Killing algae with ultrasound

[defdac]

I know Tom have talked about this on the APD a couple of years ago ( http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200206/msg00065.html )and now it seems someone have made such a device publically available:
http://www.lgsonic.com/LG SONIC EN/sss.htm
Comments?

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Killing algae with ultrasound

I have one such unit at a site.

Seems to work but I have done any test yet on it.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[shugato]

Re: Killing algae with ultrasound

dear all
has anyone tested these ultrasonic algae destroyers?

thanks
shugato

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Killing algae with ultrasound

In lakes and ponds.
They seem to work well there.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[travdawg]

Re: Killing algae with ultrasound

no pricing on those on their sites.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Killing algae with ultrasound

About 1000$ for the smaller versions.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[yme]

hi tom,

I read this old dusty topic and wondered whether you have done some experiments using these devices.
I always thought it was just another claim based on no research at all. But now I read that you are not that sceptical about it. Am I wrong? would it be a device that you recommend to people with algae (bga/thread)?

Personally, I would think that if it really worked, everybody would have such a thing in their tank. which is not the case

what is your current opinion?

greets,

yme

 

[VaughnH]

The website doesn't mention any unit small enough for a typical aquarium. I did some guesstimating when I first found this, to see what size the unit would be for an aquarium, and it didn't seem practical. But, I don't recall what numbers I came up with. I also tried to find a commercial ultrasonic transducer that would fit the numbers I came up with, and couldn't find that either. So, I gave up on it.

 

[yme]

hi!

well, I did some searching on the internet and found this firm perfect pond.

Perfect Pond ..:: Gegarandeerd HELDER water ::..

it is in dutch, but that doesn't matter to me because i am from the netherlands


They sell the Aqua+, which has a reach of 3 meters, 20 watt and suitable for tank and pond. The price is 495 euro. Does sound like one (me?) could give it a try....

greets,

yme

 

[yme]

also found a device that is called "aqua+ aquarium".

http://www.teich-center.com/bilder/ultrasoon/Ultrasoon.pdf

the minimal reach is 50 cm. So I guess that is designed for tanks

Question remains: will it significantly decrease algae growth without harming shrimps/and sensitive plants?

greets,

yme

 

[Tom Barr]

A client of mine bought one on a whim
To date, we have not seen any help.
Another client tried them on their lake, same type of thing.

Overall, they are very mild in their effectiveness.
I'd say they need a lot more power(watts) to be effective, but that adds heat and possible side effects on non targets.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[yme]

well, clear and sound
I will not spend 500 euro and buy something that doesn't work!

thanks,


yme

 

[yme]

well, I also got an answer from perfect pond. I must say: they have a really great costumer service! They offered me to test the device for 2 months. No effect --> I send it back. desired effect --> I'll pay after the 2 months. So, I accepted the offer and will run some tests on my little tank. Too bad that I don't have multiple tanks....

I'll keep you informed and let's see what happens!

greets,

yme

 

[Tom Barr]

Yea, they offer that, out of 10 purchases, even if it does not work, they will still sell no less than 5-6 units.

So it's a good deal for them.

I'll see if the other place will offer the same to the clients


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[yme]

well, I am critical
I can use the microscopes at work and will examine the algae every week.
no effect? I definately not going to keep it. are other persons really that silly?

greets,

yme

 

[yme]

hi!
you can say what you want, but the costumer service is excellent! I got this morning a phone call: can we deliver the device now? we are at your place right now.
So I already got the device. let the testing begin!

greets,

yme

 

[yme]

I have done a bit of thinking. in two months I can probably run two tests.
My idea was to place the transducer at two different sites in the tank.

1: the left or right lower back. This means that the waves have to cross a lot of plants before it reaches the algae. I have no idea how ultrasound waves behave when they encounter obstacles (like plants). do they bent around it, are they absorbed, reflected? no idea. I could imagine that the amount of plants strongly inhibits the function.

2: positive control. Just place the transducer in the middle of the frontglass. If that doesn't work, the device doesn't work.

greets,

yme

 

[Tom Barr]

YME, you need to know how to induce algae to do a fair "test" in an aquarium.

The reflection is enormous in a tank vs a pond/lake etc.

Whether or not you could place a barrier to deflect the sound from one spot, while maintaining the other areas is more difficult.

What we did at the lake was simple. We placed it by a large rock, one side we placed a set of 8 suspended glass slides and a replicate on the other side of the rock away from the unit.

There was no difference in algae on the slides in terms of species or visible biomass.
To be fair, we'd need to cook the slides in ETOH at 87C for a bit, then run a Chl a analysis to compare the slides(they are the same area, so the Chl a levels are on equal terms for periphyton).

Still, if the thing works as claimed, we should not see hardly any and should be able to see the difference with the naked eye.
If not, then it really is something pretty subtle and therefore hit or miss in effectiveness.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[yme]

you need to know how to induce algae to do a fair "test" in an aquarium.

very much true. And I cannot. and I have only one tank and not the time to run more than 2 experiments. However, if this device works as it claims I want to see a big impact in algae growth. Some "maybe" and "slight effect" is not good enough for 500 euro's.

Despite I do not know how to induce a specific algae species, I have consistantly growing thread algae for the last 3 months or so. If I don't change my settings I would expect in the best case that the algae die from the device and grow back again when I switch the machine off. Of course, experimentsalmost never work out the way you intend....


greets,

yme