SantaMonica

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With more people wanting to use natural filtration for their tanks, we are going to look at the two main types of units that you can put on your system: Chaeto reactors (or "algae reactors") and algae turf scrubbers (ATS). We won?t be looking at refugiums however, since those have mostly a different purpose. This will be a multi-part post; the next post will start with the basics, so if you?d like anything in particular to be covered, let me know.
 

vio

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I have some experience in Algae Scrubber and Chaeto (refuge tank) i will explain my experience in both. In my opinion Chaeto Reactor is OUT of discussion , i refuse to believe one reactor ( Chaeto) will do same or more efficient then Refuge Tank, the dif is ......SPACE.
# 1 Algae Scrubber , need more maintenance then Chaeto , good water pump, depend how big, is a way more aggressive on removing the PO4 or Nitrate compare to Chaeto.
# 2 Chaeto need GOOD water flow also, lot of space .

I still have 90 Gal. refuge ( Full of Chaeto)

I think ....BEST have both....A.S. and Chaeto ( refuge tank) clean (prune) one at the time.
 

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lnevo

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Vio typically a refugium has less flow. As you said with chaeto flow is key. In a chaeto reactor you can be much more aggressive. SantaMonica, maybe it would be good to include macro growth in a tradition sump environment as well just to cover all bases.
 

SantaMonica

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A macro fuge is not a separate device, and you already have it as do many people who have nuisance algae problems. Scrubbers/reactors are separate devices which can kill fuge macro, so it's more of a decision between adding a scrubber/reactor, or not.

But the concepts of understanding the differences will still apply to fuge's.
 

theMeat

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A fuge can be a separate device, and even if not, as part of sump or whatever, it can be removed.
A fuge also competes for the same nutrients, and in most/many ways is applied with the same goal in mind.
 

vio

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Vio typically a refugium has less flow. As you said with chaeto flow is key. In a chaeto reactor you can be much more aggressive. SantaMonica, maybe it would be good to include macro growth in a tradition sump environment as well just to cover all bases.

I have a old, powerful Tunze pump in 90 Gal. refuge , dedicated for Chaetto i think 3.000 Gal. high flow is internal , flow around Chaetto is NOT maintain by the water IN or OUT .
 
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I'm thinking that flow rate, while important, may not necessarily be "key" for chaeto growth. I'm growing chaeto in an Aquamaxx media reactor. The chaeto barely moves to the flow but it grows well. While this is not scientific it looks to me like light coverage and nutrients are more important than aggressive flow, unless the aggressive flow is meant to increase exposure to light by tumbling. I've seen where the chaeto directly next to the LED light strip I use to wrap the reactor seems to experience light burn.
 

vio

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"The chaeto barely moves to the flow but it grows well"
Water have to flow around chaeto, NOT the opposite way, but one flower in garden is NOTHING, to really see a drop on Nitrate or PO4 you need a WAY more Macro Algae to grow , unless , you want to drop 2 -5 ppm, i never ever will try or buy any Chaeto reactor, some ppl. have zero space, then may make sense. :biggrin:
 

theMeat

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I had grape calerpra in my fuge with slow flow the calerpra enjoys for over a year. Switched from 6500k to red blue grow light on half the 55 gal fuge to see which light would work better. To my surprise cheato started to grow and eventually all but took over the entire fuge. The strangest part is I introduced no cheato. So moral to the story is think light temp has more to do with cheato happiness than does water flow
 
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By "chaeto barely moves" I meant that the water flow rate was relatively low, not fast enough to move the chaeto around in the reactor. I am one of those people with very little extra room so the chaeto reactor works out for me. The trade off is more frequent harvesting.
 

vio

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I miss the main point:
Thank You,Thank You SantaMonica for your very valuable info. about Algae Turf Scrubber,i try many times, then i realize i use wrong light spectrum.
I decide to put back my 3 1/2 plastic shits A.S. , i will monitor very close the dif. between now ( i got some Green Bubble Algae and Bryopsis ) and after few months , i know last time A.S. solve the problem.
 

vio

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By "chaeto barely moves" I meant that the water flow rate was relatively low, not fast enough to move the chaeto around in the reactor. I am one of those people with very little extra room so the chaeto reactor works out for me. The trade off is more frequent harvesting.

I second space is problem , if you like i will give a A.S. ( one plastic **** ) you need the pump and light, list to try, if you not like it , just return me, i will provide the size in inchs, is possible to put some were on top of swamp, no charge, lmk.
 
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I second space is problem , if you like i will give a A.S. ( one plastic **** ) you need the pump and light, list to try, if you not like it , just return me, i will provide the size in inchs, is possible to put some were on top of swamp, no charge, lmk.

That would be great. I love the idea of trying new things so this would be a great opportunity. I have hair algae in the DT even though it's not growing much - I think the algae reactor is holding it in check. Perhaps a scrubber would bite into that. Let me know when. You're still in midtown, right?
 

vio

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That would be great. I love the idea of trying new things so this would be a great opportunity. I have hair algae in the DT even though it's not growing much - I think the algae reactor is holding it in check. Perhaps a scrubber would bite into that. Let me know when. You're still in midtown, right?
Tomorrow , is just fine.
Park Av. and 59 st.
PM for more info.
 

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