scrubber vs refugium

[parrotchute]

Is it counterproductive to have both a scrubber and a refugium? OR will the refugium not really grow with the scrubber installed upstream?

 

[wontonflip]

Well, both rely on the nitrates...so if one or the other is getting water that's already gone through one nitrate-eating algae, it would leave less for the other...but I would guess it would depend on how high your nitrates are. But maybe try it out and see if the other suffers. Just my logic...I could be wrong LOL

 

[andysgirl8800]

I currently have both, and my scrubber is upstream. However, I am not growing any macro algae in my refugium and have it stuffed full of live rock and pods.

 

[parrotchute]

Yeah I was thinking it would take out a lot of the nutrients a fuge needed - I like to grow stuff for my foxface, and when I upgrade, I still plan on having a fuge....but was interested in doing a scrubber also.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Like wonton said, I think they are pretty much two similar ways to get the same results. If you set them both up, it would seem like a reduntant system so if one crashed, you still have the other one up and running.

 

[parrotchute]

Yeah but the question is, would the macroalgae grow with the scrubber in operation? I'm thinking not nearly as fast, since the scrubber would probably be out competing it.

 

[PRC]

I've got a scrubber in my system. (No skimmer) I'm using a dual overflow blox. 1 pipe goes to the scrubber, 1 pipe goes straight into the fuge. I do get macroalgae growth. I don't if it's fast or slow because I have no experience to compare it to.

 

[parrotchute]

How's your water quality doing with that set up, PRC?

 

[sen5241b]

I haven't tried a scrubber but I am willing to bet a big ball of cheato with strong light is just as good as a scrubber and easier. I have two tanks each with cheato and they are both at zero trates.

 

[parrotchute]

I'm leaning towards no scrubber, a refugium, and a very good skimmer on my new system - my goal is to be able to feed kind of heavy.

Cleaning the scrubber seems like an extra chore.

 

[PRC]

How's your water quality doing with that set up, PRC?

My water quality is doing well. When I intially ended my cycle (No Ammonia, No Nitrites) I had approx. 25 ppm Nitrates. That was 2 weeks ago.

Added 2 small clowns (No spike in Nitrates) 90g tank w/ 55g sump

2 weeks later added the foxface. (No spike)

At yesterdays test I'm at 5ppm Nitrates. My calcium is 430. Magnesium is a little low. Did a water change yesterday after the tests.

I don't feed heavily, And I don't have a big bioload for my tank. I would imagine, that by the end of next week I should hit 0 Nitrates.

As I mentioned, I'm running a dual overlfow, so one pipe goes to the scrubber, the other goes directly into the fuge. I did notice that I had "particles" in my water that were driving me crazy. I put a small filter sock on the pipe going into the fuge. I think the particles are just die off from my LR. It's been 3 days since the sock, My water is clear. I'm going to remove the sock today, to see if the particles come back.

Overall, I'm really happy with the scrubber. I figured I'd try this route before I paid $$$ for a skimmer. It only took me about 30 minutes to install it, and the screen cost me .39. If you check out my build thread I've got some pics.

One last thing, if you decided to go to a scrubber, if it took you more than 5 miutes to clean it I would be shocked!. Real easy, take it to the sink, rinse it off with tap water, scrub it off with a brush, put it back..You only do that once a week.

 

[parrotchute]

Very nice, I might have to go that route...I find it really hard to imagine not having a skimmer, tho!

 

[PRC]

I'd never had a tank before so I had nothing to compare it to..and I initially set up my 55g as my DT, and I had a skimmer, but before I even started it cycling I tore it down, sold the skimmer, and put up the 90g.

I check my water everyday, I keep thinking "this thing can't possible work" and before my water freaks out, I would run out and buy a skimmer. But it seems to be working. My water is clear, I've got my 3 fish and some easy corals and mushrooms, everything seems to be doing great, I'm getting nice growth and my 1 and only ricordea has grown alot and split into 2 additional smaller ones.

 

[sen5241b]

I don't have skimmers in either of my tanks and I have zero 'trates BUT if something big dies or you get a spike for some reason the skimmer could mop up excess 'trates and save your tank.

 

[wontonflip]

I don't have skimmers in either of my tanks and I have zero 'trates BUT if something big dies or you get a spike for some reason the skimmer could mop up excess 'trates and save your tank.

Yeah, the skimmer came in handy when my daughter decided to um....feed the crabs......with half a bottle of the li'l pellets :shock: And this was the day before a planned weekend trip! I spent the day before the trip siphoning out what did not go to the skimmer and doing a water change. The skimmed stuff was just reddish-brown.

 

[PRC]

I don't have skimmers in either of my tanks and I have zero 'trates BUT if something big dies or you get a spike for some reason the skimmer could mop up excess 'trates and save your tank.

How is your system set up? Do you have a sump/fuge and just don't have a skimmer, Are you using a large amount of Chaeto? This is interesting to me.