Tidal mesh installation.

[cdemoss01]

Hello,
I'm trying to convert my Tidal filter into a fuge and my mesh has finally arrived. However I'm not sure how to install it into my Tidal filters outflow so my cheato doesn't flow out of my Tidal filter. Any thoughts on how to keep it in the tidal while it's running with high flow. What should I expect after I install my cheato? I've had high nitrates and a TON of GHA so how long does it take to begin to lower my nitrates and kill my GHA. I will begin with a golf sized but of algae.

 

[Formulator]

What is the mesh? Do you have a photo?

 

[Formulator]

Thinking about this more… are you sure you are building a chaeto reactor and not an algae turf scrubber? Mesh is used in a scrubber as a substrate for turf algae to grow on. Chaeto floats freely and will not stay in the filter as you can imagine. If you want to go the turf scrubber route, all you do is put the mesh in there, add light and wait. The turf algae will naturally colonize the mesh and in a few weeks you will have a thick mat of algae growing on the mesh. Scrape it off into the trash and start growing again. Repeat.

 

[cdemoss01]

What is the mesh? Do you have a photo?

No I do not. Is turf algae expensive? You think there's a way to keep chaeto in the tank?

 

[Formulator]

No I do not. Is turf algae expensive? You think there's a way to keep chaeto in the tank?

I think with a HOB filter and mesh, assuming you have a light for it, you have everything you need to make a turf scrubber. Turf algae is free lol. It just grows naturally. You don’t have to buy any.

 

[cdemoss01]

I think with a HOB filter and mesh, assuming you have a light for it, you have everything you need to make a turf scrubber. Turf algae is free lol. It just grows naturally. You don’t have to buy any.

I do have a light yes. But I don't like it when my filter becomes a mess... So its impossible to keep cheato in there while the Tidal is flowing you think?

 

[cdemoss01]

The mesh is the type of mesh you find on the BRS mesh tops

 

[Formulator]

But I don't like it when my filter becomes a mess

Is your filter going to have other things running in it? Sorry I’m confused what exactly you want to do here. If you are trying to turn your HOB filter into a refugium its going to be a little “dirty”

 

[Formulator]

The mesh is the type of mesh you find on the BRS mesh tops

That might work to keep chaeto inside. Just make a barrier with the mesh over the out flow.

 

[cdemoss01]

Is your filter going to have other things running in it? Sorry I’m confused what exactly you want to do here. If you are trying to turn your HOB filter into a refugium its going to be a little “dirty”

Yes matrix, purigen, and clear carbon. There is some room in the corner for some cheato etc. Dirty dosentr matter as long as there's not GHA caked into my matrix.

 

[cdemoss01]

That might work to keep chaeto inside. Just make a barrier with the mesh over the out flow.

How would I do the barrier? And where should I put it?

 

[Formulator]

Egg crate might work better than mesh. You could just cut it to the same size as the filter box so you could put the chaeto in and then place the egg crate on top to hold it in. It is rigid so won’t just wash out like the mesh you have. If you use the mesh, you have to figure out a way to connect it to the filter. You can even get it locally at home depot/lowes/menards. I think they sell it in their lighting department as a light diffuser.

 

[Formulator]

Here is what I’m envisioning for you. Black outline is your filter. Red is your mesh or egg crate screen. Yellow is a couple pieces of 1/4 inch PVC to hold the screen up. Green is your chaeto, and blue is the water flow.

 

[Formulator]

Yes matrix, purigen, and clear carbon. There is some room in the corner for some cheato etc. Dirty dosentr matter as long as there's not GHA caked into my matrix.

I don’t think you can do it this way. You will have a huge mess of algae clogging up all your other media as soon as you start blasting it with light for the chaeto. You can repurpose your filter as a fuge/chaeto reactor, but you can’t do both. You really don’t need that stuff anyways. Carbon is good and maybe you could run carbon separately in a small cheap external reactor to free up the HOB for your DIY fuge.

 

[cdemoss01]

P

I don’t think you can do it this way. You will have a huge mess of algae clogging up all your other media as soon as you start blasting it with light for the chaeto. You can repurpose your filter as a fuge/chaeto reactor, but you can’t do both. You really don’t need that stuff anyways. Carbon is good and maybe you could run carbon separately in a small cheap external reactor to free up the HOB for your DIY fuge.

Problem is I'm 14. Limited driving etc. I like the idea but I wanna get rid of the PVC part of it does the carbon and matrix go underneath the mesh you think?

 

[Formulator]

P

Problem is I'm 14. Limited driving etc. I like the idea but I wanna get rid of the PVC part of it does the carbon and matrix go underneath the mesh you think?

Without the PVC, I don’t know what you are going to attach your mesh to, but maybe you can think of something you have lying around the house/garage. I suppose the carbon can go underneath. You should really ditch the matrix. It is not helping your elevated nitrate problem.

 

[cdemoss01]

Without the PVC, I don’t know what you are going to attach your mesh to, but maybe you can think of something you have lying around the house/garage. I suppose the carbon can go underneath. You should really ditch the matrix. It is not helping your elevated nitrate problem.

Its my replacement for bioballs cause they fabricated all my nitrates. What about my clearblue carbon purigen and marineland floss go?

 

[cdemoss01]

What if I pulled the basket out and glued the mesh with reef glue or something?

 

[Formulator]

Its my replacement for bioballs cause they fabricated all my nitrates. What about my clearblue carbon purigen and marineland floss go?

Now your matrix is making all your nitrates. Its the same thing. You don’t need any of that stuff! Your rock work is plenty of surface area for biofiltration. Purigen is redundant to carbon. Forget about it. Its all just nitrate factories. If you want to solve your nitrate issues, eliminate everything except the chaeto and carbon. You can run floss if you must, but need to change it every 3-4 days or it too becomes a nitrate factory

 

[cdemoss01]

Now your matrix is making all your nitrates. Its the same thing. You don’t need any of that stuff! Your rock work is plenty of surface area for biofiltration. Purigen is redundant to carbon. Forget about it. Its all just nitrate factories. If you want to solve your nitrate issues, eliminate everything except the chaeto and carbon. You can run floss if you must, but need to change it every 3-4 days or it too becomes a nitrate factory

I heard it was way better though... I don't even have a skimmer so my Tidal is all I have, I'm looking into getting one of course but they are expensive. So no purigen or matrix? My filter would seem extremely empty.