DIY ATS of sorts

DAL9000 · 08-12-2003, 03:39 AM

Has anyone seen these Eco-wheel Algae scrubbers out there? They basically work with a spinning wheel on top of a column of water that gets filled with tons of microbubbles like a big protein skimmer, but instead of the skimmate going into a collection cup, it feeds algae that grows on the wheel. I got to thinking about this design, and it made me wonder, could you do the same thing by just taking a biowheel and throwing some light on it? Along with maybe an airstone at the bottom of the power filter to concentrate dissolved organics around the wheel...

So has anyone out there tried putting a big light over their biowheels? Will algae even grow on them? Seems to me like it might work for a simple version of an ATS.

Geoff · 08-12-2003, 09:43 AM

do you have a link to one? i have never seen on.

thanks,

G~

RWD · 08-12-2003, 02:16 PM

http://www.aquaticengineers.com/index.htm

laddy00 · 08-12-2003, 04:10 PM

They make some pretty big claims for mimicking natural filtration.
One problem I can think of with using a bio-wheel would be contact time with the DO and the bubbles.

Geoff · 08-13-2003, 09:59 AM

it is really hard to picture it without seeing it in operation. it looks like there is a light inside the rotating wheel. i am not seeing how this can be a surge device. the wheel cups look to small to make an effective surge device. is the airpump used to make a water elevator?

G~

DAL9000 · 08-13-2003, 03:49 PM

There's a light over top of the wheel, and they put aragonite inside it. My LFS here has one on their tank... It does use an airpump as an elevator, but the bioballs break up the airbubbles for skimming... As for the surge, it has a seperate box that fills up and surges over, the wheel itself is just for growing algae...

RobinsonFam1 · 08-13-2003, 10:02 PM

i dunno....this one looks like it would take some engineering to duplicate...i love a good challenge but this may be over the top....anyone know how much they cost?

DAL9000 · 08-14-2003, 12:36 AM

About $3200 for the basic model I think... I wasn't trying to duplicate it exactly, I was just wondering if the idea of using a lit biowheel as an ATS was sound... The LFS tank running the eco wheel looks really nice, the reactor seems to grow live mysis and what look like larval fish... Only thing is xenia is growing like a weed, so maybe there are some nutrients not taken out of the water...

Geoff · 08-14-2003, 09:34 AM

this pic makes it look like there are lights in it. i guess it is an illusion. how fast does it spin? i think this is the important factor. as far as i can tell this is just a compact algae scrubber. i do not see why it would matter whether you use acrylic or PVC for the wheel. the most difficult thing i can think of keeping the axle from getting stuck. i guess if you make the collection cups big enough it would be difficult to get stuck.

G~

DAL9000 · 08-14-2003, 03:59 PM

It spins fairly slow, and supposedly the sheer force of the water rising keeps it from getting stuck. They had one at MACNA sometime ago and it was said it took 4 people to keep the wheel from spinning... I guess a biowheel would probably spin too fast to use as an ATS...

bamann345 · 08-14-2003, 04:12 PM

very interesting....but for that price I hope it would install its self and you would never have to look at it......

RobinsonFam1 · 08-15-2003, 08:56 AM

i agree with william on that one!
there has to be some engineering secret to make it work right and for it to cost 3200 clams. seems like theres more to it than just air and water pressure to make it spin. maybe that marineland bio wheel sump deal would be a good place to start tinkering around with the idea. if someone does try this then i would like to hear some of the test results, even if they are bad results.

Good Luck!

#6 · 08-19-2003, 11:00 AM

Want a better discription of how they do that then what they provide on their web page? Go to http://www.uspto.gov/ and enter in the patent numbers from the eco wheel site and view the "eneneering" drawings.