Hi, new to ATS's but looking to install the Atlantic 1 CGI waterfall type available here in the UK in my new tank sump. My sump is the EA Reef Pro 600s Cube 4 chamber baffled variety which is a UK built aquarium. Would the ATS sit in the first (Drain) chamber or second chamber of the sump? Thinking of adding a skimmer, would this go before it or after it? And finally, I gather the ATS sits above the sump water line but how do folk mount them? I'm a little puzzled here as all videos i've seen aren't very clear? Many TIA, Mark
Can you post a few pics? You can use any order, but if possible, I recommend putting the scrubber before the skimmer. This mainly only matter during the start-up phase, if you supply the scrubber with the dirtiest water possible, algae will start a bit faster. keep in mind that only your water source needs to be first (so if you use a dedicated pump for the scrubber, put this in the intake chamber) Definitely above the water line, more importantly, above the maximum water line under a long-term power outage. Ideally, fully above the rim of the sump. There are many ways to mount a scrubber - PVC pipe spanning across the sump with egg crate on top, zip-tied to the pipe, is a simple way. Depending on the scrubber design, you may be able to set it on the rim of the sump. Pics would help answer this as well
Thanks for your replies., they are extremely useful. This is the ATS in question and is plumbed in from below with supply, drain and emergency drain lines from the base. I was just trying to figure out how this unit would be suspended. Also, when you talk about the pumped water to feed it, are you talking about the dirtier tank drain water where its pump would sit or the somewhat cleaned return water? which would mean it sat alongside the return pump? PSB a graphic of the sump set-up if this helps, thanks again
It looks like you could set the scrubber on the center crossing point of the sump, with the drain going down into the 2nd chamber (front/left) and the feed pump in the back/left chamber. You want the feed pump in the first chamber of the sump - where the tank water drains. That is the "intake" chamber. Not the "return" chamber, where the return pump is. But, that really only matters in the short term. Once the screen is mature, it will filter without issue. An Algae Scrubber works over the long term, versus a reactor or skimmer which is more or less instantaneous. If that makes sense. It's not so much a "one pass" system like a skimmer or media reactor is meant to be. At least, not in my opinion.
Yes, that makes total sense, thanks very much for your feedback. I’m going down the ATS route having researched the huge benefits it gives for the relatively small footprint required and the fact that my future sump isn’t really big enough to be an effective refugium. Again, thank you and thank you for allowing me access to the site
Get the scrubber going, refugiums need space. You can get away with small refugium for a while but a scrubber is better anyway in my opinion. I would run it since day one as well. Post some pictures when you got everything running.
