To chaeto or not

[LogFish]

Hey Guys,

My tank is 36 x 18 x 20 inches, with overflow box and a return box on both left and right corners. That's about 4 x 4 inches on each side. Single 1 inch overflow pipe.

As for my sump, it's: 29.5 x 14.5 x 15 inches. This is currently a 4 compartment sump.

first compartment: Overflow in - 5.5 x 14.5 x 9 inches. 9 inches is the baffle height.

second compartment: skimmer (plan to remove this section and merge first compartment with this to give better foot print for BM curve 5 skimmer) - 6.5 x 14.5 x 7.5. 7.5 inches is the baffle height.

third compartment: plan to keep chaeto - 6.5 x 14.5 x 7.5 inches. 7.5 inches is the baffle height

fourth compartment: 6 x 14.5 x 7.5 inches. 7.5 inches is the water height, 5 inches is the actual baffle water height.

So my question is, one of the current compartment is about 6.5 x 14.5 x 7.5 inches of water, and i was planning to keep chaeto in this compartment. That's about 3.06 gallon of water.

Will this compartment be enough to keep chaeto to be able to keep my phosphate and nitrate low, or to assist in nutrient export. Or is the compartment too small to do anything.

I do have plan to reconfigure the sump into a 3 compartment or 2 compartment sump, depending on which would be easier and best possible setup.

I plan to keep mostly LPS and ZOA and maybe a few simple and easy SPS (birdnest, monti)

I cant take out the sump to work on it, so it must be a simple in place reconfigure if im going that route.

Or will it be better to skip the chaeto and use biosphere, rowaphos, carbon in reactors? or even go the polyp lab reef-resh system?

Need suggestions, before i start wetting the tank around mid April.

[tofubox]

Hey bro, personally my opinion is how high will your stocking/bioload be?

Cheato works great in reducing nitrate and phosphate, base on your sump size, u could probably still run it, but since its only a small amount, it can deal with small bioload, no problem. It doesnt require alot of room, just good lighting, once it gets out of hand, just trim it down.

If however you plan on heavily stocking your tank, definitely consider running biopellets/ rowaphos reactors, these are heavy duty and will be able to match up with your tank's bioload. Since the tank is new, its easier to start running biopellets from the start. If its already established, u need to slowly raise the amount of biopellets which can be a hassle.

Alternatively, if u have the room, u can run both. Ultimately the biopellets and cheato will be competing for nitrates and po4. The cheato might die eventually(careful as it may release back nutrients), and u can go solely biopellets.

Polyp lab reef resh is more of a carbon dosing method. I am personally using this on my system at the moment, 2weeks in, nitrates have dropped a little, i also went barebottom, so i can't say if its entirely due to the reef resh system. That said, its not a "put and forget". U need to be diligent about dosing everyday. Reef resh is more straight forward in terms of dosing.

Unlike vinegar, sugar, vodka doing. My opinion is that it will take some time and diligent testing of water. For a brand new tank with low load, and slowly adding more livestocks over days/weeks. It may be tough to determine what amount is required for your tank to maintain that targeted Nitrate and phosphates.

If i were you, and starting from scratch, i did run biopellets at the start and throw in some cheato at the same time, if it dies and my nitrates/phosphates are undetectable, i'll just run solely on biopellets.

[ASHWIN]

Personally Go for cheato helps in live food for Livestocks too..yes depends on your stocking..Heavy you can supplement the cheato with medias like biopellets or rowaphos..to keep those levels down..i have a fuge..with cheato its 2x2x2..With Mangroves..doing well..but my tank is +++overstocked..so nitrates ++ so i carbon dose which is doing vodka+vinegar ..i do not suggest you dosing these..as your tank is gonna be new..Just go for a cheato fuge ..if needed supplement biopellets or rowa..note that cheato will compete for no3 with the pellets/biosphere..so makesure you keep them balance..cheers..btw did you get the RO/DI Yet?..Hope to see you starting soon..

[LogFish]

Thanks guys for the response. In this case, i would leave that part of the compartment as is, and only merge the overflow and skimmer compartment into one.

On the chaeto note, i think i will heed your recommendation of running both, chaeto and reactor's. If chaeto dies, i would take it out.

I wont be going full swing carbon dosing as i'm not looking for ULNS. Since i'm more dominant on LPS and ZOA, i would be happy with low nutrient level if achievable with chaeto and reactors.

as for reef-resh, it may come in later down the months with the tanks progressing.

[Tony LCW]

Hi Guys,

Does adding sugar the same method as adding vinegar or Vodka? I have seriously Nitrate problem and planning to add sugar.

I tried Bio-pellet and maybe I do it wrongly. The tumbling is either too slow or too fast. Ask LFS and have different answer. Nitrate did not go down after 2 weeks on Bio-pellet. Appreciate your valuable advise...thks

[tofubox]

Yes adding sugar is the same as vinegar and vodka, its called carbon dosing. But i recommend using vinegar or vodka instead, its easier to control the dosing compared to sugar, and more people have had positive feedback with these two compared to sugar.

[ASHWIN]

I Vinegar Dosed...trates droped ..1 month and so far good! ..

[Tony LCW]

Thank You so much for the advise, I was so desperate that I added sugar and indeed Nitrate started dropping. Hope to stay on.

BTW, can I switch to vinegar if I started Sugar. Any other effect. And how to dose vinegar

1) Directly drip into tank or ??

2) Amount to addon 100 gallon FOWLR

3) Once achieved zero Nitrate, do we continue daily or we stop dosing

[tofubox]

Yes, u can switch to vinegar from sugar. Directly drip into tank. Amount will depend on your bioload and how much nitrates there is. Start with small amounts and slowly increase till you observe a steady decrease of nitrates. Once zero, reduce the vinegar dosing until u able to find the amount required to maintain a stable zero nitrate environment. Than dose this amount daily.

Ashwin currently vinegar dose, maybe you can get hes input on a good amount to start of with and how to increase dosage in steady amount.

[Tony LCW]

Hi Ashwin,

Mind sharing your advise on Vinegar dosing. Eg 100Gallon tank with 30ppm Nitrate. what portion of vinegar is recommended ?

Probably small amount as to 1 tea spoon or ???

Next, most importantly, what kind of vinegar, Any specific brand or ???.

regards

Tony

[ASHWIN]

Hi Ashwin,

Mind sharing your advise on Vinegar dosing. Eg 100Gallon tank with 30ppm Nitrate. what portion of vinegar is recommended ?

Probably small amount as to 1 tea spoon or ???

Next, most importantly, what kind of vinegar, Any specific brand or ???.

regards

Tony

Hi Bro Tony.Good Morning!

So Far 4 Months dosing vinegar..Good results nitrates from 40 droped to 5PPM..Firstly you need to understand.before carbon dosing..

1:Nitrates And Phosphates Works Hand In Hand

2:If There is a ":Inbalance" example 1PPM Nitrate And 2PPM Phosphates that is a inbalance causing cyano

3:so both must be same..If not cyano outbreaks..So Makesure you keep some po4 removing media.

4:Vinegar dosing drops your nitrats..but say one day if you go on a holiday and stop dosing right? cause your not at home..your nitrate will jump Highsky leading to death/stress/rtn/stn all that complications..so continues dosing is key

5:You Can Get a Single Channel dosing pump if you do go oversea's

6:Patience is key when carbon dosing...Slow and steady

I Recommend a Dosing of 5ML First..

Keep Monitering with a Accurate Nitrate test kit

if it does not drop Increase dosage "Slowly"..Like 5ML To 7ML

If It Does drop maintain at that current dosage

As For Types of vinegar I use Synthetic Vinegar from Giant cheap only lol

#use Distilled White Heinz Vinegar From NTUC Or Giant..

Good Luck and remember patiece is key to the hobby!

Any Prob WA Me At 0167427131..

cheers

Happy Reefing!

[Ken_ng]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I got a cheats related question and thought it would be better if info is shared with everyone who could be interested..

I have a DIY 3 chamber sump.

Drain-skimmer-return..

I have live rocks and cheato in the drain compartment.

Also, I have the lights for the cheato on 24/7.

Is the setup okay?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Clement Chen]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I got a cheats related question and thought it would be better if info is shared with everyone who could be interested..I have a DIY 3 chamber sump.Drain-skimmer-return..I have live rocks and cheato in the drain compartment.Also, I have the lights for the cheato on 24/7.Is the setup okay? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Lots of debate leaving e light on for 24hrd. I have mine around 16hrs. As cheato r plants and they need to rest

[tofubox]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I got a cheats related question and thought it would be better if info is shared with everyone who could be interested..

I have a DIY 3 chamber sump.

Drain-skimmer-return..

I have live rocks and cheato in the drain compartment.

Also, I have the lights for the cheato on 24/7.

Is the setup okay?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

No issue with putting live rocks n cheato in drain compartment, u can put it anywhere u wan actually. Yes, lots of debate on timing, mine is on 24/7 but i just use 3w leds, my cheato grows like crazy.

[Ken_ng]

Thanks! At least I know that I'm not doing some weird/strange/wrong!