Good idea? Ditching skimmer for algae scrubber

[beesnreefs]

I'm running a 65 gallon AIO with a small skimmer in one of the back chambers. It seems to do well, overall, but I'm tired of emptying the cup every couple days, all the microbubbles in my display, and the frustration of constantly tuning and re-tuning it.

Thinking about ditching the skimmer entirely and going with a Santa Monica DROP Algae Scrubber (probably the 1.2: https://www.santa-monica.cc/DROP12-...-surfaces--12-cubes-feeding-per-day_p_69.html)

Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Peace River]

Others have made this change so I'm not going to negate the idea. When I added an algae scrubber to one of my systems I found that less demand was put on my skimmer but it was still useful. Ultimately both of these devices are designed to impact water quality so if you do make the change then I would suggest that you consistently do water changes to make sure that the water quality remains solid. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Pistondog]

I'm running a 65 gallon AIO with a small skimmer in one of the back chambers. It seems to do well, overall, but I'm tired of emptying the cup every couple days, all the microbubbles in my display, and the frustration of constantly tuning and re-tuning it.

Thinking about ditching the skimmer entirely and going with a Santa Monica DROP Algae Scrubber (probably the 1.2: https://www.santa-monica.cc/DROP12-...-surfaces--12-cubes-feeding-per-day_p_69.html)

Good idea? Bad idea?

I ran a HOG 1.x in my waterbox 10 and it did a good job, but in a 65 I'd want a skimmer. My reef octopus cup has a drain port that empties into a 2 gallon lidded container, can you rig one?
You should not have to constantly tune a skimmer.

 

[Fish_Sticks]

Hmmm.

Algea scrubbers would be chemical filtration - IE nitrates, nitrates, ammonia, phosphate and calcium.

Skimmers are more of a mechanical service - removing dissolved and free swimming solids, and thereby removing SOURCES of the aforementioned nutrients.

You'd have to do regular water changes and export excessive detritus to keep the mechanical filtration aspect a skimmer provides.

None is better than the other - if salt is not an issue.

Even with skimming you'll find you need to dose C M K and, if you overskim, dose nitrate or feed more fish food. Waterchanges are avoidable eith a skimmer through dosing, as waterchanges are mainly to restore nutrients and trace elements that reef salt mixes provide.

Just some things to think about...

 

[Fish_Sticks]

To expand... one strategy with a 200+ gallon aquarium is to avoid water changes, as it's quite a chore, and much easier to replenish C KH M by dosing, in combination with a less frequent bi yearly water change.

Since water changes are easier on smaller tanks, I think an algea scrubber only strategy would suit smaller tanks, as you can spend an hour or two a month sucking out excess detritus and water changing to add nutrients and remove suspended dissolved solids with no problem.

It would take me about 4 hours a month to do that on my 210.

Also depends on what coral you'd like to keep. If you're going for SPS dominate, you need to have sufficiently clean water - something in the mechanical realm.

My mixed reef is mainly LPS, mushrooms, alveopora, leathers, trumpet corals... a few acros and montipora, but mainly LPS - they enjoy the dirty water, and so an algea scrubber only build would probably suit those corals just fine, but not on a 210 scale.

In fact, I find my skimmer cleans too well. And I've decided to run my skimmer on a timer - 15 minutes every hour, wet skimmed to overflow back into the sump.

When it turns off, undisolved solids stick to the skimmer lid and cup, but not too many. This allows me to oxygenate the water, and clean it a little, but not too much.

 

[beesnreefs]

Others have made this change so I'm not going to negate the idea. When I added an algae scrubber to one of my systems I found that less demand was put on my skimmer but it was still useful. Ultimately both of these devices are designed to impact water quality so if you do make the change then I would suggest that you consistently do water changes to make sure that the water quality remains solid. Good luck with whatever you decide!

FWIW I’m already in the habit of doing weekly 10% water changes.

 

[beesnreefs]

Hmmm.

Algea scrubbers would be chemical filtration - IE nitrates, nitrates, ammonia, phosphate and calcium.

Skimmers are more of a mechanical service - removing dissolved and free swimming solids, and thereby removing SOURCES of the aforementioned nutrients.

You'd have to do regular water changes and export excessive detritus to keep the mechanical filtration aspect a skimmer provides.

None is better than the other - if salt is not an issue.

Even with skimming you'll find you need to dose C M K and, if you overskim, dose nitrate or feed more fish food. Waterchanges are avoidable eith a skimmer through dosing, as waterchanges are mainly to restore nutrients and trace elements that reef salt mixes provide.

Just some things to think about...

The good news is I’m already in the habit of doing weekly water changes (10%)

I’m doing the Balling method as well so I doze Alk, Calc, Mag, trace elements daily

 

[Llyod276]

I'm running a 65 gallon AIO with a small skimmer in one of the back chambers. It seems to do well, overall, but I'm tired of emptying the cup every couple days, all the microbubbles in my display, and the frustration of constantly tuning and re-tuning it.

Thinking about ditching the skimmer entirely and going with a Santa Monica DROP Algae Scrubber (probably the 1.2: https://www.santa-monica.cc/DROP12-...-surfaces--12-cubes-feeding-per-day_p_69.html)

Good idea? Bad idea?

I turned mine off, read an interesting argument the skimmer removes the same nutrients your filter feeders need. My algea, the cheato and bubble, are handling the ammonia. The nitrates eh what nitrates. So yeah been 2 weeks and no problems. Everything is peachy...so far. The algea scrubber is eh too. Get a few grazers and let them eat the algea, although I'd admit that my lazy aassh emerald crabs have better stuff to do than eat bubble. My sailfin, hes a dang goat when it comes to hair algea haven't seen it in weeks. But the guy won't touch the few clumps of cheato in the DT. In all honesty the only thing in nature that simulates the protein skimmer effect are waves along shorelines. So 50/50. Up to you. But I will say my system is SILENT w/o the skimmer.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I run both but would rather the skimmer if I had a choice

 

[Llyod276]

These things are preference. Some swear by them, others just see what happens. Like do snow tires work in summer? Yes, but maybe not as good and may result in negative consequences. In the end it's your tank. Do what you will...

 

[sp1187]

SURF4X.
no skimmer.
tank start up 08/2018.
softie dominant with a few LPS and monti's
feed the foxface, lamark angel and spottail and canary blenny the algae from the scrubber.
weekly water changes.
no major algae outbreaks. a few small areas in low flow areas that the above mentioned fish and cuc pick at.

 

[beesnreefs]

I run both but would rather the skimmer if I had a choice

That's interesting - can you help me understand why you'd choose the skimmer over the scrubber?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nutrients and removal of inorganic waste faster

 

[G Santana]

I plan on running both, although I have no experience with scrubbers I can say that scrubbers would work over the long haul where skimmers are immediate. Both work but both work differently.
Ever see a skimmer go berserk when a tank is fed and it's on, where a scrubber will have to build removal over time.

 

[DxMarinefish]

I run two ATS on my system which is over 210gal and I had been skimless since 2007. The two ATS run for 12 hours each.

I recently introduced a skimmer (the tunze 9410 DC) to act as a safety net.
While I run the skimmer I do so just for the extra oxidation it provides. The skimmate just flows back into the sump for now using the tunze Foam Extraction unit.


I have found that an abundance of filter feeders do well in my tank which is mostly LPS, softies, gorgonians (7) with a few monties, staghorns, and other nutrient loving SPS.

I do not do water changes, but I dose C, M, Alk and other trace using seachem reef plus.

My advise is to go skimless by getting as big an ATS as possible. Don’t skimp on it. I prefer 2 because when one is harvested the other is in full swing so no nutrient spike.

most reefers I know get an undersized ATS and then wonder why their tank suffers. As mentioned previously, ATS take the dissolved nasties, which means the particles need to either be eaten by tank crews or left to breakdown before the ATS can get to work. Help this process by having lots of CUC and filter feeders. I find gorgonians and feather dusters do a great job.

Good luck

 

[hometown9]

I think it depends on size and configuration of you're unit. I had a 50G AIO and agree the scrubber was better b/c I couldn't put a big enough skimmer into the chambers (and the hang-on never worked right). However when I moved to an 85G w/ sump I ran 2x scrubbers and found it just didn't match a good skimmer. I'd say if you have a good skimmer, that's better...but if you don't or don't like the hassle, a scrubber is the way to go.

 

[beesnreefs]

I plan on running both, although I have no experience with scrubbers I can say that scrubbers would work over the long haul where skimmers are immediate. Both work but both work differently.
Ever see a skimmer go berserk when a tank is fed and it's on, where a scrubber will have to build removal over time.

Makes sense. Since my tank is relatively young (only about 3 months old) and the bio-load is fairly small (only 3 fish, some snails, and a smattering of LPS) I've shut my skimmer down and installed an algae scrubber (SantaMonica Scrubbers' DROP 1.4).

The skimmer has been off for almost 4 weeks. I also began dosing MIcrobacter7 daily and for the past 2 weeks also did Microbacter Clean to help with some of the uglies. I also do a 10% WC every weekend. Scrubber was added to the tank 2 weeks ago.

So far I've had no growth in the scrubber. Parameters in the tank have been great, though. Nitrate is hovering between 1-3 ppm. Phosphates have been solid in the 0.08-0.1 range. The uglies seem to be slowly dissipating. Fish and corals all seem happy.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I've been considering this idea. Following the discussion.

 

[driftin]

I run both and have since day 1 on this current tank set up (put water in the tank spring 2019). I run my skimmer on the dry side (and it collects a LOT of gunk) and all my return water also passes through my turf scrubber. I feed fairly heavily and regularly, and no nuisance algae in the display tank. None. I really attribute that to the turf scrubber, as it's a perfect environment for the algae to grow. I think it just outcompetes the display tank and its CUC. But that said, given how much gunk the skimmer collects and how much algae the scrubber grows, I'm a proponent of running both. I don't have any scientific reason for it, just those two observations coupled with how clean the display stays.

It'll take a while for the algae to start visibly growing on your scrubber material. Two weeks in, it's still new.

I'll second the recommendation on a collection bucket for your skimmer, if you have room for one.

 

[Kent125]

I current run both a skimmer (BM elite curve 5) & scrubber (marine magic 02B) on my red sea reefer 350 mixed reef...... I wouldnt give either one up.....