Algae Turf Scrubber VS Chaeto Reactor: Which would you prefer and why?

Algae Turf Scrubber or Chaeto Reactor? Which one gets your vote?

  • Algae Turf Scrubber

    Votes: 54 62.8%
  • Chaeto Reactor

    Votes: 32 37.2%

  • Total voters
    86

MorganAtlanta

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Fuge with chaeto is the easiest way to go if that gets the job done. I'd definitely try that first. $50 ebay grow light and a fist size clump of chaeto to start and you are done. I ran various ATS designs for almost 10 years before I switched to a fuge. Soooo much easier and less maintenance and still keeps nutrients at zero. Really doesn't need to take up much more space than a scrubber or reactor.
 

krash7172

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+1 scrubber. I messed with a fuge for a few months. I grew some chaeto but never got it dialed in well enough to make a difference on my DT. No guess work with the scrubber. Results in weeks.
 

Maxx

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Never a bad idea to plumb something that drips water by design over a sump.
Might not be necessary but not a bad idea either.
 

kasso187

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I have been running a chaeto refugium for the past 9 months with a kessil h380. I love that it insanely regulates ph, but I don’t like how it encourages growth of hair algae all over my sump due to spill over. Also as others have said, IMO, chaeto cannot out complete GHA, and I’m constantly battling gha in my display.

I have a Santa Monica drop 1.4 coming in next week. My goal is to phase out the refugium in favor of the algae scrubber.
 

hans4811

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I have a @Turbo's Aquatics L2 (I think?) floating over the sump. You should look into them. They're great products. Especially that model. It comes apart for cleaning. Dimmable lights, etc.
He's pretty much on hold for all products...I tried...no luck. He's switched from making scrubbers to PPE masks.
 

ams_reef

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After doing research on both ATS and MAR, I ended up going with the ATS (IceCap). There were far too many reviews from unhappy customers using MAR’s (although the Tunze model seemed to get pretty good reviews overall).

I’m happy so far, fits perfectly above the sump where the glass top-off reservoir used to sit on my RedSea 170. I can’t speak too much for its nutrient reducing ability as I am very lightly stocked at the moment and control feedings well but I think I made the right decision.
 

Mark_4880

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I have a some bryopsis popping up. I have used flux rx twice in the past and it did get rid of the bryopsis for a long while each time, but I think since I'm still adding corals it gets re introduced. I built an upflow algae scrubber and it seems to be starting off well. I'm curious if anyone can say that they had luck using an algae scrubber to rid bryopsis?? I don't really want to use the flux rx again and would like a natural remedy like growing algae in scrubber.

Pic attached is 7 days growth, its been running 14 days, I cleaned it 7 days in. So this is my second cleaning

20200517_130806.jpg
 

bam123

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I have had both. Prefer algae scrubber. Easier to grow, grows unbelievably fast, Doesn't take up as much space, cleaner sump. CONS: won't grow copepods like chaeto, but if you have an established reef it doesn't really matter.
 

reefteaser

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Been running a scrubber for almost 2 years now. Worked much better than a fuge for me. I believe the scrubber allows the most appropriate algae to grow according to the nutrients present. No spill over growth to the rest of my sump and easier to clean.
Bought a scrubber from: https://www.expressions-ltd.com/collections/aquarium-ats-algae-scrubbers
Fits perfectly in my trigger 39 sump using a homemade large pvc pipe for a stand.
 

atoll

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I have had a fuge an ARL1 Santa monica HOG and surf models and various waterfall scrubbers over many years.
Without doubt the waterfall scrubbers were easily the best performers. The best of them all was my Turbo L2 but I sold it when I bought my new tank which was twice the size of the one the Turbo was on.
I currently run an Atlantis 3 which is half again the size of my Turbo. The Atlantis is a good scrubber but not as good build wise as the Turbo. I am in the UK and you have to import if you want a Turbo which makes it very expensive. The Atlantis is much cheaper in the UK.
I grow Ulva intestinalis on my screen as this is a very easy to grow fast growing macro algae which in turn makes it very good for nuitrent export.
I can service my ATS in just 4 minutes from turning off the pump harvesting the algae and starting up again. Try that with an algae reactor and without the mess.
20200811_093248.jpg
 

Cory

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I use a diy waterfall ats. It has been so effective at po4 and no3 removal that i have zeros for both. My tank also has 3 big fish 9 to 12 inches, which are pigs and 2 tangs. My diy ats uses one of those pinkish grow led black boxes. Without it it wouldn't perform nearly as good. As with Atoll, my ats has naturally grown ulva intestinalis by iteslef after the addition of a 1 pound piece of live rock. I much prefer the ulva over hair algae but both are good. The fish even eat the ulva as a snack. I have discovered a time when my led got covered in a salt spray and dust which reduced intensity of the led and growth suffered. And my nutrients got so high i started losing corals. Cleaning the led cover solved the problem and no3 and po4 are zero again.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 63 36.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 14.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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