Mechanical Filtration vs Nitrate

[mikeguerrero]

Hey Reefers,

My Marineland HOT Magnum came in today. I had a problem with my first one and they sent me a new one that works like a charm. Once a month I create a tropical storm in my nano cube, let me explain.

A lot of debris gets in between my rocks and behind in the filter area of the cube; bio-balls and the sponges. After about 1 month my rocks are covered in a lot of debris.

So I bring out my HOT magnum and hang it on the side of the tank. Then I create surges of water against the rocks and corals, enough that my tank looks as if a typhoon hit, (this is done with a turkey baster).

Then with the click of one button on the filter, my tank becomes crystal clear in less than 20 minutes, this is done with the Micron Filter it comes with, it also comes with a charcoal filter if you wanted to filter a heavily fish populated tank. In my case I have less fish, more corals, so I use just the Micron Filter.

I'm really excited, also because it helps control my Nitrates, along with my water change, expelling all this debris out of my water brings down my Nitrates tramendously.

I've taken several pictures of the process so you reefers can see the efficiency of the filter: I hope Dragon buys one for his Birthday which is today, 17th December... That crap you see in my cups, came out of the Micron filter; I have a spare Micron filter so I placed them side by side so you can see what it looks like after one use. Can you believe that stuff came out of my nano? I didn't believe it until I saw it.

I took a pic of my tank in the morning; look how my corals and clam responded to such a clear tank. The pic is only with my actinics.

 

[incysor]

Seems like a good idea to me. I've got one hanging off the front of the octo tank right now. I dosed the tanks with flatworm exit a while back, and the magnum is the easiet way for me to run extra carbon for awhile. I'd gotten it from a friend when he moved and hadn't ever used it. I was pleasantly surprised how well it seemed to work.

B

 

[mikeguerrero]

Brian,

What are flatworms? And why did you not want them in your tank? Are they bad? Are they different from bristle worms?

How did you capture them? Or how does that product work? Did the HOT magnum get the job done?

Mike

 

[incysor]

Brian,

What are flatworms? And why did you not want them in your tank? Are they bad? Are they different from bristle worms?

How did you capture them? Or how does that product work? Did the HOT magnum get the job done?

Mike

Flatworms are just a type of pest. They generally didn't seem to really hurt anything, although they can be toxic when they die. I bought some mushrooms from another hobbyist that was getting out of the hobby, and before long all my mushrooms had these little reddish-brown spots all over them. I tried getting a couple fish that are known to eat them. Namely a blue velvet damsel, and a six line wrasse. There is also a nudibranch that is supposedly the best at killing them, but the problem is when your tank is free of them, the nudi starves. Neither the wrasse or the damsel touched them. So I finally used flatworm exit. I followed the instructions pretty faithfully. My flatworms are pretty much gone. I've seen one or two since dosing the tank, but mostly it's killed them off. Basically once you dose the tank, you wait until you see the worms dying, then you start running carbon, this clears any toxic chemicals they release as they die from harming the aquarium. You from 2 to 6hrs for it to work, then do a water change. While you're siphoning water out of the tank you try to siphon as many of the dead worms as you can to further cut down on the toxicity levels. My anemones definitely reacted to the flatworm exit. They immediately closed up. Most of the mushrooms shriveled up, although I attribute that to the flatworms on them dying. Some of the other corals seemed to pull their polyps in. I dosed the tank about 6pm. I started the carbon running in the magnum about 45mins later. I did my water change about 10:30. None of the inverts, (other than the anemones), or fish showed any indications that they were affected. By the time I went to bed and turned the lights off at midnight the anemones were fully inflated again. The mushrooms still looked a bit shrunken, none of the other corals were still closed up. I turned the lights back on at 8am the next morning, by 8:30-8:45 when I left for work everything including the mushrooms looked totally normal.

This thread has a great picture of a mushroom with flatworms on it. It only has a few on it, imagine your mushrooms covered in them, and you have some idea how irritating it can be.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?p=25925

 

[mikeguerrero]

Thanks Brian,

I appreciate the link. I haven't seen my wrasse actually eat a flat worm. I just haven't seen them as much, since his introduction 1 week ago. So I do attribute that to him.

I have noticed that one of my first rocks that had a ton of green mushrooms, has lost the majority of it's green in the center. It has like this milky white coating all over it.

I'll take a pic so you can identify it better. Can you speculate?

Mike

 

[incysor]

Thanks Brian,

I appreciate the link. I haven't seen my wrasse actually eat a flat worm. I just haven't seen them as much, since his introduction 1 week ago. So I do attribute that to him.

I have noticed that one of my first rocks that had a ton of green mushrooms, has lost the majority of it's green in the center. It has like this milky white coating all over it.

I'll take a pic so you can identify it better. Can you speculate?

Mike

Hmm...It doesn't sound like anything I'm familiar with. What other corals are around it. Maybe it's getting stung or irritated by something. I had some hairy mushrooms that I had too high up in my 55 and they bleached out. Once I moved them to a lower spot in the tank they did much better, and started to regain their color. Maybe they just need a bit of shade. :?

B

 

[mikeguerrero]

Yeah,

I think you are right about the bleaching part. I did move that particular rock all the way to the top where he was slammed by light. And I started to see him lose his green up there.

I have relocated him down to the side, very little light. I will monitor his progress and do a follow up with you in a couple weeks.

Mike

 

[dragon79]

Hey Reefers,

My Marineland HOT Magnum came in today. I had a problem with my first one and they sent me a new one that works like a charm. Once a month I create a tropical storm in my nano cube, let me explain.

A lot of debris gets in between my rocks and behind in the filter area of the cube; bio-balls and the sponges. After about 1 month my rocks are covered in a lot of debris.

So I bring out my HOT magnum and hang it on the side of the tank. Then I create surges of water against the rocks and corals, enough that my tank looks as if a typhoon hit, (this is done with a turkey baster).

Then with the click of one button on the filter, my tank becomes crystal clear in less than 20 minutes, this is done with the Micron Filter it comes with, it also comes with a charcoal filter if you wanted to filter a heavily fish populated tank. In my case I have less fish, more corals, so I use just the Micron Filter.

I'm really excited, also because it helps control my Nitrates, along with my water change, expelling all this debris out of my water brings down my Nitrates tramendously.

I've taken several pictures of the process so you reefers can see the efficiency of the filter: I hope Dragon buys one for his Birthday which is today, 17th December... That crap you see in my cups, came out of the Micron filter; I have a spare Micron filter so I placed them side by side so you can see what it looks like after one use. Can you believe that stuff came out of my nano? I didn't believe it until I saw it.

I took a pic of my tank in the morning; look how my corals and clam responded to such a clear tank. The pic is only with my actinics.

amazing mikey: What results. Look at all that dirt and crap. I could use one for Sandra's tank, but it's my birthday today so I'm not about spending on my day, it's for others to spend on me, so hint hint (mikey) you know what you have to do, hehe. Well I can't spend too much time here as I have to be leaving again for medievel times dinner and tournament tonight. Should be a blast!!

 

[incysor]

Happy belated B-day Steven!

B

 

[dragon79]

Thanks!

I had a great birthday!! Yelling out loud, hollerin for our black and white knight to win. A crazy light in one hand, and my chicken drumstick in another, hehe. Loads of fun!! hehe.

 

[mikeguerrero]

I don't know if you guys know, what Midevil Knights is. Its a restaurant were you see a live show and partake in it while you eat, it's really cool. It's in Buena Park, California.

I don't know if you guys have that in Texas Incysor???

Mike

Dragons post is funny, cause he didn't mention the restaurant, only that he was hollerin and with a drumstick in the other hand, most reefers would think my brother went crazy after becoming a quarter of a century old... hehehe

 

[dragon79]

aye mike

I don't know if you guys know, what Midevil Knights is. Its a restaurant were you see a live show and partake in it while you eat, it's really cool. It's in Buena Park, California.

I don't know if you guys have that in Texas Incysor???

Mike

Dragons post is funny, cause he didn't mention the restaurant, only that he was hollerin and with a drumstick in the other hand, most reefers would think my brother went crazy after becoming a quarter of a century old... hehehe

Thanks for addin' to it mikey, but I did mention a few posts above this one, that I was going to a restauraunt for dinner and tournament. Again it was real cool. I like how they ask the audience whether the losing knight lives or dies, hehe.

 

[incysor]

They've got one one in Dallas. I've always wanted to go, but haven't ever managed it. But I get my fix every year at ou Ren Fair. From what I understand it's the biggest fair in the county.
I'm glad you had a good B-day.

B