The Amp'd-Up ATS

[xsdbs]

No, not on the screen, but in the tank. I never got any cyanobacteria on the screen. The cyanobacterial bloom in my tank, at least, is a function of 2 things: initially, it was the dying straggler algae I had in my tank and later due to the influx of lots of new live sand and associated organic particles.

I don't mean to forget you guys, lol. It's not just something like this--I forget everything. If I didn't write down my schedules, I'd be a mess.

well you know there are vitamins for those "senior moments" :cheers:

http://www.self-improvement-advice.org/vitamins-for-memory.html

 

[Ace25]

So what are your thoughts on Santa Monica's scrubber design? Probably the biggest thing holding me back from going to a scrubber is 1. Light leakage and 2. Looks of most scrubbers (mine would be out in view of everything so looks do matter to me somewhat). I think SM's design solves both issues I had with scrubbers. I really really like his design that much. I am just curious on your opinion and if you think his design (not his whole theory) is well built and will do the job? To me it looks like it would, but you have much more experience than I do with scrubbers, which is zero.

 

[Amphiprion]

I like his design, but the main drawbacks, at least in my case, would be sheer size and cost. It stands to reason that it should work well for what it does and shorter screens seem to be a bit better, though I get great coverage with my taller screen. The thing is that practically all of them work well when all the basic needs/conditions are met.

One last thing I'd like to add about scrubbers that has won my favor is that you aren't adding anything to the water like with other nutrient removal methods. Given that so many things are already in excess, it just seems like a better bet.

 

[Amphiprion]

As I said before, I would post a pic pre-scraping. The yellowish lights actually make it look like there's not much there, but the algae is reasonably thick (but I don't let it get too thick). Also, one of the lamps (the one on the right that I temporarily moved away for the pic) shifted too close and photoinhibited a small patch of algae, killing it. Other than that, it is a pretty full screen. I'll get another pic tomorrow while scraping it--plus, it will be in sunlight and you'll be able to better see algal coverage. There's also a dark brown filamentous alga growing in the highest flow in the middle. Here:

Edit: I'd like to add that the results seem to be getting better and better over time. It has taken a while on this neglected tank, but I suspect it will be going 100% by the spring.

 

[calivivarium1]

THanks for the continued updates!

 

[xsdbs]

yes thanks, so all that gunk would normally be in the water. is will this also help with some of the brown diatom type stuff that gets on the sand is less circulated areas?

 

[Amphiprion]

It should help reduce any algae, as well as cyanobacteria--at least eventually. The only reason I started to get a bloom was due to other algae dying, decaying, and releasing the nutrients they had assimilated originally. Even that is subsiding for me, now.

Yeah, all that algae growth could certainly be manifesting itself as cyanobacteria, film, hair, and brush algae in the display. I'd much rather limit it to the scrubber.

 

[Amphiprion]

Small update after testing:

Phosphate (Elos): .03 ppm

Nitrate (Salifert): undetectable

I had the phosphate tested at another time with a colorimeter and it was the same @ .03, but that was weeks ago. It basically still showed up on the Elos test, but just barely.

I'm feeding about 2 cubes of frozen food daily, plus pellets and coral food mix, which consists of rotifers, cyclops, and phytoplankton. I only have 2 clownfish now and a small handful of corals. I'm basically trying to test the limits of this scrubber and I've yet to stretch it even close to 100%. I'm sure the skimmer is extending that capability at least some, which is fine, but I get no where near the amount of growth that I see on other scrubbers that I imagine are more taxed. The more I can get out of it all, the happier I (and the inhabitants) will be.

 

[Amphiprion]

Here's my view on ATSs and skimmers that I explained to one member:

Well, the trick is that they do very, very different things and go about doing them differently, making them extremely difficult to compare. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for. If it is natural nitrogen/phosphorus reduction, then look no further, as a scrubber is just about your best, if not safest, bet. It will outperform a skimmer in that regard any day of the week. It is also a safe haven and habitat for many animals. As far as total aeration, a skimmer likely does a better job, though both do aerate and oxygenate the water (the scrubber will be better at oxygenation). But if you feed a whole lot, a skimmer can certainly come in handy by allowing you to feed more and more, since it excels at removing particulates and to some degree, dissolved organics. Algal scrubbers tend to create more dissolved organics than they uptake. Carbon is also very useful in this regard and should be used with a skimmer. A refugium can help grow macroalgae and take up slack for when you clean your skimmer and/or scrubber, as well as providing more essential habitat and a refuge for various animals. In all, I think they can complement each other, especially if skimming is used judiciously, the scrubber is cleaned regularly, the macroalgae (and scrubber) has plenty of light, and carbon is continuously used. I use all of the above and I tend to think I get the best of all worlds. I don't think one can really replace the other due to all of these differences. If anything, they all act as checks against each other in case one fails. With the scrubber, 'fuge, and carbon in line, I don't have to worry if the skimmer goes out for a little while (and any combination thereof). Beyond that, I just look at all of them combined as an excuse to overfeed the tank. Hope that helps demystify things a bit.

I'm also about to add some seagrass to my setup--Halophila decipiens, to be exact. They are one of the easiest seagrass species to keep and grow well, having significant uptake capabilities. They are also capable of using nutrients directly from the substrate--in other words, that phosphate-laden sand bed. I'll have pics after everything is in place in a new thread, more than likely.

 

[Amphiprion]

Well, an update again. The scrubber is still progressing well. I'm starting to get a predominance of brown turf now as opposed to the usual green. This stuff is a lot tougher, too. I'm now using a razor blade to scrape the screen, along with a toothbrush to try to get at least some of it off.

At the same time, the tank is going through some algal succession as well. The bubble algae has stopped growing and is now dying, as is much of the tough filamentous algae I had. I am getting a few patches of hair algae, however, I found that they all had one thing in common--they are areas that had deep holes with sand and detritus tended to collect. Extra particles would also settle in the algae itself, further feeding it. So, I scrubbed off the algae and removed it's food source and it has halted growth. The stuff is grasping at whatever it can to keep growing--but not while I'm around. There is a definite noticeable difference from when I started this scrubber. Feeding is at an all time high, while levels of N and P remain minimal to undetectable--PO4 ~.01 ppm and NO3 undetectable.