Marty's 180g [My Elusive Shrimp]

I have a link up now for my Tank Cam which will be up typically 5am to 3pm pst, M-F. It's looking ugly right now with massive algae growth while I was out of country for 40 days, but I'm working some new nutrient export techniques.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/my-18...&utm_medium=social&utm_content=20141208054955


I have my Neptune Apex up and running, but this is the only pic I have right now. The rest looks ugly so I'm waiting on my zip tie anchors to arrive from Amazon so I can tidy it up a bit. I have the WXM module for my Vortecs installed and the PM2 module as well.

 

love the cam! may I ask what nutrient export things you're looking at doing?

 

Thanks. Here are a few of the steps I am taking:

1) Bumped fuge lighting from 12 to 18 hours
2) Increased macro overgrowth harvesting (removal)
3) Running carbon and high capacity gfo in reactors
4) Reduced feedings to 4 days a week
5) Lowered LED brightness by 20 percent and shortened max daylight output to 4 hours per day
6) Added more snails to cleanup crew
7) No manual removal to speak of, just keep overflows clear. Seems to be reducing and I see
more bits sloughing off into water column.

Check my perams and all good, amm 0, trites, 0, trates .1, phos trace.

 

So I've decided to add and algae scrubber to the list above to attack my hair algae.

I ordered my acrylic pieces and they should be here in a few days. It's going to be a waterfall type with rough dimensions of 12" tall x 24" wide x 4" deep. I'll put a bulkhead and strainer at the bottom and a backup drain a few inches up the side. The plan now is to set it up as an above tank feature, thankfully I have a non viewing side for this. For lighting I will have 4 CFL bulbs (3000k) with reflectors lighting it up for 18 hours a day opposite the tank lights. It will have two lights on each side shinning onto the plastic canvas. I'll put up a few pictures once construction begins.

 

Started building the shell for the algae scrubber. The lid has a built in spray shield to help keep acrylic free of water and growth. It will also shade tubing and top for screen to aid flow and prevent growth from blocking the slits. Hopefully.

 

Have everything I need for the algae scrubber! I did a water test just to be sure of no leaks and all looks good even though there won't be much water in the bottom. Ok, I lied, I'm still waiting on my pump, bulkheads and plumbing parts from Marine Depot. Ordered today, so I should be building this weekend! If I don't have to work again. The bulbs are the 4 pack of 23 watt CFL bulbs with 2700k. Still need to build something to hold my lights but that should be pretty easy. I'm thinking some kind of bookend stand out of wood or pvc. Need to erect a light blocker too so the light doesn't bleed into my display at night due to the fact that this will be mounted above my tank and to the right on a shelf.

 

looking really good Marty!

 

Thanks.

Made more progress last night here is the stand I built to allow plumbing drain to come out the bottom of the ATS.


Stand and ATS


With lights affixed, no lid


Lid in place with light shield on lid

 

Yours looks so much better than the one i built.

 

Thanks. I've been putting a lot of research into it and I think going well. Some of my plumbing parts arrive tomorrow and I can't wait to get going.

Took the opportunity tonight to do some cord and cable wrangling on my controller.