Algae Scrubber Survey of Results

[iggy]

I don't think original poster dtyharry has gotten a fair snap shot of ATS in responses so far since 2 of tanks were moved.

I have run a ATS for 9 months for a tank that was largely under control with algae. All corals started a growth phase after 2-3 months starting ATS and it still continues.

Downsides are plain scolyoma died and acans retratced due to lower nutrients. Acans fully recovered and have grown since. Fish were indifferent. I do skim lightly as a back up and removed some dead bacteria as ATS produces carbon sources for bacteria. Cyano fully disappeared for several months and only pest is some bubble algae. I will try fish and crabs. Very minor issue though. I fully recommend it overall. I did use one treated of chemiclean and it never returned in 3 months.

I still recommend water changes and skimmer. I went through a feather duster explosion and did my best to enjoy it knowing it would die back with time. Sponges and white dots in sump are an issue for maintenance but aquarists would want this type of growth though.

Really we need pictures however.

[srusso]

Before a move, the entire surface of a rock that is exposed to any light at all is covered in periphyton or coralline, of which both are photosynthetic, and which have grown to match the level of flow. The undersides of the rocks, even if totally dark, have developed non-photosynthetic coverings too (sponge films, etc), which also have grown to match the flow. This is why the rocks are no longer white, due to these coverings. The flow and the light, of course, are just a source of food/energy.

In a move, even if the rocks are kept in the same water, they are placed in a new locations that have new patterns of flow and light on the rocks. So stuff which used to have no light, now has light, and vise versa. Same with flow patterns. So the surfaces with the greatest changes now have to adjust to a different food supply. If they can't adjust, they die (especially if they were exposed to air). They are not poisened, they are just starved. So their die-off takes a few weeks as they slowly run out of energy.

That's about when things start dissolving... after they die off. The dissolving then takes a few more weeks. This, of course, is what develops the ammonia, which is indeed poison.

This is a topic rarely ever spoken of... I wish more people understood that rocks in a reef tank are VERY different from say, a rock in a fresh water tank.
The life found in live rock from a reef is staggering! Changing the angle of which a power head is pointed can create a butterfly effect and kill millions/billions of bacteria, pods, worms etc.
This type of activity/behavior is usually seen in new tanks, and rarely seen in older tanks... New people are still making adjustments, old tanks mostly get left alone...
To make things worse aside from "helpful people" rarely finding this to be the blame, they say to BUY some type of crazy chemical the kills more than fixes the problem... furthering the persons issue with die-off!
Better yet, go into any LFS and they will tell you that you HAVE to have a skimmer, you SHOULD have GFO, you COULD be doing more water changes, oh and here buy this cheap stuff and it may also help...
Its no wonder SO many people fail in this hobby...
IMO live rock should be handled with more care than the corals, themselves!!!

[Ace25]

I don't think original poster dtyharry has gotten a fair snap shot of ATS in responses so far since 2 of tanks were moved.

Here is a snap shot before the move.

[SantaMonica]

Here are pics and a vid of an encrusting yellow sponge, which makes a good example of periphyton since it is so bright and visible. It never gets more than half a millimeter thick, and if it were clear or brown like most other encrusting sponges you would never notice it. It will die with any change in flow or lighting, and of course it it ever touches air:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6sCDUA-tAA
.
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[Floyd R Turbo]

I started maintaining the tank I run a scrubber on on Dec 2009, going the traditional route and new to SW, I cleaned up someone else's mess (dirty tank, high N and P) by PWCs, sump/pump cleaning, fixing the skimmer, replacing pads, eventually switching from pads & bioballs to filter socks, etc, limiting feeding, RowaPHOS, Purigen, eventually got N and P down but had to clean filter socks several times a week. Discovered the scrubber and got rid of all other filtration. Coral growth took off, tank temp was reduced (no skimmer pump), started feeding rich DIY food (and LOTS of it), no DT algae except on the glass which needed good cleaning once a week, coralline growth took off. N=0. P still hovers at 0.10 because of lots of LR denitrating and limiting N. Still planning to dose N to see what happens, but may not 'cause everything is doing just fine so why mess with a good thing.

So far, I have yet to uncover a significant negative aspect in any way shape or form. Every system is different, none is perfect. You have to clean filter socks. You have to empty and clean a skimmer. You have to adjust levels/rates for reactors and replace materials. Etc. These are all things that you accept when you choose a particular form of filtration. ATS is no different, you have to clean the screen once a week, and when you pull the screen out it can smell a little unpleasant to some (like my kids, who think it's totally gross) but if you've every handled Anthelia or Tri-color Valida, or emptied a rancid skimmer cup, it's not that bad. I would say light blocking is probably the biggest pain in the butt. SM100 is the best I've seen.

[mrbncal]

I wont go into detail here on the "before" because I have a thread or two that details my start and finish. The short story is I ran a scrubber for apprx 2 years with great results. Took hair algae out of the display and got great results in growth on the corals. Yes they work.

Side note, i too had to move recently and my pride and joy is struggling after the move. Tried to keep all rock under water and peeled off most sponge growth(not yellow stuff) in anticipation of dieback but it looks like I will lose most if not all of my acropora. Softies, mushrooms and lps, anenomes and tubeworms, fish and gorgs all seem to be snapping out of it but the acro gets browner each day. Bummer.

But with the growth I was getting it wont take long to get back with some frags once things settle down.

Get ATS or get a different hobby!!!!!