Since I'm banned there I can only post my thoughts/questions here. Perhaps someone else will shill for me and risk getting banned as well by asking a legitimate question or two. I am still subscribed to his YouTube channel and he just posted a compilation vid of 10 SURF4 harvests over 4 months. I haven't watched it but in the description he mentions that the tank also has 3 SURF2s on the same tank. This is his reef pond that he has been running since his 90 bowfront cracked. Still have never seen a vid/pic of just the tank. But anyways, my question is this: if he is running 3x SURF2s and a SURF4, which would have a combined feeding capacity of 10 cubes/day, is he actually feeding this much? At one point in time he wasn't feeding anything except the algae back to the fish. At one point he mentioned (I think in one of his sake descriptions) that the only thing feeding one of his units was "phosphate leeching from rocks" but let's not debate that again - point is he wasn't feeding. Has anyone seen him state anywhere that he is actually feeding 10 cubes/day, or anything close to that?
Nope, as far as I can tell he's just playing with with our heads. At best it seems his scrubbers are low export systems. Maybe wrong, but if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck!
I seen that same post and wondered what is going on??!! I wondered if he was not fertilizing the tank with miracle grow something to be getting that grow out of two scubbers
I don't know but I never was able to get that much growth on my SURF2 before the light failed. I was getting 5-10g max, and 100g+ out of my UAS 'test' unit. Both tanks with 2 clowns and fed the same (different volumes). And I've seen several other SURF threads with poor growth. So yes I really would like to know exactly how his tanks are maintained, dosed, fed, etc. Of course remember that the tank he is running these things on is the same tank where he dumped in a bunch of phosphate to allow it to soak into the rocks and then leech back out, and also the tank in which he threw in a handful of reef salt and killed off a bunch of stuff, presumably (since I can read minds, you know) to see how the scrubber would react/handle the ensuing nutrient spike.
I never had any real nutrient reduction with the Air bubble deal like I do with the waterfall. I did get OK 3D growth but it only looked good, I feel the waterfall type are superior as far as nutrient reduction goes.
In the sizing guidelines SM pretty much sums up how flawed the UAS/SURF scrubbers are. They are here: http://www.santa-monica.cc/Which-one_p_63.html Lets say I feed 2 cubes a day to my tank, I want this to be the only form of filtration, also, I have a bit of a algae problem in the display tank. One would assume they would need the SURF2, but this is only the case if: You feed sparingly, have other forms of filtration and do water changes. Why bother with an algae scrubber if you do water changes and have other forms of filtration? Any tank will do fine without an algae scrubber if you do this. Also, how would I feed 'sparingly' if the algae scrubbers are based on how much you feed? How would I feed two cubes per day 'sparingly'? Now if I don't want any other forms of filtration, or to do water changes, double the recommended amount. Right so now I would need a SURF4. If the tank has a nutrient problem (i.e. hair algae in the display tank) double it again. Oh no, scratch that, I would actually need a SURF8. Which doesn't exist. I'd need two of the SURF4's, at $500 a pop. For feeding 2 cubes a day. All I can say is...SM...
Looks like we now have a SURF8. http://www.santa-monica.cc/SURF8-fl...r-surfaces--8-cubes-feeding-per-day_p_64.html Get in quick guys, at $1149 it's a real bargain. It only requires four power outlets, incredible!
Wait, isn't the SURF4 $499? So why would you buy a SURF8 instead of 2 SURF4s for $998? I don't get it.
No doubt there will be a weird and wonderful explanation posted soon on the other place. There's bound to be benefit to the surf8 over 2 x surf4s that we are too stupid to understand
I thought you were kidding. Then I clicked the link . . . Is there really anyone so devoid of reason and common sense that s/he would pay $1k + for this junk? If so, would you please forward me their email addresses as I am going to be marketing a set of Area 51 crystals guaranteed to prevent algae starting at $750 per gram. Thanks,
I think its pretty sad to be honest. There's plenty of people in this hobby who have a fair bit of disposable income, but there's also a lot who have to save hard to be able to make reef tank purchases, it's not a cheap hobby. Most people will research a product/try to find reviews before they buy it, but with algae scrubbers not being nearly as popular as other filtration methods (GFO, Skimmers etc) they don't have much to go on. With SM being such a dictator on the algaescrubber.net site, banning anyone who questions him or the performance of his scrubbers it makes it even harder. They pretty much either have to research algae scrubbers themselves and make an educated assumption that the HOG/SURF scrubbers won't perform as claimed, or they have to find this site and read threads like this.
