had to laugh test of my 250

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Tangs - The scrubber is simply out competing your grape caulerpa for nutrients. Hair algae is like... the ultimate nutrient export algae. I wouldn't switch back and forth. I'de either utilize one or the other. Bear in mind, however, that it was the scrubber that was out competing the caulerpa - not the other way around.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414632
Tangs - The scrubber is simply out competing your grape caulerpa for nutrients. Hair algae is like... the ultimate nutrient export algae. I wouldn't switch back and forth. I'de either utilize one or the other. Bear in mind, however, that it was the scrubber that was out competing the caulerpa - not the other way around.
+1 That was just the scrubber doing what it was designed to do which is soak up nutrients for exportation from the system. If it was out competing caulerpa then that's what I'd stick with.
Tangs do you have info on your srubber over on your thread? I'll have to check it out.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
One thing the hobbyist needs to take into consideration is ease of maintenance. Will it be easier to harvest caulerpa from a refuge? Or would it be easier to remove a screen from their scrubber and harvest or break up the algae if it starts impacting the screen
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414670
One thing the hobbyist needs to take into consideration is ease of maintenance. Will it be easier to harvest caulerpa from a refuge? Or would it be easier to remove a screen from their scrubber and harvest or break up the algae if it starts impacting the screen
I think it's negligable either way. It takes only a moment to havest some macro. And it only takes about 5 minutes to clean a screen once a week. IMO that would be a small price to pay for something that when is done right can easily out compete any other form of macro in a fuge. Pluss time saved in not having to constantly clean the display tank or even see it building up on the glass would be worth it to me. Once you get the good green growth going on the screen you can havest it, dry it out, and feed it to your algae eaters. I think the die off point is mute when running a scrubber. Any die off of other macros, the nutrients would simply be picked up by the scrubber and you would just see more growth on the screen during those times.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Corey is right...
I think that cleaning a screen is easier than harvesting macroalgae, TBH.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414717
I think it's negligable either way. It takes only a moment to havest some macro. And it only takes about 5 minutes to clean a screen once a week. IMO that would be a small price to pay for something that when is done right can easily out compete any other form of macro in a fuge. Pluss time saved in not having to constantly clean the display tank or even see it building up on the glass would be worth it to me. Once you get the good green growth going on the screen you can havest it, dry it out, and feed it to your algae eaters. I think the die off point is mute when running a scrubber. Any die off of other macros, the nutrients would simply be picked up by the scrubber and you would just see more growth on the screen during those times.
 

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414632
Tangs - The scrubber is simply out competing your grape caulerpa for nutrients. Hair algae is like... the ultimate nutrient export algae. I wouldn't switch back and forth. I'de either utilize one or the other. Bear in mind, however, that it was the scrubber that was out competing the caulerpa - not the other way around.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414656
+1 That was just the scrubber doing what it was designed to do which is soak up nutrients for exportation from the system. If it was out competing caulerpa then that's what I'd stick with.
Tangs do you have info on your srubber over on your thread? I'll have to check it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///t/387695/had-to-laugh-test-of-my-250/40#post_3414670
One thing the hobbyist needs to take into consideration is ease of maintenance. Will it be easier to harvest caulerpa from a refuge? Or would it be easier to remove a screen from their scrubber and harvest or break up the algae if it starts impacting the screen
You Guys are ALL corect
- The ATS is more efficient than macro in a fuge - as since setting up the ATS - the fuge macro has slowly died off - never spiking trates in the tank - but the DIY ats I made did kinda "grow up" quick. I thought I could run both - but that AINT happenin....
2 Quills - I'll take some pics of the ugly - but quite efficient ATS I crammed over the sump and get some specs on it and post over on the 475 build thread. Lemme tell ya though - when it comes to eliminating alage growth on the glass - the ATS does many times the work as a fuge with several pounds of grape calupera - and that 1 reason alone is why I set up the ATS anyway....the fuge kept trates low (<3ppm) but the ats keeps them under .5-1.0....No wonder the grape dies off.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I'm planning on running an algae scrubber as the sole filtration on my 20g tank. No other filter media at all, no sponges, no filter floss, no phosphate or nitrate removal media and very little carbon occasionally. I'm going to be feeding live enriched brine shrimp, culturing my own phytoplankton, rotifers and copepods. I don't know if I really want to have fish in my system or not yet. I'm just considering inverts and coral. MAYBE small clownfish for my wife's sake. lol!
 

tangs rule

Active Member
Well Snake - it wont take much of one (ATS) for a 20g tank and such a light bioload. Again, the ONLY reason I went& made one was I got tired of cleaning 35 sq. ft of glass 2-3 times/week as I was with a fuge alone.....The ATS did deliver on that claim (less glass cleaning) and how!
 
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