Skimmer vs algae reactor

[LEOreefer]

so here's the question, anyone running there system with just a Algae reactor or scrubber ? More and more I read and here how reactors and scrubbers are so good at removing nutrients from the water. I started to think why run both . In my particular setup I have a small sump and the skimmer takes up so much room. If I turned that chamber into a fudge plus my algae reactor do you think that could work on a 50 Gallon cube. The tank is cycling now but it will have lps coral and a medium stick list of fish. What does everyone think :

 

[reefwiser]

What you find is that they pull different things from the water. So running both is beneficial. I have run a skimmer on my tanks since the early 80's then added an alage scrubber when I visited Dr. Adey and saw his turf scrubber. You want to create a web of systems to properly remove elements that foul your aquarium and make it easier to maintain.

 

[Meo]

Yes, i agree to run multiple nutrient export systems.

I run a oversize skimmer, a fuge with chaeto algae, a and a Remote DSB, with reverse illumination cycle respect the DT.
Mixted reef with fish heavy stocking, 200 us-gallon of cyculating water.

 

[LEOreefer]

This is great insite. As it is right now I run a skimz n123 skimmer. My tank is currently cycling and my skimmer is just starting to pull nasty brown stuff. Once i start seeing some algae I will put the reactor on line. Due to my small sump I'm always looking for ways to save some room

 

[reefwiser]

An aquarium is a very fine balancing act and one must always be thinking ahead when in come to nutrient control.

 

[Orm Embar]

I think that there are multiple correct answers about how to set up a tank. Skimmers remove roughly 20-35% of dissolved organics, so if you are running a skimmerless system your reactor/nutrient export needs to be 20-35% better (or more). http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature talks about DOC removal by skimmers.

I ran a skimmerless system about 20 years ago (Caulerpa driven, which worked but smothered my corals), and am running a different macroalgae-filtered skimmerless tank today (which I feel is much more well thought out). I decided to take the (not running but still in sump in case I needed it) skimmer and remove it. I then replaced that space with a refugium. BRS ran some experiments on lowering nitrate and phosphate with chaeto, which I thought were pretty compelling - http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video...-best-refugium-light-and-what-is-coming-next/

My tank is a Red Sea Reefer 170, 34 gallon display, 9 gallon sump. Dragon's breath and gracilaria in the main tank, dragon's breath and chaeto in the sump. Sump refugium lit by a 24w PAR38 grow bulb. As of today, nitrates < 1 and phosphates < 0.05 (Elos kits at LFS). Having said that, I feed about a quarter to a third cube of food with 2 small fish and a cleaner shrimp. I also add Reef Chili twice weekly (the small scoop). I do run activated charcoal.

I chose a skimmerless system as I wanted to maximize pod production via a refugium, and I've found a refugium with macroalgae to be a very low maintenance solution (pull out macroalgae and either sell it, trade it, or trash it).

 

[LEOreefer]

Do you run any sort of sand in your fuge?

 

[Orm Embar]

Do you run any sort of sand in your fuge?

I don't have sand in my fuge, just a few small pieces of live rock and some old frag plugs. My display has 1-1.5" of sand, though

 

[Orm Embar]

I should add - I've read that many people are having great results by combining skimming with carbon dosing (vinegar/vodka/biopellets) plus GFO. It depends on how you want to do things

 

[Grey Guy]

I think some of the Turf Scrubbing people think that a skimmer is not necessary and that the flora and fauna will feed on what would normally be skimmed out. Old Martin Moe used to say that skimming, especially wet skimming will remove calcium and other elements from the system. I haven't heard anyone talk about that for a long time. There are always pros and cons.

 

[DarkSky]

The biggest difference between the two, I believe, is a skimmer pulls a majority of dissolved organic compounds out of the water before they have a chance to decay into NO3/PO4.
After they decay into PO4/NO3, an algae reactor pulls these nutrients out of the water.

You could probably get away without a skimmer and just have an algae reactor, but I'd run both honestly. Unless you absolutely love harvesting macro algae.

A skimmer also gives you the added benefit of oxygenating your water.

 

[atoll]

I run a Ns 160 an Aqua Medic medium reactor with a little PO4 remover, Siporax, and a Continuum block but most of all I run an Atlantis 2 waterfall Algae Turf Scrubber growing GHA and Ulva. All these work together very well for me with nutrients very low in my 100 gallon

 

[Grey Guy]

I also think protein skimmers polish the water and make it sparkling clear. I can see the difference. But if anyone finds what works for them, consider yourself blessed and stay with it.

 

[hart24601]

I recently pulled out my skimmer for my 60 cube and am only using a kessil h380 for chaeto now. However I have some purigen in the system as well. The skimmer is a somatic (aka vertex 130) so it's very nice. I will see how the system responds, but with the new light the skimmer really wasn't doing all that much. However this tank will be a no-acro tank in contrast to my last system which was almost all acro.

 

[Greggy]

so here's the question, anyone running there system with just a Algae reactor or scrubber ? More and more I read and here how reactors and scrubbers are so good at removing nutrients from the water. I started to think why run both . In my particular setup I have a small sump and the skimmer takes up so much room. If I turned that chamber into a fudge plus my algae reactor do you think that could work on a 50 Gallon cube. The tank is cycling now but it will have lps coral and a medium stick list of fish. What does everyone think :

I stopped using an algae scrubber for siporax. When putting the siporax add some bacteria food to cycle it quicker. Your phosphates will crash after 2 weeks with siporax

 

[LEOreefer]

I stopped using an algae scrubber for siporax. When putting the siporax add some bacteria food to cycle it quicker. Your phosphates will crash after 2 weeks with siporax

Never herd of siporax?

 

[mcarroll]

Never herd of siporax?

It's what you'd use to generate a cyano bloom.

If @Greggy is right, you might get a dinoflagellate bloom....also, or instead!

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Neither of those in my system. I solely relying on my twin bacteria tower for nutrient control and couldn't be happier.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

so here's the question, anyone running there system with just a Algae reactor or scrubber ? More and more I read and here how reactors and scrubbers are so good at removing nutrients from the water. I started to think why run both . In my particular setup I have a small sump and the skimmer takes up so much room. If I turned that chamber into a fudge plus my algae reactor do you think that could work on a 50 Gallon cube. The tank is cycling now but it will have lps coral and a medium stick list of fish. What does everyone think :

Do you want a sink or a stove in your kitchen?

Same issue here: they accomplish different things.

Skimming removes organic matter and aerates the water (both are good). Not all that much impact on nitrate and phosphate, although some by removing organics before they decompose..

Algae reactor reduces nitrate and phosphate. It also likely adds organic matter.