Mega-Powerful Nitrate and Phosphate Remover Replaces Skimmer, Refugium, Everything

z06 vette

z06 vette

New Member
Originally Posted by IBEW41
http:///forum/post/3224389
who didn't see this coming that he would start selling some style of this. I was hoping that it would stay a dyi but knew when I saw the black acrylic come out
I think you are wrong. Santa Monica making a comercial scrubber does not take from it being a DIY. Take a skimmer, filter or any other equipment sold for this hobby, they are all DIY. How does him marketing his product make the scrubber not a DIY? Are you jelous you did not come up with the whole idea or something. Everyone that has made one did not buy it from him. In the contrary, he help them make their our by providing sufficient information to do so. The comment that a scrubber will replace all equipment, it's just hi's opinion about his product. Just like saying BMW is a way better car than the reast. Everyone makes claims about their products being the best, but few often are, and most work relatively ok. His product is no different, but at least people have an option to buy his product or use the information he has provided to make thier own or even to market their own.
 
z06 vette

z06 vette

New Member
Originally Posted by Kraylen
http:///forum/post/3188932
I guess so, but I'm not gonna try to wash myself with cheese and milk....I know soap and water has already worked for eons.
That's the good thing, you have the choise to try the new idea or not. If I told you that scrubbers work miracles and can indeed replace the skimmer or other form of filter, would you believe me? I wouls say no, but at least Santa Monica has provided enough information for you to try one and see if that is a true statement. How many companies that sell products tell you all the information to the point that you are able to make your own and decide if their claims are true or not. Everyone has ideas of how something should be done, and everyone has claims that their products work better. Well with this thread, if you choose to do so, you can build one and try it. Why put someone's idea down, just because they are making claims to their idea or product?
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
Originally Posted by Z06 vette
http:///forum/post/3225257
I think you are wrong. Santa Monica making a comercial scrubber does not take from it being a DIY. Take a skimmer, filter or any other equipment sold for this hobby, they are all DIY. How does him marketing his product make the scrubber not a DIY? Are you jelous you did not come up with the whole idea or something. Everyone that has made one did not buy it from him. In the contrary, he help them make their our by providing sufficient information to do so. The comment that a scrubber will replace all equipment, it's just hi's opinion about his product. Just like saying BMW is a way better car than the reast. Everyone makes claims about their products being the best, but few often are, and most work relatively ok. His product is no different, but at least people have an option to buy his product or use the information he has provided to make thier own or even to market their own.
he is not allowed to sell on this board and the only post he does is to hawk this thing and just google turf scrubber and it is not just some people that disagree and prove he is wrong
it is many imo he started on all the boards with this to sell them and get free advertising
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Originally Posted by IBEW41
http:///forum/post/3225239
Do you have water test results that you can post(dont bother now NO ONE will believe them now).

Would you believe me?
When I had my scrubber running I had as close to flawless as you can get.
.1 would be a bad day.
(now to be fair, I also had 80lbs of LS, 50lbs LR, 50lbs base rock,a 6ft foam wall, and a GFO/Carbon reactor)
But I haven't had my scrubber running since just shortly after Christmas. My tank is going to be run on a skimmer for a while to see how I like it. My params went up to 10, and is now hovering around 5(but I also introduced water changes ...something I NEVER did when I was scrubbing). So I directly challenge that skimmers pull toxins out of the water better than scrubbers. Please dont get me wrong, I don't hate skimmers, In fact I love mine! But I also love my scrubber.
Scrubber's have their pros and cons. Same with skimmers.
Its up to the hobbyist to choose and decide what means more to him.
Ideally I want to one day see my system successfully run with both, that way I can have the best of both worlds. My theory is the skimmer will pull out the bulk of the ugliness that gets into the water(food and fish poo), and the scrubber will pickup the slack and clean up the stuff the skimmer cant touch(all the microscopic stuff).
If all goes according to plan, I will have a pristine crystal clear looking tank, and have it read 0's across the board.
I really do encourage you to give them a shot. I think for like a $50 investment you can DIY a cheap one out of a 5gal, some PVC, a screen, and a couple lights. And like an hours worth of effort.
Ya it wont be nearly as good as mine(I payed $120 for my lights alone), but I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how it will begin to compensate for stuff your skimmer leaves behind, and you will have more forgiveness with slacking on water changes, and over feeding.
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
I know there are a lot of posts on this thread but I did post that I did try the scrubber about 2 years ago I said it does have some benefit but not to replace everything my dyi was about 50 bucks then added a carbon reactor to clear up yellow water another 50 bucks and because carbon last about a week another $20 a month.I had to clean my screen 2-3 times a week and I had high heat problems do to the pc lights I was using $50 for parts +$50 reactor +$20 x4 months carbon =$180 and cleaning 2-3 times my octopus nw-200 was 220 on sale I empty it 1 time every 2 weeks carbon 1 time a week.The only real problem I have is he just used every saltwater board as his free advertising ck all the boards he NEVER answers a question on other posts and all his pics and posts are the exact same
 
z06 vette

z06 vette

New Member
Originally Posted by IBEW41
http:///forum/post/3225287
he is not allowed to sell on this board and the only post he does is to hawk this thing and just google turf scrubber and it is not just some people that disagree and prove he is wrong
it is many imo he started on all the boards with this to sell them and get free advertising
Well, if he is indeed selling his product here, I think that the moderators would have closed his thread by now. If he used this thread for advertising, than he must of have done a good job about it, since everyone reading it would be able to make their own.
As far as his claims being true or false, that's up to the individuals to decide that. How exactly is he wrong, anyways?
Well anyways, as long as it works for some and not for others, it's just a matter of opinion.
 
santamonica

santamonica

Member
I think you'll find that IBEW has a relationship with an equipment mfgr. He also created a new account on two other sites so he could make just one post.
Ideally I want to one day see my system successfully run with both, that way I can have the best of both worlds. My theory is the skimmer will pull out the bulk of the ugliness that gets into the water(food and fish poo), and the scrubber will pickup the slack and clean up the stuff the skimmer cant touch(all the microscopic stuff). If all goes according to plan, I will have a pristine crystal clear looking tank, and have it read 0's across the board.
You can do this, pretty easily, but remember that the ocean is not clear... it's full of floating food particles. If you can tolerate the food particles (i.e., with no skimmer or socks), then your corals will grow much faster.
 
ibew41

ibew41

Active Member
I am an inside wireman in local41 as in IBEW 41 see my sign in dates on the other sites no connection with any manufactures of any kind. have you on this site or any other board answered any question other than what you are trying to sell now be honest anyone can google turf scrubber and find where you posted and check pm me the site and I would never ? you again
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by SantaMonica
http:///forum/post/3225539
I think you'll find that IBEW has a relationship with an equipment mfgr. He also created a new account on two other sites so he could make just one post.
You can do this, pretty easily, but remember that the ocean is not clear... it's full of floating food particles. If you can tolerate the food particles (i.e., with no skimmer or socks), then your corals will grow much faster.
funny coming from a guy who last time I check had only posted in this thread...
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
i am still amazed he has made it this long on this site, he long been tossed off some of the other boards. i always love the equipment manufacturing comments he makes to people who question his motives. while i think ibew comes off a little rough at times he always has the best intentions and likes to bring his great electrical knowledge to the boards.
 
desertdawg

desertdawg

Member
This thread is 17 months old, SA only posts in this one thread and everyone that doesn't like him has to post in his thread to complain.
Isn't there 3 bazillion other threads on this forum that you can go read and reply too without messing with this one?
Sorry, it's just funny you all hate SA and his wierd way of posting, yet you have make the conscience effort to open his thread and post your negative comments!
My tank is 6 months old, my water tests show.
pH - 8.2
ammonia/nitrite - always 0
nitrate - 1 or 2
kH - 10 dkH
calcium -480 ppm
specific gravity - 1.025
I have an algea scrubber and a bag of carbon... THAT IS ALL !!!
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Originally Posted by Z06 vette
http:///forum/post/3225329
As far as his claims being true or false, that's up to the individuals to decide that. How exactly is he wrong, anyways?
They work fine. They aren't the end all be all. But neither are skimmers. Scrubbers are just another perfectly legitimate method of filtration. I think I would recommend ti as a noob method honestly. And by that I mean they are an extremely forgiving method filtration. A good scrubber will compensate for dumb mistakes better than a skimmer does.
I was cruel to my system compared to what I have to do to keep it afloat w/my skimmer.
Originally Posted by Desertdawg
http:///forum/post/3226198
This thread is 17 months old, SA only posts in this one thread and everyone that doesn't like him has to post in his thread to complain.
I have an algea scrubber and a bag of carbon... THAT IS ALL !!!
Word. Ya it is shrewd, but I wouldn't have heard of scrubbers. And now Im glad I did.
Even skimpier than mine ^_^ when I was scrubbin.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by Desertdawg
http:///forum/post/3226198
This thread is 17 months old, SA only posts in this one thread and everyone that doesn't like him has to post in his thread to complain.
Isn't there 3 bazillion other threads on this forum that you can go read and reply too without messing with this one?
Sorry, it's just funny you all hate SA and his wierd way of posting, yet you have make the conscience effort to open his thread and post your negative comments!
My tank is 6 months old, my water tests show.
pH - 8.2
ammonia/nitrite - always 0
nitrate - 1 or 2
kH - 10 dkH
calcium -480 ppm
specific gravity - 1.025
I have an algea scrubber and a bag of carbon... THAT IS ALL !!!
Same reason I don't like car salesman, timeshare salesman and cell phone salesmen...
 
john rambo

john rambo

Member
I just recently discovered this thread and I have always had very high nitrates (200 ppm). I have a FOWLR set-up with a 14 inch puffer. I'm going to try this and I will be sure to post all pictures and results.
I'm going to build an acrylic stand to hold the plastic canvas similar to the one on page 2.
Quick question, is there a non-toxic glue to use on the acrylic? I have used silicone before and it works just fine but I was curious about glue.
Thanks.
 
santamonica

santamonica

Member
Successes:
LethargicCoder on the MOFIB site: "A little update to [the] post I made a year ago today. I had removed the skimmer from this [33 gal] tank when I added the scrubber, and I have only done 1 water change on the tank since then. I had said "starting nitrates...let's just say they're high", that meant off the chart even after diluting with RO water. Tonight I tested the water and it looks like it's under 5ppm. All that showed up on the screen for months was brown sludge. After 7-8 months, it finally started looking green but no significant growth, but algae did start showing up around my overflow and return pipe and sump. I assume nitrates were too high to grow algae before this point. Algae is now green and growing some volume, not rubbery, and more like typical hair algae. With some water changes and better bulbs, I'm sure I could have shortened this process but I really wanted to see what it would do with nothing but [screen] cleaning. I think with the results of this, I'll be going with an algae scrubber instead of a skimmer on the 135g tank that will hopefully replace this tank soon."
Kidult on the scrubber site: "There are brown dense algae growing on my algaescrubber. I scrape my scrubber one time a week. I suppose that i did something wrong, because it's running for more than 2 months and PO4 is 0,34mg/l (hanna). how many time it will take to go PO4 down from 0.36 to 0? [...] One scraping for 3 days. After last advice (1 scrape for 3 days) my tank achieved PO4 0.07 (hanna) from 0.36 about 4 weeks ago. [...] Po4 is 0.02 (hanna) No3 is 0 (salifert) Thank You All!"
Chrissu on the scrubber site: "the heart of my ATS is a 24"x24" screen that keeps the ammonia at 0, the nitriate at 0, and my nitrates hover between 0-25 depending on how much I feed my fish. They get to eat VERY well now that I have the ATS. I've been able to eliminate my macro algae, DSB, and protein skimmer from my sump without issue (makes maintenance a breeze now)."
Rosenaa on the scrubber site: "My tank looks great since I set up my ATS and the corals are feeding in the water colum many times. Readings are all zero and just a little algae on the stones (due to phospate leaking out I guess)"
Rainer_Feyer on the -- site: "the scrubber is blowing my mind! I have really no [nuisance] algae left - very little, and hope a little bit stays forever so I don't have to separately feed the snails. Water is clear, no yellowing at all. And, still am only doing 5gal water change every 3 weeks - that's it (75g tank w/ 20g fuge which is really the scrubber)"
Markjack on the UR site: "[scrubber is] best thing iv'e ever done for my tank. saves you a small fortune in phos and nitrate removers"
Pengelli on the UR site: "I have been running [a scrubber] for about a year. I think they are brilliant. I have brilliant parameters and not a glimpse of nuisance algae."
Gigaah on the LR site: "Day 6 - The green [scrubber] algae really just started filling in. I also got a bit of a nitrite/nitrate spike. I had to take my HOB filter off line to get this [scrubber] running. I suspected and was ready for that. Nitrite .50, Nitrate 40. Did 10 percen water change. Day 8 Nitrite = less than .25 (not quite zero tho), Nitrate= 30, I am happy to report that all algae from the sand and glass is GONE! some on the rocks yet but I understand the phosphate rock leech thing is probably the reason. Day 14 Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 20. Screens are filling in better but not even half full. Day 17
Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 10. End of week 4: Nitrates are ZERO and my tank is stocked pretty high and was stocked pretty fast."
>
Reeffish on the SG site: "After running this [scrubber] for nearly 10 months for my 3 foot [tank], i have not look back since. It has solve my high NO3 & PO4 problem. From [over] 100 to 3 mg/L (NO3), and [over] 3 to 0.03 mg/L (PO4), both using salifert test kit; live rocks [were] covered with red algae; [now] live rocks covered with purple coralline algae; tank [had] algaes growing everywhere, to [now] a spotless one, it is really amazing. Thanks for this wonderful info. A short info to others on my setup, dedicated aquabee 1000 to supply water to my vertical screen, 8" by 10" (a bit under size). Took me 1 hours to rough up both sides of the screen. Two 24W Philips Tornado, one on each side running 18hrs a day. Cool daylight. Clean the screen every 5 days. Took me 2 months to see NO3 & PO4 results dropping. No magic here, i follow Bro SM recommendations closely and of course, patience. Good luck to all who wants to give this alternative method a try."
 
santamonica

santamonica

Member
more...
Murrman1969 on the WTF site: "Here it goes. I started with nitrates in my 180 salt tank of over 240 ppm which is a dark orange colour indicator on my test kit. Here is a picture of what the colour was. The picture does it no justice it was actually almost burgundy. So I did some research and this is what I came up with for an in-sump design and one for an external container [scrubber] design. The nitrates in my tank now are non existent."
Russel_P on the TR site: "Well my scrubber has finally gotten NO3 levels to zero. The only complaint I have is cleaning it. The algae (more like moss) grows in a large thick sheet that all wants to come off at once when I clean it. I bet I could pull a pound of algae of of it in one cleaning. No yellowing of water, though I do run a small H&S skimmer. The display tank went from a forest of bryopsis to no visible algae. I am building more for every rack in my shop."
Scottt on the MB site: "I built one for my small clownfish hatchery after reading this thread. It keeps the nitrates down (between 0 and 15) without any water changes. I use a skimmer and a filter bag also, as it is a hatchery, with tonnns of food input. I don't have any pics of my current scrubber. Its just a piece of plexi-glass at a 15 degree angle, sanded and drilled. I keep it ~10" below a 150w HPS."
Desertdawg on the SWF site: "I get about a handful of algae off of it every week, so far the water levels are staying almost perfect with just this scrubber and no other filtration or a skimmer running!!!"
Bridgeport on the scrubber site: "I set up my first turf scrubber [6 months ago] after reading through this site. Its gone through many changes since then as I did not have the right flow, lighting, or screen roughness to start. I finally adjusted all those problems and now the screen is growing thick light green algae. I did this project as an experiment and set it up on a ten gallon saltwater tank. I was plagued with red hair algae outbreaks in the ten gallon, and my 55 gallon tank. My plan was to start the algae scrubber on the ten gallon and then switch it over to the 55 gallon. I decided against this and have built another scrubber for the 55 (not in operation yet). The screen on the ATS for my 10 gallon was rather overkill. It is 11in. wide by 8in. height. Although it took a while to get it going because the bio load was very low, it is now working very well. I always clean the screen every weekend. It only takes a couple of minutes and is very easy. My ten gallon tank is now algae free(phos. near 0) and doing very well. As a matter of fact, I have been taking live rock from my 55gal which is still plagued with Red Algae, and putting them in the ten gallon to clean them off. I have done this several times and it has worked well."
Nrosdal on the scrubber site: "i have had an ats going for about 4-5 months and am finally happy with my design and the results that it is giving me, so i figured that i would post a thread with pics from along the way. i would love to say that my tank clearing up is only due to the ats but there are other factors (vodka dosing/more water changes) that also did contribute. But i can definately say that the ats is the biggest contributing factor in my tanks successfully staying free from green and my N and P staying within a reasonable range. [...] i was getting a little better growth of algae and doing 1-2 water changes a week, also changed bulbs to 6500k from the standard ones and put the scrubber on its own timer so that i could have it on for 18hrs as opposed to 12. over the next few weeks i saw some serious improvements in growth on my ats and noticed that the algae in the display was not growing back after my snails/crabs cleaned it. fast forward to today and the tank has been clear of algae (except for on 1 coral that the snails dont like to touch) for about a month now and even has a slight purple hue to it as opposed to green. Corals are slowly popping back out of the rock... and i have my latest version of the scrubber up and running for a week now (same screen just new lighting/box setup)."
 
santamonica

santamonica

Member
more...
Wormside on the spanish AR site, Google translated from Spanish: "From the beginning I had problems with algae in [my] tank, a better skimmer (ASM G2) as recommended, but [it] was not so drastic a change as when I put the scrubber. I was running both for a while, about 3 months, and the algae began to disappear; the fourth month I broke my pump sedra (the skimmer) and since then the tank is with pure scrubber. The change to the tank to operate only with the scrubber is impressive; zero abolutamente algae in the display anything! Another thing [] is that now only change the water every month, and now it takes 2 months without water change, and everything perfect. Add course trace elements, Strontium and Molybdenum, Iodine, every week or 15 days , BioDigest Bioptima and in principle every 15 days, but now, every month. I saved a good salt water changes, and unlike [with] the skimmer, I have no saltwater replace []. Also saves energy because the Sedra I used 35w or something and I also heat the water, [but without skimmer] when the quite, low temperature 1 or 2 degrees []. Well many things are good [] we brought the scrubber, is incredible as simple as effective."
Labperck on the Spanish AR site, translated: "my tank is 8 months without a skimmer and water changes only, with the algal and some charcoal, and going very well my PO4 levels 0 and no3 to 0"
Lugac on the spanish AR site, translated: "After 2 months of use to me is working great, nitrates had stalled at 15 mg/l and sometimes climbed to 25 mg/l, and install the [scrubber] after that I went down to 10 mg/L, after a 5 mg/L and Last weekend are at 2 mg/L, I'm on the verge of leaving them to zero. As for phosphates, had at 0.1 mg/l and install the [scrubber] as quickly dropped to .03 mg/L."
Antonioalvarez on the spanish AR site, translated: "After 15 years of struggling with high phosphates and nitrates in the clouds, alone in my aquarium fish, I read about the algae scrubber [] and I decided to build it following the instructions:
Oct 24 2009: Build Algal Scrubber; pipe 3/4 inch, screen 30x40cm, pump 840 Gal/H and a pair of 55-watt bulbs 6500K savers. Water values for the time:
NH4, NH3 = 0
NO2= 0
NO3= 20 mg/l
PO4= 0.1
Oct 26 2009: The first and second day started sprouting weeds.
Nov 1 2009: Significant growth was observed.
Nov 2 2009: First harvest only one side of the screen.
Nov 9 2009: We measured parameters:
NH4, NH3 = 0
dNO2= 0
NO3= 20 mg/l
PO4= 0.05
Half Phosphates, Nitrates remain.
Nov 25 2009: Measured parameters remain the same, is harvested the screen. Bio-Balls delete, delete, mechanical filters, remove sand substrate and 25% water change. Measured parameters:
NH4 NH3 = 0
NO2= 0
NO3= 10mg/l
PO4= 0.25
The measures gave results.
Dec 1 2009: I introduce to my tank live rock cured for 30 days previously. Measured parameters:
NH4= 0
NO2= 0
NO3= 7.5 mg/l
PO4= 0.25
Dec 9 2009: It is harvested and measured parameters:
NH4 NH3 = 0
NO2= 0
NO3= 0 mg/l
PO4= 0
PH= 8
Temp= 25-26
TOTAL HAPPINESS!!! and remains so values.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top