Most of us are aware that most ATSs are sized on the number of feeds per day. However, I am sure the amount not just the number of feeds you feed must play a part in sizing an ATS. I have heard little discussion about the amount of feed as in bulk or weight and much more about the number of feeds when sizing a scrubber. An example of the above. Let's say I feed 1 whole cube of food twice a day that's 2 feeds of 1 cube per day, 2 cubes in total. Now if I feed 2 cubes twice a day that's still 2 feeds but twice as much food which in turn must create twice as much nuitrents. So the sizing of a scrubber to my mind must also take into consideration not just how much you are feeding but also the quantity. The other thing which is often ignored, and I can see why, is that some foods will contain more nutrients like nitrate than others. My current scrubber is undersized for the volume and the number of feeds I feed per day and is unable to keep up with nuitrent production hence why I am getting a new much larger ATS (an Atlantis 3 as Bud doesn't know when he will start production of his new Rev5 scrubbers) to deal with nuitrent production.
Neither sizing the screen solely on the tank volume nor solely on the feeding quantity (total per day) is really "the answer". A blended approach is needed, one that takes many other factors into account I have been working on this, mostly in my head, and of course that is all on hold temporarily along with everything else in my life Choosing a scrubber size – Turbo's Aquatics
Thanks Bud, you will have guessed that I also asked a similar question on FB which you kindly answered. Regards Les.
