drop.2

[tlef]

35 gal hex/uniquarium (bioballs replaced with live rock)
Phosban 150 reactor with GFO
Aqua-c remora protien skimmer HOB
Whale 3 canister filter (carbon, sponge, bioglass)
30+ lbs of rock with tons of polyps
3 damsel fish

Installed drop 3-10-14

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Last photo is from today, I had taken the light filter off after a month, but put it back on, the light runs for about 17 hours a day.

Tank has struggled with high phosphates and red slime

[SantaMonica]

Welcome.

I see what you mean: you took the shade cloth off, after one month. Well it looks dark enough to grow now; just let it grow and fill-with the cloth for another 2 weeks without any cleaning.

The DROP.2 is special because there is so much light in a very small space. So the more it fills-in, the more the light is reduced down to a normal amount.

[tlef]

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Update:

I put the light filter back on for another 2 weeks as suggested, then removed it. Here is the latest pic, looks like more could fill in.

I have yet to clean it, and wondered if it was ready to clean.

I have bad cyanobacteria right now and I see some bubble algae growing in the drop.2.

I was also thinking of treating my tank with Excital (http://www.easylife.nl/en/marine/excital) to try and remove the Cyano. Would that diminish the purpose of the Drop.2?

[SantaMonica]

Time to clean it with a toothbrush.

You can do the Excital treatment if you want. The DROP.2 is way too small to fix your nutrient problems, even with the GFO, so you may as well.

[tlef]

Oh no. Do you think adding another drop2 would be enough? would the nutrients ever catch up? What would you suggest. I just added a few more pounds of dried rock and a bag of sand to deepen the sand bed.

[SantaMonica]

No I think that with the nutrients in your rocks, plus the feeding, it needs more than even two DROP.2 units. I'd say a HOG1 or more.

However, any growth in the DROP.2 is growth and nutrients that are removed from the water.

[tlef]

Well I guess a HOG1x would be better. I have always struggled with excessive nutrients and the such in my tank. I am just afraid the HOG1 may not fit in the back corner compartment of my uniquarum that is a hexagon. Are the sizes listed for HOG dead on, maybe slightly smaller not bigger?

Also after cleaning out my DROP.2 I think the green grabber material should be on the inside of the cover, I had just as much growth on the black plastic.

[SantaMonica]

Putting material on the DROP.2 cover would take up too much room inside the box, and might put the weight above what can be mailed out cheaply with first class mail. Also I might cut your fingers when you open it. So we left it off, and as you can see it still grows there :)

If you glass area is 5 inches wide, the HOG1 or HOG1x will easily fit. It is exactly 4 7/8" wide.