NPS and ATS... Natural Fit?

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Been thinking about switching my build from an SPS dominated tank to a NPS tank. In terms of filtration, I would run a large skimmer, and regular, large, water changes, and an ATS??

What are your thoughts? I have been running an ATS on my 120 and have noticed substantial results with nutrient export and phosphate/nitrate control.

Thanks for any thoughts or comments

Xavier

 

[username in use]

Ive been thinking about this approach for some time. I would love for you to be the guinea pig and let me know how it goes :lol:

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I may be up for that challenge. Seems hard to believe that it isnt one of the most prevalent forms of filtration with these tanks.
I have been thinking about just plumbing in a massive skimmer, but then I am working against myself as my filtration would be designed to take the food particles out of the water without giving them as long of a chance to be utilized as possible. The ATS idea allows for the food to float around freely, until it decays, then that ammonia, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate are absorbed by the algae growing on the screen... Seems like a perfect fit. If I end up doing it, I will post detailed reports of the progress

 

[username in use]

Ive considered doing it while keeping the skimmer, just because we put soooo much food in these tanks that I think there is enough for the scrubber and the skimmer.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Yea, I forgot to mention that point. I am running a skimmer now, even on my mixed reef, because I like to feed a lot! I would not trust an ATS to be the end-all be-all for filtration on such a heavy bioload, unless I built it to be 3x the regular size for that size tank

 

[thebanker]

The rule is 12 square inches per cube of food per day, right?

Seems weird, being that 12 square inches is a 3 inch by 4 inch rectangle... or are they talking about "effective scrubbing space" as in, the area the light is really hitting?

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

The 3 x4 " from what I understand

 

[username in use]

So I would need 84 sq/in of screen? 12x7, that should be doable with the room I have.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

You don't have to include your sump either.

 

[thebanker]

I'm pulling these figures from Floyd R Turbo's algae scrubber basics.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Well the way I see it, in a properly built scrubber, the whole screen is being effectively lit by the proper amount of light, and should be included in the "effective scrubbing space" as described

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Mikey: If youre using my scrubber as an example... dont hahaha! It is severely underlit, so there is a lot of unused "scrubbing space."

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Following along...

I've had the same thought process as you guys for a long time. Seems like the perfect fit, and I'm surprised it isn't much more prevalent.

I'd probably keep the skimmer too, at least a small one - not because there will be "enough to go around" but because they work on different types of waste. A turf scrubber can't directly remove organics like a skimmer can.