Experience with algae scrubbers

[BanjoBandito]

So I run a CW-50 clearwater scrubber on my 106 gallon system (80 DT, 26 sump). I'm trying to use it to keep my nitrates around 10 and my phos around .1. That has not happened yet. Early on I was running it 24/7 and it bottomed out my nitrates and had my phos at .06. I got dinos for a couple weeks, so I turned it off and let the "dirty" run up so the dinos would go away (they did). Today I'm around 25 nitrates and .3 phos. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but I'd like to see if I can get this ATS dialed in. I was running it for about 12 hours opposite my DT LED schedule, I just dialed the time up for 20 hours a day to see if that will curb nutrients.

Does anyone have any experience with an ATS and what are you using for a lighting schedule for it? What are the benefits you see from it? How is it impacting your nutrient levels?

I may go another route if this ATS doesn't get dialed in and do what I expected it to do.

 

[Garf]

So I run a CW-50 clearwater scrubber on my 106 gallon system (80 DT, 26 sump). I'm trying to use it to keep my nitrates around 10 and my phos around .1. That has not happened yet. Early on I was running it 24/7 and it bottomed out my nitrates and had my phos at .06. I got dinos for a couple weeks, so I turned it off and let the "dirty" run up so the dinos would go away (they did). Today I'm around 25 nitrates and .3 phos. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but I'd like to see if I can get this ATS dialed in. I was running it for about 12 hours opposite my DT LED schedule, I just dialed the time up for 20 hours a day to see if that will curb nutrients.

Does anyone have any experience with an ATS and what are you using for a lighting schedule for it? What are the benefits you see from it? How is it impacting your nutrient levels?

I may go another route if this ATS doesn't get dialed in and do what I expected it to do.

Did you export a lot of algae previously, to bottom out the nitrate? I ran one a long time ago and needed to ditch loads to make any impact on nutrients. Mine was 100watts of LED (eventually) on a 12 x 10 screen, 150 gallon tank. I used to see folks say “these things are fantastic, magical” and they would export a thimble of algae a week, impossible obviously.

Are you doing water changes? Additions of iron? Algae do not export just nitrate and phos.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Did you export a lot of algae previously, to bottom out the nitrate? I ran one a long time ago and needed to ditch loads to make any impact on nutrients. Mine was 100watts of LED (eventually) on a 12 x 10 screen, 150 gallon tank. I used to see folks say “these things are fantastic, magical” and they would export a thimble of algae a week, impossible obviously.

Are you doing water changes? Additions of iron? Algae do not export just nitrate and phos.

When it was running 24/7 early on, yes the sheet was clogged in a couple days. Even now it's filling up the screen....I have to empty it here so I'll shoot a pic of a normal dump.

I try and do 10-15% water changes weekly. I do not add iron or really anything.

 

[MEPAWN35]

So I run a CW-50 clearwater scrubber on my 106 gallon system (80 DT, 26 sump). I'm trying to use it to keep my nitrates around 10 and my phos around .1. That has not happened yet. Early on I was running it 24/7 and it bottomed out my nitrates and had my phos at .06. I got dinos for a couple weeks, so I turned it off and let the "dirty" run up so the dinos would go away (they did). Today I'm around 25 nitrates and .3 phos. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but I'd like to see if I can get this ATS dialed in. I was running it for about 12 hours opposite my DT LED schedule, I just dialed the time up for 20 hours a day to see if that will curb nutrients.

Does anyone have any experience with an ATS and what are you using for a lighting schedule for it? What are the benefits you see from it? How is it impacting your nutrient levels?

I may go another route if this ATS doesn't get dialed in and do what I expected it to do.

Ive had an algae scrubber and cant say i was a fan as it barely did anything in terms of exporting nutrients. I saw a huge difference between that and a refugium which i personally think is so much better.

 

[Garf]

When it was running 24/7 early on, yes the sheet was clogged in a couple days. Even now it's filling up the screen....I have to empty it here so I'll shoot a pic of a normal dump.

I try and do 10-15% water changes weekly. I do not add iron or really anything.

My old screen, lol

howdy from the uk - day one - Page 11

thought i would chip in and let you comment on my effort so far. Backgroung of display- 5 x 2 x 2 with 240 ltr sump containing skimmer (massively inefficient), DSB in display (silica play sand), approx 100 kgs live rock. Most corals are 7 years old and all fish but 2 of the tangs, are of...

algaescrubber.net

 

[SPS2020]

I've had my TurboAquatics L2 running for a couple of months on my 100g DT with approximately 15g in sump. Current configuration is about 65% power and 12 hours of light opposite of DT lighting. Nice green growth on both sides of screen. Good harvest of GHA last week. I check it about every 10 days. I had a GHA outbreak in the DT and purchased the scrubber to keep turf algae isolated. So far, it seems to be doing the trick. I've not checked PO4 or NO3 since installation, but will do that this weekend to see where things are.

 

[BanjoBandito]

I've had my TurboAquatics L2 running for a couple of months on my 100g DT with approximately 15g in sump. Current configuration is about 65% power and 12 hours of light opposite of DT lighting. Nice green growth on both sides of screen. Good harvest of GHA last week. I check it about every 10 days. I had a GHA outbreak in the DT and purchased the scrubber to keep turf algae isolated. So far, it seems to be doing the trick. I've not checked PO4 or NO3 since installation, but will do that this weekend to see where things are.

I have little to no algae problems in the DT but I can’t seem to get it dialed in or figure out a decent “nutrient removal” calculation

 

[SPS2020]

Are you feeding pellets or frozen and at what frequency? I switched from all pellet to mainly frozen and that seemed to help my PO4.

I wonder if running light 20 hours per day would cause photosaturation?

You are probably aware, but there is a good deal of information here: AlgaeScrubbing

 

[BanjoBandito]

Are you feeding pellets or frozen and at what frequency? I switched from all pellet to mainly frozen and that seemed to help my PO4.

I wonder if running light 20 hours per day would cause photosaturation?

You are probably aware, but there is a good deal of information here: AlgaeScrubbing

I do 2 feedings + nori twice a day - I am a generous feeder (frenzy and mysis)

It’s funny you brought that website up, I quoted that on a Facebook post when discussing it and the owner of Clearwater got on and insulted my intelligence and told me they don’t know anything. Lol. So ya, if I hadn’t bought a Clearwater brand by then I would have not after that. Totally unprofessional. I believe it was specifically concerning the need to use no light or “rest” the algae culture for best results.

 

[reef_ranch]

Its a more complicated issue than dialing in the algae scrubber. Depending on your inputs and other means of export, it may or may not provide enough additional export to get you to the levels you want to achieve. I use a Clearwater scrubber on my 450 total gallons on a 11 hour reverse light cycle. I installed it mainly to help with nighttime pH levels with the secondary benefit of exporting nutrients. I pull out a good two cups of algae every 2 weeks (squeezed dry). It definitely grows algae well. As for its impact on my nutrients, it's hard to quantify. My levels are stable at approx. 5/.05, but I've never had an issue with high nutrients as I use a big skimmer, have a good amount of live rock and ceramic biomedia and dose a small amount of NoPOx daily (5ml). I have a pretty big fish loan and feed fairly heavy with frozen and dry. If I want to raise nutrients, I stop the dosing. If that doesn't work well enough, I'll reduce the photoperiod of the scrubber.

 

[SPS2020]

I do 2 feedings + nori twice a day - I am a generous feeder (frenzy and mysis)

It’s funny you brought that website up, I quoted that on a Facebook post when discussing it and the owner of Clearwater got on and insulted my intelligence and told me they don’t know anything. Lol. So ya, if I hadn’t bought a Clearwater brand by then I would have not after that. Totally unprofessional. I believe it was specifically concerning the need to use no light or “rest” the algae culture for best results.

Heavy in and heavy out, that makes for happy corals. I agree with @reef_ranch, you can't necessarily rely solely upon the ATS. I also change out two filter socks about every three days and clean the protein skimmer every other day.

Too bad concerning the CW reaction to good information. Bud Carlson is awesome and provides feedback both personally and to the R2R community. I really like the configuration of his products and the new version 5 will be coming out in the Summer. I have version 4 and am very pleased with the ease of setup, configuration and cleaning.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Yeah I may look at some form of carbon dosing I have a free dosing head

 

[BanjoBandito]

this is the screen now, I just cleaned it on Tuesday so it’s definitely growing. I’m moving my light period to 18 hours on and going to monitor for any changes in parameters. If that doesn’t work I’m going back to ol’ reliable and cheap vinegar. Lol. I will also declare scrubbers “snake oil”.

 

[reef_ranch]

I think that would be a bad conclusion to draw. That algae is consuming nitrate and phosphate. Maybe not enough in your setup under your conditions to create a measurable reduction, but it is doing what it is advertised to do: grow algae and thereby consume nutrients.

 

[BanjoBandito]

I think that would be a bad conclusion to draw. That algae is consuming nitrate and phosphate. Maybe not enough in your setup under your conditions to create a measurable reduction, but it is doing what it is advertised to do: grow algae and thereby consume nutrients.

 

[DavidinGA]

I run a diy scrubber on my 90g and at the moment I have my leds off as it's stripped my water too clean. They definitely work and can work too well lol

 

[BanjoBandito]

I run a diy scrubber on my 90g and at the moment I have my leds off as it's stripped my water too clean. They definitely work and can work too well lol

Yeah I'm just puzzled as early on it did work "TOO WELL", but now it isn't moving the needle. My nutrient numbers have been consistent from before turning it on to now. I'm still tinkering with the schedule and trying to observe the numbers week over week. I'm just trying to get a feel for what to expect at this point. I believe the system was too "new" when I fired it up and let it run 24/7 the first time, but now I'm growing good GUNK on the screen and it doesn't seem to be denting the nutrients. We'll see. Always somethin' in this hobby.

 

[reef_ranch]

And here I am thinking I have an amazing sense of humor. Perhaps it was your timing??

 

[RichReef]

Most scrubbers are too small.

Once I added my DIY scrubber and going through 6 different lighting options It's the best thing I've ever done for my tank.

It's large (15 high tank) and I use lights from Expressions LTD and it's no joke.

Only drawback is having to dose iodine.

 

[laverda]

I have had good results in tuning my nutrients by adjusting the light cycle of my ATS. I do also dose Viniger and Iron as the ATS will deplete Iron. Then the algae will not grow much if at all.