Knaszak
Community Member
I heard algae scrubbers or turf scrubbers work well... what's your opinion? I have a 50 gallon refuge with chatoe yet algae is still a issue.... low nutrient system SPS dominated 365 gallon total volume
Algae scrubber
- Thread starter Knaszak
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I've never used one (dont really see a need) but a lot of guys around here are setting up diy turf scrubbers with a lot of success. Seems to really pull some nutrients but they have to clean regularly because it grows so fast it can clog.
What kind of algae? And what are your nutrients? If you are carbon dosing and have 2 skimmers your nutrient removal is probably more than sufficient. You may have bryopsis or it may not be algae at all. I've also heard that even when nutrients are low low mag can cause hair algae outbreaks
cracker
5000 Club Member
I experimented with one for a year or so. I followed instruction,had proper lighting( they were suggested by Santa Monica). Any way I couldn't get the thing to kick in well .All I got was brown mulm stuff. I tried differing lighting schedules & screen size etc. I wasn't disappointed really . It was an experiment only. I went back to old school with a refugium & a "good" light. I mean a red led fixture used for indoor horticulture stuff.
Do not buy a floating air bubbler version they suck. Upflows suck. Waterfalls work great because of the fast water movement and thin boundry to atmospheric co2 imo.
Just make sure you get 24 total square inches per frozen "cube" of food fed per day, or algae may grow in the tank. Im not sure what 1 cube is in grams but it should be in grams, not cubes.
Just make sure you get 24 total square inches per frozen "cube" of food fed per day, or algae may grow in the tank. Im not sure what 1 cube is in grams but it should be in grams, not cubes.
SashimiTurtle
Turtle
I haven't set one up yet but it's on my too do list. I can't grow chaeto to save my life... red/blue par38 bulb, nano powerhead tumbling it, plenty of for thru my sump... They are fairly easy to DIY, and a lot cheaper than trying to buy one. Just a few pieces of PVC and, one of those knitting screens.
5x24"= 120 square inches of screen on one side, or 60 square inches for a two sided screen. A 12"x12" screen lit on both sides cab handle it. Lit with red 660nm leds.
If it were me id double it.
