Does the future of the hobby lay with ATS's (Algae Turf Scrubbers) well at least for the time being? More and more manufacturers are bringing out their own versions of ATS. Most are very costly, but they needn't be. IMO and IME they offer lots of advantages over the more, shall we say traditional methods of maintaining a reef aquarium.
I know some will scoff (is that a UK slang word only) at the idea calling ATS's a gizmo or latest fad which will die out etc, etc but I believe they are a great advancement in maintaining a reef aquarium.
Nothing new? Yes I know ATS have been around in one guise or other for many years but it;s only in recent years we have seen a great advancement and with it a reduction in size required to produce an efficient working ATS.
I first started off with a Santa Monica HOG2 ATS then built my own DIY one which cost me very little, around £45 in total (OK about $68 in your funny money) . My corals are all doing very well indeed and my nutrients are as low as they have ever been (almost undetectable on my test kits) I feed a lot (4 times a day usually) and heavy.
My fish and corals are all healthy with fish breeding regular. I admit to not ever quarantining any fish and have not had a single outbreak of white spot since Adam was a lad in fact since I decided it was best to feed my fish well and with quality food not just cornflakes and dried peas. Much of the food I feed I make myself but that is another story.
Unlike some running ATS I still use my Deltec skimmer but the skimmate produced is light in colour and it does not produce a s much as it did before I installed my ATS. Not only are ATS's cheap enough to build they are relatively cheap to run.
Here are a couple of pic's of my DIY ATS.
My ATS screen covered in green hair algae.
Hanging in the sump lit from both sides with a cheap LED units.
http://s541.photobucket.com/user/le..._100014_002 2_zpszebscnjs.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
A FTS.
I know some will scoff (is that a UK slang word only) at the idea calling ATS's a gizmo or latest fad which will die out etc, etc but I believe they are a great advancement in maintaining a reef aquarium.
Nothing new? Yes I know ATS have been around in one guise or other for many years but it;s only in recent years we have seen a great advancement and with it a reduction in size required to produce an efficient working ATS.
I first started off with a Santa Monica HOG2 ATS then built my own DIY one which cost me very little, around £45 in total (OK about $68 in your funny money) . My corals are all doing very well indeed and my nutrients are as low as they have ever been (almost undetectable on my test kits) I feed a lot (4 times a day usually) and heavy.
My fish and corals are all healthy with fish breeding regular. I admit to not ever quarantining any fish and have not had a single outbreak of white spot since Adam was a lad in fact since I decided it was best to feed my fish well and with quality food not just cornflakes and dried peas. Much of the food I feed I make myself but that is another story.
Unlike some running ATS I still use my Deltec skimmer but the skimmate produced is light in colour and it does not produce a s much as it did before I installed my ATS. Not only are ATS's cheap enough to build they are relatively cheap to run.
Here are a couple of pic's of my DIY ATS.
My ATS screen covered in green hair algae.
Hanging in the sump lit from both sides with a cheap LED units.
http://s541.photobucket.com/user/le..._100014_002 2_zpszebscnjs.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
A FTS.
