there too.

[Creetin]

Creetin keep us updated with the growth from the warm light. maybe i should try swtiching bulbs

yeah. its a 1st day for e scrubber. so time will tell. typically it takes what, 4 weeks right?

i am on 18 hours but it will prolly overlap with my main lighting

[wilsontantw]

BTW those who wana get the clip on light, u can get it from best denki. its only $14...i got it from IMM outlet. alternatively try home fix they have a few there too.

Thanks Creetin, was trying to find where i can get one of those to 'power up' my scrubber light.

[SantaMonica]

Wilson it's great that it makes your overflow quiet, but, when the algae fills in, the screen holes will be totally blocked. No water will then get to the side with the light, and thus that side will bake and die. Well, ok, with the light that you have now, none of this will happen because nothing will grow But do find a way to move the attachment of the screen, and do get those bulbs.

Creetin for a spreader you can just tie-wrap a plastic or wood rod. And since your display is much smaller than I though, you can stick with the one bulb.

[raydiative]

Thanks Creetin, was trying to find where i can get one of those to 'power up' my scrubber light.

HOMEFIX got... can help you buy again if you want! haha =]

[wilsontantw]

HOMEFIX got... can help you buy again if you want! haha =]

bro, let me measure the dimensions in my overflow box first.

Gotta make sure it works.

SM: thanks for the advice on the lighting... am going to ensure sufficient lighting to make the algae grow...

[wilsontantw]

Day 1 - 23 Jan 09

Some algae spotted near the overflow area (a few visible ones on the right and little bits on the left.

Quite encouraged by this, so will wait and observe for the next 2 weeks.

[Creetin]

Thanks Creetin, was trying to find where i can get one of those to 'power up' my scrubber light.

yeah dont worry alot of these light fixtures around... at least dont have to pay alot for T5 fixtures...

[Creetin]

Wilson it's great that it makes your overflow quiet, but, when the algae fills in, the screen holes will be totally blocked. No water will then get to the side with the light, and thus that side will bake and die. Well, ok, with the light that you have now, none of this will happen because nothing will grow But do find a way to move the attachment of the screen, and do get those bulbs.

Creetin for a spreader you can just tie-wrap a plastic or wood rod. And since your display is much smaller than I though, you can stick with the one bulb.

Hi SantaM, yeah that could be an option too. the magnet i havent tried but initial experiments i reckon it will divert flow away instead.

1 thing i noticed is my water is now colder! i dont have a chiller on my tank so u can imagine e chilling power of this thing. amazing!!!

[johntanjm]

Creetin, yes the algae screen with the light shining on it causes a lot of evaporation and it does help cool the tank.

I love your idea of using the overflow but isn't it noisy?

and the green patch is a very good sign. mine started off like that. continue watching it cos suddenly that will be a growth spurt. very interesting.

[mpf]

Hi People,

I am planning a 2' cube tank, for a lion fish (volitan), some dwarf angels and clams. Would like to use a scrubber as the only filtration.

I really love the acrylic scrubber that SantaMonica is using - I think it looks real sweet. However, I don't think I have space for the T5HO lighting fixtures, as the cabinet will most likely be about 2' wide also. I don't want to sacrifice scrubber performance and I want 2 scrubbers for redundancy and to allow alternate cleaning.

1. Are there bulbs that can compare to the T5HOs when it comes to growing algae, or should I just go with a larger cabinet?

2. If I went with other bulbs, how many will I need, to be comparable to 4 T5HO 2' tubes? I'm prepared to double that as I want redundancy I mentioned earlier.

Thanks!

[Creetin]

Creetin, yes the algae screen with the light shining on it causes a lot of evaporation and it does help cool the tank.

I love your idea of using the overflow but isn't it noisy?

and the green patch is a very good sign. mine started off like that. continue watching it cos suddenly that will be a growth spurt. very interesting.

hi johntanjm, the cooling power of this is amazing! i need to run get a thermometer and measure it to confirm. any idea where do they sell coralife thermometers now? love those units...very reliable.

the overflow on the basket isnt noisy at all. really a nice waterfall sound like those water feature we can buy off e shelf. plus my cabinet is open behind, so with e light on, it create a nice ambience in e room. pretty cool to start off the Lunar New Year!

Being only the 3rd day in operation there aint much to look at the scrubber....plus mine is a new tank, with around 30% new water added...

oh another tip for u guys who wana get the philips tornado bulb. bring an old bulb to best denki and u can get $2 off the new bulb! valid till end feb...

[Creetin]

Hi People,

I am planning a 2' cube tank, for a lion fish (volitan), some dwarf angels and clams. Would like to use a scrubber as the only filtration.

I really love the acrylic scrubber that SantaMonica is using - I think it looks real sweet. However, I don't think I have space for the T5HO lighting fixtures, as the cabinet will most likely be about 2' wide also. I don't want to sacrifice scrubber performance and I want 2 scrubbers for redundancy and to allow alternate cleaning.

1. Are there bulbs that can compare to the T5HOs when it comes to growing algae, or should I just go with a larger cabinet?

2. If I went with other bulbs, how many will I need, to be comparable to 4 T5HO 2' tubes? I'm prepared to double that as I want redundancy I mentioned earlier.

Thanks!

dude i think the bulbs we are using like 3000k-6500k are good enough for algae growing really. having a t5 fixture is just nicer looking which works e same anyway. and it usually costs more i guess.

funny, my cabinet is also 2feet? my tank is only 2ft x 14 x 14 inch. i think u can diy a small scrubber still.

why would u wan alternate cleaning? u probably take only 15mins to clear the scrubber of some algae since we are not supposed to clean it all up... ?

[SantaMonica]

You can find 12" and 18" bulbs too, online. Just search for T5 2700K 12". So you'd want two screens, each 80 square inches, lit on both sides. I'd have two bulbs on each side, like mine.

For CFLs, one 23W (or bigger) 2700K on each side of each screen.

[stevenkoh08]

hi SM i just build one shubber and have recon. my tank landscape here are the photo acttach it an plastic board and done my own drilling with file clip below to hold on better not to bend it so far it been 2days already but no algea yet the surface i've already sand it to rough it so do you have any idea to speed up the process of it as for the lights is 20watt with 8000k cool white temp i'm still using the skimmer will eliminate it once the algea have complete broom

pls advise tks alot dotty back die today sad sad maybe is the landscape change got shock and die

[SantaMonica]

Steven can you edit your post and delete the extra photos? You only need the first one.

Also if you can show pics of your lighting, that would help. 8000K is too high. Get a 2700K.

Two days is too soon. Takes three days to see anything at all.

[mpf]

You can find 12" and 18" bulbs too, online. Just search for T5 2700K 12". So you'd want two screens, each 80 square inches, lit on both sides. I'd have two bulbs on each side, like mine.

For CFLs, one 23W (or bigger) 2700K on each side of each screen.

Ah! Thanks much! Wonder why I just assumed there were no T5 tubes shorter than 2'!

[stevenkoh08]

Hi SM so aas for the skimmer is it ok to use it for the time being before the algea to broom and one more thing will it slow down the proccess??? pls advise tks

[stevenkoh08]

Dear SM

The only light i can get is an 6700k cool white light there is only 2700k but it warmlight now i'm confuse wat to use hee

[SantaMonica]

OK I see all the pics now.

Use 2700K. You can turn the skimmer off now if you want.

One important thing: It looks like you have a floss or foam pad on the bottom of the scrubber tank. If so, you need to remove all of it. All it does is trap food, and cause the food to rot and create nitrate and phosphate. You want all the food to circulation throughout the tank for the fish and corals to eat.

[SantaMonica]

Thought Of The Day:

A few folks have seen (or thought that they had seen) their skimmers "working less" or "producing less" after their scrubber started working. While this may have happened for other reasons, there is really no direct reason that a scrubber should cause a skimmer to produce less. This is because a skimmer and a scrubber remove different things: Scrubbers remove Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate, which are invisible, and which are the things that your test kits test for. Skimmers remove food (Organics). So having a scrubber remove the Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate really shouldn't cause a skimmer to remove any less food (unless you are feeding less). What MIGHT be happening, is that less Inorganic Nitrate and Inorganic Phosphate in the water means there is less food for bacteria (bacteria eat Organics AND Inorganics), and if there is less bacteria, then there is less to skim out.