Algae Scrubber...Thoughts? Insights?

I'm thinking of constructing an Algae Scrubber, seems pretty simple enough to make, thanks to UaruJoey's DIY video on how to make one. I plan on using it with my 8 foot breeder/display tank project, and just putting it in the sump... my only concern though, is if the algae scrubber would be detrimental to any live plants that are in the tanks..

The general purpose of having an algae scrubber (according to UaruJoey), is that the algae growing in the algae scrubber will absorb excess nutrients, so that algae doesn't grow in the main tank.

With that said, my brain keeps thinking that the algae scrubber will absorb most of the nutrients that plants need, and will out compete them from nitrates and phosphates...so is it more beneficial to have it in the sump, or should I just not make one, so that the plants will have nutrients to absorb? Or?

Your plants should out-compete algae on their own if provided with the proper nutrients.

That said, I don't see intentionally-grown algae as a problem as long as you don't let it get out of hand. The same can be said for floating plants - great for taking up extra nutrients the submersed plants are unable to due to various nutrient (especially CO2) limitations.

My thought is: the algae might be more efficient than plants at absorbing excesses of one type of nutrient or the other, and might help keep the nutrient levels in balance. For example, if you suddenly had way too much phosphate or something like that, the algae might be able to take up the excess phosphates and correct the imbalance before it leads to algae growing in the tanks themselves.

I am obviously not an expert on the subject, but this might be one way the algae scrubber could help. And as long as you make sure the algae doesn't grow exponentially and cover the whole sump or something, I wouldn't think it would take all the nutrients from your plants.

I may have no idea what I'm talking about, but it makes sense to me that it could be beneficial, especially if you are able to grow a couple different kinds of algae to absorb different nutrients.

Well, I do have most of the parts just lying around the house, and I don't work tomorrow..so, I s'pose I have some time to spare to make one of these things. I guess it wouldn't hurt... right? Hahah =P I'll let you all know how it goes

Do you mind sharing this video?

Not at all, here you go

Do you know if he is setting it up for a planted tank, or does he specify?

I might try this at some point if I do a hardscape tank (which I do have aspirations of doing a WCMM river tank) to keep algae from getting on the glass.

Maybe instead of saving money for a 40, I should save more and get one of those great 12 gallon long display tanks that Cory has had in the shop. Did you say you bought that one for your hillstream loaches? Or was that someone else on here?

Isn't a 12 long too small for hillstreams? I bought it a while ago and ended up putting a few corys in it... I was able to get a river type flow going in it, but only at a slow speed (enough to filter the whole tank, not enough to hillstream it.) Also, hillstreams climb glass pretty darn well, so I would be worried about them in a rimless tank where they could easily crawl out :DFinally, they need a lot of oxygen, which the 12 long may provide by means of larger surface area, but you'll still need bubbles. On that rimless tank those bubbles mean tons of spilling of water outside the tank!

If you want hillstreams/hardscape, go for the 40. I have three seiryuu stones in the 12 long and they take up a lot of real estate in the tank (because of the thin profile). I probably get about 9 gallons of actual water and maintaining parameters with just the corys has been an expensive effort. Besides, an algae scrubber may detract from the awesome beauty that is the 12gal. (Sorry for the rant, short story: go 40, use the money you save to build a scrubber and buy more stones/fish!!!)

I use one on a double 55 rack (110 gallons) the only looped system I have.  I have ours running in my sump had it there for 6 months now and it works well.  Only clean it once a month or if it get really full.. Mine look nothing like Joey's but it still functions the same way.

Interesting DYI project.

*like

LuminousAphid wrote:Do you know if he is setting it up for a planted tank, or does he specify?

I might try this at some point if I do a hardscape tank (which I do have aspirations of doing a WCMM river tank) to keep algae from getting on the glass.

Maybe instead of saving money for a 40, I should save more and get one of those great 12 gallon long display tanks that Cory has had in the shop. Did you say you bought that one for your hillstream loaches? Or was that someone else on here?

No, I don't think it was me that mentioned about using a 12 gallon for hillstream loaches, and if a 12 gallon long is too small for hillstream loaches (MRTom), then the 6 gallon cubicle mine are in is super nano. LOL  

I don't think UaruJoey specifies if he was going to use it in a planted tank. I've tried googling the question, and I've turned up with mixed results. So.. yeah. I ended up not making one ..................today. But sometime in the future, maybe I will. Hehehe

The original concept was for saltwater tanks...

I think maybe I was thinking about Tom, because now I remember him talking about his setup that he mentioned.

Keep this thread updated if you decide to try it out, it's an interesting and easy DIY project.

PokeSephiroth wrote:
No, I don't think it was me that mentioned about using a 12 gallon for hillstream loaches, and if a 12 gallon long is too small for hillstream loaches (MRTom), then the 6 gallon cubicle mine are in is super nano. LOL  

I didn't wanna call you out on that, but I did feel bad for the hillstreams in that 6 gallon cubicle. Then again you do have the mad fishkeeping skills so I don't feel so bad

And yeah, I was mentioning the 12 gallon to Luminous at the gsas meeting, so it may have been my cory tank

Angelman wrote:The original concept was for saltwater tanks...

That raises the question, Poke, have you seen this for freshwater?

I have not seen it for freshwater, but UaruJoey is well known for his DIY freshwater projects, so I just assumed that the algae scrubber would be used for a freshwater setup, and I don't see why it wouldn't be used for a freshwater setup, hehehe

As for having the reticulated hillstream loaches in the 6 gallon cubicle, I might take them out eventually, but they seem to be doing well in that little tank, they don't see, aggressive towards eachother, and there's only three in there. I might put in two more... or just keep it at 3.

PokeSephiroth wrote:I have not seen it for freshwater, but UaruJoey is well known for his DIY freshwater projects, so I just assumed that the algae scrubber would be used for a freshwater setup, and I don't see why it wouldn't be used for a freshwater setup, hehehe

Thought he mentioned salt or fresh somewhere in the video?!

However, the concept in theory should work for both. You could also use something different to scrub besides algae. I had a thought to use Fissidens & try to grow a mat. Fissidens is a slow grower but one "could" use a different sort of moss. I was thinking Fissidens because this would allow me a space, in my sump, to concentrate on growing a large mat, with its own lighting that I could adjust to optimize growth... (Spin off the original idea, I like it  )

Not trying to derail the thread here too much, but in response to fishNAbowl's thought about moss mats, has anyone tried doing that with a sponge filter? I had the thought that after I trim my java moss next time, I might clean one of my sponges to get even flow and then arrange the clippings all over it, and see if I can get the java moss to grow all over the surface. Even if it grew over some of the surface, it might look nice and maybe provide some extra nutrient extraction.

Although a fast-growing moss would be better, is there such a thing?

The only foreseeable problem I see with the moss and sponge filter is that as the moss grows, it will eventually clog the sponge and that would restrict the flow of the sponge.... unleeeeess you grow the moss on just half of the sponge, that way the front side is hidden, while the back half is still exposed. Perhaps?

Ontopic:
I'm really curious now about this little project, I even have the perfect light that can go on the side of my sump for it... now if only I wasn't feeling lazy... Oh, and I guess I don't have the propper airstone, because I guess I may have given mine away at some point, and I don't feel like buying another one... LOL.

I figure the neverclog stones produce bubbles that are a bit too big, and .... yeah.