Algal turf scrubber or the standard way

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

Please don't kill me on this, burnt am looking for sincere, knowledgable feedback. I am about to embark on a new talk build. Will be a 125 gallon fowlr. Will have life support system plumbed in basement. Here is my question. I have been researching this for almost a year now and just keep riding the fence. Should I go with "standard" filtration with a sump, skimmer, refugium (or perhaps an ARID chaeto reactor) or a dump bucket style algal turf scrubber. The foundation for my question is that I am heavenly influenced by a lfs in my area. They have been running these style algal filters for years on over 40,000 gallons. Report very stable conditions and great buffering capacity. I am look for input from those who have had more experience than I. Be gentle, but fire away! Thanks!

reefwiser · Oct 12, 2015

No need for a dump bucket style algae scrubber. You can get the same results from ones like Santa Monica sells.
http://www.santa-monica.cc/

Do you live near Inland Aquatics?

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

Live about 3 hours from Inland. That is the lfs I was referring to. I am familiar with Santa Monica filtration. Thanks for the input.

dallas reefer · Oct 12, 2015

How do you know what size you need?

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

dallas reefer said:
How do you know what size you need?

Are you referring to the scrubbers from Santa Monica filtration?

Spinner · Oct 12, 2015

For a fish only system using a moving bed filter, ATS, and a skimmer is a nice way to go. Refugium's are nice also if set up right and given time to mature, I would use one around 60 gallons for your size tank.

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

Spinner said:
For a fish only system using a moving bed filter, ATS, and a skimmer is a nice way to go. Refugium's are nice also if set up right and given time to mature, I would use one around 60 gallons for your size tank.

Just the kind of info I was looking for. That size of a refugium wouldn't be a problem as the basement is all mine!

Reefrookie220 · Oct 12, 2015

I've got a friend, I see his tank weekly, that's 300 gallons Fowlr. He had as many as 3x big nice skimmers. He went with a diy algae scrubber and now uses no skimmer period, and is super stable to the point of starting to add a coral here and there.

Puts me on the fence as well. Following closely.

Paul B · Oct 12, 2015

Why do you have to choose? Take the best parts of both systems. I would have the skimmer, sump, refugium and algae scrubber, but not the dump bucket because that will do nothing for your tank except look cool and splash water all over the place.

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

One odd little thing I have wondered is that perhaps the reason algae scrubbers haven't been a mainstay isn't because there weren't effective, but there want much money in them. If you think about what a big business protein skimmers, chemical media and such are it makes you wonder that if algae turf scrubbers really took hold how would that affect the business of that stuff. Scrubbers have been around for some time from the work by Dr. Addey and it wasn't until last couple years that we starting seeing them emerge by companies like turbo aquatics and Santa Monica. This little hole in the wall here in Indiana called Inland Aquatics has been doing it for nearly twenty years with some of the same systems reportedly functioning. Really I don't know which is better, but I enjoy hearing the talk!

Paul B · Oct 12, 2015

Bingo!

dallas reefer · Oct 12, 2015

Had one on a 90. Wish I had pictures of my Rubbermaid 'sump'. Scrubbed was like 5x7 and that's all I used.

Yes soffutt. I was curious about how they size it up.

dallas reefer · Oct 12, 2015

Do a scrubber and post a build for it. I'll subscribe to it cause I want to build one for my 175bow

Spinner · Oct 12, 2015

I used a horizontal ATS(old design ATS) for several years back in the late 80s with nice success. From there I started designing/building Refugiums early 90s and once patented I introduced them at MACNA X in Long Beach. Big refugium with a nice macro algae area would be a nice addition to any system......patients is key with above if your wanting it to send snacks to your main tank. You will know when it working when your fish live.......stay and are darting around your DT inlets

Feet4Fish · Oct 12, 2015

Spinner said:
I used a horizontal ATS(old design ATS) for several years back in the late 80s with nice success. From there I started designing/building Refugiums early 90s and once patented I introduced them at MACNA X in Long Beach. Big refugium with a nice macro algae area would be a nice addition to any system......patients is key with above if your wanting it to send snacks to your main tank. You will know when it working when your fish live.......stay and are darting around your DT inlets

Was it a dump bucket style? Why did you move away from scrubbers to refugia?