Any SPS growers impressed with ATS Filters?
- Thread starter Nanook
- Start date
Reefer40b
New member
I would have to agree with this for sure. With an appropriate sized light to your bio load and fuge size you will have no trouble growing mad amounts of macros... can even get store credit for it from your LFS so that's a bonus a ATS cant do... :dance:
I was thinking a 100 gallon fuge would be good for my 470 gallon reef, plus 100 gallons of water in the sump,so 570 gallons. 30x30x24 or 36x30x24 would be 90-110 gallons of fuge. A friend suggested an ATS, but I'm not sold.
reefmutt
Active member
That's pretty much the size of my fuge, mine's just not as deep.. and I only really use 60% of mine for cheato.
Yours will be plenty big enough with strong lighting over it..
I have never used an ats, but they do seem labor intensive and messy to clean.. but I'm sure they are also very efficient.. not sure the benefits outweigh the easier alternatives, though.
They are both effective. I like a good ol' fuge because I can put more in it than macros. I have housed tricky/finicky fish in there before where they can eat pods, mysid and whaterever... corals. I also like some of the nicer types of macro like Dragons [Breath,Tongue] that people like to trade. I dropped a colony once and made about 60 frags and I had to temp-mount a MH over my fuge for frag storage.
If you have the room, use a fuge. They are more versatile, IMO.
If you have the room, use a fuge. They are more versatile, IMO.
homer1475
New member
Why not both?
ATS for nutrient export, fuge for display macros, and a "jail" for unruly inhabitants. Only problem long term is the ATS usually out competes other macros and the fuge dies.
I run an ATS as chaeto in a fuge did nothing for me. Trimming chaeto/other macros, VS. removing a screen and scraping it off. Not sure where the extra maintenance comes from.
Algae is algae, cleaning it up regardless of whether trimming it or throwing it away, it's still messy.
ATS for nutrient export, fuge for display macros, and a "jail" for unruly inhabitants. Only problem long term is the ATS usually out competes other macros and the fuge dies.
I run an ATS as chaeto in a fuge did nothing for me. Trimming chaeto/other macros, VS. removing a screen and scraping it off. Not sure where the extra maintenance comes from.
Algae is algae, cleaning it up regardless of whether trimming it or throwing it away, it's still messy.
phenom5
Member
Any thoughts on how big a fuge needs to be to be effective for nutrient control? I've got a 155g that is doing well enough, but I have been kicking around the idea of building a new sump/ replumbing. I have run a clean sump (BB with a big *** skimmer) for the better part of a decade. Thinking about going back to a fuge.
This is hard to say... it is bioload dependent and not really system size. I use a 15G tank for a fuge on my 240 and it keeps stuff down near zero and makes me very happy. Dragon Flame & Tongue and chaeto get the job done. People love to buy the Dragon Flame and Tongue when it grows.
