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dendro, why did you stop using an ATS?
Mark, your point regarding a DSB adding to the biodiversity really makes a lot of sense. I just am not going to put any substrate in this system. I run huge flows that keep the bottom clean(except for a couple of semi-cryptic junk collection zones). and I export sediment.
The Adey book shows an incredible variety of techniques in their various ecosystems. I never said I was copying them, only they gave me some ideas. They remove sediment from the caribbean reef system described in the book and call it geological export.
I am also not growing a turf, only macros. I am trying to starve out the micros. But I am interested in any algae scrubbers as far as how people are doing with them. That's why I am curious about just what is growing in the scrubbers.
As mentioned before, I agree with having to feed something and i plan on starting a regular feeding schedule and amount, but I am going to ease into it for sure. I still think that at some point I can get this thing to feed itself from inorganic compounds and energy alone(plus a few cheater vitamin kind of organic building blocks). I believe the key is to get the macros and the phytos settled in and I believe the rest will rock.
Anyway, all I wanted to do was build the plant based biology model to essentially feed the coral while keeping the water nutrient poor, like on the reef crest, and see if I can get the thing dialed-in to run with some stability, which might turn out to be impossible. So I am looking to see just how anyone else has been doing just keeping the filtering going even. This thing is dead opposite of zero maintenance. Seriously, DSB's approach zero maintenance better than what I have(that's a compliment).
I do see one general trend of everyone, and that is heavier feeding and of course heavier filtering. So Doug, you really only have the scrubber and the skimmer as your filters and you do feed a fair amount, did I get that right. That is pretty cool. Do you notice any ups and downs in things when the scrubber screen is full of algae vs when there is none. I would tend to want to have several screens and alternately clean them to keep a more even amount of algae in the scrubber, but never been there in either case.
I really appreciate everyone taking time to throw 3 cents worth in . verrrrrry interesting.
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