ATS - Algae Turf Scrubber

I have one, works great. Best piece of equipment I have IMHO

 

Finally found a downside to the ATS. Growth of the turf algae has been hindered over the last month or so. The environment that these things seem to create causes coraline algae to boom like mad on the screen. That being said I scrap more purple coraline algae off mine now than I do algae...

I was told that I could introduce some red form of algae (no name, so no idea where to get it) and that would prevent this from happening. But unless you got one already seeded it seems that you gotta add scrapping with a razor to get the stuff off!

That being said, for some people it might be a blessing....

-Gavin

 

Actually if you are getting coralline on your screen, it the lighting is too low. If you increase the lighting, the algae will out-perform the coralline. There really should not be any coralline on the screen.

 

Good to know, any sugjestions on lighting? ATM using 2x100 Watt Flood Bulbs in the 5100k range using clip on fixtures from home depot. Screen Size is8x4 and my DT is 29 gallons. Should I be upgrading them to something more powerful? Thankie

 

I'm getting more serious about building one these here lately. Gopher did u have any phosphate / nitrate issues before the build? If so how much and how long did it take tobring it down n' how much did it come down? How much bioload do you have?

 

There were by far out of control. I had no intention of doing a reef aquarium when I first started. The ole lady just liked the nemos and dorys. So I just used tap water with conditioner, protein skimmer as only means of filtration for a while. So by the time I desided to go reef, bio-load had four fish in a 29 gal tank, spent about six weeks trying to get my nitrates under control, water changes, nothing was helping. My "reef" cleaner pack was "designed" for a 50 gallon aquarium and was BARELY keeping up with the algae production. Coraline algae was really growing slowly (I think in six months I only had a handful of spots with growth on it), phosphate... my tests couldn't even read them because they were so high

In about six weeks, coraline took off to the point I got mad at scrapping the crap off the glass daily. I added my first corals (zoanthids) and within the first week they were already buding. I currently have five fish in there, before I took the ATS offline I couldn't detect any phosphate, nitrates come up as 0 quite often.

I'm a skeptic my nature, so I took the screen and cleaned it about eight weeks ago. Turned the light off and just let it run with chaeto and a skimmer, no more budding of corals, little pockets of cyano started to pop up in the refugium. Nitrates got to about a steady 75ppm before I desided to turn it back on.

Just like in the original break in period I have those "oil slicks" in the diatom stage again. But after the first week of using it I can honestly say that my coral already look happier (fully extended) and my fish are more active. Checked the nitrates right before this posting and they were at 45ppm last week in one week down to 30ppm.

Haven't checked the phosphate this time around though, I'm sure their up as coraline hasn't grown on the glass in about eight weeks. But its already growing on my ATS! I guess I have the wrong type of lighting

Like I said in previous posts, one of the best pieces of EQ I got. Had to reprove it to myself, as one never really appreciates what they have till its gone

- Gavin

 

Gopher you need to get 23W CFL 2700K floodlights. The ones you have are way too hot, and weaker than 23W CFLs. Matter of fact the screen is small enough that a 17W would work.

 

Much thanks I was under the impression with the FAQs that the more light the better for the ATS. But obviously I was mistaken.

 

More light is better. Were those 100w bulbs spirals that have an equivalent?
Here's a great bulb:
Melevsreef.com - Refugium Bulb

 

Good article, but I was using the floodlights that Santamonica recommended. I bought new ones recently (same action as I had before) and I'm producing alot more algae now adays. But coraline is still growing on the screen