OK so what is stopping you installing an Algae Turf Scrubber on your system?

[atoll]

. Chaeto is extremely cheap lol.

But the space they take up compared to an ATS is not nor is it as efficient IME having used both .

 

[Cory]

Ive often thought about why my ats grows so much algae and it grows only 5% or less in the tank, this might be why:

"Given strong current, surge or wave action, sunlight and regular grazing, or harvest, algal turfs can be highly efficient at capturing solar energy"

"Most individual cells of algal turfs are photosynthetic; however, the high level of efficiency of algal turfs is also partly the result of mixing: flowing water, forced against cells by surge, greatly increases chemical exchange."

This is why a waterfall ats is so good.

 

[atoll]

I mean in all honesty you can focus a light with the correct spectrum anywhere in your sump and just grow algae...which is no different than what most of these AS devices growing algae are now a days.

But it is different. EG a thin film of water passing over the screen growing algae does more than simply growing algae anywhere in your sump.

 

[happyhourhero]

So i am throwing this out there so no one else has to be an idiot like i was. I used to clean my screen very well at each harvest. Like spray it with the hose after scraping to get all the algae out from the little squares. The last couple of months I have just been scraping the algae and then giving a light rinse and placing back online. My growth volume and speed has drastically increased. I was shooting myself in the foot by cleaning so well.

Most people probably knew not to do this but just in case, here it is.

 

[luke33]

Which is why I have been referring to the more modern design as just an "Algae Scrubber"

Good deal! I think scrubbers work well, but I prefer not to use them just because I never have in the last 15yrs : )

 

[d2mini]

EG a thin film of water passing over the screen growing algae does more than simply growing algae anywhere in your sump.

Can someone do me (and others) a favor and explain this in more detail?
I keep seeing the phrase "it does more" but no details.
Thanks!

 

[luke33]

But it is different. EG a thin film of water passing over the screen growing algae does more than simply growing algae anywhere in your sump.

So if I were to dedicate a 12x12" area in my sump for algae growth and get consistent good growth and pic and remove, over and over, this is pulling a different amount of phos and trates out vs growing on a plastic screen 12x12" that has water flowing slowly over it?

 

[luke33]

Can someone do me (and others) a favor and explain this in more detail?
I keep seeing the phrase "it does more" but no details.
Thanks!

You beat me! I would like to know this as well. Most of the time I just see hair algae growing in these mesh screens, and I can do the same thing in my sump.

 

[atoll]

So if I were to dedicate a 12x12" area in my sump for algae growth and get consistent good growth and pic and remove, over and over, this is pulling a different amount of phos and trates out vs growing on a plastic screen 12x12" that has water flowing slowly over it?

I think maybe you need to read up a little on how waterfall scrubbers work and why they are better than growing algae in a cube. I have used different forms of algae filtration over the lat 30 plus years and none so far have proved equal to a well designed ATS.

 

[atoll]

Can someone do me (and others) a favor and explain this in more detail?
I keep seeing the phrase "it does more" but no details.
Thanks!

I did do, guess you didn't read it, read back.
Years ago we grow caulerpa in theDT, later on in the sump. I know after 30myears which has proved the most efficient for me as water testing etc has shown. My ATS screen is 3o0mm x 30m x 1mm thick plastic screen and GHA is grown on both sides = 18000 Sq mm . What square area of a sump to grow cheato would I need to be as efficient? That is the real question here.

 

[d2mini]

I did do, guess you didn't read it, read back.

Any idea what post out of 230?

 

[Gil03]

The more steps you introduce into the maintaining of the system the less likely you are to keep up with them or at least that's what i've found in my roughly 15 years of being in this hobby. IMO an algae scrubber is bulky and a lot harder to maintain than say adding something like NoPox with a syringe daily. IMO if you think you NEED and algae scrubber cause you have an algae issue then it's my opinion that you're overlooking the real problem relating to excessive nutrients.

 

[atoll]

Any idea what post out of 230?

Page before this one, post 215

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

So i am throwing this out there so no one else has to be an idiot like i was. I used to clean my screen very well at each harvest. Like spray it with the hose after scraping to get all the algae out from the little squares. The last couple of months I have just been scraping the algae and then giving a light rinse and placing back online. My growth volume and speed has drastically increased. I was shooting myself in the foot by cleaning so well.

Most people probably knew not to do this but just in case, here it is.

Yup, I have started to make this one of my first questions when troubleshooting: are you overcleaning! Transitioning to "harvest" vs "cleaning" as you never really want to "clean" a screen. Some of my post-harvest screens look like others before the clean...

 

[atoll]

The more steps you introduce into the maintaining of the system the less likely you are to keep up with them or at least that's what i've found in my roughly 15 years of being in this hobby. IMO an algae scrubber is bulky and a lot harder to maintain than say adding something like NoPox with a syringe daily. IMO if you think you NEED and algae scrubber cause you have an algae issue then it's my opinion that you're overlooking the real problem relating to excessive nutrients.

Do you use anything to control nutrients? Like live rock, skimmer, DBS, NoPox, denitrification, carbon dosing, vinegar, vodka etc etc?

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Like this...even with a gaping hole in the screen (which has been there for 4 months) I still get this every couple weeks

 

[d2mini]

Page before this one, post 215

I see... I did read that, just didn't read it as being different than growing algae elsewhere in the sump.
So are you saying it removes more heavy metals than other methods? Why is that? Does anyone have studies that show removal of heavy metals with an ATS vs Chaeto and other macros under high powered lighting?
I'm just trying to understand the magic of the plastic screen.

 

[atoll]

I see... I did read that, just didn't read it as being different than growing algae elsewhere in the sump.
So are you saying it removes more heavy metals than other methods? Why is that? Does anyone have studies that show removal of heavy metals with an ATS vs Chaeto and other macros under high powered lighting?
I'm just trying to understand the magic of the plastic screen.

As per my illustration of efficiency a couple fo posts back I am waiting for answers on or not as people chose.

 

[hart24601]

I know a few people running chaeto reactors and they are having very good results - like Marine Depot's kit. I think they might be the evolution of algae based export.

 

[Cory]

The reason why ats are more efficient than caulerpa or chaeto i posted back there.

Its because rapid water flow forces nutrients into the cells of algae. And per unit of area there is more algae density than a unit area of chaeto or other macroalgae.

If i were to guess id say 1 square inch of ats screen is equal to 4" cubed area of chaeto. So a 12x12" screen of hair algae is equal too an area of chaeto thats like 24 inches cubed full of chaeto. Basically a 20 gallon full of chaeto.