Reef questions about my SPS tank

[Jerome]

I have few questions since starting my SPS tank. I numbered them for those of you that are more of the feeble minded sort.

1) I have had a CPR hang on the back refugium for over a year with caulerpa alge in it. I was told by a friend that an algae called cheato is better does anyone know the pro and cons of using cheato vs. caulerpa. I harvest regularly and never had any problems with sexual reproduction, my own or the plants.

2) My next question is I have a 50 gallon tank and was thinking about using a Tunze Wavebox. My tanks at the small (in fact 52 is supposed to be the smallest size) end of the spectrum for it, I have seen it working on larger tanks is anyone running one on tank the size of mine? If so are there any pitfalls I should be aware of on a tank at 50 gallons?

3) My last question is about Deltec Calcium Reactors. Does anyone know why almost (or all) there CR units say only to run them 8-10 hours a day in the instructions? I understand the ph drop at night can be a problem but is this the reasoning for this in the directions?

Thank any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[Witfull]

1 cheato doesnt go sexual,,and is less invasive,,caulerpa can easily spread to the tank with just a leaf,,,and its a pain to get out once it takes root.

2 never used one, so i dunno

3 never used a deltec CR either.


some help i was,,lol

[Jerome]

This makes me want ask a 4th question?

4) I already have some caulerpa in my tank...it fell in the back and now I can't reach it to manually remove it. What reef safe critters are there to eat it besides tangs?

[Witfull]

foxface may,,,,but remember,,,when they poo,,,they poo spores of caulerpa. best advice,,rip it out of the display.

[brian_e]

I have caulerpa in my sump and a little in my tank from where i feed it to my tangs and some takes root but they keep it down where i dont see it

As for teh reactor iam sure they are saing that becouse of teh ph drop at night i run my 24 hours a day with kalk for topoff so my ph doesnt drop to bad

[cheeks69]

2) My next question is I have a 50 gallon tank and was thinking about using a Tunze Wavebox. My tanks at the small (in fact 52 is supposed to be the smallest size) end of the spectrum for it, I have seen it working on larger tanks is anyone running one on tank the size of mine? If so are there any pitfalls I should be aware of on a tank at 50 gallons?

I've never used one but have seen them in action and it's big and from what I saw you would have to keep the water level a few inches lower so it doesn't spill over. It works great but I would use only in a large tank I think it would be cumbersome in a tank your size JMO.

3) My last question is about Deltec Calcium Reactors. Does anyone know why almost (or all) there CR units say only to run them 8-10 hours a day in the instructions? I understand the ph drop at night can be a problem but is this the reasoning for this in the directions?

Yes many of my reefing buddies in Europe who use the Deltec Reactor have had ph problems but that's with any other calcium reactor not just the Deltec. I think that Brucey who is a member here from England also had the same problem. Brian_E has a good suggestion to drip kalk or use a combo calcium/kalk reactor to keep the ph steady.

[Jerome]

Originally Posted by Jerome

This makes me want ask a 4th question?

4) I already have some caulerpa in my tank...it fell in the back and now I can't reach it to manually remove it. What reef safe critters are there to eat it besides tangs?

I would rip it out but I can't reach it to manually remove it. I was hoping there would be an invertebrate of some kind that might munch it?

[mps9506]

Originally Posted by Jerome

2) My next question is I have a 50 gallon tank and was thinking about using a Tunze Wavebox. My tanks at the small (in fact 52 is supposed to be the smallest size) end of the spectrum for it, I have seen it working on larger tanks is anyone running one on tank the size of mine? If so are there any pitfalls I should be aware of on a tank at 50 gallons?
this the reasoning for this in the directions?

The wavebox is a big mombajamba. I really can't imagin using it on anything less than 6 feet long. JMO though. I've seen videos of it on 4 foot tanks, and my buddy has one on his 180. I think 50 gallon tanks are generally 3 feet long, and I just don't see it working well in that size tank, plus the box is pretty dern big. you'd probably lose 5 gallons of water or more lowering the water level to allow it to work, plus lose the 4 inches or so on one side to fit the box.

[Jerome]

I am not going to try to use the wave box. I went and played with the one at my local retailers today and came to the same conclusion.

[mps9506]

One thing you can try for the caluerpa is take the rock out and put it in a buddies tank that has something like a naso tang or yellow tang or fox face. They will clear it out for you then put the now clean rock back in the tank.
one thing i also wanted to mention, which might be disagreed with by some folks...
This is regarding your refugium. IMO a dedicated sps tank should maintain a low nutrient level which does not support the growth of macroalgaes (caluerpa, chaeto etc.). One thing I've noticed with a few people that went all out sps, barebottome, low nutrient type tanks is that if they had a refugium on before, the algae in the refugium would just plain stop growing. It also becomes a great place for detrius to collect and release nutrients back into the tank.
I think a macroalgae refugium is a great nutrient sink, just not in sps tanks.

[rckmtl]

Originally Posted by Jerome

I would rip it out but I can't reach it to manually remove it. I was hoping there would be an invertebrate of some kind that might munch it?

Your probabaly going to end up wanting some anyway, stop by a medical supply store and get a nice -long- set of forceps. I keep telling myself to get some, then have to yell at myself a day later when I realized I forgot.

[Jerome]

I used the forceps today and got 90% of it. I just need something to wipe out the last 10%.