Difference between ATS and fuge?

[nmbeg]

So after reading up on ATS, it seems really cool, but what's the difference between that and a fuge with macroalgae?

Is it just the same thing in a different packaging?

 

[ca1ore]

An ATS is specifically designed to cultivate and grow turf algae; the refugium is a place in your tank system where you can keep things that require a little peace-and-quiet. Fuge has become synonymous with growing macro-algae, however, its purpose was always intended to be broader than that. I've used mine to grow algae, isolate a clam that was getting picked on, giving a fish a chance to acclimate without bullying, etc. How you anticipate using your fuge will dictate how you light it. Certainly green hair/turf algae may grow in the fuge, however, that is not its expressed purpose.

 

[FlyPenFly]

An ATS creates an enhanced environment in a small remote enclosed space to rapidly grow turf algae. A waterfall ATS with intense lighting run 18-20 hours sandwiching a growth medium and high flow can grow algae that will outcompete other algae for nutrients.

 

[nmbeg]

Ok, so, follow-up question: why isn't ATS standard practice? Why do you have to lurk on the advanced topic forum to find it?

I understand everyone's needs and setups are different blah blah blah, but let's face it, skimmer/sump/fuge is "standard" --why isn't ATS?

 

[FlyPenFly]

Just reefing is that way. Things are in and out all the time. Many ways to do things.

 

[d2mini]

Ok, so, follow-up question: why isn't ATS standard practice? Why do you have to lurk on the advanced topic forum to find it?

I understand everyone's needs and setups are different blah blah blah, but let's face it, skimmer/sump/fuge is "standard" --why isn't ATS?

There's lots of talk about ATS systems all over the forums. From homemade to commercially made. They are kind of new and still somewhat experimental.

People usually just add a fuge to their sumps. It doesn't require any extra equipment except maybe a small powerhead. And others, like myself have display refugiums. I'd much rather look at that than an ATS.

It's two completely different approaches and both can help lower nutrients but one is a bit more specialized to the task, as well as being a bit controversial to some.

 

[james1990]

Would it be a good idea to have a ATS over the fuge? That way one light can grow the macro and the ATS.

 

[SGT_York]

I had an ATS over fuge, and it worked well unit all my nutrients were gone, then I ditched the ATS. If I ever decide to increase my bio load adding it back in is just a turn of a ball valve away, although I would come up with a better way to prevent salt creep.

 

[Khemul]

It wouldn't be very practical. No reason it shouldn't work from a physical standpoint, but from a practical standpoint, the ATS and macro would be in direct competition. So the only way to have both would be if you were pushing through more then one could handle. Otherwise whichever one is down-stream would starve.

 

[Psyops]

It's a matter of preference. I have a macroalgae tank with seahorses in it. Also a fuge. To me this is much more fun and interesting than just an ATS. I used to have an ATS. Worked well, but boring. Depends what your priorities are.

 

[dwolson2]

Also, don't ATS's usually take more energy from the reefer? Weekly cleaning. I only touched my chaeto every few weeks.

 

[SGT_York]

The maintenance depends on your levels they are really not time consuming at all, provided it is setup correctly.

As far as direct competition they just slow each other down one doesn't take over the other, once your nitrates are very low one type of algae would start to starve out the lesser efficient species. But Chaeto is fairly good grower even in low nitrates, slow but dependable.

 

[FlyPenFly]

A properly setup ATS will easily outcompete macro algae in nutrient uptake and the macro will barely hang on.

 

[ali1]

Yeah I had an ATS over my fuge. Chaeto slowly died as ATS took over. Problem with ATS is that it absorbs more alk from my experience. As soon as i ditched ATS, my alk rose a considerable amount. No other variables were changed during that time.

The reason why i got rid of the ATS is its a hassle cleaning biweekly. You have to worry about salt screep, water shooting in other directions, etc. Ive replaced ATS with vodka dosing.

ATS still showed the same results like vodka dosing- reducing nutrients. Its just easier to dose vodka.

 

[JustinGr]

I have several large systems and small systems running on ATScrubbers (ATS). Using red turf algae and not the green hair algae, and it is way more efficient, and less maintenance.

ATScrubbers are more efficient at nutrient export than cheato or other macro algae. They require less equipment to run, and less electricity.

The GHA scrubbers are a mess, and do require more expensive equipment if you want to run one, the a true dump style ATScrubber is very efficient.

I have it one a reef, breeding clown setups, large retail MARS setups, and on FOT. The water parameters are almost identical on all of the systems that run a true ATScrubber with red turf algae. I don't need GFO reactors, Skimmers, GAC reactors, large, and expensive sumps or return pumps, in fact, no sump on my reef, and the sumps on my other systems are simply for additional water capacity.

To each his own, but a properly designed ATScrubber will out compete any sump/macro setup.

 

[james1990]

I didn't know you can choose what type of algae to grow on a ATS. I figured it fries what ever algae that would normally grow in the display. Can someone explain this?

I think you bring up an interesting point, I can see a good ATS being more efficient than macro. I'm upgrading to a 150 sps dominant tank at the moment and now I'm thinking of not doing a fuge and adding a ATS. In a low nutrient tank, would a ATS be able to grow algae?

 

[FlyPenFly]

You can try to seed your screen/medium with whatever but I imagine over time, the dominant turf algae will eventually take over.

 

[JustinGr]

Yes, you can get a seeded screen or scrape it weekly and the green will become red turf. The less bio load, the smaller screen you need. In my reef, the screen is smaller than my FOT, that screen is 10x18 in a 180 that it heavily stocked. My breeding clown setup is a 6x9 screen and I feed them 4x a day. My MARS unit has a 12x18 screen and it's loaded with fish, inverts, and coral.

If you want pics let me know.

 

[SantaMonica]

You have to worry about salt screep, water shooting in other directions, etc.

Gotta close-in that thing

I didn't know you can choose what type of algae to grow on a ATS

You can't, the way you are thinking. However, you can, by varying the light, flow, attachment, and air/water interface.

In a low nutrient tank, would a ATS be able to grow algae?

Yes, if you include natural reef conditions as low nutrient. A ULNS however, will slow down the scrubber because the flow of nutrients will to into the ULNS filter.

 

[burnah]

in my opinion, an ATS is not more work than a refugium - my refugium just failed because i did too little for it. sand beds in the sump require some attention. an ats might be not such a nutrient trap as a refugium, but different methods are often religiously discussed

greetings martin