A New Method of Effective Algal Control?

[fishquaria]

A few years ago, I made an accidental discovery. My tank had a small glass tray at the back of it, which was designed to hold a small light fixture. The water level of the aquarium is about half an inch below this tray. This tank was designed for freshwater fish, but was later converted to a saltwater fish only with live rock tank. The small glass tray became redundant. At the time, I was very young and so poor. I decided to use a small pump to move water from the aquarium to the tray. In the tray was the activated carbon and some pieces of foam. This was designed to hold bacteria to aid in bio filtration.

One of the light bulbs was very close to the tray. After about five to seven days, I noticed nuisance algae growing on the foam. This did not bother me and I let it continue. But amazingly, I noticed a reduction in the growth of nuisance algae in the tank. On an impulse I installed a separate flourescent tube (one of those freshwater plant growth accelerating ones) over the tray. After a week I noticed large increases in algal (nuisance) growth on the tray. And the low levels of nitrates in my tank dropped even lower. Then comes the interesting part. Gradually, the amount of nuisance algae in the tank started dropping and dropping. Finally, I decided to run the tank without any lights for about four days. Only the light above the tray would be left on. This resulted in a massive decrease in algal growth in the tank and a huge increase of algal growth in the tray. After about three weeks, there was hardly any algae in the tank at all. But massive amounts in the tray.

I started cleaning out one piece of foam every two to three weeks and this resulted in my tank having almost zero nitrates. This tank thrived until I left for three days on business and someone switched off the filters with the lights.

Having the information I gathered I went on to experiment with this 'tray system' and had success everytime. After much research, I think it is because algae prefer fast water movement and intense lighting. So more algae grew in the tray and not in the tank. Periodic cleaning of it caused nitrates to be exported.

It is sort of like a fuge, and in addition the tray increases the surface area available for gas exchange. Please let me have your comments. I'll be happy to supply drawings and pictures to anyone who is interested.

[thejrc]

This is much like adding macro's to a fuge, or encouraging coraline algae growth in the tank itself. If you hit up people into aquarium plants they play this game all day long. The idea is to have growth that competes for resources thus reducing the amount of algae in the display. Since algae is single celled and doesnt have much going for it in the competition game it generally loses.

By setting up a perfect environment for algae to grow, you effectively build an area for good nutrient transport (this is making your little filter tray more efficient as well) and give whatever is in that area an edge in the fight for resources.

IMHO, what you've stumbled on to is what most would consider a perfect solution! You've got a built in algal scrubber for nutrient export, and it's set up well enough (from your own efforts) to function efficiently and keep nutrient levels low enough in the display to erradicate algae there.

I'm curious, what brand/style tank is this?

[fishquaria]

The tank referred to was a custom made tank that some one had given me. But I took a break from the hobby for a while and am back now, with a custom made 30 gallon cube, with a large tray and all which effectively adds over 250 square inches to available surface area. The tanks been up now for about a month and just as expected, there's strong algal growth in the tray and just a few patches in the tank, Which I think will clear up soon...

[thejrc]

the tray idea's pretty brilliant, like an in tank fuge! Awesome to hear it's working

[fishquaria]

Thanks. And remember in addition to acting like a fuge it increases the available surface are of the tank. Currently, the tray provides an added 250 Sq In of surface area.

[Krypticol]

i'd like to see pics and a overall how to if you don't mind!
Thanks for continuing to expand the hobby!

[fishquaria]

I am using a mac

can anyone recommend software to downgrade pics?

["Umm, fish?"]

I'm planning on something similar for my next tank. I plan to have overflow water run down to a lit plastic gutter running along the length of my fish room wall. Shallow, well-lit, fast-flowing water with all of the surface gunk skimmed off the top of the display, all contained in a small, easy-to-service area. Just like cleaning the gutters on the house, only no ladders.

fishquaria, I'm on a Mac, too. I use Photoshop.

[gregg@AMS]

you just reinvented the turf-scrubber.

[thejrc]

I use iresizer to downgrade all mine, works great!

[fishquaria]

here are some pics. Note the live rock has been delayed since it isn't the diving season here and I didn't want to put in the inverts till the live rock came in... But you can see the tray and all in these pics. This is the new 30 gallon tank. It's been running for about a month.

This is one of two places that algal growth in the tank is apparent.



Here's a part of the tray. Strong algal growth is apparent.



Here's another shot of the tray.



Here you can see water falling over the wall of the tray and trickling underneath it before falling into the tank. This allows for a large increase in surface area.



A top down view of the tank



A shot of the fish. Can't wait for the live rock and the inverts to come in.

[fishquaria]

About a thousand litres or more of water pass through the tray every hour, which means the tray volume which is about 3 litres. Which means that the water in the tray is turned over 5.5 times a minute.

[MCsaxmaster]

A turf algae scrubber by any other name would grow as green....

[boozeman]

a rose by any other name....