Algae turf scrubber?

[leon.1980]

I don’t know what my nitrates and phosphates are. When I test they test at zero but these are false readings because I spend most my tank time cleaning algae from my rocks work. Turf algae, a good amount of bubble algae and whatever the algae is in the pictures is what I’m dealing with.

It started getting more than I wanted when I got my plank auto feeder. Now I feed 3 times a day. My coral suddenly opened up more and my fish are fat, happy and more active. Therefore I am not willing to decrease my feeding regimen.

Will an algae turf scrubber keep the algae at bay and in the scrubber versus in the dt?

 

[TX_REEF]

Yes, I have had excellent luck with using an Icecap algae turf scrubber in my sump which has gotten rid of new algae growth on the sand and rockwork. I just clean the front glass weekly now. If you're getting false reading, perhaps you should also look into a different brand test kit?

 

[zoolan70]

I don’t know what my nitrates and phosphates are. When I test they test at zero but these are false readings because I spend most my tank time cleaning algae from my rocks work. Turf algae, a good amount of bubble algae and whatever the algae is in the pictures is what I’m dealing with.

It started getting more than I wanted when I got my plank auto feeder. Now I feed 3 times a day. My coral suddenly opened up more and my fish are fat, happy and more active. Therefore I am not willing to decrease my feeding regimen.

Will an algae turf scrubber keep the algae at bay and in the scrubber versus in the dt?

If you have any amount of algae in the tank, then your test kits will read low or zero. Algae are amazingly efficient at using nitrate and phosphate, so almost none will exist in the water column.

I've been an ATS convert for a long time and ran my 500 gallon with no other filtration than an ATS and live rock for filtration.

How big is your tank? What sort of bioload?

 

[leon.1980]

Yes, I have had excellent luck with using an Icecap algae turf scrubber in my sump which has gotten rid of new algae growth on the sand and rockwork. I just clean the front glass weekly now. If you're getting false reading, perhaps you should also look into a different brand test kit?

I am saying it’s a false reading because it will not tell me the real numbers as the algae is going to suck it all up.

 

[leon.1980]

If you have any amount of algae in the tank, then your test kits will read low or zero. Algae are amazingly efficient at using nitrate and phosphate, so almost none will exist in the water column.

I've been an ATS convert for a long time and ran my 500 gallon with no other filtration than an ATS and live rock for filtration.

How big is your tank? What sort of bioload?

This is why I said false readings. This is an interesting Segway into a concern I have though with the efficiency of these things. How do the corals “eat”? Or is this when I would slowly start feeding something like reef roids daily since I won’t have to worry about nutrients as much? Just keep an eye on the nutrients and go slow with the coral food?
I have a Red Sea 425 xl with only 5 or 6 coral and a pair of clowns, mandarin and a melanrius wrasse for now. I do plan on adding a good number more fish and coral though.
I feed with a plank auto feeder and reef jerky with additional freeze dried components and tdo chromaboost added in. This feeds for 15 seconds 3 times a day.
What kind of scrubber do you have? I’m thinking of going with the icecap.

 

[zoolan70]

I don't understand your question about corals 'eating'. Some eat small food items in the water column. Some 'eat' phosphate and nitrate, but only in minute amounts. Most don't need anything other than light. A few must be fed meaty foods, or they starve.

An ATS can strip all the nitrate and phosphate from the water, but the great thing about an ATS vs algae is the tank is that you can turn the lights on less in the ATS to adjust how much it grows. Slow down the growth, and you leave more N and P in the water.

Today, I feed 3 cubes of frozen and a half-sheet of nori per day, plus 30 seconds on my Plank feeder every two hours that the lights are on (so 8 times a day). No algae in the tank whatsoever. Just a light dusting on the glass that I brush off every few days.

I am running a ClearWater scubber now and really like the design. I have a CW-50 for sale if you're interested that would be a good size for your tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/small-clear-water-cw-50-algae-turf-scrubber.1018137/

 

[leon.1980]

I don't understand your question about corals 'eating'. Some eat small food items in the water column. Some 'eat' phosphate and nitrate, but only in minute amounts. Most don't need anything other than light. A few must be fed meaty foods, or they starve.

An ATS can strip all the nitrate and phosphate from the water, but the great thing about an ATS vs algae is the tank is that you can turn the lights on less in the ATS to adjust how much it grows. Slow down the growth, and you leave more N and P in the water.

Today, I feed 3 cubes of frozen and a half-sheet of nori per day, plus 30 seconds on my Plank feeder every two hours that the lights are on (so 8 times a day). No algae in the tank whatsoever. Just a light dusting on the glass that I brush off every few days.

I am running a ClearWater scubber now and really like the design. I have a CW-50 for sale if you're interested that would be a good size for your tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/small-clear-water-cw-50-algae-turf-scrubber.1018137/

Thank you but I’m pretty good with diy. I’m going to make my own. The only thing I don’t already have is a sheet of acrylic. I was never able to get my fuge off the ground so I’m thinking I can use my Neptune apex gro light and what reefer doesn’t have plumbing! Lol.

 

[jason2459]

I'm a big fan of using an ATS. If it's going to grow may as well grow where you can easily harvest it. It may not eliminate algae completely from the display but it will help a lot. I personally do not want it entirely gone from the display. I have lots of grazing fish that appreciate that I feed very heavily.

What kind of scrubber do you have? I’m thinking of going with the icecap.

The ice caps look nice. I'm sure they can work good. I'm a huge fan of @Turbo's Aquatics ATS and have ran them for many years.

I'm actually running two scrubbers at the same time right now and like both. I do like the Turbo's better but the other one I'm trying out is a good bang for the buck. I like the longer form factor of the turbo's, plumbing is better and hasn't come close to over flowing, and runs quieter. But all can be manageable with the WSR I'm trying out.

Can see them both from about this point forward in my tank thread with many updates over the course of the rest of the pages.

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