My Algae Scrubber Experience

globaldesigns · #1 01-20-2012, 04:06 PM

Very cool, and the million dollar question is: Is it helping your tank and nutrient levels?

Edmonton newbie · #2 01-20-2012, 04:14 PM

global i doubled my feedings just to test it all out and found for the first time in 3 years i am running 0's in all my tests across the board, i brought a sample to the fish store and they got zeros too

Edmonton newbie · #3 01-20-2012, 04:15 PM

titus get on it lol works great hope to see your pics next week lol

pterfloth · #4 01-20-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

Very cool, and the million dollar question is: Is it helping your tank and nutrient levels?

That's the only question that really matters. I held off posting anything until I had been running for long enough to answer that question. There is no doubt in my mind that my SPS corals have improved tremendously since I added the algae scrubber. Colonies that had shown no growth for the previous year are now growing like mad. Bright new growth tips are popping up all over. My LPS remain unchanged. The only downside I've noticed is that my red milli has become paler in color, not sure why. My blue milli is unchanged in color and growing faster.

As for nutrient levels, I use a spectrophotometer from work to conduct my nitrate and phosphate tests. Nitrate and phosphate are pretty much undetectible now, although they were never very high. I don't put a lot of stock in test results. How the corals look, how much hair algae and cyano I have is more important to me.

I'm not trying to advocate algae scrubbers. I'm just trying to share what is working for me. I tried the zeo approach and the bio-pellet approach, with RowaPhos, and they did not work for me. Nutrient test results were low, but hair algae was rampant and SPS growth had ground to a halt. I have a lot of fish in my tank, probably too many, and they have grown a lot in the past three years. Loonie-sized fish three years ago are now 8-10" in size.

I tried this out of desperation and it is the only thing that has worked so far.

Proteus · #5 01-20-2012, 04:36 PM

I think I have a design in mind. My question is. I run a gfo and carbon reactors. Does anyone see a issue with using there output for my water source. As it would eliminate the need for another pump. I thought of using my over flow but that would mean another light. I was planning on running this above my refuge and draining into.

lastlight · #6 01-20-2012, 04:53 PM

I'm sure many are skeptical due to how 'santamonica' force-fed this to the web on 80 different forums and his subsequent banning on some of them. I'll admit I am still intrigued. I run gfo and could make it last longer with one of these in operation. I recently added chaeto to my sump but my instincts tell me this will grow algae faster. Unlike bio pellets there's no way this can be limited or messed up by running the gfo... it can only allow the media to last me longer.

I'm curious which algaes in general remove more nutrients by mass.

Any shots of the components apart?

tang daddy · #7 01-20-2012, 05:04 PM

Well it's nice to see the results finally, I just started running rowaphos but am going to be building the same type of unit soon. Just gotta find a free weekend and may wait till it warms up abit to start this project. I will post pics of my mini scrubber on here aswell if you don't mind.

phi delt reefer · #8 01-20-2012, 05:09 PM

chaeto and calupera are the best but calupera requires calcium as well so you may need to dose more.

i think chaeto would do almost as well as an ATS if you gave it as much light. Everyone puts a small ass bulb over the fuge so only the surface of the chaeto will get light. if you keep the chaeto moving in a tumble then all parts of the chaeto get light and it will be more effective. Throw four t5's over your fuge and get the chaeto tumbling and then you can compare an ATS with a chaeto fuge. Otherwise the ATS will always win (higher flow, more light, greater surface area)

pterfloth · #9 01-20-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

I'm sure many are skeptical due to how 'santamonica' force-fed this to the web on 80 different forums and his subsequent banning on some of them. I'll admit I am still intrigued. I run gfo and could make it last longer with one of these in operation. I recently added chaeto to my sump but my instincts tell me this will grow algae faster. Unlike bio pellets there's no way this can be limited or messed up by running the gfo... it can only allow the media to last me longer.

I'm curious which algaes in general remove more nutrients by mass.

Any shots of the components apart?

I remember the 'santamonica' banning etc as well. The reason I chose to go with the scrubber vs chaeto was the space I had available. I couldn't figure out how to incorporate a chaeto fuge.

I don't have any pictures of components apart. My acrylic box is 24" long, 12" high and 3" wide. I cut two 1" bulkhead drain holes in the bottom and a semi-circle groove in each end to support the supply tube. The lights are 4-24" dual T8 fixtures from Home Depot.

kole · #10 01-20-2012, 11:38 PM

I have been running a scrubber for month now and it works really well. My phosphate and nitrate are at 0 consistently for the first time in 6 years. My fish and corals like the extra food they are getting as well.So easy to build and effective.