Things looking good on the reef!

[scolley]

BUT it would be fascinating if I were wrong! Can you point to any reliable proof of a reefer that grows SPS (the more sensitive variety of coral), and have done so for years successfully, with no water changes, and no filtration other than an ATS? If you can point me to such evidence, I've got a ten dollar bill that I'll hand you at our next meeting.

Steve - I'm quoting myself here to reiterate... I'm not seeking commercial documentation. I'lll looking for long term, successful SPS reefers as proof that no water changes and no filtration other than an ATS works. And BTW, I'm not really interested in reefs that have LPS or softies, as those corals are far more tolerant of water conditions.

So no reliable documentation of SPS reefers: no $10. Yet. But in reply...

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/20...ae-bloom-algal-turf-scrubber-harbor-pollution

This says nothing about removal of anything but nutrients, suspended sediment and carbon - specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. We know ATS's remove that. That's why I have one. Any plant will do the same thing, except for the suspended sediments, which IS a nice filtration benefit. But as to being proof of exporting non-nutrient, non-particulate "bad stuff"...

Strike!

The ability for algae to consume loads of "bad stuff" has been proven so well that commercial operations offer it as a service. And algae time and time again has cleaned the worst of conditions.

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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h8KQcWjdhgU?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object>

Please listen to this video carefully. There is no claim of ATS removal of anything but ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphates, and particulates. Again, this lines up with what is undisputed that ATS's will do... removal of plant nutrients and suspended particulates. It's why I love mine.

The other "bad stuff" listed: nickle, chromium, lead, mercury, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene, were only referred to as "compounds broken down by the oxygen" the ATS produces. And not directly broken down by the algae either, but by the oxygen byproduct of the algal photosynthesis. I make that distinction because to not do so could lead one into thinking the algae is taking up these substances that are bad for it. But this video provides no evidence of that.

So as to ATS removal of "bad stuff" from a system: broken down. Not exported (at least as far as that video describes).

A swing and a miss. Strike Two!


And finally...

If this is OT for your thread, my apologies. I'm only following this line of discussion because this is your thread, and I KNOW how passionate you are about this topic. So if this line of discussion is OT, please let me know and we can follow this tangent somewhere more appropriate.