SAATS FILTER
Large 7 SQ FT. Professional SeaVisions Automatic Algae Turf Scrubber
Lights sold separately.
SeaVisions Automatic Algae Turf Scrubber is a filtration device which uses light to grow algae. Algae can remove all kinds of nutrients in your tank – Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates, Phosphates, etc. They even act as chemical filtration and remove chemicals like copper from your tank! This professional SAATS has a self-moving cloth belt that is designed to optimize the growth of lush green algae under intense continuous light. Since algae must be harvested to reap the benefits of removing toxins from the aquarium water this unit was designed to do that automatically. No other manufacturer has this proprietary moving belt system. Over time the cloth harvesting the algae rolls up out of the water stream and gets tightly wrapped onto a receiver drum for future replacement. The algae that grows on the cloth roll will dry out completely once on the take up drum and no oxygen is allowed to penetrate the wrapped up roll eliminating odor. The used roll is compact and easily replaceable. This unit provides 7 sq. ft. of exposed surface area at all times, this is much more area than any other system in its class. Also, other systems that have to be cleaned must start growing algae from scratch. Because this system keeps very slowly moving the cloth along the path there is always a continuous nutrient eating alga exposed to the aquarium water. The roll is designed to last about 3 months and cost $38.93.
Algae turf scrubbers can be superior to a protein skimmer because they do much more. However, if you have a skimmer you do not need to disconnect it. Eventually, you can make the decision to remove the skimmer completely or just run both. Running both is not necessary, but professionals like to run both as a back-up. You will always get skimate with the skimmer using a scrubber, but that is because the skimmer and scrubber pull nutrients at different stages.
A skimmer takes organics out of the water before they have time to break down into nitrates. They also remove some beneficial things such as coral food. Skimmers are very reliable, but they will not capture all the nutrients being generated in your aquarium system, so having a SAATS will greatly enhance your systems performance.
Algae Turf Scrubbers on the other hand remove nutrients after they have already been broken down. This ensures that all the little coral food particles float around in the water column, so your corals get maximum exposure time to food. Most of our high-end system include the SAATS filter. This system will greatly reduce the nuisance algae in your aquarium, as the algae will grow in this unit much easier thereby starving other competing algae.