Anyone trying out Turf or Algae Scrubbers?

[irishmarine]

Hi guys,

So I have had, persistent purple algae issues with my 180 gallon tank.

To combat it, ive tried adding Macro algae, which always grows well in the refugium!
I added two clean up crews, that didnt even dent it! (although could never get Mexican Turbo Snails due to weather)
I changed my lighting
Changed the water

Now: I am going into a new phase
Changing out my LED lights which were a few years old to new ATI T5's
I am adding two Max Spect Gyres,
I am going to remove some live rock
And I am going to upgrade my RODI, and media, and do more water changes with the above

Do any of you use Algae Turf Scrubbers?
Did they help or just move the problem elsewhere for a while or what.....
If you did go that route and like your scrubber can you recommend a build/brand/model?

Thanks!

 

[dz6t]

What type of purple algae? Can you please share a photo of it?


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[irishmarine]

Here you go

 

[Johnson556]

That’s cyano, even with my scrubber I had cyano after going crazy with feedings to try and get my nitrates detectable.

My solution was a chemiclean run and taking the scrubber offline. Now I have nitrates steady at 2ppm with no uglies within the tank.

 

[dz6t]

Cyano is a bacteria instead of algae. After you increase the flow, it will help reducing it.
Or as Johnson said above, use chemi clean.
In case you are feeding frozen food, it contributes to cyano too.



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[irishmarine]

Hey thanks a lot guys!
Ive ordered two Maxspect Gyre 250's and the chemiclean!
Thanks so much!

 

[irishmarine]

Back to the turf scrubber though, just like people buy a UV, do any of you guys use one and what are your thoughts??

 

[madducks42]

We've been using one our our tank for about six months because we were also having algae issues. I don't think it's helped all that much. We still have algae issues in the tank. Debating taking it offline for a while and seeing if it has any impact on the tank. Our phosphates and nitrates have pretty much always measured at zero in our tank but we must have lots of nutrients in the tank because the algae grows like crazy on the sand and glass : /

 

[Terry Martin]

I have an algae turf scrubber on a tank with algae issues (has a 2 foot snowflake eel). I did a diy and it didn't do much. I bought an ats from santa monica. It helps. I get about a baseball size crop of algae per week. It helps, but hasn't been a gamechanger.

 

[irishmarine]

So the Chemiclean cleared out the Cyano, thanks guys for the recommendation!

Now the issue is removing the excessive GSP!