170 Gallon Moonview Library set up

[jglackin]

Originally posted by BenjieC
Any problems w/ the turf scrubber going sexual and tinting the water green? or are you running it 24/7?

I haven't had any issues with the turf. I run the lights from 6 a.m until 10 p.m. and use a carbon reactor. The turf has actually been a pretty good food source for my tangs and blennies. From time to time, I will shake the TS to break loose bits of algae and any stray critters and the fish go wild when it hits the tank. They eat any of the algae that comes out of the TS.

[sellout007]

Originally posted by jglackin
I haven't had any issues with the turf. I run the lights from 6 a.m until 10 p.m. and use a carbon reactor. The turf has actually been a pretty good food source for my tangs and blennies. From time to time, I will shake the TS to break loose bits of algae and any stray critters and the fish go wild when it hits the tank. They eat any of the algae that comes out of the TS.

You really shouldn't use the algae in a sump/scrubber to feed your fish. Once eaten it simply re-relases everything it took out.

There are a few articles on the net about it, one or two from reef central.

[jglackin]

Originally posted by sellout007
You really shouldn't use the algae in a sump/scrubber to feed your fish. Once eaten it simply re-relases everything it took out.

There are a few articles on the net about it, one or two from reef central.

Thanks, I have read that also. However, the bits of algae that we are talking about would only add a small amount of phosphates/nitrates back into the water, if any. Not likely enough to matter. The bulk of the algae is scraped off the screens and thrown away.

Additionally, I believe there is some debate over whether or not this really passes all of the nitrates and phosphates directly back into the tank. If a fish naturally expels XX amount of nitrates and phosphates and it eats algae that has YY amount of nitrates and phosphates, will it then expel XXYY in phosphates and nitrates? I don't know, but I have to believe that it is not a total pass through. The fish's system, I would think, processes much of this.

[sellout007]

Originally posted by jglackin
Thanks, I have read that also. However, the bits of algae that we are talking about would only add a small amount of phosphates/nitrates back into the water, if any. Not likely enough to matter. The bulk of the algae is scraped off the screens and thrown away.

Additionally, I believe there is some debate over whether or not this really passes all of the nitrates and phosphates directly back into the tank. If a fish naturally expels XX amount of nitrates and phosphates and it eats algae that has YY amount of nitrates and phosphates, will it then expel XXYY in phosphates and nitrates? I don't know, but I have to believe that it is not a total pass through. The fish's system, I would think, processes much of this.

Yeah I always wondered about that exact scenario too. So any more ideas as to where your nitrates are coming from?