Write Up: My adventure with an algae scrubber

[Onebaldman]

There is constantly new or improved stuff coming out every day for any given hobby. I read articles/watch youtube videos comparing different products, howto's on the best way to setup an aquarium (both with and without sumps), just so that I can keep up with what is going on and the current "best practice".

Lighting is a big deal and I can understand the need to have a good lighting system. I can also see a need for dosing certain items to keep a reef healthy and to keep us from needing to constantly doing water changes to keep up with nutrients.

Taking a step back, I want to eliminate as much equipment from my sump as possible while still maintaining a healthy setup. My end goal is to have only dosing pump(s), a return pump and an algae scrubber. This will allow me to quit lusting for "new" equipment and wondering will it make an improvement to my tank. It will also allow me to put more money into the reef itself, where I feel I should be putting the money in the first place.

This post will be my journal as I go forward.

Stay tuned...

 

[Bad Company]

I ran a waterfall algae scrubber alone for three months on my FOWLR. It worked great at eliminating nuisance algae as well as nitrates. I did end up adding a cheap skimmer to eliminate a yellow tinge to the water. Between the two, I have an awesome, low maintenance system.

 

[eric.battani]

If I may add my two cents on the end result you want. I have been running an algae scrubber for about 3 years now. Even went skimmer less for about a year. Tank did fine but when my reef started to out grow just normal weekly water changes. I had to start dosing with mag, cal, and alk: my scrubber failed to do what skimmers do best. Pull unneeded by-products from the water column from the stuff we add (and yes skimmers also pull good stuff as well) so I had to add a skimmer back to the tank. Now with running a scrubber, my skimmer doesnt pull as much as it normally would if I wasn't running a scrubber. But I love my scrubber so much I would not run my reef tank without one.
If you ever want to, you can stop by my house sometime and check out how I have my scrubber setup. And can even give you some pointers if you need any.

 

[Onebaldman]

Thanks Eric, I may take you up on that offer as I continue forward.

 

[Bad Company]

My corner cube:

Close up of the scrubber in action. A CFL with a full reflactor gives great coverage. LEDs are nice too for algae penetration prventing early die-off. the key is to scrap off algae before it dies off.

 

[eric.battani]

Not sure if your interested, but I'm downsizing my 125g and I have 2 scrubbers on it. One I am going to transfer over to the 75g and the other will just die off unless I do something with it. You are welcome to it if you want a matured scrubber (free) that way you don't have to wait for a good turf of algae. The algae does grow quickly when starting fresh, but takes a good month or two to get fully loaded. (Depends on light and water flow, they really grow great with lots of flow)

 

[Dave3112]

Ok, I've read about the scrubbers for many years and seen many of them in action. But I don't understand the advantage of them over a standard fuge with macro. Can someone explain the advantage? Is it a space issue? Do they really pull out more nutrients than a good sized fuge loaded with calurpa and Xenia or cheato?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I am contemplating on installing a horizontal one. Chaeto and caulerpa refuse to grow in my fuge when I drive the nutrient level extremely low. The only algae that grow in the sump is the type that hang on the last baffle plate. I suspect that is the type of algae on these ATS plates.

 

[beaslbob]

I would think the high light of an ats might be better for growing cyano.

But then you know what happens with I think.

 

[Dave3112]

That's kinda what I was thinking Bob. And I like the way you think, I was hoping you would offer your .02.

 

[beaslbob]

.02

 

[beaslbob]

:tongue:

 

[Onebaldman]

I'm sure you have already read the article before asking the questions, but here's the Wiki article:
Algae scrubber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is one of the better youtube examples:

LED Algae Scrubber Day by Day on Salt Water Reef - YouTube
As I mentioned before, my goal is to do away with or greatly pair down the need for a for equipment. We tend to look at algae as a nuisance, and it is...when it is in your display tank. I have a patch of hair algae in my fuge, which is a gamble (bet on red). I could take that rock out and kill it off, but it's not hurting anything (knock on wood) and I know that it is also helping to balance out the extra nutrients in my water.

In the video, the dude feeds his tank a lot more because he is trying to keep the algae happy as well. We teach other other, and are constantly told, don't over feed your tank. The more I watched the video and sat and thought about it, the more I thought that the extra food could actually help my corals and nems. My fish are fat and happy as they are, but a little extra insurance shouldn't hurt.

So this is my own personal journey up stream to try something different.

 

[TrishW]

Wow, that youtube video sure is convincing!

 

[TrishW]

I am contemplating on installing a horizontal one. Chaeto and caulerpa refuse to grow in my fuge when I drive the nutrient level extremely low. The only algae that grow in the sump is the type that hang on the last baffle plate. I suspect that is the type of algae on these ATS plates.

What lighting are you planning to use?

 

[Dave3112]

I'm sure you have already read the article before asking the questions, but here's the Wiki article:
Algae scrubber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is one of the better youtube examples:

LED Algae Scrubber Day by Day on Salt Water Reef - YouTube
As I mentioned before, my goal is to do away with or greatly pair down the need for a for equipment. We tend to look at algae as a nuisance, and it is...when it is in your display tank. I have a patch of hair algae in my fuge, which is a gamble (bet on red). I could take that rock out and kill it off, but it's not hurting anything (knock on wood) and I know that it is also helping to balance out the extra nutrients in my water.

In the video, the dude feeds his tank a lot more because he is trying to keep the algae happy as well. We teach other other, and are constantly told, don't over feed your tank. The more I watched the video and sat and thought about it, the more I thought that the extra food could actually help my corals and nems. My fish are fat and happy as they are, but a little extra insurance shouldn't hurt.

So this is my own personal journey up stream to try something different.

I have read that article and multiple threads on the ATS for nutrient export. I was just wondering if it was an advantage over the good old refugium? If it's a space issue I can understand. But I don't have that issue so I was wondering if there was any other actual benefit if an ATS over a fuge? To me it seems like a lot more "work" to have an ATS over a fuge. But I also know each of us has their own ways that work for their particular set up. BTW the you tube video is pretty sweet!

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I have an LED light figure called Finnex Ray II over my fuge. I recently got rid of all Chaetorpha in in the fuge since Chaeto was not growing and collecting detritus. I added a small new batch of healthy Chaeto and Caulerpa but they are languishing. The light is strong enough, but I suspect that some nutrient is lacking. In the mean time, some red turf algae cropped up in the display tank. I added Mexican turbo snails and a short spine sea urchin to eradicate the algae. The clean-up crew is doing a bang-up job on the algae, but they are banging up my frags as well. Since algae can grow in the display tank, I must have enough nutrients there. However, I cannot grow any macro in my fuge. Thus, I am contemplating growing algae in the fuge.

 

[Onebaldman]

For what I have read, thus far, one of the benefits of the ATS is the direct flow of water across the algae. It may be just a feel good option, but I would at least know that nutrient rich water would be flowing across my algae.

You could also argue that a fuge would do the same thing, that the nutrient rich water is always in your fuge and that the Chaeto should be taking advantage of that, but I couldn't see it doing it :neutral:

 

[Onebaldman]

What lighting are you planning to use?

I'm weighing my options right now. I will probably do DIY lighting to have more control over. $20ish for leds, $15 for tubing for heatsink, Power Supply.

 

[Hassablad]

Tomoko, Are you running the fuge light 24-7? I run mine all the time and it works great. I still get a little on algae the glass but not much. sometimes have to feed the cleanup crew. lol