Would love to see some pics of your setup if you have any. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Sabucchi
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Would love to see some pics of your setup if you have any. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Sabucchi
As mentioned I have set the scrubber up in one of my MBUNA tanks, will post some photos as I find them (had them all neatly filed on photobucket and the buggers changed the rules and asked for ransom). The 100gal discus tank is cycled but still empty, fish will go in end of September (still too hot for shipping). My multiple tank syndrome has gradually worsened over the last 12 years and about a year ago decided to "do Discus" so started to swat up on this and some Italian forums. As I am getting juvies to grow out I would love to do a parallel test (all other things being equal) between a traditional BB high wc and a low wc+algae scrubber but only got room for one tank so to be on the safe side I will go traditional for the growout period and probably add the scrubber once grown and actually considering if Daphnia could grow in the scrubber, so some would drop in the tank from the overflow and provvide good fresh food and some fun for the fish.
Will download the build photos from Phuckingbucket and post them here, these are a few I had left on the phone. The scrubber is a 5' long shallow tray that sits on top of the tank braces, the lights are on the tank lid. Algae grow on Darice #7 rigid plastic canvas. NO3 tests show results from similarly stocked and fed 100gal mbuna tanks, the tanks both had massive repeated wc to bring NO3s to 0, then over 6 weeks the one with the scrubber was left as is for 6 weeks, the other had 50% water changes at 2 week intervals twice then left two weeks, then I tested the water from both tanks and the results are pretty obvious. At some point I would like to repeat the comparison also testing for phosphates and desolved oxygen. CiaoQuote:
Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix
Here is a photo of the (black expanded PVC) tray housing the roughed up plastic canvas. The water flow is provided by the return of one of the two 300 gph canister filters, it goes in from a hole on the side and out from a height adjustable overflow trough the hole at the bottom of the other end. Ciao
Very cool setup. I like how you put the lights in the hood and it takes up no extra space. No sump needed!
I test my phosphates and they quickly go to zero. I actually dose phosphates in my tak to keep the algae growing faster.
Very interesting, the hair algae in the scrubber look a little thinner and nitrates yesterday were almost up to 10 so may have to test for phosphates and if necessary dose some, what do you use? Cheers, grazie & ciaoQuote:
Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix
This is what I use but I'm sure there are lots of options. I try to keep it around 2ppm, it goes down pretty quickly. I've seen many people dose Iron and other items to "feed" the algae and keep it filtering at the highest level possible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Sabucchi
Attachment 112118
Cheers!
Hey Luke, I have been following your experiments with keen interest. Whilst I think this thread was very interesting, I do not think that it is by any means a fair test. Your friends water will be different to yours, he feeds alot and your nitrates were all over the place. At times, your nitrates were at levels many hobbyist would consider unacceptable. It would be hard to tell how much of the growth has to do with waterchanges as opposed to how much of it is due to the other factors involved. What I think would give the scrubber / any other nitrate reducing method a fair chance is if you used it in conjunction with just enough waterchanges to keep your nitrates at <5ppm. Then a seperate control tank with the same feeding schedule but daily waterchanges. This way we will learn whether this means of filtration will be effective in aiding fish growth even with reduced waterchanges. Remember, your tap water has nutrients that your algae scrubber can use so if you are doing frequent / semi- frequent waterchanges, their likely will not be a need to dose these elements. I know you have plans for the Biocenosis Clarification Baskets as do I, I am also very interested in this as I have already made the BCB's and will be adding them to my sump sometime over the next week or 2.
Thanks for the ideas. I agree. If stocking was reduced to keep nitrates <5 ppm then that would be ideal to test the algae scrubber.
I have since realized part of the problem with the spiking nitrates in this test was part of the LED lights running the scrubber burned out and I didn't notice. I replaced the LED light and nitrates are now back to 1-4 PPM with 15 adult discus in the system and 4 cubes of food / day.
Hi Luke. Thanks for running this experiment. I'm setting up my first discus tank and intend to use an algae scrubber in the sump and I'll be using the waterfall system. I'll be stocking 12, 3" juveniles in a BB tank, and had wondered about adding frogbit. I think I might just do that after reading this journal. I think I'll start with weekly, 50% water changes and see how that rolls to begin with. That seems to be a more realistic goal, and certainly more desirable than daily. My tank is 630l (166 USG) with a 130l (34USG sump). Think I might start a thread here when I'm up and running. Tank is still in build stage, around 3 months maybe. Thanks again :)
Hi Rob, Glad you like it. Sounds like an awesome tank. Since you have a sump and are in the setup stage I highly recommend you check out the DIY anoxic filtration system as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by lastflea
I posted about it here: http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showth...one-tried-this
Good luck!
Thanks for this Luke. I'm up to page 7. Looks very promising, and not even sure an algae scrubber is needed along side it. Seeing as this experiment is concluded I'll take up comments on the Anoxic filter thread. Thanks again, and looking forward to catching up with your progress. 27 pages... It might take me a while ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke in Phoenix