SURF2 and SURF2x

[Choo Choo C.]

Got my eye on one of these, but not sure it would work efficiently in my reef tank, which has very low phosphates (undetectable with Salifert kit) but high (20 ppm) nitrates?

The phosphates are low, I assume, due to GFO filtration. If I were to add the Surf 2, would it be advisable to remove the GFO and rely entirely on scrubber and protein skimmer to reduce phosphates?

A few days ago, I started dosing vinegar to try to reduce nitrates. Too early to see any results yet, but what advantages does scrubbing have over carbon dosing?

Thanks,

Thanks.

[SantaMonica]

Welcome,

GFO and carbon dosing, have in the past caused scrubbers to slow down. It won't hurt them, but they will slow down. So yes I'd get the scrubber growing then remove the GFO and vinegar.

[SantaMonica]

Looks like scrubbers may grow more pods than first suspected. Especially upflows, when you don't take them to the sink for cleaning (in other words, you just reach in a grab algae). This explains why chromis always hang out downstream of the scrubbers, catching stuff coming by.

My SURF4 was going consistent, and apparently had a huge pod population below the growth, consuming the growth almost as fast as it was growing. It had been running over 3 months without going to the sink, and, fish could not get into the scrubber either, so there was nothing to slow the pods. But then growth slowed down when 2 of the 4 air outlets clogged with carbonate. I did not notice for over a week since I don't pay it any attention. Since the pod population was the same, but growth was less, the pods could keep up with the growth and the growth never increased. When I looked, the pods completely covered the bottom of the scrubber, and would jump right on your hand if you touched the bottom. So I cleaned it in the sink and soaked it for 5 minutes, to kill all the pods. Also cleaned out the air outlets with a paper clip.

This could explain why some SURF2 or SURF4 users have growth in SW but it never "takes off"; it just reaches a certain level and stays there. Pods! Solution: pour some FW in after harvesting. Last resort: take to the sink, and soak it.

[SantaMonica]

"I am currently using the SURF2 on my zoa garden. It is way oversized for my system but works well. Just takes a little longer to grow" -- Landon on the NTRF site.

"My SURF2 is doing very very well [...]. i feed 1 cube a day which is enough for the tank, harvest every 14-21 days ish. i saved a lot of money for not spending any money on rowaphos. no algae in display tank. zero phosphate and nitrate" -- Wesley on the UR site. Pic:

Attachment 5130

"The [SURF2] is great, works perfectly keeps nutrients low. I still have a bit of bubble algae but it's slowly disappearing. Works well and takes less space than the [waterfall] scrubbers" -- Millar on the UR site.

"Very happy with the SURF2 so far" -- Juls on the UR site.

"I used to have so much cheato, I would sell it on RC. Since adding the SURF2, the cheato is just vanishing as the SURF2 grows more and more. The entire middle section of the sump used to be cheato, and as you can see, there is not much left at all. A great product; here's a pic of my growth" -- Dexters Reef...
Attachment 4939

Dlstn on the UR site:
Attachment 5018

"Works great!" -- Marcelo Silva, Brazil

"Working great" -- Steven Cantor

"I'm very pleased with the quality of the SURF2 - it's superior!" -- Sergey Frolovichev

"Using it now in my 60 gal freshwater tank where it works well keeping nitrates below 20" -- Andreas Schaefer

Translated by Google: "After seven months, I test two of the [SURF2 units], I find that in the device it crawling with copepods that eat algae, now I swarming zooplankton and in addition I take a lot of seaweed every week in my devices (APPROXIMATELY 80 gr) and PO4 photometers to a decrease of 0.02 to 0.01 photometers. more I give an amount of algae my surgeons". Original French: "pour faire suivre cette enquête au bout de 7 moisj'ai tester deux algae scruber de la societe santa monica (SURF2 floating surface) j'en avais pris deuxrésultat au début assez long à venirensuite baisse très moyen des phosphates j'ai décider de mettre en marche l’écumeur sur 12 heures au lieux de 24 heuresdeux mois après très peut d'algues dans les deux appareilsanta monica m’envoie un mail en précisant de bien rincer les appareil a l'eau du robinet je l'ai fait car j'ai constater que dans les appareil il grouiller de copépodes qui me manger les algues depuis je rince une fois par mois les appareils maintenant je grouille de zooplancton dans le refuge et en plus j’enlève beaucoup d'algues toutes les semaines dans mes appareils (ENVIRON 80 gr d'algues essorer) et PO4 au photomètres a baisser de 1 à 0.02 au photometresde plus je donne une quantité d'algues a mes chirurgiens ET JE DONNE 4 CUBES CONGELER PAR JOURS" - Jegou Alain on the Recifal-France site.

[SantaMonica]

"This is one weeks growth, I'm pulling out a lot more turf now it's certainly got a hold on the ribbons and the textured walls of the box. I tested phosphates a couple of days ago on the Hanna checker and it was reading 0. I did the test again because I've never had a 0 reading on this tank." -- Blinkyfish on the UR site:
Attachment 5450

[SantaMonica]

"The [SURF2] at my office is doing great. I would like to order another one for my home tank". -- Thomas Perry

[SantaMonica]

Updated recommendation:

The SURF2 is for water with phosphate less than 0.2 ppm; if phosphate is higher, get the SURF2x.

[SantaMonica]

"Currently I have two algae scrubbers that I purchased from Santa Monica. SURF2 and SURF4. SURF2 is powered by Fusion 700 and SURF4 is powered by Coralife Super Luft SL-38. I can grow significant amount of algae in both" -- Tomasz Cop pic of SURF2:
Attachment 5539

[SantaMonica]

Pic from Damien Kwok; his SURF2 was put into a newly-moved tank, and this moving of the rocks killed the periphyton on the rocks which stopped the natural filtering and thus the phosphate went up higher than 0.2, which made the SURF2 grow dark:




A SURF2x with stronger light would be better at this point, but the SURF2 is slowly catching up as long as he does not move the rocks or change the flow.

[SantaMonica]

Translated by Google: "I have a SURF2 and it is impeccable, it keeps my PO4 zero distributing 3-4 cubes of food per day. The HOG1 it's the same thing on a smaller scale, it depends on the amount of food that you distribute." (original: "J'ai un SURF2 du même fabricant et c'est impeccable, ça me maintient les PO4 à zéro en distribuant 3 à 4 cubes de nourritures par jour. Le HOG1 c'est la même chose en plus petit, ça dépend de la quantité de nourriture que tu distribues.") -- Eric75003 on the Recifal-France site