Reef Glass Skimmer vs Algae Reactor?

[MrObscura]

Tried to make a poll but it wouldn't work, so... 

 

In a nuvo 10 which would you choose and why? 

[Cannedfish]

What’s in your second chamber? It seems like there are better options for both choices. You could turn your second chamber into a refugium, and not risk external equipment (opposed to an algae reactor). Or if put a needle wheel skimmer into the second chamber (Eshoppes Nano, Aquamaxx NR-1, Icecap K-1), which seem more efficient than the reefglass and don’t require a noisy external air pump. 

[MrObscura]

My heater, and my prime mount is right above it. From everything I've read the back chamber of s nuvo 10 won't make for an efficient fuge. 

 

Anyway, seems like fitting anything bigger than the reef Glass would be a Pita. I actually never even really considered a skimmer since nano skimmers seem either to suck or are larger than I want to deal with. Then I discovered the reef Glass which has good reviews. 

 

I'm also going back an forth based on what I want to accomplish. I don't want to strip beneficial things from the tank, which skimmers can do, but they can also remove negative things. Anyway, I really just want to keep algea out of the display. 

 

Also wont skimming mess with my water level and therefore trigger my ato messing with salinity, and kalkwasser doses? 

[Cannedfish]

1 minute ago, MrObscura said:

My heater, and my prime mount is right above it. 

  

Seem like fitting anything bigger than the reef Glass would be a Pita. I actually never even really considered a skimmer since nano skimmers seem either to suck or are larger than I want to deal with. Then I discovered the reef Glass which has good reviews. 

 

I'm also going back an forth based on what I want to accomplish. I don't want to strip beneficial things from the tank, which skimmers can do, but they can also remove negative things. Anyway, I really just want to keep algea out of the display. 

 

Also wont skimming mess with my water level and therefore trigger my ato messing with salinity, and kalkwasser doses? 

Again, I'm probably not knowledgeable enough to speak on this this, but here are my two cents:

 

Regarding your second chamber you can probably move your heater to the third chamber, I have always kept mine there without issue (knock on wood, though I'm not sure what the issue would be). The prime mount on the other hand may be a slight issue depending on which mount you have and how you set it up; before adding the second light I had the flex arm and just turned the mount around (where it hangs on the glass; against their instructions) and never had a problem, plus I was able to fit a skimmer in the second chamber (Aqua Euro Nano II). I have never really been able to pull that thick of skimmate out of my tank. I'm not sure if this has to do with the effectiveness of the skimmer or the fact I do 3-4 water changes a week. I have mainly looked at the value of the skimmer in that I does pull some gunk out and more so acts as an aerator. The skimmer hasn't effected the water level in any discernible way in which the ATO is triggered (at most my skimmer cup can hold about a cup of water; and being in second chamber the water of the third isn't affected). 

 

I've seen both good and bad reviews of the Reefglass. Personally, if given the choice I wouldn't go with an air stone powered skimmer. Their effectiveness is highly dependent on the state of the air stone and air pumps are noisy. @teenyreef had the reefglass for a while and I don't believe he loved it. 

 

The refugium/algae reactor is a different animal, which I don't have experience with. I know some nanos (mainly on IG) in which they have worked great, and others where they haven't worked at all. Overall, it seems easier  (and less risky) to have an in tank refugium then an external algae reactor for an all-in-one tank of that size. 

[MrObscura]

Man, tough choice. I really didnt plan on using either and probably don't need either, definitly won't once the tanks a bit more mature. But they have benefits, and can especially help a young tank.

 

Fot the algae reactor I'd go diy and just use a media reactor with leds wrapped around it. 

 

I guess I need to decide which will offer long term benefits despite not being necessary.

 

I just thought of something else. My no3 has dropped recently,  to possibly zero now. I have some algea and cyano but not enough to suggest it's just all being consumed. Maybe my issues are lack of nutrients despite regular feeding? 

[MrObscura]

Now I'm leaning towards a skimmer. I don't have to worry about sustaining/maintaining the macro, and I like the idea of removing organics before the began to rot. Skimming seems more ideal for a heavy in, heavy out nutrient import/export approach. 

[hawkingcolorado]

3 hours ago, MrObscura said:

Now I'm leaning towards a skimmer. I don't have to worry about sustaining/maintaining the macro, and I like the idea of removing organics before the began to rot. Skimming seems more ideal for a heavy in, heavy out nutrient import/export approach. 

I have a reefglass on my 20 g IM peninsula in my bedroom. Tetra airpump. It's quiet, works fine. The skim is more like green tea, not the thick stuff. I'm happy with it so far..

[teenyreef]

I used the Pico Skimmer, not the Reef Glass, but yeah, I found replacing air stones and scrubbing out the skimmer every month or two to be a drag after a while. The Eshoppes Nano I have now skims much better and I only clean it a couple times a year.

 

I've never had much luck getting enough chaeto to grow in the back chamber of the IM10 to do any meaningful nutrient export. And as @Cannedfish noted, the extra aeration from the skimmer is a nice bonus.

 

I also think a skimmer provides a nice safety net in case something goes out of whack with nutrients. Personally I'd run both a skimmer and a refugium if I could but there's no room for both in an IM10.

[Tnalp]

I have been running my algae reactor with nothing but good things to say about it. Granted i am a newb. I am running an aquamaxx reactor with the innovative marine pump that comes with the nuvo nano 10. you can buy a package deal off marine depot or BRS for like 140$. no3 stays at 3ppm, phosphate at .006-.009. also my nano is bare bottom which helps with keeping low nutrient in the tank. i have read that some think external reactor are over kill for a nuvo nano 10 but like i said earlier it has made balancing my tank out an ease. 

[MrObscura]

Damn it, I keep flip flopping lol. 

 

 

[RayWhisperer]

Well, I'm on the crapper, so I've got some time to kill. 

 

New tank, or not, I dont think either is going to make much difference. Here's my reasonings, and thoughts. 

 

As for a skimmer. Sorry, air driven, ingection, or recirc, none offers the dwell time needed to accomplish much of anything. At most you'd pull at tiny amount of organics. Most of what you collect is water. As far as buffering the ph. It can't do much more than an open topped tank. At this time of year (area dependent) you're limited by the amount of available oxygen inside the house. 

 

The algae reactor will, without a doubt, be much more effective at both nutrient removal, and ph buffering. With any photosynthesis, what's getting put into the water is pure oxygen. I'm not sure itll be enough to make much of a difference. But, it might make a big difference. I've never run an algae reactor. However, whatever you DIY would need to be tiny. Algae reactors are really effective at nutrient removal. So, I'd guess, without proper sizing, youd either begin to strip the water, or not accomplish much of anything. Just a guess, though. 

 

A refugium is probably your easiest option. Is it better? I doubt it. But it does offer some benefit. As with the reactor, you'll be adding pure oxygen. Probably less than a reactor, but it's still pure oxygen. You certainly wont get the amount of nutrient uptake as you would with the reactor. But, that may be a good thing. Between that and water changes, you should be golden unless you feed really heavily. They are much easier to maintain, from what I've seen with reactors, they seem like a pain. Plus, you can always sell some macro, or take it to an LFS for some credit. Not much, but every little bit helps. 

 

Honestly, youd be fine without anything, though. Especially with all the crap most run in their systems nowadays. Purigen and chemipure. Those pull so much from the water, they almost strip it. I think the only thing that saves most tanks is the length of time people leave those medias in. Quality carbon, filter flows, and re regular maintenance will always get you by. So I'd suggest the cheap and simple route. Just my $.02.

[RayWhisperer]

Floss, not flows. I hate my autocorrect. Miss one letter and it changes everything in the context of the line.

[dcknipe]

I have the reefglass skimmer and I love it.  It pulls a dark tea color skimmate. I feel it's worth it. I use the tetra whisper so it's pretty much silent. 

[MrObscura]

I'm still having a hard time deciding. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with neither, or both eventually. Lol

[xthunt]

I used the Biocube Coralife airstone skimmer for a while, and it was practically silent with the air pump in my cabinet. The needle wheel one's I've used have all been much louder. They all perform about the same IME. 

 

There's someone on eBay that makes and sells the limewood blocks in bulk for a good price, if you decide on the reef glass. 

[MrObscura]

I might end up going with reef glass due to pure simplicity. It's small and will be easy to install, and maintain, and I won't have to worry about keeping chaeto alive and/or it stripping too much from the water since with my wc schedule things shouldn't ever get out of hand. 

 

While a reactor has it's benefits it might be a bit overkill, while the skimmer will just add that little extra piece of mind. 

 

Do you have a link to the ebay seller by chance? 

[Pfisherman]

I'd fill the Chambers with floss, carbon and bio material and do regular water changes.  How much could the net water displacement really be? Eight or nine gallons? Do a 4g water change every week and a skimmer or fuge will be useless in my opinion.

[xthunt]

3 hours ago, MrObscura said:

I might end up going with reef glass due to pure simplicity. It's small and will be easy to install, and maintain, and I won't have to worry about keeping chaeto alive and/or it stripping too much from the water since with my wc schedule things shouldn't ever get out of hand. 

 

While a reactor has it's benefits it might be a bit overkill, while the skimmer will just add that little extra piece of mind. 

 

Do you have a link to the ebay seller by chance? 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wooden-airstone-10-pack-2-x-3-4-limewood-FITS-CORALIFE-BIOCUBE/281154954430?hash=item41762424be:g:NgwAAOxyIPNTcTYO

 

I'm sure this is the size. Probably have to shave down the corners to fit in the reef glass tube. Just copy the stone that comes with it. It’s a soft wood, real easy to cut with a sharp knife or razor. 

[MrObscura]

2 hours ago, Pfisherman said:

I'd fill the Chambers with floss, carbon and bio material and do regular water changes.  How much could the net water displacement really be? Eight or nine gallons? Do a 4g water change every week and a skimmer or fuge will be useless in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure empty the nuvo 10 has an actual volume of 7.5g, so with my rock and sand it's probably like 6-6.5g.

 

I do run floss(changed twice weekly) and chemi blue(changed monthly), and do a 20-30% water change every Friday, but with acros and regular coral feeding I thought wouldn't hurt to add a little extra filtration.  I also was hoping to get rid of the brown fuzzy crap that grows on tge back wall. 

 

But I think I've been over thinking things, and as mentioned above, probably don't need to change anything. And a reactor in the end might be more of a hassle than it's worth when I could, and probably should,  just keep things simple.

 

So, if anything I'll probably add the reef Glass just for a little extra filtration. 

[Tnalp]

i just serviced my reactor for the first time in a month and the only reason I touched it was because i upgraded to an aquamax reactor. i could have left it on for atleast another month without service. after talking to some people with the reef glass, i would to the tunze nano 

[MrObscura]

The more Ive thought about it, I'm honestly not sure I'd be able to keep cheato alive with my wc schedule and low nutrient levels. It might be a better option if I wanted to try and get away from weekly water changes, but I dont. So all things considered a skimmer is seeming like the better option for my situation. 

 

Anyway, I've heard mixed things about the tunze. Everything I've heard about the reef Glass is positive. It's pretty much the only widely reviewed nano skimmer with reviews that are overwhelming positive. 

 

And as mentioned I don't really want to deal with trying to fit a skimmer in by back chamber. The reef Glass will fit no problem. And I like the simplicity of it. 

 

Of course none of that means I won't be back on the reactor side of the fence sooner or later. Lol

[jjmccloud2011]

It sounds like you know your answer and what u want your just waiting for us to tell you to pull the trigger and get it or that its the right thing to do but the reality is nobody can say what's gonna be best for YOUR tank lol its yours if u want it then get it if u don't u don't