SantaMonica
12-12-2008, 05:19 PM
Scrubbers are different from a fuge in so many ways:
o With a scrubber, there is very little water standing in the way of the light. Also, the light is (or should be) very close to the scrubber... 4 inches (10cm) or less. The power of light varies with the inverse square of the distance, so going from 8" to 4" actually gives you 4X the power, not 2X. And the nutrient removal power of algae is proportional to the power of the light, because it's the photosynthesis that is doing the processing.
o Rapid flow across the algae in a scrubber gives more delivery of nutrients, compared to the slow moving water in a fuge.
o The turbulence of water moving over the sections of algae in a scrubber help to remove the boundary layer of water around the algae. This boundary layer slows the transfer of metabolites in and out of the algae. There is no turbulence in a fuge (if there were, you'd have waves and bubbles).
o Scrubbers trap no waste/food like a refugium or DSB does; waste/food flows right past the screen.
o Scrubbers do not (if cleaned properly) release strands into display, like chaeto.
o Scrubbers do not go sexual, like caulerpa can.
o Scrubbers are 1/10 to 1/4 the physical size, for the same processing power.
o Scrubbers weigh nothing (they hold no water), so they can built into a box and placed on furniture.
o Scrubbers cool the water. And if a fan is used, they REALLY cool the water.
o If you don't want cooling, put a box around it; there will be NO cooling.
o Scrubbers do not ever produce hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs), like refugium-DSBs can.
o Scrubbers can be set on top of the tank, so pods drain right into tank, unharmed.
o With a scrubber, there is very little water standing in the way of the light. Also, the light is (or should be) very close to the scrubber... 4 inches (10cm) or less. The power of light varies with the inverse square of the distance, so going from 8" to 4" actually gives you 4X the power, not 2X. And the nutrient removal power of algae is proportional to the power of the light, because it's the photosynthesis that is doing the processing.
o Rapid flow across the algae in a scrubber gives more delivery of nutrients, compared to the slow moving water in a fuge.
o The turbulence of water moving over the sections of algae in a scrubber help to remove the boundary layer of water around the algae. This boundary layer slows the transfer of metabolites in and out of the algae. There is no turbulence in a fuge (if there were, you'd have waves and bubbles).
o Scrubbers trap no waste/food like a refugium or DSB does; waste/food flows right past the screen.
o Scrubbers do not (if cleaned properly) release strands into display, like chaeto.
o Scrubbers do not go sexual, like caulerpa can.
o Scrubbers are 1/10 to 1/4 the physical size, for the same processing power.
o Scrubbers weigh nothing (they hold no water), so they can built into a box and placed on furniture.
o Scrubbers cool the water. And if a fan is used, they REALLY cool the water.
o If you don't want cooling, put a box around it; there will be NO cooling.
o Scrubbers do not ever produce hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs), like refugium-DSBs can.
o Scrubbers can be set on top of the tank, so pods drain right into tank, unharmed.