One of the reasons I put together my acrylics workshop was to build a line of Algae Scrubbers.  This got put on the back burner a few months ago when I was told by Bryan (username Santa Monica on many forums) that he was working on a new design that was drastically different, and would have many improvements over the current design that the majority of aquarists use today.

The new design concept is slated for release in March.  I will be building a few prototypes and doing some testing, and then I plan to start building these.

There are many people on here that have asked me to build scrubbers for them, and I've told most of them to hang tight.  I should have most of you down somewhere, but go ahead and respond on this thread or shoot me a PM and I'll put you on a list and will notify you of the progress of this new design concept.

If I don't respond right away, it's because I'm out of town (and was told that I would not be allowed near a web browser)

Any thought of building one for nano tanks?

The new design originated as a solution for nano tanks. Supposedly the new concept will be really cheap and easy to DIY, if you don't care about it looking pretty. A 'production' version supposedly will not be very easy to build.

I do plan on designing tanks and sumps and integrating the new design at some point, so anyone interested in that let me know as well.

Yuuuuup! (keep me posted)

Keep me in mind..

i need 3 please

I would certainly be interested in a nano tank design. Something to fit under the stock BC29 setup. That would actually push me to do an overflow.

Bela are you talking about a scrubber-based sump for that tank? I was talking about sumps in general, but also an actual stand-alone nano tank with the scrubber built into it (no sump)

Im interested!

Just a quick update. Bryan Farrish (Santa Monica, who runs the Algae Scrubber website) submitted all the patent applications last week. No telling how long it will take to go back and forth, but the biggest step for him is out of the way.

In the meantime, I will be building a few models of the old (current) version design using the e-shine 50W grow bar, and then when the new design comes out I will be building a scrubber to work with the e-shine fixture.

I don't want to get people's hopes up for a quick turnaround as I'm still pretty backed up, and the new design might come out before I get done building and testing...just giving a heads up. I will be posting some pictures of the one I am building and hopefully some prices as well.

I've got a design drawn up for the LED scrubber. I should have time over the next 2 weeks to work on it...still several other projects ahead of it though.

Yippie!

Sign me up!

Ok folks, here's where this stands.

Bryan (Santa Monica) has said April 2012 is when he will be releasing the first 'core embodiment' (concept) of his new Algae Scrubber. I asked him if an Algae Scrubber would then be able to be built around the e-Shine 50W LED Grow Bar, he said that it "The designs that make best use of a long narrow light won't be posted for many months". When I pressed him about it, he said he really didn't have an answer whether they would work or not, which has kind of been the way things have gone whenever I've asked him a question in the past year!!

Anyways, he suggested that I make CFL scrubbers in the meantime. So here's what I'm planning on doing:

For reference, the filtration capacity of these devices are based on how much you feed. A 12 square inch Algae Scrubber screen that is lit on both sides can handle 1 cube of food per day. This is the new screen sizing requirement. These devices also will only need the light to be on 9 hours/day, in most cases (versus 18hrs in the past).

I've got a couple of the e-Shine fixture and I'm going to be building a couple scrubbers around those fixtures. Once I get that design down, I can make more, but I can't guarantee that you will be able to use the fixture on the new version, at least not for a while. The flipside is that this scrubber will probably be one of the most effective you can currently make or buy - anywhere. The fixtures alone cost $200 (for both) and the acrylic box price will depend on the hours, but I'm guesstimating another $300 (but we'll see). There are a few additional parts, like the slot tube, screen, and plumbing fittings, but that shouldn't add up to much more. This scrubber should easily handle stand-alone filtration in a tank that is fed 4 cubes of food per day, and possibly much more. The dimensions will be roughly 21" long, 9" wide, 7.5" tall, plus a lid and a drain bulkhead. The device is designed to sit on top of your sump, or can be remote from the system.

EDIT: I may or may not make more of these. I guess it depends on demand.

I will also be building a CFL version, and a DIY LED version (where you can DIY your own LEDs, I may provide all the material) which will be smaller, roughly half the size (lengthwise) or 10" long x 9" wide x 7.5" tall. This enclosure would house a screen capable of providing stand-alone filtration for up to 2 cubes of food per day. You could put a smaller screen in it and make it a 1 cube/day scrubber. You could but a smaller screen in, but I am of the opinion that 1 cube/day is a minimum size that anyone would need, because anything smaller seems silly.

Cost for the acrylic box will also depend on the hours, but I'm going go guesstimate about $200 (again, we'll see), and the fixture is where you save the $$.

The CFL version will probably need less than $50 in parts and labor (lamps, sockets, reflector) plus the slot pipe/screen/plumbing, so maybe another $100 all together, for a total of $300, assembled and ready to use.

The DIY LED version would be the same acrylic box (made so that it was conducive to mounting a heat sink to it) and would include a kit with some 3W Osram 660nm Deep Red LEDs, heat sinks, a Meanwell driver, etc, then you would have to assemble it all. I am not planning on marking up the LED parts, those would be at my cost. Depending on what I can get everything for, the DIY LED version might be the same price, but probably will be a little bit more (TBD). But you will save that extra cost by not having to replace lamps, less heat generation, and fantastic growth. For that reason alone, I will be pricing the DIY LED version so it is comparable to the CFL in price - I want people to succeed.

You also will get support from me, although I may not have time to come an install everything (I do have a wife, 4 kids, 2 dogs, and yes, fish) I can answer questions via e-mail or phone.

The only other thing missing from this all is the pump, which I can also provide at cost (since you can go get it online). I suggest using the Eheim Compact+ series as they are super quiet, flow adjustable, reasonably priced, and don't pump heat into your system. You can run these fed directly from the overflow also, but at your own risk; I can't take any liability or blame if you do it wrong and your tank overflows (there are precautions you can take to mitigate this unlikely but potential issue).

So now, with all that said, I would like to get an idea of who is interested in:

Model C - CFL Algae Scrubber, up to 2 cube/day capacity

Model L - DIY LED kit Algae Scrubber, up to 2 cube/day capacity

i am watching intently. i like the idea!

I did some research and it looks like the cost for the DIY LED components (using quality parts from Rapid and HeatsinkUSA) for a 1 cube/day system will be around $100, 2 cube/day around $125. So basically about $50-$75 more than using CFLs and you would have to put the LED fixture together yourself. I am looking into any issues related to assembling and selling the fixtures myself.

The parts for a 1 cube/day scrubber would be a Meanwell LPC-35-700, 8 Osram 3W 660nm LEDs, 2 Cree XP-E Royal Blues, and a pair of 4x4x1 heat sinks. The 2 cube/day bumps the 660s up to 12 and the heat sinks to 6x4x1.

Costs might go down a bit with a bulk purchase, but then again I have to charge tax, you don't have to pay it if you buy direct, so it's a wash basically.

Of course, you can order your own parts from anywhere I suppose (ebay, china, etc) and get them a little cheaper. Anyways, I still need to build the box and test, but just wanted to throw that out there.

I just checked with my insurance carrier and I'm covered. I will be also be assembling LED fixtures for scrubber if desired. For that matter, that means I can do that for anyone who wants a custom fixture.

I'd like to sign up for info. So does the scrubber an extra sort of thing for maintaining a tank? I assume you still need a skimmer and to do regular water changes?

depends on how you build it. you can make them a sole source filtration or just add it into your already running filtration. it is based on the amounts of food you plan on feeding your tank. maintenance is scraping and rinsing the screen every 7 to 10 days. and if you use CFL bulbs replace them every 3 months. (can be longer depending on your light sched.) this is for a DIY build

Floyd's new kits might change a few things. just stay tuned

Scrubbers sized to the amount fed are designed for stand-alone filtration.

You can run one with a skimmer if you want.

Filter socks or pads also, but scrubbers produce pods like crazy and socks just filter them out.

GFO will suck the Phos out and inhibit algae growth. Most people run GFO to beat out tank algae and cyano, scrubbers do this so thre's no need for GFO (in fact, ultra low levels of P are now being shown to be detrimental).

Carbon is optional and usually just by preference. Screen cleaning is done outside the tank so there's no discoloration or tank water, in fact the tank water at Grove & Platt is so clear if you pull 5g into a white bucket you would swear it is RO/DI.

Bio-pellets are a completely different type of filtration and it directly competes with an Algae Scrubber, so those do not work in conjunction.

Bio-balls are fine in conjuction since they are biological and do not remove N and P, the scrubber will do this.

I personally do not run any other filtration, at all. Besides Live Rock. Since starting the Algae Scrubber on the Grove & Platt tank on 10/10/2010, I did one 20% PWC a couple week in, then another about 6 months or so later, then about 40% when I moved the tank in May of last year, another probably 20%+ 3 days later when I had to re-do the temporary tank stand, then another probably more like 75% change when I moved everything back to their office in December. Since then I have done no PWCs. Tested today, N=0 P=0.07 Alk=8 Cal=420 Mag=1350 pH=7.8 Salinity=34ppt Temp=78.9, no hair algae, minimum diatoms on sand bed (new sand too), a little bit of slime/dinos but working on fixing that, 4 lamp T5HO scrubber 14x6 screen lights on 12 hours/day, now down to 11 and cleaning every 10 days. This scrubber will be replaced with a 2 cube/day LED scrubber which will likely outperform the T5HO version.