Macro algae with no fuge?

[jezzeaepi]

After 5 months warring with various type of algae, Ive come to terms with the fact that I cant both keep everyone happily fed and the tank free of nuissance algae.

So heres my problem:

I dont want to set up a refugium or a sump. Theres really no room for one, and I dont want any risk of floods. When I move in a year I will get to set my tank up on a more "water friendly" floor, but the wood floor its on now is worth too much and its not mine(damn apartment life!).

My solution was to create some sort of plastic "cage" of cheato to keep in my display. It wont look the prettiest, but it will look better then the cyano that tries to grow in its absence. Has anyone else done something similar? Any suggestions on approx. size I should shoot for? Its a 40 gallon tank. I planned on making it out of plexi and drilling a lot of holes so water can flow through. I could probably get a black piece to cover it on one side so it wont look as ugly. Id mount it in a corner that recieves moderate flow.

Does any of this sound feasible? Or is it going to be too little to make any difference?
Peace,
Jesse

 

[Krish]

Sounds like a plan! On the same note, if you don't want to go through the trouble of building one, have you ever considered a CPR hang on fuge? No worries about leaks there and will do the same thing except you won't have to take up any space in your tank and won't have to look at it. If you've never seen any, here are a few links. HTH's and good luck


One type

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...D&Product_Code=CPR-AFSM&Category_Code=Special

This one has a skimmer

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=CPR-AFPSS&Category_Code=Special


and here's a page to all of them with dimensions and prices

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Special

 

[Brenden]

I agree with Krish. Check out the hang on type. Also do not be surprised when the chaeto does not resolve all your algae problems. You may have to experiment with food and feeding schedule. What type food do you feed and how often?

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF Buckwheat!

 

[Brenden]

Welcome BuckWheat. Have you seen Spanky?

 

[Krish]

Here's a mod twin

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/member.php?u=281

 

[Krish]

Awe man I should get a new profile or what?
I hope I don't piss someone off, he may ban me or something?

LOL...Your cool man. Your with us Hope you enjoy the site man...Very friendly and informative place

 

[Krish]

I think I may need to change my username, can someone do that for me?

You'll have to create a new username, but no-one else here is named buckwheat so don't worry. Brenden just added that avitar after seeing your name and Scooter is cool and that is just his avitar...No worries man


Where you at Jesse???

 

[angelfish]

Sounds like a plan! On the same note, if you don't want to go through the trouble of building one, have you ever considered a CPR hang on fuge? No worries about leaks there and will do the same thing except you won't have to take up any space in your tank and won't have to look at it. If you've never seen any, here are a few links. HTH's and good luck


One type

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...D&Product_Code=CPR-AFSM&Category_Code=Special

This one has a skimmer

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=CPR-AFPSS&Category_Code=Special


and here's a page to all of them with dimensions and prices

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Special

very good suggestion

 

[Curtswearing]

Bill (Edgekrusher) on RS made an in-tank fuge with a hang-on fish holder with drilled holes like you are describing. However, he got rid of it fairly quickly because it took up so much real estate in his nano tank.

Here's the pic. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/81/cat/500/ppuser/43

 

[Curtswearing]

Awe man I should get a new profile or what?
I hope I don't piss someone off, he may ban me or something?

No worries. That's his username on TRT...not on RF.

 

[jezzeaepi]

Sorry was heading home from work =P
I feed a mix of foods.
Once a day I feed about a qarter of cube of mysis shrimp or formula 1 for my firefish.
Every 3 days I feed some Dt's(10ml)
Every 3-4 days I feed the tanka chunk of Rons reed food.

Nitrates:2
Phosphates: .2
I use rodi water with 0 tds.

I figure my phosphates are feeding the algae. Ive tried the phosar media and its done a decent job, Ill switch out what I have in their now and bring it down some more(was at .7). Id like a more permanent and natural solution to exporting these, and figured macro was the way to go. Macro has the added benefit of being a pod farm and reducing nitrates.

On the back of the tank I already have a remora skimmer, so no room =\
There is however a rear corner of my tank that is unused right now(got rid of a powerhead) that would be no problem to give up for some phosphate exportation. I realise it will look kind of dumb, but I think there is enough other beauty in the tank that it wont detract too much.

Thanks for the suggestions and links!
Peace

 

[Krish]

Ahh...Well you could possiby DIY something similar to the CPR aquafuge but smaller (if you have the space) and just sit a small pump (possibly a $12 maxijet) in the tank to feed the fuge and let it gravity feed back into the tank. That way, you won't have to worry about a flood, because it will drain only what is pumped into it or even if you don't have the space right on the tank, maybe slightly behind it and above (if you have the space again) and do the same thing (pump water from the tank into the fuge and let gravity drain it back in). Just a thought...In any event, if you want to just put one in the tank, they have one of those already which just hit me! Comes with a pump and all! HTH

Got to www.marinedepot.com and then type in "in tank refugium" in the search field and it will come up

 

[jezzeaepi]

That was the other idea I had considered Krish. It would defintly acomplish everything I wanted. My concerns with this way though were:
a)It may look really ugly If I try to rig it up
b)The cost in both money and time for building a custom acrlyic refugium, stand and pump may not be worth the benefit
c)There is still the risk of the overflow on the refugium getting clogged and starting a flood.

I think Ill give the in tank one a try for now. If I see good results maybe ill spring for refugium idea.
Thanks for the MD link, Ill try to make my own first, but if Im unsuccesful Ill buy it there.



2 nitrates is considered high? I thgouht as long as I was below 5 I was alright. I knew the goal was 0, and its been coming down, just slowly. About 2 months ago it was 5, a month ago it was 3.5, now its 2. I do weekly water changes of 5 gallons(40gal tank).

I want to switch the firefish over to sinking pellets, but for now all I have is frozen stuff. I tried buying pellets last weekend but ended up with pellets that were too big for his mouth. Ill try again this weekend.

What exactly do you mean by "vacuum your tank through a Micron filter sock "? I cant picture what your suggesting.

 

[Krish]

2 nitrates is considered high? I thgouht as long as I was below 5 I was alright. I knew the goal was 0, and its been coming down, just slowly. About 2 months ago it was 5, a month ago it was 3.5, now its 2. I do weekly water changes of 5 gallons(40gal tank).

Don't get too discouraged man...My tank took almost 8 months to read 0 nitrates. I started out at 8 and slowly it made it's way down. It would have gotten to 0 a lot quicker, but I messed with things a lot, added more rock after a few weeks and changed tanks etc so it delayed things a bit, bit 2 ppm of nitrates isn't bad at all! Just keep at it

 

[returnofsid]

You can make a really easy HOB refugium by doing about 10 minutes worth of alterations to a HOB Aquaclear power filter. You just remove the basket, cut it, glue it, throw in your Chaeto and you're ready to go. If you're interested, I'll find the link for it. I've done it for 2 of my tanks and it works GREAT. Then I went to Walmart and purchased a $6.00 clamp on reading lamp...replaced the bulb with one of those energy saving compact flourescents and have lighting for the home made fuge.

 

[jezzeaepi]

I really like the aquaclear refugium idea too. Ill take some measurements when I get home to see If I could fit it.

I think I see waht you mean about the sock. I could probably get a small PH and some tubing and make one fairly easily. Just blast off my rocks and run that thing for a bit. Sounds like a plan!

Thanks guys.


Peace,
Jesse

 

[Haole]

I have a 40 gal tank too and I’m currently growing a clump of cheato in there as well. This is only a temporary thing until I’m able to make my future sump/refugium. When I first put the macro in there, I made a cage out of egg crate-light diffuser material, but after a while I just couldn’t stand how distracting it made the tank look. Now I just have it wedged in the rockwork in the back of the tank. It’s been in there for over a year now and every time I go to move it, there never seems to be any signs of it trying to root itself to the rocks. When it grows, it does intertwine through the rocks but I’m still able to pull it away with no signs of attaching to the rocks. I have to agree with what everyone has told you already... Having macro algae’s in your system isn’t going to be a “cure all” in your battle with other nuisance algae’s but it can help. Definitely stay up with keeping detritus to a minimum with filtered siphonings or water changes if not both. I don’t want this to sound like an insult, so please don’t take it that way, but are you sure you have enough flow in your tank?

Overall it’s like Krish said... It’s always going to take time so hang in there! hth

 

[jezzeaepi]

I have around 1000gph flow on my 40gal. I use 1 seio 620, a mj 1200, and then the pump on my skimmer. There used to be a second seio in there but my LPS didnt like it. They stayed retracted some untill I took out, now they look great.

 

[Haole]

Ah... that’s good to know. Sometimes that aspect seems to get over looked.
Keep up with your patience and regimented chores. Things will eventually change.