Refugeum or algae scrubber

[Dfrashid]

So I just started a new tank it's about 2 months old I'm thinking of setting up a refugium but I'm hearing an Algie scrubber is better but I've also read numerous things dating the refugium is the best! what is better the algae scrubber or the refugee?

 

[mdb_talon]

It's likely you will get various answers here also as to which is "better". They both can work, but can have different advantages/disadvantages. I prefer a refugium. Find it easier to clean(ie remove excess cheato) and think it's a better home for pods.

 

[Dfrashid]

Bump

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Define “better”.

 

[Dfrashid]

Define “better”.

That what I'm asking you lol

 

[Viking_Reefing]

That what I'm asking you lol

You asked which one is better. The answer is relative to what you want to get out of it. Is it nutrient control, balancing PH swings, promoting biodiversity etc etc.
There are also factors such as what level of maintenance are you willing to do.
Are you thinking of doing just a ball of chaeto in the case of a refugium or are we talking rubble rock, mud and the whole nine yards?

Without knowing your particular wants and needs it’s basically impossible to correctly answer which one is the best option for you. Neither is better than the other, it depends on the circumstances.

 

[Waters]

I think starting a new tank, I would avoid both, as both will quickly suck up ALL nutrients as they take off. My tank is over a year old and I still have a scrubber sitting in the box not being used. I also don't think one is better than the other....they both accomplish the same thing (one grows algae in the sump, one grows it in the scrubber). If guess if you don't want to dedicate space to a refugium then a scrubber would be better.

 

[olonmv]

I built a denitrifier for nutrient control and it woks beautifully. I agree with @Waters, it’s a bit early to add a nutrient control device in your tank.

 

[Montiman]

I have 1 tank with a fuge, 1 tank with a turff scrubber, and 1 with neither. I like the turf scrubber best. for the following reasons.

1. I like a clean sump. It is really hard to keep my mud refugium clean. I love being able to siphon out the whole bottom of the sump.
2. I have had issues with Chaeto growing and then stalling out even though nitrate and phosphate are high. I have found this is micronutrient limitation and I can fix it by dosing Chaeto Grow. The turf algae has never stalled out and it just seems far easier to grow.
3. My fuge grows pests like aiptasia, bubble algae, and cyano but the turf scrubber is pretty much just algae.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

What's your primary goal with this? Is it nutrient control? Pod cultivation? Both?

 

[landlubber]

i weighed the options and for me it was a no-brainer that a refugium is just a better fit for my needs. The main reasons were, added water volume, waaaaaay easier to clean and monitor growth and to me a more measured, slow paced way to remove nutrients.

 

[GARRIGA]

Been balancing the two once again now that ph is not fixable by normal means. Therefore my main criteria being which is best at stripping CO2. I know a refugium will. Not 100% certain that a scrubber obtains 100% of it's CO2 needs from water vs air due to the required air/water interface needed for efficiency. Don't know if that interface like a wet dry where water is constantly saturated with air or scrubbers allow algae to strip air directly from the surface. The biology on GHA not fully understood by me.

Does appear that for nutrient export the scrubber is considerably more efficient based on what I've read and Santa Monica had a write up few years back describing that. If I recall correctly, the refugium would need to be 5x or 10x the volume of the scrubber sheet.

Regardless, goal now being the use of two (regardless which approach taken) on opposite light schedules with a controller turning off lights on each when ph exceeds a certain goal. Based on experience, plants and algae don't show adverse effects because light isn't on for a specific length of time and just that they get enough of need per day. Have also experimented with 24/7 and that showed zero issues yet nutrients removed and ph stable. Will try that first as much easier to implement having one 24/7 and controller shutting that off when ph higher than needed. Although fact controller will shut lights off might make this issue moot.

If scrubber efficient enough to provide for ph needs then that's the most practical for me since having a sump not in my plans and easier to implement on and AIO. GHA the easiest to obtain (it's always there) and grow which could be a concern living in Florida and surviving a power outtage yet no available source of chaeto to restart the process. Looking into seaweed as well. That's off my beaches literally year round.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I don't think it's ever too early to add a scrubber. To run a scrubber aggressively, yes - you can do that too early. But mainly that would mean you won't grow algae, because there's not enough nutrients/food for the algae, and also because most scrubbers are 100% on/off with the lighting, which makes it difficult to knock down lighting intensity (which results in a bare screen due to photosaturation.

Having the ability to dim the lights gives you a better ability to tune the scrubber to your needs that are specific to your system at any point in time.

That being said, I am admittedly biased.