New member, but I've been reading a lot here, starting with the questions :D

[chriswf]

Hey guys...
Well, for a start, my name is Chris... I'm new here. And I have nitrate problems.

I currently have my fish in a 180g tank. My nitrates aren't pegged over as bad as it can be. But it's a battle keeping them low.. But I'm fighting it with constant water changes.
Freshwater.
I'm not over feeding. If anything underfeeding. All food get's eaten or removed.
2 medium sized dovii. ~9 inches.

I heard in the far corner of the internet - about algae scrubbers.

So for the past few days, I have been all over the internet, looking at DIYs, reading about the pros and cons of algae scrubbers, etc.
I currently have a sump with different types of media. Tumbling k1 moving bed media. Bioballs. Polyester? filter pads (for particles/mechanical filtration). And a big bunch of horn wort under a LED light in the last chamber of the sump.

I think I am currently battling Old Tank Syndrome.
I'm still looking into a turf/algae scrubber.
But I found in a few, or several pages here, that people say an algae/turf scrubber can handle all those "extra minerals" that your tank builds up over the years.

Other people say they won't handle the extra minerals.

But there's a few pages here that I read, where someone had gone like 3-5 years without a water change. Just top offs. I can't find the page now, but he had been doing maintaining perfect water qualities.

But others still insist the build up of bad minerals will cause your water qualities to go out of control faster than any algae can maintain.
Then if you were to ever do a large water change, you'd cause a sudden burst in ammonia levels (if the water change were to great)

Does anyone have any advice, or a link to a page without (don't take this the wrong way) a biased opinion?
- Is an algae scrubber capable of dodging old tank syndrome (of course without overfeeding and dirty filters).
- And if so, why do other people swear it's not possible?
- And why do some say Algae Scrubbers can poison your tank? Is that if it goes neglected or algae starts to rot on it?

I'm ready to listen.

Thanks,
Chris

[SantaMonica]

Welcome.

Looks like you are hearing a lot from the manufacturers of other types of filters.

To answer just the main question, your nitrates will drop once you put a scrubber on. Might have to remove the horn wart.

[chriswf]

What about other "minerals". I think I was reading that copper, zinc, etc all somehow make it into your tank. Over time these chemicals build up as you keep topping off your water.

Here's the last thing I just read:
http://www.bestfish.com/oldtank.html

From what I'm reading, the ONLY way to avoid unwanted mineral build up, is water changes.

Not wanting to argue with anyone. Just want to make sure I'm making the right decision.
I'm seriously thinking about making a run to the store tomorrow to set up my turf scrubber. Especially if someone has corals for 4 years and no water changes.

[SantaMonica]

Algae consumes the things that you are interested in. Water changes do not remove a large part of them, but do add incredible amounts of metals.

Just start with a scrubber, do you measurements, and go from there.

[chriswf]

Will do, I'll keep you guys updated then.

[dryworm]

IMO the minerals would be coming from your water most likely. the way to combat
that would be to use a ro/di filter. its used in salwater mainly to remove phosphates
from the water. in freshwater phosphates aren't an issue. but they also remove the metals
and other impurities as well. as for your nitrate problem you might look into a remote deep
sand bed or sand bed in a 5 gallon bucket. they are great at removing nitrates. not sure if it works the same in freshwater
as it does in saltwater but i found one article saying it does i will post the link.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_7/volume_7_1/dsb.html

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/substrates/86098-deep-sand-bed.html

[rleahaines]

Deep sand beds may work, but the scrubber works much better and much faster to eliminate Nitrates.

A combination of good water, a scrubber and reasonable water changes will do wonders for your tank.

Algae will absorb minerals - which exports them along with the Nitrates. If you don't have good water going in all you will do is keep adding copper and other minerals back in.