What do you expect out of an algae scrubber and what difference has it made?

[Josh@ClearWaterScrubbers]

On waterfalls, this is due to not cleaning the screen soon enough. The under-growth loses flow, dies, and turns into a yellowish hay material. Super strong lights in the middle of the screen, to create growth rings, will reduce this. And of course cleaning more often.

Bubble upflows don't have this problem because the growth is always underwater.

Wrong again! Do you just make up this stuff up?! The yellowing of the water is caused by tanins released by the algae as it grows. It will happen on any model of scrubber!

 

[Mikosreef]

I just made an unboxing video of the clearwater CW-200

I am really hoping with a scrubber i can have enough export to not do water changes.

Not sure how good it will be but join me for the ride




I need to figure out a way to mount it just high enough and right on top of the new sump that will allow me to not worry about any leaks, just in case it happens.

Definitely did not want to spend an arm and a leg for the clearwater sumps that are designed for the scrubber.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Love the Clearwater units
I had the 302 unit previously but it was awkward in mounting
Mounting seems to be the biggest concern in which I siliconed two glass strips across top of sump as a platform which works well and offers easy access to the screen for cleaning
It lowers phosphate for sure, keeps pods very happy as the screen always has a bunch of them and my tank always free of algae

 

[Billldg]

I just received my CW-200 yesterday for my 225 gal upgrade. I can't wait to install it. ;Happy

 

[attilak]

I use the same algae scrubber on my 210 gal FOWLR and it works great to lower PO4, but not for nitrates. I don't think this will eliminate the need to do water changes IMO. If you have APEX, you should look into the Apex DOS. I just set that up and it is working great so far. If you don't have APEX, Auto Aqua AWC is a good option too.

 

[Billldg]

I use the same algae scrubber on my 210 gal FOWLR and it works great to lower PO4, but not for nitrates. I don't think this will eliminate the need to do water changes IMO. If you have APEX, you should look into the Apex DOS. I just set that up and it is working great so far. If you don't have APEX, Auto Aqua AWC is a good option too.

I will use it more to control and regulate N03 and P04. I don't feel anything eliminates the need to do water changes, to some degree, IMO. I just don't want to go chemical to control N03 and P04 as I always have bad luck going that route.

 

[Jamesmost]

500 gallon system
300dt
30frag
50 cryptic chamber
100 sump

Running a cw300 and a bk250 skimmer..

The scrubber does such a good job , I turned my skimmer off, was stripping tank....

 

[S2G]

Waterfall scrubbers are no joke. You have to be careful with coral as they can work too well. Play with your light cycle once established to maintain the levels you need. I had a leak on my diy scrubber & went back fuge. Theres honestly no comparison

 

[attilak]

agree. it does work very well but may take a bit to break in and begin to work ... probably about 6 weeks I say. I had a friend with one and got some algae from him and seed'ed to help get established. Keep an eye on the clearwater scrubber as my had a leak after a few months and had to fix and used acrylic glue.

 

[Peace River]

I have been running the IceCap Turf Scrubber for a couple of months and it has dramatically cut down on the algae in the tank even though I feed that tank very heavy.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I use the same algae scrubber on my 210 gal FOWLR and it works great to lower PO4, but not for nitrates. I don't think this will eliminate the need to do water changes IMO. If you have APEX, you should look into the Apex DOS. I just set that up and it is working great so far. If you don't have APEX, Auto Aqua AWC is a good option too.

Please explain why it is great to lower phosphates but not nitrates. I thought the N/P ratio in macro algae will be influenced by N availability.

 

[Mikosreef]

I use the same algae scrubber on my 210 gal FOWLR and it works great to lower PO4, but not for nitrates. I don't think this will eliminate the need to do water changes IMO. If you have APEX, you should look into the Apex DOS. I just set that up and it is working great so far. If you don't have APEX, Auto Aqua AWC is a good option too.

I am guessing since you do not have any corals, the nitrates just sit around. If you had corals, they would absorb some of the nitrates.

"Nitrate is primarily used by microorganisms (such as bacteria) and those organisms that get much or all of their energy from photosynthesis, including algae, corals and sea anemones."

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I am guessing since you do not have any corals, the nitrates just sit around. If you had corals, they would absorb some of the nitrates.

"Nitrate is primarily used by microorganisms (such as bacteria) and those organisms that get much or all of their energy from photosynthesis, including algae, corals and sea anemones."

Are You telling nitrate is consumed by corals?
Are You telling bacteria primarily use nitrate?

I think the above is not correct info at all!

Most micro organisms prefer ammonia-nitrogen as a nitrogen source. Nitrate is an endproduct of aerobic remineralization , by reducing most toxic amonia left over after the organics are broken down and organic carbon is used up, of which some is used for growth, most is used for energy production and released as CO2, leaving a lot of buiding materials, nitrogen and phosphorus, enough to import released carbon.
The safely stored nitrogen is used to import released carbon, CO2, closing the carbon cycle, producing life and organic food , normally by photo-autotrops, algae, symbiodinium. phytoplankton.
Some nitrate is used for anaerobic remineralization, removing produced HS and other sulfur compounds.
Corals prefer and mainly make use of organic nutrients delivered by its holobiont and present in the water column. They are heterotrophs.

Safely stored nitrogen , nitrate , considered not needed, is easily exported and managed using biofilters.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I just don't want to go chemical to control N03 and P04 as I always have bad luck going that route.

Why do you consider it " bad luck"? What do you mean by "bad luck"?

What was the active chemical used? Not the brand or product name, what was in the bottle?

 

[Belgian Anthias]

For many decades algae filters are used with very good results.
The base for using algae as a filter in a closed system is maintaining the growth rate and the harvest rate needed. This is done by feeding the filter, by maintaining and supporting the desired growth.

In most closed marine systems, a skimmer is used, some of the TOC is removed constantly but produced inorganic nutrients, nitrate, phosphate, are left behind. Building materials, organic compounds, needed to assimilate inorganic nutrients present, are exported.

In most cases, after a period of time, algae will stop growing, losing weight, losing color, producing the building materials needed to sustain the community. In nature, this is an ongoing cycle. Algae may release +- 60% of their body weight and recover. I think that is not what we want in a closed system.


Using algae growth in combination with the correct feed one may correct the created nutrient unbalance present in most closed reef systems. This is easily managed using a refuge. (ref: MB CMF De Haes 2017 - 2020)

How this is done using an algae scrubber?

 

[Billldg]

Why do you consider it " bad luck"? What do you mean by "bad luck"?

What was the active chemical used? Not the brand or product name, what was in the bottle?

I don't consider it bad luck, I have had bad luck using chemical means. Everytime I use NoPox I end up having to deal with cyano shortly after, I used a Sulfur Denitrator, which really isn't chemical, but you use Sulfur pellets and it partially crashed my system, jut seems like their is always a cause and effect. With a algae scrubber their is nothing to do or monitor, algae already grows in the system, you are just trying to control where it grows.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

I don't consider it bad luck, I have had bad luck using chemical means. Everytime I use NoPox I end up having to deal with cyano shortly after, I used a Sulfur Denitrator, which really isn't chemical, but you use Sulfur pellets and it partially crashed my system, jut seems like their is always a cause and effect. With a algae scrubber their is nothing to do or monitor, algae already grows in the system, you are just trying to control where it grows.

How the sulfur pellets partially crashed the system?
The sulphur pellets or the way the reactor was used?
As far as I know elemental sulfur does not harm a thing, How?

You let sound it very easy, nothing to do or monitor. What if the nitrate and phosfate still increases? Goes out of balance, I do not think I can manage the nutrient content and balance without doing a thing, Using an algae filter active nutrient management is possible, but not without being actively involved,

 

[nadzack]

I had purchased the clearwater scrubber and so far it has done nothing in reducing phosphates in my system. I am getting very disappointed in buying expensive equipment, yet, no results! I will say this thing is growing algae, but no reduction in my phosphates at all. I am at about 1.0 and just gave something else a try "PhosBan-L" which is actually reducing and plan on dosing this daily at very small portion of course.

I had purchased the clearwater scrubber and so far it has done nothing in reducing phosphates in my system. I am getting very disappointed in buying expensive equipment, yet, no results! I will say this thing is growing algae, but no reduction in my phosphates at all. I am at about 1.0 and just gave something else a try "PhosBan-L" which is actually reducing and plan on dosing this daily at very small portion of course.

Redfeilds Law 4 N to1 P If your N is to low it will not reduce P

 

[Lovefish77]

Just reviving this thread, I have a scrubber and its doing its job. The problem is k think it is stripping too much trace elements. After a water change like 10% Lps inflates a bit for a few days but then looses its shiny plumed look. I also have trouble keeping acros. Anyone having a similar situation?
Thanks

 

[Cory]

Just reviving this thread, I have a scrubber and its doing its job. The problem is k think it is stripping too much trace elements. After a water change like 10% Lps inflates a bit for a few days but then looses its shiny plumed look. I also have trouble keeping acros. Anyone having a similar situation?
Thanks

What did you notice to conclude stripping trace elements?