Santa Monica Rain2. What are your thoughts?

Alma Knack · 12/07/2016, 11:03 AM

I want to buy an ATS. I am debating between the L2 turbo aquatics and the new santa monica Rain2 waterfall type of ATS. I need the ATS to be silent as it will be in my family room system.
The Rain2 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uo0kOIns0GE) interests me because it is not bulky. I am concerned that the submersible gem 5 led lights will not have sufficient longevity since they are not cooled (as far as I can see) and they are sealed. A few other concerns are:
1 is the ATS silent?
2. Will it grow algae?
3. Will the manufacturer be difficult to deal with if I encounter difficulties?

The turbo aquatics interests me because the manufacturer seems like a really honest individual who is very concerned about making a great product with excellent support. My concern is the bulky design of the turbo aquatics which will be difficult in my stand. I have a cadlights 50 gallon DT with a small ~15 gallon sump.
Your thoughts are appreciated.

epon · 02/20/2017, 03:19 PM

So which direction did you go ?

Alma Knack · 09/19/2017, 03:07 PM

Sorry for the late reply. I bought the rain2 and I am reasonably happy with it. I don't grow heaps of algae like I see others growing in their ATS, but I also don't feed very much. The screen has never filled in completely as there is a bald spot in the middle of the screen, probably from the intense lights. I like how I can submerge it if I want to, and therefore placement in my sump is easy. I don't have a lot of space to work with.

3dpilot · 09/28/2017, 06:05 PM

Keep us posted. I've had the surf 2 and didn't produce any algae after 2 months, so I sold it. I saw this come out and there's a new ats being sold in brs looks similar to l2.

Alma Knack · 10/18/2017, 01:34 PM

Update: I am growing algae in the Rain2 ATS and I have very little algae in my display tank. The bald spot on the screen is now covered with algae. I am happy with the product. The fact that it can be submerged and is not bulky is a big advantage for me

XIONGGOTSTYLE · 11/06/2017, 12:21 PM

Quick Question because I'm considering buying this Rain ATS as well. How many gallons tank do you have? Also have you seen a reduction in nutritents (Nitrates/Phosphates). And with the new scrubber, do you still have algae growth in your main display?

Alma Knack · 11/28/2017, 05:36 PM

I have a 50 gallon cad lights cube tank. I still have some algae in my display tank. I don't routinely check nitrates and phosphates.

langtudatinh01 · 02/13/2018, 01:36 PM

Do you run Gfo with the ats or not?

Alma Knack · 02/14/2018, 01:58 PM

I do not run GFO.
Lately, I have not been able to grow much algae in my Rain2, I am now using a denitrator, carbon dosing and just recently dosed fluconazole. My tank has algae. I am not sure if it is my tank or the ATS, but the rain2 is not helping with my algae problem.

HBtank · 02/14/2018, 03:30 PM

Sounds like you are starving it (carbon, denitrators etc.) and making conditions for low nutrient algaes to persist.

I think the goal with an ATS is to let it be the primary source of export, not one of 3-4 methods.

Alma Knack · 02/14/2018, 04:21 PM

I just started the denitrator/carbon. The ATS has been running for months.

HBtank · 02/14/2018, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alma Knack

I just started the denitrator/carbon. The ATS has been running for months.

Yeah it appeared that it used to be working OK at the end of the year and then you posted it was not; so thought there might be a connection.

Alma Knack · 02/15/2018, 10:13 AM

HBtank thanks for identifying the possible confusion.

My post from 10/18/17 was a few months after a fluconazole treatment. Now in retrospect I believe my clean tank was from the fluconazole and not from a functioning ATS. At the time I incorrectly assumed that my tank was clean because my ATS was growing (I didn’t think the affects of fluconazole would continue to linger)

Now 4 months later my tank is nearly overrun with algae, my ATS is not growing so I redosed fluconazole. I am getting desperate, as I will lose corals to the algae; hence my recent second fluconazole treatment.
I’ve played around with the timing of the lights, but I can’t get much growth. I am wondering if there is photosaturation impeding growth. I tried partially obscuring the lights to no avail. The manufacturer of the ATS, I assume, would state that my rocks are out competing my ATS for algae growth. But that doesn’t help me. My plan is to eliminate the GHA with fluconazole and then do large water changes to reduce the high nutrients trapped in the algae.
The denitrator has reduced my nitrates to near zero in about 10 days. I am not sure how that will affect my progress.

12/07/2016, 11:03 AM	#1
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	Santa Monica Rain2. What are your thoughts? I want to buy an ATS. I am debating between the L2 turbo aquatics and the new santa monica Rain2 waterfall type of ATS. I need the ATS to be silent as it will be in my family room system. The Rain2 (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uo0kOIns0GE) interests me because it is not bulky. I am concerned that the submersible gem 5 led lights will not have sufficient longevity since they are not cooled (as far as I can see) and they are sealed. A few other concerns are: 1 is the ATS silent? 2. Will it grow algae? 3. Will the manufacturer be difficult to deal with if I encounter difficulties? The turbo aquatics interests me because the manufacturer seems like a really honest individual who is very concerned about making a great product with excellent support. My concern is the bulky design of the turbo aquatics which will be difficult in my stand. I have a cadlights 50 gallon DT with a small ~15 gallon sump. Your thoughts are appreciated.

02/13/2018, 01:36 PM	#8
langtudatinh01 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska Posts: 399	Do you run Gfo with the ats or not? __________________ Tuanito Tranito Current Tank Info: my little heaven: 40 Breeder nano reeftank (1 year old-refugium/sump 20 gallons)

02/14/2018, 03:30 PM	#10
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Sounds like you are starving it (carbon, denitrators etc.) and making conditions for low nutrient algaes to persist. I think the goal with an ATS is to let it be the primary source of export, not one of 3-4 methods. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

02/20/2017, 03:19 PM	#2
epon Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: High Desert, Az. Posts: 2,146	So which direction did you go ?

09/19/2017, 03:07 PM	#3
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	Sorry for the late reply. I bought the rain2 and I am reasonably happy with it. I don't grow heaps of algae like I see others growing in their ATS, but I also don't feed very much. The screen has never filled in completely as there is a bald spot in the middle of the screen, probably from the intense lights. I like how I can submerge it if I want to, and therefore placement in my sump is easy. I don't have a lot of space to work with.

09/28/2017, 06:05 PM	#4
3dpilot Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 90	Keep us posted. I've had the surf 2 and didn't produce any algae after 2 months, so I sold it. I saw this come out and there's a new ats being sold in brs looks similar to l2.

10/18/2017, 01:34 PM	#5
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	Update: I am growing algae in the Rain2 ATS and I have very little algae in my display tank. The bald spot on the screen is now covered with algae. I am happy with the product. The fact that it can be submerged and is not bulky is a big advantage for me

11/06/2017, 12:21 PM	#6
XIONGGOTSTYLE Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 11	Quick Question because I'm considering buying this Rain ATS as well. How many gallons tank do you have? Also have you seen a reduction in nutritents (Nitrates/Phosphates). And with the new scrubber, do you still have algae growth in your main display?

11/28/2017, 05:36 PM	#7
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	I have a 50 gallon cad lights cube tank. I still have some algae in my display tank. I don't routinely check nitrates and phosphates.

02/14/2018, 01:58 PM	#9
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	I do not run GFO. Lately, I have not been able to grow much algae in my Rain2, I am now using a denitrator, carbon dosing and just recently dosed fluconazole. My tank has algae. I am not sure if it is my tank or the ATS, but the rain2 is not helping with my algae problem.

02/14/2018, 04:21 PM	#11
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	I just started the denitrator/carbon. The ATS has been running for months.

02/15/2018, 10:13 AM	#13
Alma Knack Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Los Altos, CA Posts: 41	HBtank thanks for identifying the possible confusion. My post from 10/18/17 was a few months after a fluconazole treatment. Now in retrospect I believe my clean tank was from the fluconazole and not from a functioning ATS. At the time I incorrectly assumed that my tank was clean because my ATS was growing (I didn’t think the affects of fluconazole would continue to linger) Now 4 months later my tank is nearly overrun with algae, my ATS is not growing so I redosed fluconazole. I am getting desperate, as I will lose corals to the algae; hence my recent second fluconazole treatment. I’ve played around with the timing of the lights, but I can’t get much growth. I am wondering if there is photosaturation impeding growth. I tried partially obscuring the lights to no avail. The manufacturer of the ATS, I assume, would state that my rocks are out competing my ATS for algae growth. But that doesn’t help me. My plan is to eliminate the GHA with fluconazole and then do large water changes to reduce the high nutrients trapped in the algae. The denitrator has reduced my nitrates to near zero in about 10 days. I am not sure how that will affect my progress.