Collection: Algae Scrubbers

Filtration That Grows What You Remove

A turf scrubber runs aquarium water over an illuminated screen and lets algae colonize it. The algae takes up nitrate and phosphate as it grows, and pulling the mat off the screen takes those nutrients out of the system for good. Skip the harvest and the growth eventually releases what it absorbed, so this is filtration with a maintenance interval attached.

Product Types Listed Here

• Hang-on-back scrubbers, for sumpless setups.
• In-sump scrubbers in small, medium and large.
• External scrubbers in small, medium and large, for sumps with no room inside.

Choosing and Operating One

• Ratings are keyed to how much food the system takes, not to gallons alone. Compare the product page rating against your feeding, not your tank size.
• Harvest on a fixed interval. Overgrown screens shed on their own and put the nutrients back.
• Plan for light spill. Enclosing or blocking the glow is much simpler while the unit is being installed.
• Even flow across the screen produces even growth; a weak or lopsided feed shows up as thin patches at harvest time.