FlowerMama Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 A nice option for flowy still could be duncan, torch can reach far. Frogspawn, I have to move mine to a different location in my 34, doesn't like it where it is. One head is shrunk in so small. The other one is out but not lookin' so great. We'll see after I move it tomorrow. And I do see a nice spot, down on the right side for a rock flower!!! Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 What a awesome peppermint looks so cool!! Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 20, 2014 Author Share Posted September 20, 2014 A nice option for flowy still could be duncan, torch can reach far. Frogspawn, I have to move mine to a different location in my 34, doesn't like it where it is. One head is shrunk in so small. The other one is out but not lookin' so great. We'll see after I move it tomorrow. And I do see a nice spot, down on the right side for a rock flower!!! I want a rock flower badly! Every reputable site I check seems to be out of stock. Hopefully by the time I'm ready, I'll be able to find one! What a awesome peppermint looks so cool!! They're actually part of the cleaner shrimp family. Excellent scavengers, and will even clean fish that swim nearby! Plus he takes down pellets in mid-air and scarfs them down, along with any other uneaten food. Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Just bought some chaeto from Arkayology to help deal with my excess nutrients. I don't know if I feed too often, or what, but I'm more excited about boosting my population of pods in my tank. I'm going to be placing it in my display, since I don't have a fuge. Anyone have any suggestions on how to anchor it down? Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Just bought some chaeto from Arkayology to help deal with my excess nutrients. I don't know if I feed too often, or what, but I'm more excited about boosting my population of pods in my tank. I'm going to be placing it in my display, since I don't have a fuge. Anyone have any suggestions on how to anchor it down? I've seen places running external HOB fuges full of cheato with a small LED light.. I don't know entirely what the concept of cheato / HOB fuges do - I always thought that it helped clarify the water.. hah!! I guess it does add pods, too. Would be cool if you had a huge pod population and were able to keep a mandarin... (I've seen several like this at the LFS which is why I'm thinking of it). My tank alone / without this however has so many little pods. Whenever I move the rock you can really see them scatter everywhere, kinda of creeps me out sometimes... Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 I'm definitely gonna look into something like that. Do you know the exact brand of that product in the picture? I want that one. Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Not actually sure on that one in the pic above - just took from another reef forum hah! The ones I see in my LFS I beleive are the "breeding" boxes.. Instead of a fish inside though - cheato! It uses an air pump I believe to pull the water into the box, and then dumps it back into the tank. Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Ohhh, daddy like. Thanks boss! I gotta do some research. Link to comment
NanoClown Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 The simplest way you could add it to your system is by buying a AquaClear Filter and slightly modding it into a refugium. The process is rather simple and its a good way to add a little more flow to your system for your corals. On my Spec V I had an AC20 filter, but it was kind of small for the long run, i'd probably use a 50 or 70 next time. The impellers on those models are interchangeable with the AC20 so you could swap them out for the smaller one to reduce the flow that comes out. Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 The simplest way you could add it to your system is by buying a AquaClear Filter and slightly modding it into a refugium. The process is rather simple and its a good way to add a little more flow to your system for your corals. On my Spec V I had an AC20 filter, but it was kind of small for the long run, i'd probably use a 50 or 70 next time. The impellers on those models are interchangeable with the AC20 so you could swap them out for the smaller one to reduce the flow that comes out. I looked into this, and I think it's slightly above my DIY handiness. I think I'd just waste like $40 trying to make it work. I don't mind putting it in my display. I have no corals right now and could use a little more color... I've seen others put it in one of those acrylic soap dishes with suction cups. Has anyone had any experience with this? Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 Just received a healthy ball softball-sized bag of chaeto from Indy! I'm hoping to see tons of pods tonight. I think it looks pretty nice in there. I love the color, and it looks better than nothing right now! I'll look into a HOB fuge in the near future, but for now I think it will help my nitrates best if it's in the display. Link to comment
vlangel Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Hey that works Evan. What cheato does in simplistic terms is it uses excess nutrients and fish waste as food. Think of cheato as a plant in a garden and its getting manure spread on it to fertilize it. Your aquarium is the garden, the cheato is a plant and the excess nutrients/fish wastes are the fertilizers. Other macro algaes will work the same way. There are some beautiful red ones that are really striking. Not as flashy as corals perhaps but beautiful in there own right. Link to comment
kimberbee Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 It kind of looks like that plastic Easter grass... But in a good way!! Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I like it! Maybe the YCG will go in it haha Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 You can always create some kind of basket thing- maybe something from a fruit container at a store, to hold it against the glass if at one point you want it out of your display for the most part. Link to comment
kimberbee Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I do think it looks kind of cool where it is for now. As long as it doesn't start to float away or get huge... Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 yeah, the floating away into the pump thing..... Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 How do you have zero salt creep!! Just realized looking at your glass.... so clean! Link to comment
lecroj Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 I don't think you need a HOB to lower nitrates, just add more rock. If you have enough rock, your nitrates should go to zero (at least on the crappy API test kit). Also, you can get an $18 10w underwater LED light (on InTank - may be cheaper elsewhere) and put the chaeto in your filter above the chemicals. Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 It feels like plastic! I have some salt creep near the Hydor return, and tiny bits elsewhere, but I've never cleaned it in 6 months! I do think I need more rock... I'm hoping to get a small piece of rock with some frags already on it! Right now, my emerald and peppermint love hanging out near the chaeto. Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 It feels like plastic! I have some salt creep near the Hydor return, and tiny bits elsewhere, but I've never cleaned it in 6 months! I do think I need more rock... I'm hoping to get a small piece of rock with some frags already on it! Right now, my emerald and peppermint love hanging out near the chaeto. Surprised ! The peppermint and emerarald are okay together? My concern would be my pistol and a peppermint haha.. not a good idea. Thinking of a tailspot blenny maybe to companion my clown? Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 25, 2014 Author Share Posted September 25, 2014 Every time I someone asks me about Tailspots, I always tell them to get one. They're so smart and awesome. Their colors are unique and they have the best personalities. But make sure you have a good lid because they're jumpers! Definitely my favorite fish. That and YCG's. My peppermint molted last night and my emerald left him alone. No quarrels whatsoever! Link to comment
ninjamyst Posted September 25, 2014 Share Posted September 25, 2014 My wife hates the TSB. She said it looks like a clown and I guess she has clownphobia? haha Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 26, 2014 Author Share Posted September 26, 2014 Hahahaha they do look like they have clown makeup on... Oh my god haha. Link to comment
ETucc Posted September 26, 2014 Author Share Posted September 26, 2014 I tested for nitrates this morning. After performing a WC on Tuesday (2 gallons, around 40%), and adding the chaeto on Wednesday, I've seen a significant drop in nitrate levels. They were over 40ppm, and now I'm getting a reading between 10ppm and 20ppm! I'm going to test again on Sunday to see if they drop some more before I do another WC. I definitely need to add more rock or something to get these nitrates in check, because this chaeto can't be in my display forever, being that it's taking up valuable coral space! I do feed every day, but only one pellet broken up into smaller pieces. (Piccolo has a little mouth, and a little stomach! He needs daily feedings to get fat. ) Link to comment
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