Tank Gadget » General

Algae Scrubbers, a natural way to filter

Marc — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:51:03 +0000

I have an algae problem like nothing I have seen anywhere else, except in that fish store that is maintained by teenagers who would rather be out hangin’ with their homies than looking after all the dead fish in the tanks.

In the sea, if you wander down to the shoreline, you will see 1 of our most used tools at work. On some shorelines, you will see a buildup of froth when the waves come crashing in. what does it remind you of? Right! Your skimmer. the froth is the skimmate of the sea and it builds up and is filtered out in the sand and on the rocks.

Another tool you will see at work is an algae scrubber. Have a look at the rough rocks with algae growing on them. Usually if it is there it will be in abundance. This is where the ocean has a concentration of nitrates/phosphates and what-have-you that encourages the algae to collect and thrive on the rocks. An algae scrubber offers the same thing, but on a much smaller scale. The purpose is to make the algae want to grow somewhere else instead of inside your fish tank.

Scrubber Image courtesy of Algaescrubber.net. Algae on rocks from Sandiegofun.net

The basic design principal is to take tank water and run it over a textured surface. The algae particles in the water column will adhere to the surface and the algae will grow, given enough light. Once the algae grows, it will continue to do so. The algae growing on this surface will be more inviting than growing in your aquarium. Why? It will be brighter, nutrients will be more concentrated and the flow of the water will be more vigorous.

The most important feature of the scrubber is the lighting. the brighter the better, and to make it more efficient, have the algae grow on both sides of the surface. Use 2 lights!

The components usually consist of a pump, some PVC tubing and a screen. the screen is suspended from a length of PVC with holes drilled or cut into it. The water is pumped through the PVC tube and allowed to flow down over the screen. More complex designs can be done to improve effectiveness, like having multiple screens and lights, enclosing the whole thing into its own box or tank, making it almost horizontal instead of the usual vertical, and the list goes on. See this link for a huge list of design ideas.

Cost of a scrubber is very cheap. you can probably assemble all the supplies for under $30, including lights. Many simply use a standard socket with a curly compact fluorescent bulb backed by some makeshift reflector to direct as much light to the surface of the scrubber as possible.

Besides lighting, the next most important thing with an algae scrubber is keeping it clear of excess algae. You don’t want to completely clean it. You want it to grow a nice base, or as is commonly called, the “turf” that stays attached to the screen. This gives algae the reason to grow there. Once a week the scrubber needs to be cleared of the excess. This is done because as the algae grows, it gets thicker and blocks out any light to the algae that is growing deeper on the surface causing it to die inside. Death of algae can lead to leaching out of the stuff you are trying to filter out. Nitrate and phosphate levels will rise, water will begin to discolor and that smell, you know the one, will start to emanate from the scrubber. The cleaning is the demanding part of the scrubber but this can be done in 5 minutes so it is not a time-sink like a water change.

So there you have it. A properly and effectively run algae scrubber can take over the job of a skimmer. Many people run both, but in many cases the skimmer has been removed as the scrubber filters out most of that bad stuff and more effectively.

Sadly there are no manufacturers of algae scrubbers, so we are left to our own DIY projects. I will be building one soon to battle my algae problem and will post about it here. If you have a scrubber running, please let us know how you like it, we’d love to get pics too!

Aquarium Lab’s Aquarium Log program

Marc — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:24:46 +0000

Aquarium Lab Software

I’ve had the pleasure of testing out this software and I can tell you it is quite a tool (in a good way).

Aquarium Lab

Aquarium Lab offers you the ability to log your aquarium tasks and keep an ongoing log.

The interface is pleasant and uses the same input method for most tasks so its easy to get going.

Items you can track are MANY, form all of your testing parameters to water changes and even livestock.

Data is entered in a daily format for most things, such as PH, and can be viewed as a graph.

sample data in Aquarium Lab

Data Line Graph

Other items that are trackable are power costs for all your devices, life, and cost of all your livestock, expenses spent on your fish habitat, and even track your furniture!

For only $25 this software os pretty darn good. I give it a thumbs up!

Get your 30 day trial here or just buy it for $24.99.

New Facebook Fan Page

Marc — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:54:37 +0000

We just launched our new Facebook Fan Page.

Be sure to add us as a fan to keep up with our latest news and to spread the word!

Dont forget us on twitter too if that’s what you prefer.

No related posts.

Eco Lamps releases the KR92 LED light

Marc — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:32:13 +0000

The KR92 is finally upon us. Priced at $523.33 for the 18 inch model, and $2012.40 US for the 48 at the Eco Lamp store, it’s not your run-of-the-mill light. (they actually have 6 lengths available! 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48)

What a beauty. Now I just need to sell some personal effects and I too will have one, Oh yes, I will have one.

Black KR92

Manufacturer stats:

Case: Black aluminum housing (also available in silver)
Size: L1204 x W205 x H35mm
Power: 200W
Voltage: 220V AC
3 Light modes: Day light > Blue light > Moon light
Adjustable width tank mounts or Pendant mounts
Energy saving & environmental protection
Fixture is cooled by blowing air across heat sinks
Heat is radiated away from the tank expelling the need for chillers
Long life time up to 50,000 hours eliminating bulb replacement
No UV or IR damage light sensitive items
PC / VHO / T5 / MH replacement
Producing as more powerful than a 250W MH
Programmable timer to control light modes

Features and benefits:

Advanced design for a safe and easy experiences
Adjustable width tank mounts or Pendant mounts
Black or Silver aluminum housing, 1.3 inch thin
Fixture is cooled by blowing air across heat sinks
Heat is radiated away from the tank
Ideal color temp. allows outstanding coral growth
Long life time up to 50,000 hours (5+ years life)
No UV or IR damage light sensitive items
PAR light output levels equal to MH that has 1,300
PC / VHO / T5 / MH replacement
Producing as more powerful than a 250W MH
Programmable Timer to control lighting mode
Save energy 60% versus comparable 250W MH
CE certificated

Advanced design for a safe and easy experiences

Adjustable width tank mounts or Pendant mounts

Black or Silver aluminum housing, 1.3 inch thin

Fixture is cooled by blowing air across heat sinks

Heat is radiated away from the tank

Ideal color temp. allows outstanding coral growth

Long life time up to 50,000 hours (5+ years life)

No UV or IR damage light sensitive items

PAR light output levels equal to MH that has 1,300

PC / VHO / T5 / MH replacement

Producing as more powerful than a 250W MH

Programmable Timer to control lighting mode

Save energy 60% versus comparable 250W MH

CE certificated

More Pics

Console

Underbelly

Fauna Marin Develops New Balling System

Marc — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:01:40 +0000

Fauna Marin has come out with a new method called the Balling light method.

This just in!…

Water treatment using the Balling light method

The well-known and popular Balling method is an extremely simple method for providing your aquarium with calcium, magnesium, carbonate hardness and trace elements.

In Germany this method has practically replaced the previously popular calcium reactor. An increasing number of marine aquarists also use our Balling salts with a calcium reactor in order to be able to manually adjust chemical imbalances, such as those that can occur when operating such a reactor.

To provide an optimal supply for a marine aquarium these substances are added daily by hand or by a dosing pump.

Strong lighting, stony coral husbandry and special bacterial systems have changed the water chemistry requirements, which made it necessary for the methods used to be adapted.

For this purpose we have developed a new Balling method approach and adapted it to the present conditions of modern reef aquaristics.

However, we can also provide you with instructions for the traditional method – the corresponding calculators and manuals can be found on our website.

Our salts comply with pharmaceutical purity levels and are packaged accordingly in a protected manner.

In our salts we use additional bioactive stabilisers, pH buffers and special minerals which significantly increase the stability of the chemical parameters in the aquarium. The added trace elements are more stable in the solution and are thereby more accessible to the coral.

The supply of bioactive components prevents the coral from darkening and enhances its growth and colouration.

Fauna Marin Balling salts are simply beyond comparison!

The following water values should be produced during continuous operation.

Calcium 380 – 420 mg/litre

Magnesium 1200 – 1350 mg/litre

Alkalinity 6.5 – 8 dkH

Salinity 33 – 35 per mil

Instructions for the Balling light method

1. Our Balling light method

Three 5-litre canisters are to be prepared separately

1st canister:

Dissolve 2 kg of calcium chloride dihydrate in 4 litres of osmosis water and then fill the canister with osmosis water.

! Caution ! Always add the salt to the water – never vice versa!

Then add

 50 ml Trace B heavy metal complex

 50 ml Trace B strontium / barium complex

to the canister.

2nd canister:

2.5 kg of magnesium chloride hexahydrate.

The new method does not require magnesium sulphate as it precipitates extremely quickly and thus does not make sense.

Then add

 50 ml Trace B iodine flour complex

to the canister.

3rd canister:

Dissolve 500 g of sodium bicarbonate in 4 litres of osmosis water and then fill the canister with osmosis water.

Nothing else is added to this canister!

Larger canisters can also be used; you will simply need to extrapolate the quantities added for each canister

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TIP:

Use lukewarm water to dissolve the carbonate.

A small residue will always be left over in this canister. However, this has no effect on the stability of the solution.

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A slight discolouration of the solutions is normal and is due to the addition of bioactive substances and trace elements. This has no impact on the quality or stability of the solutions.

After dissolution the solutions can be stored indefinitely.

The three canisters are now connected to an appropriate dosing computer via 4/6 mm PVC tubes.

We recommend using the GHL SA 3 series dosing computer or the corresponding model for the Profilux aquarium computer.

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Tip:

Drill a small hole into the lid of the canister and insert a 4 mm PVC rod all the way down into the canister. Then connect the rod to the 4/6 mm tube.

You can then use the entire contents of the canister.

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Depending on the content of the aquarium the individual solutions are now metered manually in order to determine the actual requirements.

Before doing this determine the current water values and make a note of the results.

Example:

50 ml of canister 1 into a 500 litre aquarium.

Value before dosing = 380 mg of calcium. After 2 hours repeat the test  the calcium value after the 2nd test is then 400 mg of calcium.

In this example 50 ml of the solution from canister 1 increases the calcium value by 20 mg/litre for a 500 litre aquarium.

Now programme the dosing computer to add 7 ml of the solution once a day, i.e. 50 ml of the solution spread over a week.

After a week measure the calcium value again and note it has only risen to 390 mg/litre, although in a pure arithmetic sense this should have risen to 400 mg/litre.

This method determines the actual loss of calcium in the system that is to be compensated. In some cases this actual loss may differ significantly from the calculated loss as a result of growth or chemical precipitation!

You can now easily adapt the dosage level by increasing the

value by 3 ml per day as already calculated. 50 ml  = + 20 mg / 7 days = 7 ml

In order to obtain + 30 mg therefore 75 ml / 7 days = 10 ml must be added.

Using this simple 3-part calculation you can easily adjust each of your desired values and set an automatic dosing schedule in just a few days.

A daily inspection of the calcium (Ca TEST), magnesium (Mg test) and dKH values (KH test) is to be conducted at the start and the dosing quantity adapted on the device if necessary.

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TIP:

We recommend you verify your water tests with the reference solution from Fauna Marin.

We can also provide you with an exceptionally accurate KH test for marine aquariums.

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The GHL dosing computer is extremely suitable for this application, as each channel can be individually adjusted and the substances can be dosed at 5 minute intervals twice per day.

After no more than 2 weeks you will have determined the specific requirements for your aquarium and set the dosing unit accordingly.

Mineral salts can be added by hand, however this is not essential with regular water changes of 10% per week, as a good branded mineral salt will adequately cover the mineral salt requirements.

Relinquishment of the mineral salt in the Balling light method can be explained not only as a result of the regular water exchange, but also as a result of the generally too-high quantity of dissolved trace elements in our aquariums.

Therefore, the often mentioned ‘ion displacement’ factor is only applicable based on theoretical consideration of the Balling method.

The regular exchange of water helps your system to dilute unwanted substances and it makes it very easy to adjust and control salinity levels.

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TIP:

Please measure the salinity of your aquarium on a regular basis and adjust the level if necessary. To do this use a refractometer (regularly calibrated) or a high quality aerometer, e.g. from Tropic Marin.

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Naturally, the system is also suitable for manual dosing.

To do this add the solutions to a well-circulated area of the tank.

There should be an interval of approx. 10 minutes between the individual doses.

Start by adding magnesium, then calcium and carbonate.

We hope you have a lot of success using this new method.

We would be pleased to answer any queries you may have.

You can contact us at

info@faunamarin.de

or find us in the major forums at

www.meerwasserforum.info or

www.ultimatereef.net or

www.reefcentral.com