Collection: Algae Scrubbers

Nutrient Export You Can Harvest

An algae scrubber grows algae on a lit screen in fast-moving water. That growth takes up nitrate and phosphate, and scraping the screen carries them out of the system instead of leaving them to cycle. Nothing is actually exported until you harvest, which makes the scrape schedule as important as the equipment.

What's in This Collection

• Hang-on-back turf scrubbers — for tanks running without a sump.
• In-sump scrubbers — small, medium and large, sitting in the sump alongside the rest of the equipment.
• External scrubbers — small, medium and large, mounted outside the sump where internal space is tight.

Sizing and Running One

• Manufacturer ratings follow feeding rate rather than tank volume alone, so check the rating on the product page against how much food actually goes in.
• Scrape on a schedule. Growth left too long sloughs off on its own and undoes the export.
• Shield the light. A scrubber is a bright light next to the sump, and blocking stray light is far easier at install than afterwards.
• Flow through the screen is what keeps the growth even — a slow or uneven feed shows up as patchy harvests.