There are some things you can do to get your scrubber going (and there is more info in the FAQ below).
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You want to use a bulb that is atleast 5100k I found a flood light bulb that was 6500k for around $6.00 it's a 65watt bulb but only uses the same energy of a 15watt bulb.
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Actually you want less that 6500K. 2700 or 3000 is best. And you'll want at least a 23 watt instead of a 15 watt on that size screen. And preferably one on each side.
You'll want to replace the screen with roughed-up plastic canvas (this recommendation was changed after the write-up that you saw). Rough up the screen with a hole saw.
The reason the top of your screen has less algae is because the screen is too smooth (is not plastic canvas), and the rough water coming out of the slot is washing the algae away.
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After 11 days of having the scrubber up and the light on 24/7 each day the screen gets a little darked. From what I understand it will take about 3 weeks to pull all of the algae out of the tank
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You'll need to get a full screen of thick (hopefully green) algae before you can start counting the weeks. You are not getting any growth yet, because of the screen material and bulbs, as mentioned above.
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I talk to a guy at my local hardware store this pass week and told him what I was doing and he reminded me I gave him the plans for this same scrubber for his pond.
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I have a new write-up for ponds and pools that might help; it's at the scrubber site, in the Design section.
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I haven't had to clean it yet, but yes you do clean. From what I understand about every two weeks or so.
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Every 7 days, no matter what.
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One thing I didn't do was add a light to both sides.
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Would be a huge help.
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Do you think this will interfere with my macro algae growth?
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Yes. If built properly, your macros will die.