RE: NANFA-- turf scrubbers

Brian Haas (bhaas_at_netexpress.net)
Wed, 14 Aug 2002 16:33:19 -0500

Thanks for forwarding the message, Nick. I've read Adey and Loveland's
_Dynamic Aquaria_ and enjoyed every bit. I second Moon's recommendation of
the book to aquarists. At the very least, it sheds some light on how
aquarists should (and shouldn't) be maintaing their tanks.

Going to college is going to put a real constraint on my "puttsing"
capabilities - one can only keep so many power tools in one dorm room. I
need a table saw for building plywood tanks, a bandsaw for cutting lengths
of PVC, a bench for putting things together...

Travis Haas
Hazel Green, WI

At 10:04 AM 8/14/02, Nick Zarlinga wrote:
>Below is a response to my inquirery from Mike Brittsan, Curator of fishes
>at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He has extensive experience working with
>algal scrubber systems.
>
>Hello Nick, Most people that try "do-it-yourself" often fail and walk away
>saying the scrubber does not work, however I am trusting you to relay that
>information. It really takes someone with a basic understanding of
>phycology,
>light and dark phases, and nutrient analysis.
>
>Two good articles which demonstrate the algal scrubber are;
>
>Adey, Luckett, and Smith. 1996. Purification of industrially contaminated
>groundwaters using controlled ecosystems. Ecological Engineering volume 7
>191-212.
>
>Adey, Luckett, and Jensen. March 1993. Phosphorus removal from Natural
>Waters
>using controlled algal production. Journal of Restoration Ecology Volume 1
>number 1 29-39.
>
>My experience has been; give an aquarist references like the one above and
>they don't bohter to get the reprint, its too much work. As you know it is
>very simple technology if you understand the basics. They work well for
>me,
>however I understand their limitations, and appropriate lighting.
>
>Sorry about the lecture, but I have been dissapointed in conclusions that
>people draw from building and running a system half-ass. They can call me
>if
>they get the literature and are earnst about trying a system.
>
>Mike
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