I'm starting to entertain the idea of a scrubber but space is tight. There is roughly 400mm x 200mm space available in the sump. Is there a way to make it silent? If not, should I rather look at an external bucket design? How would you feed water to the bucket and then feed back to the tank?
Scrubber advice
- Thread starter gaboon
- Start date
Heres a poor attempt at a drawing. Need to try sketchup one day
Basically a glass box I'll place in the sump, somehow attaching a pipe to feed water through. The box is to reduce the noise. Ill put a light on each side to maximise the surface area. Size would be roughly 350 wide, 400 high. Is that big enough or should I rather go external?
Basically a glass box I'll place in the sump, somehow attaching a pipe to feed water through. The box is to reduce the noise. Ill put a light on each side to maximise the surface area. Size would be roughly 350 wide, 400 high. Is that big enough or should I rather go external?
No need for a glass box. Just let the bottom of the screen hang in the sump. And it is silent.
Effectiveness. Depends on your lights. Size, depends on if you will have lights on only one side or both. Actually both sides is not nice, need to clean one side at least, then next time the other. And you end up pressing the one side dry while cleaning the other side.
Scrubber screen, I used carport shadecloth. Strong enough and works.
Most important thing on scrubbers. They must be easy to take apart to clean. Else they just becomes a hassle. And it is another thing that must be cleaned every week. Also, be able to take them out without dripping water everywhere.
They work, yes, and the advantages are there. Currently I do not have one.
Effectiveness. Depends on your lights. Size, depends on if you will have lights on only one side or both. Actually both sides is not nice, need to clean one side at least, then next time the other. And you end up pressing the one side dry while cleaning the other side.
Scrubber screen, I used carport shadecloth. Strong enough and works.
Most important thing on scrubbers. They must be easy to take apart to clean. Else they just becomes a hassle. And it is another thing that must be cleaned every week. Also, be able to take them out without dripping water everywhere.
They work, yes, and the advantages are there. Currently I do not have one.
herkie
R.I.P.
I do not know your system size but I what I do know is scrubbers are magic. I have been using my current sump with scrubber as a guppy breeding tank and never had to clean the glass. Water changes and siphoning of the bottom is the only attention this tank received and it sort of looked after itself with no other filters. Since the fish was moved to another tank the water goes green in just over a weeks time.
butcherman
Moderator
Gaboon read this FAQ on santamonica's site as guideline to build a scrubber that has the right size, flow, and light to match your tank.
Algae Scrubbers • View topic - ALGAE SCRUBBER FAQ (August 2010)
Algae Scrubbers • View topic - ALGAE SCRUBBER FAQ (August 2010)
I have build my scruber in my overflow section of my DT it is 200mm by approx 550mm long with a light from the back easy to clean and no extra equipment and all the water going to the sump go over it. use a piece of pressed batting work like a charm.
My only issue with scrubbers are that the slit at the top gets clogged with algae and water sprays everywhere making a mess and noise if not inclosed. I have even tried to put a pipe over the top one to block the light, it works better but still not perfect.
I'm going to check through some threads to see what I need to get. Instead of building a frame I may hang the scrubber from the tanks stand. What feed pump should I use?
Thanks Riaan, I may do 2 seperate screens with light in the middle.
Thanks butcherman
Will see how it goes without the glass but have a feeling I'll have to do it.
Do you have a pic?
Thanks Riaan, I may do 2 seperate screens with light in the middle.
Thanks butcherman
Will see how it goes without the glass but have a feeling I'll have to do it.
Do you have a pic?
butcherman
Moderator
The wide the screen the stronger the pump. There is a formula in the FAQ link that i posted that will let you work this out
i built my ATS over my DSB with some shade cloth with 2 45 watt longlife globes, here is the picture before i changed the lights
here are some guide lines i got from another reefer they work well
Tank Size Guideline:
0.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon MINIMUM [0.13 watts per liter].
1.0 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon for HIGH filtering [0.26 watts per liter].
1.0 square inches of screen per gallon, with bulbs on BOTH sides (10 x 10 = 100 square inches = 100 gal) [1.64 square cm per liter]
2.0 square inches of screen per gallon, if vertical but lit on just ONE side. [3.28 square cm per liter]
4.0 square inches of screen per gallon, if HORIZONTAL [6.56 square cm per liter].
1.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon if HORIZONTAL [0.4 watts per liter].
18 hours of lights ON, and 6 hours of lights OFF, each day.
Flow is 24 hours, and is at least 35 gph per inch of width of screen, EVEN IF one sided [60 lph per cm].
Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.
Clean algae off of screen every SEVEN (7) days NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK.
Feeding Guidline:
Each cube of frozen food you feed per day needs 12 square inches of screen, with a light on both sides totaling 12 watts. Thus a nano that is fed one cube a day would need a screen 3 X 4 inches with a 6 watt bulb on each side. A larger tank that is fed 10 cubes a day would need a screen 10 X 12 inches with 60 watts of light on each side. If you feed flake, feeder fish, or anything else, you will need to blend it up super thick, strain out the excess water, pour it into a cube, and see how many cubes it is.
Tank Size Guideline:
0.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon MINIMUM [0.13 watts per liter].
1.0 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon for HIGH filtering [0.26 watts per liter].
1.0 square inches of screen per gallon, with bulbs on BOTH sides (10 x 10 = 100 square inches = 100 gal) [1.64 square cm per liter]
2.0 square inches of screen per gallon, if vertical but lit on just ONE side. [3.28 square cm per liter]
4.0 square inches of screen per gallon, if HORIZONTAL [6.56 square cm per liter].
1.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon if HORIZONTAL [0.4 watts per liter].
18 hours of lights ON, and 6 hours of lights OFF, each day.
Flow is 24 hours, and is at least 35 gph per inch of width of screen, EVEN IF one sided [60 lph per cm].
Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.
Clean algae off of screen every SEVEN (7) days NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK.
Feeding Guidline:
Each cube of frozen food you feed per day needs 12 square inches of screen, with a light on both sides totaling 12 watts. Thus a nano that is fed one cube a day would need a screen 3 X 4 inches with a 6 watt bulb on each side. A larger tank that is fed 10 cubes a day would need a screen 10 X 12 inches with 60 watts of light on each side. If you feed flake, feeder fish, or anything else, you will need to blend it up super thick, strain out the excess water, pour it into a cube, and see how many cubes it is.
Thanks, Ill read through it.
i built my ATS over my DSB with some shade cloth with 2 45 watt longlife globes, here is the picture before i changed the lights
Thanks Robert, with that design is it quiet?
it is very quie with the shade cloth hanging in the water
butcherman
Moderator
Mine also hangs in the water. I cant hear a thing from it The skimmer is the most noise on my tank. The scrubber dose not ever compare.
The skimmer is the most noise on my tank. The scrubber dose not ever compare.
butcherman
Moderator
The FAQ important stuff.
Q: Are scrubbers noisy?
A: Not when built properly. The screen should go into the sump water slightly, and the water should flow smoothly down the screen, with no spraying, splashing or noise. Your pumps should be the only thing you hear.
Q: How much flow do I need on the screen?
A: At least 35 U.S. gallons per hour (gph) (133 lph) for every inch (2.5cm) of width of the screen. Thus a screen one inch wide would need at least 35 gph, and a screen two inches wide would need at least 70 gph, etc. More is even better. Less flow means less performance, and parts of the screen may go dry. And if you are making a horizontal screen, you then want ALL the flow on the one (top) side. This is because fast flow is critical, and horizontal screens do not have fast flow. So you make up for this by putting all the flow from a two-sided screen onto the one top side of a one-sided screen. And in all screens, flow will be limited by the roughness of the screen, because a smooth screen will let go of algae sooner than a rough screen will.
Q: Are scrubbers noisy?
A: Not when built properly. The screen should go into the sump water slightly, and the water should flow smoothly down the screen, with no spraying, splashing or noise. Your pumps should be the only thing you hear.
Q: How much flow do I need on the screen?
A: At least 35 U.S. gallons per hour (gph) (133 lph) for every inch (2.5cm) of width of the screen. Thus a screen one inch wide would need at least 35 gph, and a screen two inches wide would need at least 70 gph, etc. More is even better. Less flow means less performance, and parts of the screen may go dry. And if you are making a horizontal screen, you then want ALL the flow on the one (top) side. This is because fast flow is critical, and horizontal screens do not have fast flow. So you make up for this by putting all the flow from a two-sided screen onto the one top side of a one-sided screen. And in all screens, flow will be limited by the roughness of the screen, because a smooth screen will let go of algae sooner than a rough screen will.
A scrubber will enhance the evaporation rate of your tank. Put a fan over it, and your chiller is out of action (mostly). But you must have an Auto top up that works. Also your sump needs to be able to breath. So get some airholes and vents.
Globes in the middle with screens both sides are actually better. No reflectors needed. But your flow must double up. So either 2 pumps, or a double sized pump. Also easier to clean, This one, next time, that one.
But still, you need to ensure that water cannot spray onto the lights. bzzzzed. not nice to get that feeling.
Screens should be in the water at the bottom. Prevent splashing and noise.
But the number one rule in my books about scrubbers, They should be easy to take out, easy to clean, without dropping water everywhere. Else, thay are a just another burden.
Globes in the middle with screens both sides are actually better. No reflectors needed. But your flow must double up. So either 2 pumps, or a double sized pump. Also easier to clean, This one, next time, that one.
But still, you need to ensure that water cannot spray onto the lights. bzzzzed. not nice to get that feeling.
Screens should be in the water at the bottom. Prevent splashing and noise.
But the number one rule in my books about scrubbers, They should be easy to take out, easy to clean, without dropping water everywhere. Else, thay are a just another burden.