Any SPS growers impressed with ATS Filters?

[Nanook]

Curious if they're standing the test of time since they've been making them commercially for a while now.

 

[theshaman]

I have never used one but I think a fuge with a good grow light can achieve the same results with less maintenance.


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[Reefer40b]

I have never used one but I think a fuge with a good grow light can achieve the same results with less maintenance.


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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:

 

[Nanook]

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.

 

[Reefer40b]

I would say that is going to work out good. Not many people have the space for a big fuge and that's prob why they choose an ATS, both will get the job done, just I think there is more pros to a fuge than a ATS and less maintenance.

 

[reefmutt]

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.

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.

 

[jda]

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.

 

[homer1475]

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.

 

[phenom5]

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.

 

[reefmutt]

Hard to say.... I would estimate an area of about 12x20.. maybe 12 inches deep - full of cheato with a good strong light would do.. maybe even a bit smaller..
My system is about 350g and my fuge is about 30x20.. inhave 5 x 24 w t5 and an led strip over it.

 

[jda]

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.