Algae Scrubber ?

[Floyd R Turbo]

Some additional comments.

He was shilling and just posing as a diy hobbysist...Later it became clear that this jerk intended to start a market for his particular line of crap further down the line.

Right here you make it perfectly clear that you believe this idea is crap, and the products are crap. This is exactly the type of responses that brought such responses from SM that you then state were personal attacks. So let me ask you, do you really think you are being in any way constructive here? You are violating your own principles that you tout as high and honorable.

Your post that states that "this user" (Santa Monica) was posing as a user but was really trying to sell something is something I find humorous. Yes, he designed a nice looking scrubber box made out of black acrylic, but do you know that he has only sold about 20 or 25 of these in well over a year? Hardly a huge business, hardly shilling. So I just find it funny that you think that's what he was doing.

It is true that he has developed and patented a smaller unit for nano and freshwater use, and you will be seeing that one being marketed and sold. But that was well, well past the point of where he was kicked off.

There seems to be a motive to create a trend and sell more stuff or at least get others to join those who with no small degree of arrogance believe they have discovered the answer to keeping a successful reef by putting a screen in a bucket with a little light on it and adding water.

This is the kind of snarky response that got those snarky replies from SM. You clearly think that this is all a joke. And I will not attempt further to change your mind, because I've seen this argument before. I just want to make it perfectly clear that this is not a joke. Your belittlement of this system I find extremely closed minded and I am almost offended.

Your choice of words in your post makes me think that you look upon us who feel that Algae Scrubbers are one of the best forms of filtration as members of some kind of cult. Well we are all here sharing our information and success stories freely for others to try, and assisting them in any way that we can to make sure that they build their systems properly.

You will very rarely see me using words like "believer", "doubter" ,"convert", "magic", only occasionally and only as a kind of humor. Like my "obi-wan" comment. That is just me being funny, nothing else.

My reply is that there is lots of information out there but one needs to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Fortunately, that's a skill most readers are intelligent enough develop in short order.

I read through the algae scrubber threads. The "wheat" that I got out of it was that algae scrubbers were a great idea. The "chaff" that I saw was the piles of personal attacks lumped on to Santa Monica, and his what I considered humorous responses to people who clearly had a motive.

 

[tmz]

Sorry about the crack in your tank . Good luck with it.

I've avoided mentioning the jerks name since there is no need for further recognition. Never made a snarky post to him.The attempted manipulation and collusion w dishonest and offensive. OK 2yrs 8mos ago. Didn't look it up,seemed longer.
I see nothing on that list that suggests turf algae produces things that corals use that they can't synthesize or gain from other sources nor anything to suggest how they process them in forms provided by turf algae. Not all algae produces the same things and jumping from phytoplanton content to define what some undefined algae growing on a screen produces is a huge unsustainable reach. I've read voumes of the ATS stuff and have no qualms about using turf algae beyond the carbon contribution and exudate . Those concerns would apply to macroalgae as well. Algae like other reef life will exude alellopaths for territorial gains as well as other orgnanic compounds.
Attention to total carbon content is needed when using it in quantities.,imo, including skimming and granulated organic carbon. No doubt in my mind that the screen with highly oxygenated flow and good light provides a useful environment for algae growth: it did that for me .

My zoanthus thrive and grow much better since
I started oraganic carbon dosing over 2yrs ago. dosing

 

[tmz]

OK 2 yrs 8mos ago;didn't look it up. I avoided mentioning the jerk's name since no recogonition is warranted. The effort at backstabbing and collusion was temerarious,deceitful and offensive.

I don't see anything on the list of compounds provided that corals need that they can't synthesize or gain from sources in a reef tank other than an algae scrubber. They can syntesize aminos except perhaps aspartic acid. It's like saying a food web needs organic carbon and nitrogen. Of course it does. Further jumping from phytoplankton content to what some undefined mass of algae on a screen contains with any specificity is an unsustainable reach.
Even, assuming ,arguendo, that those compounds are made available to corals from some undefined algae exudate; taking it to the next step that corals can actually access and use it in the form presented is an epic leap. Algae does add organic carbon and that may be a good thing or a bad thing. Algae does compete for space and will exude compounds with alleleopathic effect. Probably not enough to worry about in most practical applications but then neither is the alleged benefit. Attention to managing total organic carbon via skimming and granulated activated is important wether or not algae is cultured :a little more so when it imo.

I've read much of the algae scrubber writings . I have no doubt that a screen with light and flowing water provides a benefical environment for algae to grow , extracting N and P and producing some C as it does so. I knew that before reading the lines or between them.It did that for me to an extent.
The algae's contribution to total organic carbon content may have some benefits but it may also have a downside and overall attention to managing it via skimming and granulated activated carbon is warranted ,imo.

 

[tmz]

Sorry for the double post, Hit a key and lost the first one. Both were posted before last one of yours ,Floyd. Never was snarky to the jerk till my trust was betrayed by the manipulative effort and my pm was invaded. Now I feel entitled to a bit of snarkiness where he is concerned.
Floyd your attacking a strawman of your own making,I like using algae for nutrient control and think ATS can be a useful component in some systems. Having said that much of the "science" you and others present is dubious at best.

You really should stop using RC to promote and announce products and sellers as you clearly did in your last post.

 

[RokleM]

I think this thread has run its course.