DIY Easy cheap algae scrubber

[Mark_C]

So,

I found a pack of a dozen these at AC Moore, in the needlepoint area, for $4 or $5...



Tried to use them for some projects in the past, but recently decided to try something as simple as possible.

I took a butter knife to them and roughed them up...



Then I clipped it in my fuge under a light.
No special boxes, no airstones, no red leds, not seeded with any other algae.
Just a roughed up needlepoint square secured with a rubber coated clip under my existing light...



And, here we are 2 weeks later...



Pull it out, throw in trash, load up the next one.

Reckon thats 6 months worth of scrubbers, no cleaning required, for $5.

 

[erics210]

Where in your sump is it positioned?

 

[Mark_C]

In the water.

Actually, last compartment near top of divider. Just put a second one in just past my intake and a bit deeper to see what happens.

 

[erics210]

Return chamber, refugium?

 

[Mark_C]

Its a hang on fuge, so its near my return.
Don't think it matters as long as its in flow, near surface, and under light.
If I still had my traditional under tank sump/fuge I would have clipped it somewhere near the surface close to my light.
If the stuff grows on dividers, return heads, pumps, rocks, etc... it would seem the plastic is a bit more inviting.