My 25 lagoon, rock nem tank, needed a bit of help in the nitrate department and after trying a few skimmer options (that I hated) I decided to buy the “InTank” fuge basket and try chaeto.
im a bit ocd about my cleanliness and hate debris in the water column so I knew chaeto (I’d tried it on another tank years ago) would initially give me some anxiety lol
Waited until algaebarn was in stock and used about half the golf all size they gave me. That was 2 weeks ago. Y’all, let me tell you, this is like freakin magic! Im so surprised! I kept reading how a small fuge/small chaeto wouldn’t even make a dent in the numbers let alone keep you where you want to be. After two weeks, I just harvested and I’m shooketh. It filled the entire fuge basket (loosely) and I had to cut 3/4 off just to get it back in. Im still shocked typing this out lol
Before readings:
Nitrates-20-40ish (with weekly water changes) I don’t run a ton of flow so detritus builds up
Phos- 5-10 ppb (yes billion, I have to dose to keep them above zero)
Tank lights run 10a-10p with a 2 hour ramp both ways. About 350 gph total flow through the tank, it’s not quite level so the fuge side gets somewhere less than half.
Fuge runs 10p-whenever I get up, usually 6-8a
after readings:
Nitrates-5
Phos 2 ppb (I had to dose again today)
Now I need to get a timer so I don’t bottom out. Bonus points if you comment with your fuge hours of operation
just wanted to share my success with you, I was honestly shocked it worked after reading so many negatives about small scale fuges and how they don’t work.
im a bit ocd about my cleanliness and hate debris in the water column so I knew chaeto (I’d tried it on another tank years ago) would initially give me some anxiety lol
Waited until algaebarn was in stock and used about half the golf all size they gave me. That was 2 weeks ago. Y’all, let me tell you, this is like freakin magic! Im so surprised! I kept reading how a small fuge/small chaeto wouldn’t even make a dent in the numbers let alone keep you where you want to be. After two weeks, I just harvested and I’m shooketh. It filled the entire fuge basket (loosely) and I had to cut 3/4 off just to get it back in. Im still shocked typing this out lol
Before readings:
Nitrates-20-40ish (with weekly water changes) I don’t run a ton of flow so detritus builds up
Phos- 5-10 ppb (yes billion, I have to dose to keep them above zero)
Tank lights run 10a-10p with a 2 hour ramp both ways. About 350 gph total flow through the tank, it’s not quite level so the fuge side gets somewhere less than half.
Fuge runs 10p-whenever I get up, usually 6-8a
after readings:
Nitrates-5
Phos 2 ppb (I had to dose again today)
Now I need to get a timer so I don’t bottom out. Bonus points if you comment with your fuge hours of operation
just wanted to share my success with you, I was honestly shocked it worked after reading so many negatives about small scale fuges and how they don’t work.
