Would you/Do you use an Algae Turf Scrubber?

[Doug]

186scrubber_screen.jpg

scrubber.jpg

The screen in my was fairly stiff. About 240 sq. in. Lit with two 65w power compacts @ 67k. The pic of the scrubber was when it was new. Its the 250 larger model once sold by IA.

Was designed to be a nice looking fixture, to set on your sumpless aquarium, something like a 120 and up, behind something like a Hamilton or PFO duel halide fixture hood. Thus the high price.

I suppose any screen growing algae would work fine. The dump feature of one like mine, provided the tank with a surge but more so the algae with back & forth motion and oxygen when exposed, which is suppose to make the turf a more efficient filter than submersed algaes.

It worked well when I used it, with no measurable phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, etc. I never used a phosphate removed until recently.

HOWEVER, I did run a good skimmer with it and despite whats being said on the net, never found that the scrubber could handle that size tank alone with no skimmer. I suppose in many situations with certain types of tanks it would do fine.

And again, despite whats being said, we scrapped our algae from the screen into a sink. I would say the skimmer helped with preventing water discoloration, so as much carbon was not required.

I wish I lived where I could again run a large tank and set it up as a scrubber only aquarium which would maintain species that flourish in that environment.