Foursquare Aquatics
introduces A new evolution in
algae Turf Scrubbers

The APIS Series offers new innovation, solutions and features.

After many different attempts to reduce the nutrient levels in my personal reef aquarium, I decided that I wanted to try utilizing an algae turf scrubber. I talked with fellow hobbyists that were already using ATS units on their marine aquarium systems and decided that the waterfall design was the design I wanted to use. There was just one problem; the design.

The most important criteria for any piece of equipment that I use on my marine aquarium systems is that it must fit inside the stand. The conventional design of the waterfall designed ATS unit is that the screen and feed pipe must be lifted out of the top of the unit to harvest the algae. When the ATS unit is in place on the sump, I didn’t have the clearance above to remove the screen and feed pipe. I would need to disconnect and remove the entire ATS unit each time I harvested algae. There had to be another way to remove the screen to harvest the algae. The only other way to remove the screen from the ATS unit would be from the side; but how would that work?
After a series of designs and test projects, I ended up falling back on my over twenty years of being a cabinetmaker. The solution to my issue was found in the form of building the ATS unit with a drawer. The screen would be placed inside a “drawer box” that could be pulled out when it was time to harvest the algae. With having addressed the main issue, it took a few re-designs to get the perfect solution to building an ATS unit that could be operated in a confined space and in a more efficient manner.

The new design also addressed a very common issue among algae turf scrubbers; light spill. I didn’t want the inside of my stand to be cast in a bright pink light. The ATS unit is constructed from black polycarbonate which is opaque and doesn’t allow light to pass through the material. I also designed the unit to have the light fixtures placed inside the main unit. There is a clear polycarbonate window in the partition that allows the light from the fixtures to be directed only into the filtration chamber. When the LED grow lights are on, the only light visible is through the vents of the fixture and the small opening on the spill shelf. So when the ATS unit’s lights are on, you only have very negligible light spill from those small openings.

Addressing and finding solutions to those two common issues resulted in the design of my algae turf scrubber; the APIS ATS unit.

The APIS-60 and APIS-300 Algae Turf Scrubbers are currently available from
Bulk Reef Supply.

FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS

The APIS series of ATS units brings new innovations and features to the popular waterfall designed algae turf scrubbers.

The APIS series of ATS units is constructed from 1/4” polycarbonate which is stronger and much more impact resistant than acrylic. The parts for the ATS units are machined using a CNC router for precise and consistent dimensioning.

The uniqueness of the Foursquare Aquatics algae turf scrubbers is that the algae is grown inside of a removable drawer box placed inside of a waterproof box inside of the main box. The completed units are constructed using 27 pieces of 1/4” black and clear polycarbonate. The polycarbonate pieces are bonded together with a solvent weld for maximum strength.

In addition to all of the polycarbonate, the ATS units come with a 3/4” black PVC spray bar that is inserted into a 3/4” Slip x Thread Bulkhead on the back of the unit. The bulkhead is threaded on the nut side to accommodate your plumbing option. The ATS has two drains that have Slip x Slip bulkheads; one includes a short standpipe to use as the emergency drain.

The final piece of the ATS unit is the plastic mesh screen. The screen is textured on both sides to promote the adhesion of the algae. The screen is “attached” to the lid of the scrubber drawer by tabs on the lid that fit through openings in the screen. The screen can be left attached to the lid or removed from the lid during harvesting the algae.

THE Scrubber Drawer

The most unique and innovative design feature of the APIS series of ATS units is the scrubber drawer. The drawer allows the unit to be placed in a location that only needs the front of the unit accessible for maintenance. There are no union fittings that have to be disconnected for a routine harvest and cleaning. In fact, depending on the amount of water flow feeding the ATS unit, you may not even have to turn the water supply off to harvest the algae from the screen. The scrubber drawer can be used to carry the algae filled screen to a remote location without dripping water along the way.

THE DRAWER LID

The lid to the scrubber drawer is rabbeted to securely sit on top of the drawer box. The opening in the lid has posts for attaching and aligning the mesh screen under the spray bar. The lid also has a dadoed trough at the drawer end of the opening to help prevent any water from reaching the back of the drawer front and dripping outside the unit.

THE led LIGHT fixtures

The APIS series of ATS units come with two (2) LED Grow Light fixtures. The fixtures have 100 LED chips that provide a full spectrum of light to promote algae growth. The fixtures are actively cooled with fans that move air through the fixture to dissipate the heat from the LEDs. The fixtures have a switch to power them on and off; if needed.

THE LED WINDOWs

The ATS unit has a partition inside the main unit that keeps the water confined to the interior section of the unit while keeping the LED fixtures dry in the exterior section. This partition has a clear window that allows the light from the LED fixtures to shine into the interior section and the algae screen.

THE MESH SCREEN

The mesh screen for the algae to grow on is prepared by roughing up the plastic to create a texture that will help adhere the algae. The mesh screen is prepared by running a toothed hole saw bit over both surfaces of the screen. The mesh screen has three holes along the top of the screen where the posts of the lid are inserted to hold the screen place.

THE led LIGHT fixtures INSTALLED

The two LED fixtures are placed inside of the main ATS unit box. A partition keeps the LEDS from getting splashed with water from the spray bar. A window in the partition allows light into the scrubber chamber while almost eliminating the amount of light to escape the unit and cast the pink glow normally associated with ATS units.

THE LED COOLING FANS

The LED Grow Light fixtures are actively cooled by one or two small fans. The fans move fresh air through the fixture to dissipate the heat created by the LEDs. The fans only operate when the lights are on. There is some light spill through the ventilation cutouts of the fixture; as seen in the photo taken in the dark shown below.

THE RECESSED DRAWER FRONT

With an opening on the side of the ATS unit, there is the potential for water to leak out. To prevent any leaks from causing damage to the surrounding area, the drawer front is recessed into the main unit. The drawer front overlays the recessed front panel to block any light from spilling out from the unit.

THE spray bar

The drilled spray bar is inserted into a slip bulkhead on the back wall of the unit to be supplied with the system’s water. A spray bar guide that is bonded into the top of the ATS unit keeps the spray bar aligned over the center of the scrubber drawer for proper operation. The spray bar can be removed from the ATS unit for cleaning when needed.

THE SPILL SHELF

A spill shelf is located below the drawer opening that will catch any leaks that could occur through the front drawer opening and the spill shelf directs the water back inside the main unit through a small hole. This small hole also serves as an indicator of when the lights are turned on as you can see the glow from the lights.

THE Drains

The ATS units come with two oversized drains located on the bottom of the units; a primary drain and an emergency drain. Each drain has a Slip x Slip Bulkhead. The emergency drain will have a short standpipe to allow the water to use the primary drain first. Each drain can be plumbed to direct the water back into a sump or elsewhere.

presenting the apis series of
algae turf scrubbers

APIS-300

The APIS-300 series is the first in the series of ATS units from Foursquare Aquatics.

• The ATS unit measures 16” long by 11” wide by 13” high.

• The algae screen measures 12” long by 8” high.

• The two bottom drains have 1-1/2” Slip x Slip bulkheads.

• Each LED fixture has 100 LED chips providing full spectrum grow light with two cooling fans and a 6ft power cord.

• The APIS-300 is recommended for systems ranging from 200 to 500 gallons.

APIS Series Information and Instruction Sheet can be found here;
APIS 60 Instruction Sheet
APIS-300 Instruction Sheet

The APIS-60 and APIS-300 Algae Turf Scrubbers are currently available from
Bulk Reef Supply.

performance and results

Algae HArvest - April 04, 2017

The following photos are from my personal algae harvest from April 4th, 2017. At that time, this was my first ATS unit and it was only designed with one light so only one side of the screen grew algae. This harvest was taken about four months after starting the ATS unit on my heavily stocked 120gal reef system. The time period between harvests at the time was every two weeks.

other photos of personal algae harvests

The following photos are from other harvests from my personal ATS unit.

Foursquare Aquatics

The primary focus of Foursquare Aquatics is the manufacturing of algae turf scrubbers with a standard of high quality and performance.
Foursquare Aquatics is a privately owned and operated small business located in Wisconsin and was founded on July 20th, 2018.

My name is Jason Langer and I am Foursquare Aquatics.

I have been in the marine aquarium hobby since 1992 and I have a real passion for reef aquariums; the fish, the corals and the invertebrates.
I am also a long-time cabinetmaker and woodworker. I have been in the woodworking industry for over twenty years. I have years of experience in designing and building my own projects; cabinets, furniture, built-ins and artworks.
The combination of my profession and hobby has led me to creating many projects for the aquarium hobby. And all of this has led me to here; Foursquare Aquatics.