Tidal mesh installation.

twentyleagues · 2024-09-19T14:10:28-0400

I will agree you probably shouldnt use both. Maybe try gluing the mesh across the water outlet of the tidal to stop the macro from going into the tank. That fish net stuff is going to be a pain to deal with. Mesh gutter guard from hd or lowes would probably work better, or the egg crate.

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T14:14:10-0400

twentyleagues said:
I will agree you probably shouldnt use both. Maybe try gluing the mesh across the water outlet of the tidal to stop the macro from going into the tank. That fish net stuff is going to be a pain to deal with. Mesh gutter guard from hd or lowes would probably work better, or the egg crate.

Use both as in don't use biofiltration and carbon? Won't my tank crash without it? Fish net pain to deal with as in?

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T14:21:50-0400

Im thinking of either gluing the mesh or somehow attaching it with something.. If not fishnet mesh then what should I use do you think I could still use the fishnet?

Solo McReefer · 2024-09-19T14:24:28-0400

Seems to me

You want to turn your filter into an algae reactor

At the same time it is being used as your tank filter

If you have animals in the tank, my prediction is that you will kill them while you are making your DIY algae reactor

If there are no animals, who cares? Just turn your filter into your reactor

Also if no animals, just take whatever has GHA on it out of the tank, and clean off the GHA is a bucket of salt water. Rinse, replace, repeat

People used to make hang on the tank refugiums out of Aqua Clear filters all the time, they were mostly transparent. So light could just be attached to the filter for the algae could grow

Not sure, but aren't the Tidal filters made of black plastic? I would not use that for an algae reactor myself,

Without a submersible LED fuge light. Which I probably wouldn't use, because it would get covered in algae quickly and need to be cleaned too frequently for my lifestyle

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T14:30:57-0400

@Formulator I have already bought the mesh I CAN buy a new material but I really need to save my money lol. So I just need to find a way to keep the mesh in the filter, and I need to find a way to fit my filtration in.

twentyleagues · 2024-09-19T15:05:24-0400

cdemoss01 said:
Use both as in don't use biofiltration and carbon? Won't my tank crash without it? Fish net pain to deal with as in?

The fish net is going to be hard to glue. There is very little surface area to actually stick to. I suggest you get some of the plastic mesh gutter guard its stiffer and will be much easier to glue to make a gate to keep the algae in the tidal.

If you are turning this tidal into a fuge you should forgo the other filtration media to have more room for the algae you are trying to grow. Your tank rocks will provide the surface area for your bacteria like @Formulator said. The algae will remove the nitrate and phosphate. That filter does not have enough area to do multiple things.

Formulator · 2024-09-19T16:37:27-0400

cdemoss01 said:
Use both as in don't use biofiltration and carbon? Won't my tank crash without it? Fish net pain to deal with as in?

No. A majority of the tanks on here don’t use any bio filtration media. It is completely unnecessary (in most cases). That is why we have live rock! The only valid reason (IMO) to use bioballs or matrix is in certain tanks that for aesthetic reasons decided to have minimal or no rock work in the display tank, OR have a ridiculously high bioload/borderline overstocked with fish. Freshwater tanks are different, and this is often a hard concept to grasp for folks that transition to salt from fresh, but I promise you it is 100% not needed in your tank. Toss it in the garbage and watch your nitrates fall!

Carbon is also not necessary, though it is far more commonly used in the saltwater hobby. It helps with water clarity and can remove unwanted contaminants in an emergency, like “oops, I just put my hand in the tank after putting on sunscreen”. I run it for peace of mind mostly. Your tank will absolutely not “crash” without it.

Formulator · 2024-09-19T16:48:37-0400

cdemoss01 said:
@Formulator I have already bought the mesh I CAN buy a new material but I really need to save my money lol. So I just need to find a way to keep the mesh in the filter, and I need to find a way to fit my filtration in.

Do you have one of these removable basket things in your tidal? If so, you could try draping the mesh over the top and tying a rubber band around the whole thing to hold it on. Or drill a few holes around the rim so you can tie the mesh to the rim.

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T18:07:35-0400

Formulator said:
Do you have one of these removable basket things in your tidal? If so, you could try draping the mesh over the top and tying a rubber band around the whole thing to hold it on. Or drill a few holes around the rim so you can tie the mesh to the rim.

Yes I do what exactly should i do?

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T18:10:35-0400

Formulator said:
No. A majority of the tanks on here don’t use any bio filtration media. It is completely unnecessary (in most cases). That is why we have live rock! The only valid reason (IMO) to use bioballs or matrix is in certain tanks that for aesthetic reasons decided to have minimal or no rock work in the display tank, OR have a ridiculously high bioload/borderline overstocked with fish. Freshwater tanks are different, and this is often a hard concept to grasp for folks that transition to salt from fresh, but I promise you it is 100% not needed in your tank. Toss it in the garbage and watch your nitrates fall!

Carbon is also not necessary, though it is far more commonly used in the saltwater hobby. It helps with water clarity and can remove unwanted contaminants in an emergency, like “oops, I just put my hand in the tank after putting on sunscreen”. I run it for peace of mind mostly. Your tank will absolutely not “crash” without it.

Then what's the point of having a filter what should I put in there Instead.

Formulator · 2024-09-19T18:30:45-0400

cdemoss01 said:
Then what's the point of having a filter what should I put in there Instead.

Well if you were not aware, hang on back filters are also very uncommon. Most folks just run a skimmer in their sump to remove organic waste. Your equivalent to that in a HOB filter is just the fleece/mesh pad to collect debris. But even that is not required.

cdemoss01 · 2024-09-19T18:31:44-0400

Formulator said:
Well if you were not aware, hang on back filters are also very uncommon. Most folks just run a skimmer in their sump to remove organic waste. Your equivalent to that in a HOB filter is just the fleece/mesh pad to collect debris. But even that is not required.

I've tried to get a skimmer but my LFS won't even try to get one cus of "distributor deals" gonna end up ordering one myself

WvAquatics · 2024-09-19T18:48:30-0400

Take out the filter basket i never tried on my tidals can you get it to go in backwards and flow over the top? Nvm ill try when i get home so you d9nt flood your parents floor lol. Im thinking if the tidal basket will turn around and give you the lip you need to hold tge cheato in. Then throw everything in there out. Throw a ball of cheato in and done. But let me try swaping the filter around and flood my floor

WvAquatics · 2024-09-19T18:50:40-0400

Nvm in thinner on left. I would toss everything in your filter find something to hold cheato in the back put a light on it and see how it goes

WvAquatics · 2024-09-19T18:51:33-0400

Got a spare fish net?

WvAquatics · 2024-09-19T18:58:35-0400

At 14 i bet your fish junk piles small. But maybe a sponge filter lying around? Cut it down the center spread over opening. Put cheato in there. Do does flux like in other thread and buy a sea hare. A lawnmower blenny will eat other food happily. Sea hair is going to eat algea and maybe starve. And as everyone said your bio media might be hold a lot of nitrates that stuff gets nasty

Formulator · 2024-09-19T19:23:03-0400

WvAquatics said:
Cut it down the center spread over opening

I wouldn’t put anything in the opening. Too risky. If it clogs up you will have a major flood and empty your tank all the way to the pump inlet. You need something that covers the chaeto but still allows water through the intended out flow opening. The mesh or screen should always be at a slightly lower level than that waterfall outlet. Like in this diagram.

Not like this…

WvAquatics · 2024-09-19T19:31:31-0400

Formulator said:
I wouldn’t put anything in the opening. Too risky. If it clogs up you will have a major flood and empty your tank all the way to the pump inlet. You need something that covers the chaeto but still allows water through the intended out flow opening. The mesh or screen should always be at a slightly lower level than that waterfall outlet. Like in this diagram.

Not like this…

I overlooked that. Thats a better idea. But honestly lookung at the take it needs torn down and scrubed imo

Formulator · 2024-09-19T19:48:05-0400

cdemoss01 said:
Yes I do what exactly should i do?

If your dad has a drill, ask him to help you drill some holes around the rim of the basket, just below the waterfall outlet. Then you can tie your mesh to those holes with rubber bands or zip ties. Kind of like a trampoline is suspended from its frame.

Red is where I would drill in the first photo. Second image is what it would look like if you were looking down from above the basket, with mesh in red and rubber bands/zip ties in blue.