Introducing the new Turbo Algae Scrubber! (Rev 4)

[TaylorPilot]

It's been two weeks since my last scraping. 6 weeks total. Any suggestions moving forward or keep it at half power for 14 hours reverse daylight.

 

[blacktippr]

It's been two weeks since my last scraping. 6 weeks total. Any suggestions moving forward or keep it at half power for 14 hours reverse daylight.

I'm having same issue with different brand scrubber, altought I've been running 24 hour light as the builder recommended. I know it sounds kind of weird trying to grow plants on 24 hours light but that was his suggestion. I'll wait another week and see what happens.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

It's been two weeks since my last scraping. 6 weeks total. Any suggestions moving forward or keep it at half power for 14 hours reverse daylight.

I'm mobile so remind me, decent bioload? Tank size? If memory is serving me correctly this is on a smaller tank and not much load...but, memory is funny

I would say that it's probably not going to hurt to increase photoperiod, generally that's what you want to do first.

However, the 6 o'clock setting is the "safety" zone kind of - if you don't get GHA after a few weeks at that level, it's a good indicator that it's going to be a tough start. It looks like you have a solid base of green so you can probably go up in intensity to either 5 or 4 o'clock and still be pretty safe.

As for hours/day, do another swipe cleaning, and drag the toothbrush across it this time, then leave at 14 h/d and whatever intensity you choose, for 4-5 days. Then bump hours up to 16-18 and check in another 4-5 days. If you've got a bunch more growth at day 10ish, might be able to get away with increasing one factor or both. Kinda depends on the tank ("fuel")

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

I'm having same issue with different brand scrubber, altought I've been running 24 hour light as the builder recommended. I know it sounds kind of weird trying to grow plants on 24 hours light but that was his suggestion. I'll wait another week and see what happens.

This thread is generally for info (& support) of my product line, but check my sig for the Basics thread. Or here it is https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/algae-scrubber-basics.63113/

Pretty sure I know what you're using and if you don't have the ability to dim and you aren't getting mainly GGA then 24/7 is not what you should be running. Giving blanket advice to everyone doesn't work. There is a general starting point, then progress from there is largely dependent on the individual system.

It's not weird to run 24/7 actually. Randy Holmes-Farley stated once somewhere on one of the "basics" threads that there was really no "requirement" fir a dark period. Plants are one thing, algae is another....

But if the lights are very powerful, the you can't run 100% 24/7 on a system that can't handle it. This was probably best said recently by another scrubber enthusiast:

Flow + nutrients = fuel
Light intensity + duration = burn rate

As long as fuel = burn rate, you'll have a healthy ATS

As long as you interpret "+" in this instance to mean "in combination with" or something to that effect, not the literal addition...it's a general relationship thing

 

[blacktippr]

Help

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

This is a thread for my product. Please post this in the "basics" thread - link in my signature & below

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/algae-scrubber-basics.63113/

Happy to help you over there!

 

[Dumaurier7]

Are we there yet ?

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Getting close

The parts for the L4, L8 and L16 were originally supposed to ship last Monday, then I got a message on Wednesday that they were set to ship on Friday, so I don't know for 100% sure that they have actually shipped yet.

My guess is that they won't actually show up until late next week. This means that my summer cold that hit me hard on Tuesday hasn't affected any ship dates yet :mad:

 

[Dumaurier7]

[emoji17]

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

[emoji17]

On the positive side, since you're on the tail-end of the L4 list anyways, this delay doesn't really affect you since I have plenty of other things to fabricate. For the plastic parts, there are really only a few things that need to be done before I can ship. The things that take the most time are the the light fixtures and the screens.

 

[Dumaurier7]

[emoji17][emoji17][emoji17][emoji17][emoji17]

 

[Maacc]

Do you by chance have any plans to release an ATS that can easily be mounted in a sumpless/aio tank?

 

[b4tn]

This scrubber can be mounted externally.

 

[TherealplexiG]

@Floyd R Turbo
Asking this question for future purchase, do you ship internationally?
and is it capable to run those lights at 240 v AC power (really noob question, electronics are not my forte- you're an EE, i'm a ME)

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Do you by chance have any plans to release an ATS that can easily be mounted in a sumpless/aio tank?

** possibly **

I haven't had much of a chance to really brainstorm that solution out, but one of my long-time customers drew something up and sent it to me and I can now say this might be possible, I just need to hammer it out and test it, but first things first, gotta get the larger versions rolling!!

Asking this question for future purchase, do you ship internationally?

Absolutely, the list of countries keeps growing. Have shipped to UK/EU, Middle East, Far East, Down Under, Great White North, South America, and more...next week the 1st one to Russia, and in a few weeks I'll add South Africa.

is it capable to run those lights at 240 v AC power

The Meanwell LED power supplies are either the LPV-60-15 (L2 and L4) or LPV-100-15 (L8 and L16) and are both universal voltage input so you either replace the plug or get a plug adapter and you're good to go.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

[emoji17][emoji17][emoji17][emoji17][emoji17]

Turn that frown upside-down! Let your smile be an umbrella on a rainy day!

 

[Dumaurier7]

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

All the parts for the larger units are FINALLY en route to me!

Now for something different - revised Support Rails! Previously I made these out of acrylic, by hand, to order. Kind of time-consuming. After a few rounds of attempts at an extruded bracket (one of which was an EPIC failure...) I came up with this design

This is extruded PVC - the production version will be black. The original idea was to make this one part of a 2-piece bracket - the second piece being a 3/4" wide piece of 3/8" thick acrylic, slid through the hole, that could span over the top of a sump - and then the PVC part would serve as an I-beam underneath it and anyone could just cut it to fit between the inner edges of their sump rim. This can still be done, but it's actually not necessary...

All you need to do it cut off the "T" braces underneath and let the "tube" section extend over the lip of your sump. You can also notch a section out with a hacksaw or coping saw and have a section that overhangs the lip of your sump. Or, you can drill it and insert a thumbscrew, you can bond something to it, etc. Very versatile. If you wanted to secure your scrubber to these, you can drill a hole in the ABS Base of a Turbo Algae Scrubber, then drill a pilot hole in the Rail, and screw it right down to the rail with a standard screw (Stainless Steel recommended).

If you wanted extra strength, there is probably an aluminum extrusion or steel bar that could be slid into the hole as well.

But...they're pretty strong all by themselves...which was what I was going for!!

48" Rails, ~36" Span: 0 lb

40 lb

80 lb

These will be available soon:

For up to 24" length Rails, $30 for a set of 2, shipped (with or without scrubber purchase)
For between 24" and 36" length Rails, $40 for a set of 2, shipped (because it requires a larger and usually separate shipping tube)

I can ship these internationally as a stand-alone item, but the shipping is a killer...just FYI.

These will work for sure for the L2 and L4, very likely to work for the L8 (I need to test a few configurations still). They may not be stable enough for the L16 - I still need to thoroughly test this (the sample parts I have been working with are not 100% functional so I only have limited "data")

 

[805reef]

So I think I waited too long to clean out my scrubber...

 

[Jlentz]

So I think I waited too long to clean out my scrubber...

That's what mine looked like last week.