BETTER Than a Refugium? Keep Reef Tank Nutrients in CHECK!

Time to knock those pesky phosphates and nitrates in your saltwater tank OUT! In today's video, join Matthew as he walks us through what an algae turf scrubber is, how they work, and how to install the new Clear Water CW-50. Think this one piece of reef tank kit can outperform refugiums or protein skimmers? Let us know in the comments below!
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[@mwilk19]

It's a box with lights on it that costs a lot of money.😆

[@potsmokeris]

You forgot the plastic mesh on which algae grows. It's probably super high tech, hence the price! 😂

[@gregk-muth8566]

Yes, brs keeps pushing these, obviously a huge markup for a plastic box and light, cheaper to make your own refugium with the same results with no scraping the expensive plastic

[@jf9731]

@@gregk-muth8566 Yea honestly shame on BRS, as a newbie I followed them for ALL of my info starting up, but I've slowly realized they're just a giant advertising company trying to steal your money. They give zero mention to any cheaper options and if anything try to upsell. Always saying "spend the few dollars more for quality!" etc

[@gregk-muth8566]

@@jf9731 you are correct, I would love to upgrade but it is too cost prohibitive. So I will just keep the little 20 up until I shut it down completely

[@imghaniff]

To me the price is a bit much but $350 is worthwhile… get one as it’s on sale right now… these are great quality products! Well designed and fabricated.

[@docforestal]

another great video - thanks Matthew - your starter videos helped get me back in the hobby- cheers

[@salohcind3349]

You need to tinker with these quiet a bit to get them to work. They can strip everything out of the water and cause dinoflagellate blooms and bizarrely more algae. I would just make a diy one. I find the screen material floats pretty well just run fast moving water over it with some light.

[@jf9731]

"it's just a box with lights on it!" That'll be $700. What a joke this hobby can be sometimes

[@rawdogginfilmz7560]

Hahahahahaha $650 my a**. For a plastic box and a simple LED light. Just keep promoting these insanely expensive products. Good job, keep it up!!

[@davileett1224]

$765 now on sale!

[@ROTTERtube]

HOLY $HIT!!!!!!!

[@RogueAquariums]

Utilizing an algae scrubber is something I’m seriously considering as my N03 is too high for my liking and carbon dosing can take awhile to reduce my N03 under 20ppm which is where I’d like my display tank to be at. Thank you Matthew..

[@evaneversole6622]

I promise you won’t regret it! I swear by them!

[@michaelbalsley6041]

I would like to get the light shield for the spray bar that you show in the video. Where did you get that and what is it. My spray bar keeps getting clogged with algae and will not let the water flow right.

[@KrzysztofC-1]

The only problem I have with these plastic boxes with LED lights inside is the MASSIVELY overpriced price.

[@Baka_Mop]

Yeah, one thing I hate about this hobby is the price gouging that alot of these manufacturers are doing. You don't see it in the Asian market at all, it's only prevalent in the Western market. You can easily make one by buying one of those clear plastic cereal containers for $20, some plastic screen mesh for $5, and use your spare pump, tubing and lights that I'm sure we all have laying around. Just drill a hole in the bottom, plumb it, and slap on a light. There you go, that'll be $650. I mean, who cares what it looks like as long as it does the job? It's gonna be hidden in your sump. Unless you're one of those insane people that also want a showroom-level sump. My other hobby is cars, and I'm starting to think reef keeping is way more expensive. A plastic box with 2 led lights should not cost almost as much as a set of wheels for a car or a huge stainless steel exhaust system.

[@PepeCoinMania]

as everything in this hobby

[@devonlewis884]

This "gadget" is definitely better done diy. No way I can justify that price to anyone. If you really want that clean cut look I'm pretty sure you can get a 3d printer for around the same cost. Print it cleaner and then you have an angel scrubber and a 3d printer with endless reef possibilities 🫢😉

[@davileett1224]

Seems decent, but $750+ for $100 in materials glued together?

[@Slide-Loc]

Have seen a meaningful impact for people in our club using these. Maintenance schedule flexibility certainty being a factor. My 300gal needs something done or I need to go from 12 fish to 6 🤦

[@boj4klayman919]

How big are your fish, are you skimming and if so is it skimming wet or dry. No matter how much I stock a tank I'm able to manage nutrients with skimming, macros or a combination of the two and I feed very heavily

[@SantaMonicaFiltration]

Don't forget you can feed green growth to the animals

[@shadowofthestarsdespair]

definitly run it at night so o2 and ph stay balanced. fish that can breath at night are less stressed

[@DrewShafer66]

I would like to get an algae scrubber, but they are severely overpriced.

[@HCBCHEMISTRY]

I give la fish guys Jim s. Credit for pushing algae turf scrubbers over 10 years ago

[@sayurasem]

Anybody put sponge on the outflow to prevent algae debris getting into sump after cleaning?

[@margrzy2875]

I believe sponge on 1 return would be bad idea. If possible you’ll be better off to drain to a sock. Sponge might get plug with debris.

[@janinesnyder8250]

So clever

[@EIY_Kumar]

would you leave the lights on for 24 hours ? or what is the ideal timing ? assuming nutrients are supper high and need the most out of the scrubber

[@jjmccloud]

Start with 24hrs and work your way down

[@stevegee8010]

I just use a plenum, it's cheap and it works.

[@digitalcharon3639]

If only they made one with opaque plastic so I could use on my bedroom tank. Can't have all that light spill when I'm trying to sleep.

[@Baka_Mop]

I don't understand why they just don't have everything opaque except the part when the light shines through. Also $650 for a plastic box and 2 lights is honestly insane.

[@ROTTERtube]

ONLY $700

[@paulrod53]

Can this go on a freshwater tank????

[@potsmokeris]

Sure. You can even DIY one.

[@garysteinert8040]

Those shirts you guys are wearing are going too give epileptics a fit.

[@seegz2416]

it’s cool and all but that price can’t be justified for the lump of plastic and 2 lights…

[@AJHeikkila]

The price of anything can't be justified by the cost of materials alone. Your aquarium is likely a few sheets of glass on a plywood box, why did you pay more than $100 for it?

[@justasimpleengineer96]

@@AJHeikkilaI do agree but the cheapest version being $650 makes this very hard to buy. I want one though…

[@CoralReefkid]

Just build your own then. Stop crying about it.

[@potsmokeris]

You can easily DIY one for a fraction of price. This particular one is for lazy people with a thick wallet.

[@AJHeikkila]

@@justasimpleengineer96 I bought a Santa Monica Rain2, very similar but better setup imo

[@TrevorHiller]

Love the idea but the price is ridiculous. You put it best “just a box with lights.” No way these should be more than $250. Forget approaching $1000 for some of them.

[@clearwaterscrubbers7589]

For “your” retail price point you would need to be less than $60 with materials, packaging, and labor. If you can build them for that price, we will gladly share our designs and let you become our exclusive manufacturer! Understanding manufacturing economics helps understand why the retail is what it is. Labor isn’t free, insurance isn’t free, shipping isn’t free and machines and facilities sure aren’t free.

[@TrevorHiller]

@@clearwaterscrubbers7589 I get it, stuff’s expensive. Perhaps $250 is an exaggeration. But even by your math, that means you have >$400 in materials, packaging and labor for a small one or >$600 for a large one. I don’t mind paying for a quality, North American made product but the value to cost isn’t there for me. Sorry to upset you, it’s just my opinion. Perhaps if they can be made more cost efficiently I’ll try one someday. Best of luck though!

[@clearwaterscrubbers7589]

@@TrevorHiller what’s the value of your livestock worth? Isn’t preventing one tank crash worth the cost of the unit? You’re not spending the money correctly when it comes to gear for your tank. Water is the life blood of your aquarium and if it’s bad do you really think the animals care what kind of light or wave maker there is… just saying that sometimes it’s money better spent where it’s going to make the bigger difference.

[@davileett1224]

@@clearwaterscrubbers7589 Yes, value in tank is now relevant to your overpriced box. I've been doing this a long time with a decent amount of success without needing to spend $760 on a large algae scrubber. Refugiums have been a thing for a reason. Don't try to justify the gouge.

[@darrylros681]

The price doesnt justify it's purpose.

[@ccortez392]

650$ device and it can’t include a pump.

[@eillyacostandinides3344]

No sir and no. There is no study on how this would deplete other elements including major and minor and thus starving ur corals.

[@jjmccloud]

Its no different then growing macro algae in a fuge