CUC help

[txg8gxp]

Ok, I need a CUC bad...I'm tired of cleaning the tank twice a week. I'm just looking for some advice of what is good, and how many. So far I'm looking at florida cerith, dwarf cerith, astrea(maybe), limpets, chiton's. I already have a few turbo's, I DO NOT want any hermits. I'm kinda limited on what I can use because I have rimless and bare bottom. I have a 57g BB rimless with about 40-45 pounds of rock. At the same time I'm setting up my new fuge 12x12x12. Not sure what I want to use, I'm still debating between sand or mud. After alot of reading on mud, I think I have changed my mind from miracle mud to fiji mud. This is my idea's on macro, so far. High nutrient uptake- caulerpa prolifera, chaeto, oar grass. Medium nutrient uptake- red mangroves, halimeda(money plant), Ulva. Low nutrient uptake- dragon's breath, codium, mermaid fan. I don't plan to have all of this, but I do want to make sure I have macro that fits in all three levels. Any advise would be great. Thanks, Stephen

[Europhyllia]

Too bad you don't have any kind of top. The Nerites I got from reefcleaners have been super effective but I believe they're tidal so they might wander off in a tank without top.
The chitons are awesome and I love them but they don't go very far from their home spot. They are very thorough though!

If I can help it I will never have caulerpa in my tank or fuge again. Chaeto seems like a much safer choice and doesn't have the possibility of going sexual even with a regular on/off light cycle.

[txg8gxp]

I like the idea of nerites, but they would get out I'm sure. I know the chitons/limpets don't move much...but there too cool. You have a good point on the macro. Alot to think about, because of 12 hour versus 24 hour lighting etc. The only reason I'm thinking prolifera is because of how fast it grows without having to flip/etc. like chaeto. The 12 hour versus 24 hour lighting also make me think, how will that affect night time pH swings.

[StevenSeas]

With a reverse 12 hr cycle it will help to slow and lessen the drop of pH at night. With a 24 hour cycle you will get pretty close to your normal drop in pH, atleast in my reasoning because then you treat it as a non-factor since its "respirating" the entire time.

I lean toward prefering a reverse cycle that starts about an hr before lights out and ends an hour after lights on, so starts when white lights are off and actinics are on if you light that way.

This makes it so that the pH swing is gradual b/c the fuge starts to kick in at night when everything is slowing down b/c it knows nightfall is approaching. And then during dawn b/c everything is just waking up and getting going and isnt full speed, full respiration yet. So I like a little bit of overlap but not the the extend of 24 hrs.

doesnt the 24 hr thing stop calurpa from going "sexual"? Couldnt you just run it dusk-dawn w/ caulurpa and plumb in a 9watt UV sterilizer going back to your sump from your fuge, or you want the pods and other goodies to make it out? Why not figure out a way to make a spinning cheato ball/tumbler. I have been working on designs in my head kinda like a large biowheel only w/ cheato inside.

There ya go get one of the huge ones that are used one wet/drys and empty it out, put the 1/4 inch clear mesh that ppl use for tops on that instead of what is normally there and run it like a tumbler, could even use some of those underwater 10w LEDs :)

[StevenSeas]

anything you got in that list take care of cyano? I have a maroon sandbed that I will be facing off w/ tomorrow nite....I know as an aggie i should love marron but it just doesnt have a place on my sand Im sorry.

[allan]

I think someone is hosting another CUC with reefcleaners in the group buy section.

I'm not too satisfied with cyano cleaners of themselves and fixing to use the Cyano stuff that Erik was showing me the other day.

[Big_Pun]

maybe its time to go to the carbon base pellets and maybe a bigger sump with a sand bed in that

[allan]

Hey Stephen,

You already have a sump, right? 12"x12"x12" is a little more than seven gallons. I'm assuming you want a deep sand bed which would be around six inches deep leaving you 3 gallons of water in a fuge that small.

I'd pick one or the other. Either the deep sand bed or the macro, but in a fuge that small you shouldn't try both. If you do put a bed in there and macro it will be IMO just for pod population (the sand bed that is) because it would be too shallow for the benefits of a DSB.

I'd definitely take Chris' advice and go bigger in the fuge/sump area. The largest that you can get in there, the better.

...but then again, I've got a 100 gallon fuge/sump area and I've still got to clean the glass twice a week. The clean up crew doesn't leave the glass sparkling so even with a robust clean up crew you will have to wipe the glass. If it's cyano that you're trying to stay on top of, well I'm waging that war as we speak.

[txg8gxp]

I have two fuges, the stock one in my PM30 sump will be a rock chamber. Then reefone made me a add on fuge to set on top of the rock chamber, so I want a shallow sand bed mainly for planted macro and to block light from the rock chamber. I have been thinking of also adding a nextreef reactor with vertex or Np biopellets, but don't have room under the tank....it will have to be mounted to the wall next to the tank.

[txg8gxp]

For CUC I have no problem cleaning the glass, I want more stuff to help keep the bare bottom and rock clean.

[txg8gxp]

In a couple threads on reefcentral about BB tanks, they say 1 cerith per gallon and 1/2 astrea per gallon...that just seems like alot too me.