DIY in tank algae turf scrubber

[andytt11]

I just came into a 55 gallon tank and was trying to do something like this http://www.chucksaddiction.com/The Natural Reef Aquarium.html
and was wondering if anyone had some advice

[andytt11]

nothing?

[Original Fin]

I used to follow ATS DIY threads on RC...pretty interesting stuff, just never messed with one myself. Look for threads there with ATS in the topic with the OP SantaMonica. He got booted a while back, but most of his threads are still archived there.He's since started his own forum, which is dedicated to all things ATS. He will show you how to build your own, or sell you the parts to do it, or even all you a complete fixture. Algae Scrubbers • View forum - Algae Scrubbers return and let us know what your plans are. Take lots of pics!

[andytt11]

I have been following SM for a long wile but im not interested in paying 600 dollars for a 100 gallon ats. I had seen the link i provided about 3 months ago and was wondering if anyone around here has tried to put a wall inside a tank. I no the immense pressure associated with 50 ish gallons of water and wanted to see if anyone had any ideas of putting one in. I will post a picture of my idea a lil later i got to head of to work for a couple hours.
Thanks.

[Original Fin]

I like the idea of the seagrass refugium In the link you shared. I mean, mainly I like the look of it. As a practical means of nutrient export, there are much more efficient methods. The problem is how much volume he was recommending. I can barely find space enough for a 120, nevermind that AND a refugium 3-4 times that size. A 480 gallon refugium? I don't see that happening. Plus he also recommended at least a 6 inch bed of silt. Where am I going to legally obtain that much silt without going broke in the process?A great educational read though. Thanks for sharing.

[andytt11]

so no advice on bracing ?

[Original Fin]

This is not something you'll be able to easily/safely retrofit IMO, but if you have the time, resources and know how it could be done as a scratch tank build, whether that be glass or acrylic .

My best guess is that it would need to be done in the same way outer tank walls are braced. In the case of glass, plastic frame bracing is out of the question as they only come in four sided rectangles. Retrofitting a glass pane in place is not a good idea as fresh silicone will not form a strong bond with old/cured silicone. This leaves you with the option of euro-edge bracing, (rectangle within a rectangle) or front to rear panel bracing (Perpandicular glass strips front to rear).
In in the case of acrylic, you'd need to use Weld-on type of cement, and in order to do that with watertight failproof precision, you really need to have that whole seam exposed to work on it, so I'd think you'd want to look at it as if you were going to build an acrylic sump from scratch.

Hope this helps and good luck.