a top of the tank algae scrubber?

got this idea.

Did anyone have the experience that the return flow line is covered with algae (in my case hair algae?)?
Could we make something like a tray (like those used in wet/dry filters) and pour water in and it then drops into the tank?
After a period of time that tray will be covered with algae and all we do is clean it up. a simple scrubber/algae method of harvesting. No additional light needed!

but would it work?
comments?

 

I think it would work. It might take a little tweaking to make sure there weren't any microbubbles but it would work.

The hard thing is that the return line is usually very close to the lighting.

 

I know it would reiple!
I have a Eclipse 6 Plant tank. I put floss on top of the stock biowheel filter which is above water level. When the floss is dirty, a lot of water spills over the sides into the tank. The front side of the filter gets hit by the light. After a week, algae is all over it. And this is on black plastic! Once in a while, I harvest it.

On a related note, I have thought a lot about vertical algae scubbers for the sump. I was thinking it would be cool to have a spray bar disperse water along the top of a rippled sheet of plastic that is placed vertically in the sump and having a light on it. A plan I saw recently was similar, but the sheets where at angles more like ramps.

[smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

 

Thanks guys. I am building the catch tray now.

 

How is the build going? did you manage it? if so how?