Lowest cost and easiest way to eliminate green hair, bubble, turf and slime algae

Try putting a diffuser cap over it. Or short it out so it does not light.

 

More harvests from the floating surface scrubber:
Santa Monica Filtration SURF2 UAS - Even more subsequent cleanings in saltwater - YouTube

 

Nice write up, now you have me wanting one.

 

If I add just the screen to my current set up and take out my Cheato will I be able to grow hair algae or only if the screen has the downward waterfall flow? I was planning to have a plastic bar hold the screen vertically inside my refugium and just allow the current from the skimmer zone to the return pump zone act as the water movement. Will this be sufficient?

My current sump

 

So many ideas.....I don't even know where to begin.......

 

If I'm understanding you correctly I don't think that would be a very good set up. If you shine a grow light on anything algae will eventually grow but the waterfall and upflow designs get air and water flowing over the algae that will give best growth. A vertical bar doesn't sound like it would work very well.
Just getting back in the hobby and built his waterfall version back in 2008/9. Sucked the PO4 and No3 right out of my tank. I am probably going to do an upflow version this time. The waterfall versions get messy and salt creep.. depending on how you make it of course.

 

Thank you

 

AV8 said it right; you need rapid flow of the air/water interface over an attachment surface, in order for strong growth (photosynthesis) to develop, which gives the most filtering.

 

Thinking about building one for my nano. I was wondering if I use LED's do they have to be "reef-quality" or can I use any? I was thinking of two 660nm and a 430nm, two watts each, for a total of 6 watts, with reflectors on the sides and opposite side.

The reason I ask is because my dad runs an electrical distribution company and can get regular LED's super cheap.

Also where could I get such reflectors that are reef safe? Home depot?

 

If you are only using 3 LEDs, make them all red. For an underwater reflector, try a sheet of white plastic.