Simple Upflow Algae Scrubber Design

I just finished my first prototype. Very Simple Design that will utilize a submersible 10 w light. Perfect for nano systems seeking a little extra nutrient export. This will be going in my 5.5 gal sump. Please critique!

 

That is going to have a large footprint for a nano. You will need to rough up the mesh bed a lot more for the alge to attach to it well. Overall it looks good. Can't wait to see the results once it is up and running.

 

Yeah its just a tad to big for what i need. I will have to shrink it slightly. Also i just completed roughing it up with a knife. I will post pics when operational.

 

uh. looks to me like the air bubbles will only cover a small part of it. There is a reason people mount them up and down, so that the air goes over the whole grate. Not just in the center section. I doubt this will work very well.

 

:-/

I had this up and running for several hours and i must say their was plenty of water movement across the screen. I used a very over-sized air supply however! I am in the process of shrinking the design so that it better fits my set up.

 

+1. Your design is intriguing, ignore the interweb engineers. It *looks* like it will move water across the grid. A video of the device in action would prove (or not) this. Going back in my hole.

 

wasn't trying to put down your design, its just, air rises, straight up, not out. So it just looked like it would be missing at least 50% of the grate. But hey if it works that's awesome.

 

Agreed. How could he get more flow when most of the screen is not in the column of bubbles producing the flow?I would zip tie the two ends at the bottom over the bubble wand to get the screen in the column of bubbles.

 

Where does the water come from that is displaced by the rising bubbles and current?

 

From bottom to top.I guess it just depends on how the O.P. intends on lighting it. It he is lighting it from above I suppose this might work but ideally you would want the screen in the strongest flow which would be directly inside the bubble column.