Algae scrubber or plants in sump?

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jcardona1

jcardona1

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 5, 2007
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So ive gotten interested in the idea of an algae scrubber. i read the DIY guide months ago but never thought about it since my tank was inside the house and i had no room to set one up.

but now that my 400g is in the garage i could easily set one up and not worry about it looking pretty. i was talking to zennzzo as he built one for his pond. he mentioned it would be just as effective to toss some water hyacinths in the sump with a light over the top. i have a 90g 3x2x2 sump that would have plenty of room for floating plants.

since my main reason for this is to try and reduce nitrates as much as possible, what do you guys think would be more effective? an algae scrubber or plants in the sump? plants would be easiest and cheapest but i dont mind building a scrubber if it will be more effective.

so...... :popcorn: :)
 
The only reason I don't like the algae scrubber is the maintenance required, yes I'm that lazy. I have a diy refugim that I added willow hydro about a month ago. I noticed this morning the plants have been growing and look good but I haven't tested the water. They are about 4x the size when I put them in. I was following this thread for a while as I've been wanting to try something like this:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153346
 
Great question. I'm having a problem with nitrates and am debating plants or a scrubber as well. I think I'm going to try some plants first because they're easier as I'm not sure how well a scrubber would fit under my tank.
 
yeah plants def seem a lot easier. but i have a feeling the scrubber will have a greater effect on nitrates.

BUMP!
 
Me too. I'm guessing the algae scrubber should come before the UV sterilizer.
 
ive heard that moss balls are like nitrate sponges. im thinking of throwing a few in my sump when i get the new set up to help with algae control. it would mean attatching a small light to the inside of the cabinet though.
 
cichlid2006;3703734; said:
ive heard that moss balls are like nitrate sponges. im thinking of throwing a few in my sump when i get the new set up to help with algae control. it would mean attatching a small light to the inside of the cabinet though.
Click to expand...

I've always wondered what those were for when I saw them in the petsmart. I though it was just something for the fish to nibble on. I just stuck some plants in the top of my tank and it helps with nitrates but I have no experience with scrubbers so I can't comapare for you.
 
what is an algae scrubber??? i have plants in my sump, i use pothos vines, they work really good. i have 1 light mounted over the sump, pothos do not require much light. If you try other plants they will require lots of light.
 
keepinfish;3703764;3703764 said:
what is an algae scrubber??? i have plants in my sump, i use pothos vines, they work really good. i have 1 light mounted over the sump, pothos do not require much light. If you try other plants they will require lots of light.
Click to expand...
do a quick search for algae scrubber. theres a super long thread in the DIY section. basically its some sort of screen with water running over it and bright lights aimed at the screen. the thick algae growth will pretty remove all nitrates from the water - thats just a basic explanation.

there's several ways of setting it up
 
Simple solution...... Do both!
 
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