ATS(algae turf scrubber)

Okay I have been looking into this after reading it on some forums and google. I think I want one as it says that it takes the place of a protein skimmer and is a good filter source, my problem is I do not have a sump for my tank and my filter is a canister filter, so to any diy modders out there is there anyway to turn this into a sump some how? or a way to not have a sump?

Any opinions will be greatly appreciated on this topic even if it states that its all a bunch of malarkey.

 

You should spend some time on algaescrubber.net. You can either build one yourself or buy one from santi monica on algaescrubber.net or from turbo on turbosaquatics.com. You dont have to have a sump, you can have it rest on a glass top with the outlet gravity feeding back into the display tank. I have run my tank with and without a skimmer, and with and without an algae scrubber. They are sort of the same, but different. Let me explain.

A skimmer takes organics out of the water BEFORE they have time to break down into nitrates. They also remove some beneficial things such as coral food. They are plug and play, and very reliable, but they will not capture ALL of the nitrates.

Algae Scrubbers on the other hand remove nitrates AFTER they have already broken down. This ensures that all the little coral food particles float around in the water column so your corals get maximum exposure time to the food. They take time to grow and dial in, and if you dont keep your screen clean, it will not work as efficiently. There have been times when the algae has blocked the screen slot and water did not flow over the screen properly, and before I realized it I had an algae bloom in my display tank. You must make sure you have the right amount of light and water flow and screen size for it to work properly.

So my opinion is, when an algae scrubber is working properly, they are damn good filters. But I am nervous about running mine as the sole filtration on my reef tank (it has been the sole filtration on my reef tank for 2 years now with only 2 negative incidences.) On my next tank, I will definitely be running a skimmer just for peace of mind, and I may either run a bio pellet reactor or an algae turf scrubber in addition to the skimmer.

I hoped that helped answer your question a little.

Here are two pictures of my Mixed 75g reef that has been ATS only for 2 years now. Of of the pics is photoshopped to brighten the colors because my camera taking abilities are limited, but the main purpose is to show you that you CAN keep a nice reef with ATS only as long as it is functioning properly. Feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions regarding my experience with ATS's

 

BF,

I PM'd you about your Great looking tank. NIce info on the ATS's btw too.

 

Thank you so much Blue Falcon. I did pm you for more information.

 

im getting a 75 gallon soon,and im going to try a ats and no skimmer,fish load will be low,it will be a mixed reef.

 

+1 Great summary from BLue Falcon.
Be sure to harvest the algae each week. Best to have a two sided screen so one side can be growing and working then harvest the other on an alternating schedule.

 

Also, design the scrubber so its easy to clean. I went through several prototypes to get to the one I use now. It uses a true union so I can take the pipe off to clean it, a ball valve to restrict the flow, a lid to prevent splashing, a bottom board with bulkhead to prevent splashing, and removable clips to take the screen off. The only complaint is that I still get algae splashing on the inside of the acrylic box which if I dont clean it regularly, algae will grow on the acrylic window and block out the more efficient screen. Often times I dont notice something is wrong until I start to see algae in the display tank. At which point I correct the problem, manually siphon the algae out of the DT and it doesnt come back.

Overall I am very happy with my scrubber that I built for less than $100. Here are a few pros and cons that I noticed on my tank.

Pros
-relatively inexpensive if you can build it yourself
-has done a great job of keeping my nitrate and phosphate at undetectable levels using API test kits
-allows longer suspension of coral food
-keeps algae out of the display tank (when functioning properly)

Cons
-takes a few weeks for the screen to start growing
-must be designed correctly to work properly (flow, screen size, lighting)
-CFL bulbs must be replaced every 3 months (I recommend LED's although I use CFL because they were cheaper)
-It's harder to clean an algae screen than it is to empty a skimmer collection cup
-If something clogs then nutrients build up in the water column rather quickly
-removes some beneficial things from water (such as coral food)

For most beginners, I recommend a protein skimmer just because they are easy to use, plug and play, and are pretty much guaranteed to work (if you get a good one). But an ATS can be a great, inexpensive and powerful filter if you do it right.

 

Great intro to ats Blue Falcon. I'm considering it for my new build along with a skimmer.

 

Yeah, I would definitely check out the newer designs from Santa Monica. Mine was old school water fall type. They can get messy with the salt creep. Also if I made another I would make one with black acrylic so no light can escape. If light gets out algae may start growing in places you don't want.

 

Alright I was brainstorming an idea that is kinda weird, I have a canister filter, what if I modify the return to go into a rubbermaid tub that I can put the ATS in then have a pump to return the water back to the tank? Any one think this would work? opinions or advice in how to set this up would be awesome.