Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... (1-Viewing) - Yes it works for fresh water tanks too.

This is a DIY method of keeping a culture of algae to control the Nitrate and Phosphate's in a tank. I plan on giving it a try on my tank but mostly for the purpose of feeding the fish. It may also work to increase oxygen in the fish tank if you keep the screen(s) at an angle over a covered tank rather then in a seperate container.

I know the sun makes your pond turn green but I have just added a new big air pump for extra air in my pond and now have pea soup water
So the is has the extra air caused this? and if so should I turn of the extra air off at night

anyone got a thought

I think I read that algea consumes oxygen during the night/dark. Maybe the added air you have added is feeding it during the dark hours? Im not real sure sorry RB.

thanks Charlie

Been researching algae and algae scrubbers, and I agree with the general opinion here that algae scrubbers have limited use in an AP system. I do not agree that they have no place, however - while one shouldn't attempt to "max out" the algae scrubber as in a system where they are used as the primary means of filtration (i.e., we don't want to out-compete our GB's), I still think using them on a limited basis could be useful in certain situations.

As my AP interest gravitates toward the sub-field of "duckponics", I can envision a setup in which the scrubbers are hung over the duck pond with a few inches gap underneath, but at a convenient height for the ducks to graze the algae and mitigate the need to periodically harvest the algae growth. As long as two or more scrubbers sheets are set up with an indexing valve to rotate flow between them, the algae can breathe its O2 from the air during no-flow cycles, and when the water is flowing it will help to aerate the pool by breaking surface tension after it leaves the screen. Thus, the concern of algae's impact on O2 levels can be at the very least reduced by adhering to these design principles.

One of the advantages of duckponics is that ducks can overload the system with waste without experiencing the negative side effects that fish do... on the other hand, "waste over-load" can unsurprisingly be more problem than opportunity. Algae scrubbers would be a cheap and simple solution for setups where GB capacity cannot readily be matched to stocking levels, but O2 is either not a primary concern or is a concern that has been thoroughly addressed by system design. This is not meant to challenge the generally accepted wisdom that there are many ways in which algae scrubbers can "defeat the purpose" of AP, or introduce as many problems as they address - only to suggest that in certain circumstances, they could work usefully and in harmony.

I'll be setting up my own duckponics system this year, having researched the (duckponics) topic extensively. I plan to include at least a token algae scrubber to try it out, so hope to be in a position to provide more substantiated data down the line.

For those interested in the large-scale application of algae scrubbers (perhaps a bit off-topic for AP forum, but perhaps not), check out these pics from the Egret Marsh Wildlife Facility, where they have built perhaps the world's largest ATS system:

That is beautiful manifold design. Look at the even flow out of all those outlets.

Yep, they did a nice job with that.
------

Red Beard - Watch your fish if you have much algae (especially if the water's warm). Without the aeration the DO will hit it's lowest point between midnight and sunrise.

Bit of a long read, but interesting. From start to end, everything was described properly. It was really a good time reading it.