Algae Scrubbers: Do they really reduce algae?

[anthonymckay]

I've been battling a hair algae outbreak in my tank for a few months now. I've tried sea hares, urchins, tangs, snails, hermit crabs, etc. Nothing has put much of a dent it in besides some diligent manual removal. My nutrients aren't crazy high (no3: ~10, po4: ~0.05-0.08), but I'm also not a believer in bottoming out nutrients to battle algae at the detriment of my corals.

This brings us to a solution I've been considering: algae scrubbers. I've heard amazing things about them in terms of nutrient management, which I fully believe. I've also seen many people claim that they also reduce/eliminate algae in the display tank. This is where I'm trying to understand how that works. The claim is that it "outcompetes" the algae in the tank... but how? How does a relatively small plastic screen covered in hair algae and some grow lights out compete vast rock work and high intensity lighting in the display tank? Unless you bottom out your nutrients it would seem there would be "plenty to go around" for both algae in the scrubber AND algae in the display tank.

 

[thomas_neil]

I wouldn't say it gets rid of it but helps manage what fuels its growth. I think what helps is manually remove as much as you can in the display. Algae scrubbers/refugium's then out compete the algae in the tank for nutrients and gives your CUC/utilitarian fish a chance to keep the algae in the tank under control due to its slowed growth. Your current nutrients are probably lower because you in theory have a refugium in the tank with the algae, once you manually remove it your nutrients will go back up because the algae is up taking it. With an algae turf scrubber installed this will now use the nutrients in lieu of the algae in the tank.

What's nice about them is you can "dial in" your nutrient export by adding or removing time in the light cycle.

 

[Seansea]

Yes. I started one out the gate on this tank. Works like a champ. You will have to add in some trace elements that get raked out by the scrubber. Iodine, iron mannganese and magnesium will get chewed up. But definatly keeps it from your display.

 

[twentyleagues]

Well from my understanding and from experience the growing chamber is a combination of better environment and more intense lighting in the proper spectrum. I get that the lights are typically less wattage than what we use on a reef but they are mere inches away from the "substrate". The constant flow of water to that spot brings nutrients at all times. Yes there is good flow in reef tanks, but have you ever noticed even if you dont have algae on your walls or rock it will still grow on a power head or return nozzle. Its theorized that nutrients in the area of growth get "used up" and the algae has to wait for more to be "delivered" There is also some science behind the air water interface that helps increase growth. I believe it has something to do with CO2 in the water and air. I dont subscribe to anyone specific algae scrubber and typically the more traditional design seems to work better then up flow style but usually cost more and take up more room. I built a couple in my day for fresh water tanks and yes they work. Doing research on building one gets into the why it works and how to achieve results. Luckily if you have the money they are pretty much plug and play. So the idea and typically what happens is the algae srubber algae out competes the algae growing in the tank and the tank algae is diminished or eradicated.

 

[detroitmurph]

i struggled for about two years. you really have to get to the root cause of the issue. i would nail mine down to lack of flow in my tank as well as a good export source. i went with a reefmat as a continuous export method and it works awesome. I added a ATS to draw out other algae that i was fighting after a few long weeks scrubbing rocks and manual harvesting. i would not bother with this unless you first have a good export method. i dont feel in my experience that the skimmer alone gets the job done.

 

[Starbuxxx]

My solution was throwing multiple solutions at it. 150g - Algae scrubber, 3 sea hare, tang, snails, crab, increased flow.

 

[anthonymckay]

My flow is pretty strong throughout the tank, as it’s SPS dominant. I already have a roller mat, tangs, clean up crew of snails and crabs, 2 sea hares, and a skimmer running. Sometimes algae just gonna algae. For the most part, once it gets past a certain length things that hair algae won’t really touch it. Manual removal has been my best weapon so far.

 

[anthonymckay]

i struggled for about two years. you really have to get to the root cause of the issue. i would nail mine down to lack of flow in my tank as well as a good export source. i went with a reefmat as a continuous export method and it works awesome. I added a ATS to draw out other algae that i was fighting after a few long weeks scrubbing rocks and manual harvesting. i would not bother with this unless you first have a good export method. i dont feel in my experience that the skimmer alone gets the job done.

All the things you’ve mentioned I already have running. Flow is strong, and I have had a roller mat filter from day one.

 

[Starbuxxx]

All the things you’ve mentioned I already have running. Flow is strong, and I have had a roller mat filter from day one.

My hair algae went away when my Algae Scrubber and Regugium began producing and the CuC helped remove what was left. I know you seem skeptical about algae competing with other algae but this forum is full of people who have experienced it.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Greetings, you haven’t mentioned anything about your light and lighting schedule. Often suggested is a blackout period of a few days or more to significantly weaken or killed the hair algae. Can you shorten the lighting schedule by 2 or 3 hours a day? Also like many tanks, is your tank close to a glass door or multiple windows. Hair algae won’t grow without light.

 

[VintageReefer]

Algae scrubbers are my only method of nutrient control for 10 years. Running them this long I learned a lot

1) when my scrubber pump breaks, my hair algae comes back. Fast. When I fix the scrubber, the algae disintegrates and dies over a few weeks

2) results may vary but I stopped needing to do water changes. I only need to add freshwater top off with all for reef. Check my tank page, I keep it up to date. 30 months no water changes at all

3) about a year ago I took my skimmer offline. It’s noisy and I wanted to experiment. With no water changes and no skimmer I have no nutrient control except the scrubber. My phosphates and nitrates consistently are .02-.05 and 2-5

4) my coral has never been happier and I feel confident buying anything I want. I just started getting gonipora and the sellers are shocked how open they are after just a few hours in my system

5) if you already have a hair algae issue, especially a “unbeatable one” then I do believe the scrubber will help. It did for me and I tried tons of different things before dropping 300$ on a scrubber. But, your situation is bad, and it will not be an overnight fix. A scrubber takes about 1 month to grow its algae colony and then you empty it every 10–14 days. It will take a few months to fix the tank issues, but you will start to see progress around month 2

6) hair algae may get worse for a period of time before getting better. This is due to the phosphates leaching out of rocks. It is a necessary phase and these hidden phosphates are what’s fueling your current situation. Scrubbers will fix this

 

[Garf]

My solution was throwing multiple solutions at it. 150g - Algae scrubber, 3 sea hare, tang, snails, crab, increased flow.

My hair algae went away when my Algae Scrubber and Regugium began producing and the CuC helped remove what was left. I know you seem skeptical about algae competing with other algae but this forum is full of people who have experienced it.

So, your refugium grew with an algal turf scrubber in operation, but where you had herbivores the algae disappeared?

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Yes 100% they do I’ll never not have one again you can toss the skimmer my algae scrubber saved my tank

 

[salty joe]

2) results may vary but I stopped needing to do water changes. I only need to add freshwater top off with all for reef. Check my tank page, I keep it up to date. 30 months no water changes at all

Do you send out for ICP to keep track of element depletion?

3) about a year ago I took my skimmer offline. It’s noisy and I wanted to experiment. With no water changes and no skimmer I have no nutrient control except the scrubber. My phosphates and nitrates consistently are .02-.05 and 2-5

Did pH drop when you stopped skimming?

 

[Starbuxxx]

So, your refugium grew with an algal turf scrubber in operation, but where you had herbivores the algae disappeared?

Yes, my ATS is actually sitting in my refugium. My refugium is growing a mix of chaeto and caulerpa on a kessil tuna light.

 

[VintageReefer]

Do you send out for ICP to keep track of element depletion?

Did pH drop when you stopped skimming?

No I never have had icp testing in 23 years of reef tanks and 10 years of scrubbers

I have never cared about or measured ph in my 23 years of saltwater reef keeping

However, scrubbers do stabilize and help raise PH. Since algae are photosynthetic they will uptake dissolved CO2 from the aquarium water which will have a positive impact on pH

 

[anthonymckay]

Well unfortunately ClearWater scrubbers have been discontinued and sold their consumer division to Adaptive Reef. No timeline yet on when they'll be launching the Adaptive Reef branded ones.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Well unfortunately ClearWater scrubbers have been discontinued and sold their consumer division to Adaptive Reef. No timeline yet on when they'll be launching the Adaptive Reef branded ones.

Just rebranding. Just purging old stock of the ones with the CWS brand before they start selling the one with the new brand.

 

[d2mini]

I got a Santa Monica "Drop" a month ago. Still waiting for growth. HA in the display still driving me crazy.
I think I may have been running the light too long at 22 hours. Cut it back to 18 this week. I didn't realize it was running that long. Hopefully it starts producing soon.

This is all i have so far...

 

[VintageReefer]

That is a start you are close. Send pic to SM and you can get customized advice on how to get to next point.