Reef filter roller or algae scrubber ?

[atoll]

I’d go the rollermat route for many, many reasons.

And I wouldn't for many many reasons. You pays your money etc.

 

[atoll]

High grade Carbon !

ATS no need for carbon either.

 

[TL1]

So @mando21 ...what's the verdict?

 

[fishybizzness]

Disagree for the following reasons.

1/IME a roller filter needs more time servicing it. My ATS takes less than four minutes to service it.

2/ An ATS will do more than just reduce nuitrents, it will also aid PH , remove heavy metals and increase pods. You can also fine tune it to your system amongs other things.

3/ There are no monthly maintenance costs with an ATS.

4/ My algae scrubber has no footprint as far as being in the sump as most sit on not in the sump unlike a roller filter which sits in the sump. BTW I removed the filter sock holders in my sump giving me more room.

5/ Roller filters remove marine snow that feed corals my ATS dosent.

Finally, yes I have used both so I talk from experience of both and I don9use any particulate filtration at all apart from a skimmer which removes some.

I have to respectfully disagree with two of your points. The service time on a redsea filter roller, from my researching them, is under 5 minutes every month or two. My ats maintenance takes about 5-10 minutes every week. There are maintenance costs with everything. The filter roller only uses minimal electricity for the sensor and motor but the ats uses a lot more running the grow lights all month even on a 12 hour schedule. The cost of the replacement roller material is probably close to the electricity to run the ats so cost should not be a factor in comparing the 2. I currently don't have a filter roller but do have a turbos ats and agree with all your other points.

 

[atoll]

I have to respectfully disagree with two of your points. The service time on a redsea filter roller, from my researching them, is under 5 minutes every month or two. My ats maintenance takes about 5-10 minutes every week. There are maintenance costs with everything. The filter roller only uses minimal electricity for the sensor and motor but the ats uses a lot more running the grow lights all month even on a 12 hour schedule. The cost of the replacement roller material is probably close to the electricity to run the ats so cost should not be a factor in comparing the 2. I currently don't have a filter roller but do have a turbos ats and agree with all your other points.

Mine takes me no more than 4 minutes and I have a youtube video to prove it on my channel.


Fair enough about running costs like electricity and replace roller mats.

 

[Crustaceon]

And I wouldn't for many many reasons. You pays your money etc.

For me, I have ask what benefits an ATS is going to provide me over something like vinegar/vodka dosing + a skimmer and simply having enough sand & rock to host plenty of pods. Is the ATS as precise or controllable when it comes to nutrient reduction as vinegar/vodka dosing? Nope. Does it take up less space? Nope. Does it require less maintenance? Nope. Less electricity? Nope. Does it have less potential to leak all over my floor? Nope. Am I going to run it in conjunction with carbon dosing? Lol, why? So here I would be with this thing over my sump, still using filter socks and dealing with that nonsense because I now don't have the option to run anything but that. No thanks. There are plenty of ways to effectively control excess nutrients. I'd HAPPILY take the thing that prevents my ATO from going berserk in the middle of the night because a filter sock decided to finally clog at that moment. It's just a FAR better use of space IMO, but if you're into that kind of thing, have at it. I've ran all kinds of ATS setups and grew hair algae like weeds on them. But for me it always became a loop of feeding the tank enough to keep the ATS happy, which never made much sense. I keep water, not algae.

 

[fishybizzness]

Mine takes me no more than 4 minutes and I have a youtube video to prove it on my channel.


Fair enough about running costs like electricity and replace roller mats.

Your video is the reason i trim mine instead of scraping it clean! i started trying it after seeing your video explaining your reasoning behind your method. If it makes sense I'm always willing to try new things.

 

[hart24601]

I have used scrubbers, chaeto, skimmer and rollermat - the Red Sea version. And of course socks on and off.

I have to admit I have been extremely impressed with rollermats. I suspect they could replace algae filtration and even potentially the skimmer in lower fish stocked systems if one has a good amount of coral as I and a couple other local reefers already have to dose phosphate (they don’t use algae or rollermats just skimmers).

now every system is different as are what reefers like and how they want to manage their system. I personally hated algae scrubbers but that’s just me. Chaeto has been my ‘go-to’ for years but I don’t really need it now.

 

[atoll]

For me, I have ask what benefits an ATS is going to provide me over something like vinegar/vodka dosing + a skimmer and simply having enough sand & rock to host plenty of pods. Is the ATS as precise or controllable when it comes to nutrient reduction as vinegar/vodka dosing? Nope. Does it take up less space? Nope. Does it require less maintenance? Nope. Less electricity? Nope. Does it have less potential to leak all over my floor? Nope. Am I going to run it in conjunction with carbon dosing? Lol, why? So here I would be with this thing over my sump, still using filter socks and dealing with that nonsense because I now don't have the option to run anything but that. No thanks. There are plenty of ways to effectively control excess nutrients. I'd HAPPILY take the thing that prevents my ATO from going berserk in the middle of the night because a filter sock decided to finally clog at that moment. It's just a FAR better use of space IMO, but if you're into that kind of thing, have at it. I've ran all kinds of ATS setups and grew hair algae like weeds on them. But for me it always became a loop of feeding the tank enough to keep the ATS happy, which never made much sense. I keep water, not algae.

I honestly don't know where to start with your questions as I am unsure what kind of an obviously poorly designed ATS you ran. Certainly it cant be anything like mine.
Also there are things an ATS can do dosing can't as said above. Still each to their own and you pays your money etc.

 

[atoll]

Your video is the reason i trim mine instead of scraping it clean! i started trying it after seeing your video explaining your reasoning behind your method. If it makes sense I'm always willing to try new things.

More than one way to skin that cat. Also less messy than scapping off the screen.

 

[Crustaceon]

I honestly don't know where to start with your questions as I am unsure what kind of an obviously poorly designed ATS you ran. Certainly it cant be anything like mine.
Also there are things an ATS can do dosing can't as said above. Still each to their own and you pays your money etc.

I've tested all manner of major name brand ATS and built plenty of my own. The all have the same cons and I'd still take liquid carbon dosing over them any day of the week. They're just not my thing. Way too much maintenance and overfeeding the tank to sustain it IMO. Been there, done that, never again.

 

[atoll]

I've tested all manner of major name brand ATS and built plenty of my own. The all have the same cons and I'd still take liquid carbon dosing over them any day of the week. They're just not my thing. Way too much maintenance and overfeeding the tank to sustain it IMO. Been there, done that, never again.

Oh dear,never mind. Mine takes 4 minutes a week to maintain. No chance of it leakng outside the sump, it's never leaked anyway. No need to overfeed at all. Controllable as to how much nuitrents you want to remove with a simple light timer. Seems a shame you couldn't get the hang of the poor ones you.must have had or coukdnt get to grips with, all very simple really.
ATS with pods in there, removes heavy metals. Free algae to feed tangs etc in my case I hrow Ulva. Helps stabilise PH by running the lights through the night.
As for dosing. Using a doser then have you read the number that have dumped all the content into the sump/tank, tubes splitting, programme gone to the wall. If not using a doser then remembering to dose. Mixing up your dosing liquid. Still I repeat whatever does it for you. I like the benefits my ATS bring and it does it for me. We can agree to disagree.

 

[Crustaceon]

Oh dear,never mind. Mine takes 4 minutes a week to maintain. No chance of it leakng outside the sump, it's never leaked anyway. No need to overfeed at all. Controllable as to how much nuitrents you want to remove with a simple light timer. Seems a shame you couldn't get the hang of the poor ones you.must have had or coukdnt get to grips with, all very simple really.
ATS with pods in there, removes heavy metals. Free algae to feed tangs etc in my case I hrow Ulva. Helps stabilise PH by running the lights through the night.
As for dosing. Using a doser then have you read the number that have dumped all the content into the sump/tank, tubes splitting, programme gone to the wall. If not using a doser then remembering to dose. Mixing up your dosing liquid. Still I repeat whatever does it for you. I like the benefits my ATS bring and it does it for me. We can agree to disagree.

The problem I always had was trying to find a balance between how long to run the light cycle vs. keeping the algae alive vs. how much to harvest all while trying to maintain a stable nutrient level... which everything listed happens to affect each other. It was always far too easy to strip the tank of N&P because there isn't really an "off" switch to an ATS without degrading what algae has grown on the screen, cause that algae to rot and release everything it has absorbed. And then it's starting all over again with nutrients getting out of hand until you have enough algae on the screen to make a difference. A lump of Chaeto floating in a hydroponics basket in the sump does the same job but is easier to gauge the "harvest" size and fast to do it. Even then, there's no "off" switch. As for carbon dosing, I literally walk by the tank once per day, pour 10ml into a measuring cup from a gallon jug of pre-mixed diy nopox and dump it into the tank. No pumps, no hoses, no leaks, no electricity used and it takes less than ten seconds. Making a new jug takes 2- 3 minutes. Most of us run skimmers anyways, so we can lump together their pros, cons and basic maintenance independent of carbon dosing. My big three go through a dosing pump that along with the reservoirs, are all under sump-level and sit in their own drip tray. As you mentioned, whatever works for you. I don't think one or the other is superior, but they do have their own complexities and specific upkeep. Nothing is plug-n-play.

 

[TxReefer21]

So @mando21 ...what's the verdict?

ATS for now. Already have it set up we will see what happens in a bout 2 weeks

 

[TxReefer21]

For me, I have ask what benefits an ATS is going to provide me over something like vinegar/vodka dosing + a skimmer and simply having enough sand & rock to host plenty of pods. Is the ATS as precise or controllable when it comes to nutrient reduction as vinegar/vodka dosing? Nope. Does it take up less space? Nope. Does it require less maintenance? Nope. Less electricity? Nope. Does it have less potential to leak all over my floor? Nope. Am I going to run it in conjunction with carbon dosing? Lol, why? So here I would be with this thing over my sump, still using filter socks and dealing with that nonsense because I now don't have the option to run anything but that. No thanks. There are plenty of ways to effectively control excess nutrients. I'd HAPPILY take the thing that prevents my ATO from going berserk in the middle of the night because a filter sock decided to finally clog at that moment. It's just a FAR better use of space IMO, but if you're into that kind of thing, have at it. I've ran all kinds of ATS setups and grew hair algae like weeds on them. But for me it always became a loop of feeding the tank enough to keep the ATS happy, which never made much sense. I keep water, not algae.

The thing though with a ATS is the most natural way to eliminate high nutrients. You can dose anything you want but it’s not so much natural I’ve been down the road of vodka dosing hydrogen peroxide dosing ect. The ATS I ended up getting also sits in the sump and not outside and it’s rather large for the small unit out of medium and larges.

 

[Crustaceon]

The thing though with a ATS is the most natural way to eliminate high nutrients. You can dose anything you want but it’s not so much natural I’ve been down the road of vodka dosing hydrogen peroxide dosing ect. The ATS I ended up getting also sits in the sump and not outside and it’s rather large for the small unit out of medium and larges.

You do realize vodka dosing only feeds bacteria, which then consumes nitrates and phosphates which is exactly what an ATS does, but much more efficient and just as “natural” right? Carbon dosing is biological nutrient reduction. Not chemical.

 

[TxReefer21]

You do realize vodka dosing only feeds bacteria, which then consumes nitrates and phosphates which is exactly what an ATS does, but much more efficient and just as “natural” right? Carbon dosing is biological nutrient reduction. Not chemical.

Non the less there’s several methods to reach the same goal i dont care about dosing anything I was more questing between filter rollers and ATS

 

[atoll]

You do realize vodka dosing only feeds bacteria, which then consumes nitrates and phosphates which is exactly what an ATS does, but much more efficient and just as “natural” right? Carbon dosing is biological nutrient reduction. Not chemical.

But do you realise an ATS aids PH and consumes heavy metals as well as promotes pods.

 

[Crustaceon]

But do you realise an ATS aids PH and consumes heavy metals as well as promotes pods.

Do you realize bacteria doesn’t have to be harvested by hand periodically and if you dose kalk, you probably don’t want something else that’s going to further increase ph? Also, sand and rock promotes pods so that’s a mute point unless you’re going for a “pod tank” where your main focus is on keeping pods and having a little basket of magnifying lenses next to the display for guests to peer in and look at your micro fauna. Also, coral consumes bacteria. I’d rather grow bacteria to feed my corals than pods to feed my mandarin….which already gets more than enough pods from the sand and rock in my tank that doesn’t require periodic harvesting or electricity.

 

[Crustaceon]

Non the less there’s several methods to reach the same goal i dont care about dosing anything I was more questing between filter rollers and ATS

In a nutshell, a roll is going to act as a preventative measure to slow the accumulation of nitrates and phosphates. It’s meant to make maintenance a little bit easier by prolonging the need to climb into your cabinet and swap out filter media. An ATS will reduce nitrates and phosphates but can be complex to keep running. Sorry but this is the case, they’re not a plug-n-play, leave alone type of thing. You really NEED to go beyond just testing N&P and literally get your hands wet at least every few weeks and unlike with all other nutrient control methods, it’s easy to get into a loop where you’re trying to keep the algae on the screen sufficiently fed over the health of the display. IMO, that’s not worth it just to have pods. Carbon dosing is always going to be a simpler method of nutrient control and will always require less electricity and maintenance than an ATS and even then, there’s still a steep learning curve. People will fanboy hard over this and disagree but I’ve personally used all of these methods. You’re of course welcome to try whatever you like. I HIGHLY recommend thoroughly researching exactly what goes into owning ANY piece of reefing gear or trying a different strategy before spending a dime because sometimes it really is best to not do anything.