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Important videos to help you understand algae filtering...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfMaBeLwiO4 - Ocean Productivity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d96F0ak4uY - Photosynthesis part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTBlq3gUv5Y - Food Chains vs. Food Webs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwZDIU6sM_4& - Nutrients and Primary Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnlCx7mVcZ4 - Chlorophyll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtZ75KW2t-U - Zooplankton and Primary Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quH4x640Jgs - Bacteria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIjMQATQks - Food Webs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc_fGWjmNeI - Microbial Food Web
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQaE0e0iD3s - Trophic Pyramids

This is amazing SantaMonica. it makes more sense now. Light can be really really close to the screen without worrying salt splash to the bulb and reflector. It can be done within the display tank and does not need huge space like the previous version.

Now, my question is this. If your sump is has a low water level. What is the solution? Is the size of the screen be limited on the height of your sump water level?

Also, these are all one sided lit approach, but I saw most of the harvest are algae growing on both sides? Is this also possible with the 1st version which is the water fall units?

Thank you.

The height is certainly limited by the depth of the sump. However you can go wider if you need to, if your air pump provides enough.

2-sided is always best. Unless you have some underwater grow-light LEDs, you'll need to use reflectors which will need cleaning.

just want to ask the lighting hours requirement? should the air pump run 24/7?

Light 18 hours

Air 24 hours

Imagine if we can do similar to this and connect it to your tank some how. And then put it outside the house so that it is lit by sun, and there you go.... efficient and effective.

can you help me i cant make one for my 20g tank . . what is the ideal size for my tank . .

Feeding?

Hello SantaMonica! thanks for all the info, nothing beats nature i will use this in my new tank!

@ SM, question for you sir, i have some silica sand left over from previous hobby, upon research this is not ideal for marine reef tanks because its an easy target for unwanted algae. should i switch to coral sand or the UAS would be enough to deter the unwanted algae in the sand? or are there other reasons to not to use silica sand. thanks alot

Silica sand is the same as glass. It is fine to use.

good to know, thank you very much!

size of the scrubber sir ? . .

Scrubbers are now sized according to feeding. Nutrients "in" (feeding) must equal nutrients "out" (scrubber growth), no matter how many gallons you have. So...

An example VERTICAL waterfall screen size is 3 X 4 inches = 12 square inches of screen (7.5 X 10 cm = 75 sq cm) with a total of 12 real watts (not equivalent) of fluorescent light for 18 hours a day. If all 12 watts are on one side, it is a 1-sided screen. If 6 watts are on each side, it is a 2-sided screen, but the total is still 12 watts for 18 hours a day. This screen size and wattage should be able to handle the following amounts of daily feeding:

1 frozen cube per day (2-sided screen), or
1/2 frozen cube per day (1-sided screen), or
10 pinches of flake food per day (2-sided screen), or
5 pinches of flake food per day (1-sided screen), or
10 square inches (60 sq cm) of nori per day (2-sided screen), or
5 square inches (30 sq cm) of nori per day (1-sided screen), or
0.1 dry ounce (2.8 grams) of pellet food per day (2-sided screen), or
0.05 dry ounce (1.4 grams) of pellet food per day (1-sided screen)

High-wattage technique: Double the wattage, and cut the hours in half (to 9 per day). This will get brown screens to grow green much faster. Thus the example above would be 12 watts on each side, for a total of 24 watts, but for only 9 hours per day. If growth starts to turn YELLOW, then increase the flow, or add iron, or reduce the number of hours. And since the bulbs are operating for 9 hours instead of 18, they will last 6 months instead of 3 months.

Very rough screen made of roughed-up-like-a-cactus plastic canvas.

Clean algae off of screen every 7 to 14 days, so that you can see the white screen material.