Algae scrubber cleaning...

[subman]

I built an updraft Algae scrubber a while back, very simple design
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/subman001/2012-05-14_18-03-01_370.jpg

Planted it in my sump but with my setup could only light one side, using a red grow light I bought off of eBay.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/subman001/2012-05-18_20-38-10_589.jpg

After a month or two I hadn't noticed any growth at all so left it alone and kinda forgot about it. Pilled some excess rocks against it, and let it be assuming there was little to nothing happening back there.

Last night I traded away the extra LR and this morning I decided to pull it out and put this failed experement away. Well to my utter surprise I pulled out over 2lbs of Cheato from behind the screen.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/subman001/20130219_125501_zps626849cc.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/subman001/20130219_130209_zps1bb318e6.jpg

[sobe]

Quick question on your scrubber. From the picture It looks like it was fully submerged in water. Isnt the concept of it to have the screen exposed to air and have water trickling on it?

[subman]

This is an upflow algae scrubber. It uses bubbles and an air pump to move water and give plenty of air.
http://algaescrubber.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?17-Upflow-Algae-Scrubbers-(UAS)

[sobe]

Thanks I'll go read up on it. Are you using any type of scrubbers at the moment?
I'm building one at the moment. Fully enclosed scrubber that uses CFL bulbs

[subman]

I still run this one but it's not really a true algae turf scrubber. It's growing some cheato now but in all reality I am running the full zeo system so my reactors remove everything and actually I was going to remove the existing cheato as it is disappearing anyway. I do like this style of algae scrubber as it stays in the sump instead of above it. As for its effectiveness I can't really say as from about the last 3 months my system has been ulns.