IceCap External Algae Scrubber, Medium
SKU: IC-AGS-2EXTPRO
MSRP: $ 421.56
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Available Through Authorized Retailer
- Nutrient Control Via Algae Cultivation: Cultivates fast-growing green hair algae inside a controlled chamber, stripping heavy nitrate and phosphate directly out of the liquid column.
- IceCap EVO-1000 Feed Pump Included: Ships bundled with a reliable, energy-efficient 20W water pump configured to handle the optimal flow mechanics of the internal spray bar.
- Double-Sided 24W LED Growth Arrays: Emits targeted photosynthetic light spectra from two separate 12W internal LED panels, ensuring thick, uniform macroalgae growth.
- Fail-Safe Emergency Overflow Drain: Features a built-in secondary emergency bulkhead line (1/2-inch) that routes water safely back to your sump if the primary screen gets heavily packed.
- Tool-Free Quick-Release Harvests: Designed with a sliding quick-disconnect union socket, letting you lift out the spray bar and turf screen for easy harvesting at the sink.
- Heavy-Wall Acrylic Construction: Constructed out of dark, high-gloss cell-cast acrylic panels that contain intense growth light internally while fighting salt creep.
IceCap
Premium aquarium equipment without the premium price. Protein skimmers, pumps, reactors, heaters & more.
IceCap Medium External PRO Algae Turf Scrubber — (IC-AGS-2EXTPRO)
The IceCap Medium External PRO Algae Turf Scrubber (SKU: IC-AGS-2EXTPRO) is an authentic, high-efficiency biological water purification system distributed by CoralVue to offer advanced, all-natural nutrient export for intensive marine reef aquariums and high-bioload fish setups up to 225 gallons. Traditional approaches to nutrient management typically rely on chemical resins, liquid carbon dosing, or massive water changes, which can destabilize baseline water chemistry or strip trace minerals. The PRO External Turf Scrubber completely rewrites this framework by using the natural biology of the reef itself—fighting nuisance algae outbreaks in your display tank by outcompeting them inside a controlled, hidden external reactor chamber.
Operating on a high-velocity waterfall layout, the unit sits securely outside and above your filtration sump footprint. Water is fed up into the top intake by the included IceCap EVO-1000 Feed Pump. This water enters a custom-slotted PVC spray bar and trickles down a rugged, double-textured plastic screen mesh. This mesh is illuminated on both sides by high-intensity, double-sided 12W LED growth panels engineered to output the ideal wavelength spectra for green hair algae growth. As the algae mats colonize the screen, they aggressively absorb free ammonium, nitrates, and orthophosphates directly from the water column. Once the screen fills up, simply lift out the screen, scrape the algae into a waste bin, and drop it back in—permanently exporting pollutants out of your marine ecosystem entirely.
Key Features
Stabilizes Aquarium pH Wavelengths: Running the integrated LED growth panels on a reverse photoperiod counteracts the natural nighttime CO2 spikes of your display tank, stabilizing baseline pH values.
Zero Sump Intrusion Profile: Mounts entirely outside of your filter sump compartments, preserving precious internal real estate for large protein skimmers, media reactors, or return pumps.
Splash-Free Gravity Drainage: Directs water smoothly back down past your sump lip via a large-diameter plumbing track, ensuring silent operation and low salt spray accumulation.
(Note: This retail package arrives with (1) Medium External Scrubber body with lid, (1) rough-textured turf screen, (1) slot-cut spray bar with quick-union, (2) 12W waterproof LED panels with power adapter, and (1) EVO-1000 water feed pump. Bulkhead drain plumbing pipes are sold separately).
IceCap PRO External Algae Scrubber Sizing Matrix
| Scrubber Model | SKU Part Number | Target Aquarium Capacity | Core Screen Dimensions | Total LED Energy Draw | Included Feed Pump Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small External PRO | IC-AGS-1EXTPRO | Up to 100 Gallons | 8.5" x 6.0" | 12 Watts (2 x 6W) | IceCap EVO-1000 (20W) |
| Medium External PRO | IC-AGS-2EXTPRO | Up to 225 Gallons | 11.8" x 7.4" | 24 Watts (2 x 12W) | IceCap EVO-1000 (20W) |
| Large External PRO | IC-AGS-4EXTPRO | Up to 350 Gallons | 15.8" x 10.5" | 30 Watts (2 x 15W) | IceCap EVO-2000 (30W) |
What’s Included:
(1) IceCap Medium External PRO Clear/Black Acrylic Scrubber Chassis
(1) Custom-Slotted PVC Water Distribution Spray Bar Assembly
(1) Detachable Heavy-Duty Double-Textured Turf Growth Screen
(2) 12-Watt Waterproof Internal LED Grow Light Strips (24W Total)
(1) IceCap EVO-1000 Low-Voltage Water Feed Pump with Power Cord
(1) Heavy-Duty Flexible Feed Pump Connection Hose with Hose Clamps
Technical Specs:
Official Manufacturing Title: IceCap Medium External PRO Algae Turf Scrubber
SKU / Factory Part Identifier: IC-AGS-2EXTPRO
Primary System Application: External Gravity-Drain Marine/Freshwater Use Only
Maximum System Tank Sizing: Rated for Aquariums up to 225 Gallons
Overall Physical Dimensions (LxWxH): 12.6" x 8.7" x 12.6"
Active Turf Growth Screen Scale: 11.8" x 7.4"
Primary Output Pipe Connection Size: 1.0-Inch Slip PVC Fitting
Emergency Overflow Output Size: 1/2-Inch Slip PVC Fitting
Maximum System Water Flow Volumetric Capacity: 500 Gallons Per Hour (500GPH)
Warranty
CoralVue, Inc. hereby guarantees this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of:
- 1 Year
Warranty is activated on the date of purchase.
This Standard Limited Warranty applies and is limited as follows:
- To the product only as long as it remains in the possession of the original purchaser.
- To the product that has not been subject to accident, misuse or abuse.
- To the product that has not been modified, altered, defaced, or had repairs made or attempted by other than CoralVue, Inc.
- That CoralVue be immediately notified in writing within ten (10) days of first knowledge of defect by owner or his agent.
- That CoralVue, Inc. shall be given first opportunity to make any repairs, replacements or corrections to the defective construction within a reasonable period of time.
- Under no circumstances shall CoralVue and/or the Manufacturer be liable by virtue of this warranty or otherwise for damage to any person or property whatsoever for any special, indirect, secondary or consequential damages of any nature however arising out of the use or inability to use because of the product defect.
- Unbox the components. Ensure the scrubber body is positioned flat and elevated high enough above your sump rim so that the lower output bulkheads can drain completely downward via gravity.
- Hard-plumb the 1.0-inch primary slip PVC outlet bulkhead and the 1/2-inch emergency overflow line back into a high-flow chamber of your filtration sump. Note: Use standard PVC cement on external pipe paths to ensure zero leak risks under the cabinet panel.
- Push the bare unglued end of the slotted spray bar assembly firmly into the quick-disconnect slip socket mounted inside the clear scrubber body wall. Align the rough-textured turf mesh screen vertically inside the track slots.
- Drop the included EVO-1000 feed pump into your sump's raw water chamber, and route the flexible vinyl hose path up to the ball-valve input barb at the side of the scrubber box. Tighten the hose clamps securely.
- Open the input ball-valve fully and plug the EVO-1000 water pump into a GFCI wall outlet. Verify water sheets smoothly across both sides of the screen without spraying out of the upper lid lip.
- Plug the 24W LED power supplies into a digital timer or aquarium controller. Configure the schedule for a 12-hour daily photoperiod set to run on a reverse daylight schedule relative to your display tank lights.
Pro Tips:
- Only Power Up One Side of the LEDs During Your First Week of Use. When starting up a brand-new, sterile turf scrubber screen, the clean plastic mesh has zero seed colonies to anchor onto. Blasting the clean screen with high-intensity light at full 24W power can cause photosynthetic burn, delaying the growth of targeted green hair algae while promoting a slick layer of black cyanobacteria mud. Light the screen using only half of your lighting capacity for the first 7 to 10 days to let the initial green micro-algae cells seed the mesh safely.
- Never Scrape the Screen Completely Clean During Routine Harvests. When harvesting the thick sheets of green hair algae every 1 to 3 weeks, do not scrub or bleach the screen back to a pristine transparent state. Use an old credit card or plastic scraper tool to clear out the bulk of the thick hair strands under tap water, but leave a thin, fuzzy base layer of green roots intact across the mesh. Leaving these root bases acts as an instant starter seed for the next cycle, allowing the screen to rebuild a full growth sheet twice as fast.
- Keep an Eye on the Slotted Spray Bar for Calcification Clogs. Over months of continuous operation, evaporated salt spray or localized calcium deposits can collect right inside the tiny horizontal water exit slots cut into the overhead spray bar pipe. If these slots get partially blocked, water will shoot out at odd angles, creating dry spots on the screen and reducing filtration efficiency. During your monthly harvest routine, take 30 seconds to slide out the spray bar and run a hard plastic brush or zip-tie down the channel to keep the flow paths completely clear.