Lousybreed
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Completely agree. I have a cheato fuge that is lit by HPS light. I actually have to limit light to keep some nutrients in the tank.
Chaeto Reactors compared to Algae Scrubbers
- Thread starter SantaMonica
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Really?
My scrubber grows at least 3 types of algae Ulva and GHA plus what I can only describe as an unidentified short compact dark moss type algae.
I thought it has well been documented ATS do grow GHA or don't you consider GHA micro algae?
You mean a homemade one of these?
Nope. A dirt cheap home made reactor i called bacteria condo tower.
Ahhh... Sulfur denitrator. Welcome to bacterium brotherhoods!.
TbyZ
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What exactly is green hair algae atoll?
if you want to consider GHA a micro, fine. i don't.
I'm not interested in a debate about it frankly.
If you want to & prove algae on your screen is micro, please go ahead.
WOW! chill man. I was just asking if you were being serious.
Newb73
Valuable Member
I did NOT have great luck with biopellets (unless you count over grown cyano).Nope. A dirt cheap home made reactor i called bacteria condo tower.
Ahhh... Sulfur denitrator. Welcome to bacterium brotherhoods!.
Combination of macro+sulfur = Win.
I am have reduced my Carbon change from every 2 weeks to every 5 or six weeks.
TbyZ
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I had no aggressive intentions in my response.
I tried some time back to find out if-
1. all mature scrubbers naturally grew the same algae type
2. if said algae(s) were micro or macro
I still don't an answer to #1, which leaves #2 open.
Recently, taking a much closer look at my own scrubber algae I realise that it is without question a macro. Prior, I had just considered it GHA, what ever GHA is exactly.
Looking at photos on google of scrubber screens, they all look the same type, in my opinion, from best as I can tell; macro.
Its very small algae, but that isn't what macro / micro means, ie, leaf size. Micro is single cell & macro multiple cell.
I'm talking about the algae that naturally occurs on a scrubber screen, not seeded algae.
cheers
Micro algae is like what is used for making biofuel. Cellular algae, suspended in water etc. Like Phyto.
Macro algae is filamentous.
All algae scrubbers grow macro algae. Not micro.
TbyZ
Well-Known Member
And I believe filamentous is the usual description of what grows naturally on a scrubber screen.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Many people may use terms incorrectly, but I think the point of the question was whether an ATS might release pieces or spores that could result in green hair algae in the main tank. It was not focused on whether green hair algae is consider a macroalgae or a microalgae.
This was the question:
"It may not, but it keeps it contained, which chaeto can be very messy and get everywhere. It also has the added benefit of not growing micro algae all over your sump.
I'm curious with a turf scrubber if it releases spores or micro algae into the tank."
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The answer to this one is definitely no. You'll get different types of algae growth depending on the system. It's likely that many factors come into play here: the life in the system, the food (input) composition, the water chemistry, the type of scrubber, the type of scrubber light...the list is pretty long.
Also, the composition of the algae will change over time, especially from start-up to maturity, but it can also change as things are added or removed from the tank
TbyZ
Well-Known Member
This is one of the areas I believe a scrubber has an advantage over a fuge & reactor. What ever algae type takes up on a scrubber screen, it appears naturally in that particular system.
Bud; just how much variation is there with algae type, typically on a downflow scrubber with led illumination. Is it just variations of Enteromorpha (ulva), or does it vary much more than that in your experience?
(edit) I'm talking mature screens with green algae
cheers
OP
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SantaMonica
Valuable Member
Yes the more sides you can illuminate from, the better any algae is going to grow. The best is no-dark-sides at all all.
That is what algae eat: Ammonia, iron, etc. Ammonia is algae's favorite food; this is why you can't measure ammonia in the open ocean... algae consume it immediately.
3 gallons is a large space, and a month is a slow time, and the middle of it is dying because it's dark. The main idea, is that a smaller device can do the same nutrient reduction in less space, and in a shorter time. That is what is usually called more efficient. But of course if you already have and use it, and it works, then why change.
Nice that it's working for you. This is similar to the previous reply.
Sorry for the delay, will try to get them posted more often.
That's sort of the goal here, fish-wise. And coral-wise, the goal is giant amounts of food particles in the water at all times, especially at night. And with very low nutrients. Just like reefs.
The nitrogen and phosphorus are used to build algal cells, which make the structure of the algae. Just like your body does.
The nitrogen and phosphorus can indeed be measured, but that's not important. Just like the depth of a stream can be measured with a stick, but that does not tell you how fast it will fill a lake. More important, is the rate of absorption of the N and P into the algae, just like the rate of flow of the stream is what's important when it come to filling a lake. A stream with little flow will not fill a like any time soon.
Great example of the chaeto not absorbing nutrients fast enough.
Correct. Rate of absorption is the important part. And, the ability to keep them absorbed.
Yes all algae put spores/cells into the water; that's how algae propagates to areas with good growing conditions. And it's how many inverts get food.
You might be surprized to find that dense and heavy work in the opposite direction. Fast is good though.
Ulva often does grow on rocks at the beach.
Ulva and GHA are macro, not micro. You cannot see micro algae without a scope; you can only see the resulting color.
Yes, this just becomes and upflow scrubber. Needs light, of course.
No, the environment determines what grows, which is mostly Light, Attachment, and Air/Water turbulent interface.
In lower nutrient water, and with good attachement and air/water turbulent interface, yes, But with high nutrients, especially combined with low attachment, you get slime.
I stand corrected and thanks for clearing that up as I keep reading authors calling GHA MICRO algae.
BTW when I first seeded my ATS screen with Ulva intestinalis I got it from a guy who never seeded his screen and it just appeared and grew naturally on his screen. However, after talking to him, he informed me he used natural seawater he collected himself from a clean area of the sea he lived close too. I have passed on maybe 30portions of this Ulva to others who have used it to seed their waterfall ATS screens and some have had success growing it in their fuges in place of or alongside Cheato. Bit early to say if the Ulva will eventually out compete the Cheato but it wouldn't surprise me if it will eventually.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I stand corrected and thanks for clearing that up as I keep reading authors calling GHA MICRO algae.
I always call green hair algae microalgae. That may or may not be correct, but I've not seen any species identification for it to know for sure. I don't typically use the term filamentous to distinguish different forms in a reef tank, but just because an algae is filamentous does not mean it isn't also a microalgae (as the term is used by scientists):
Integration process of biodiesel production from filamentous oleaginous microalgae Tribonema minus
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852413008183
That's interesting .. and confusing.
Well, I guess it is what it is and I have heard GHA referred to many times as micro. 
Getting back on track here are some recent photographs of my screen and harvest. Since these photographs were taken Ulva has once again become the prominent algae (notice I never said dominant) You can see there at least 3 different types of algae growing along with some slime and that is with my nutrients at NO3 <1.00ppm and PO4 0.018ppm
