When to add Media to Media Basket?

Hi all,

I'm in the process of starting up a new tank and was wondering, when do you add the media to a media basket?

I plan on putting filter floss, cheato, and purigen in my media basket, but wasn't sure when to put it in.

Do I put it in while it is cycling or after the cycle has completed?

 

personal preference, it's not going to hurt if you do it before or after

 

I wouldn't use purigen during a cycle, it will mess with it and prolong it. I would add purigen after the cycle. But the rest is ok

 

I added my media basket about 3 months in. I used cheato and filter floss.

 

I hated cheato in my media basket. It never seemed to grow. Broke apart a lot and just wound up being a bigger pain then what it was worth hard to maintain too. Cheato does best when it can tumble.

 

I may have found the trick to Cheato in the Media Basket. For the past few months (8) I would run my JBJ LED Fuge light 24/7. For the past two weeks I only run it for a few hours at night. It has blown up back there!! It was almost like it was getting to much light and stunting growth.

 

Interesting, I just recently got chaeto and I keep the light on it a lot! I will try this and see how it fairs. I'm sure the critters that live in the chaeto appreciate less light a lot more too!

 

Chaeto is not meant for 24/7 lighting, you should never light it more than 18 hours a day to let it rest. Caulerpa on the other hand, 24/7 lighting can keep it form going sexual.

 

Chaeto should be on an alternate light schedule than your DT. You'll want to turn the fuge light on when the DT lights go off to keep pH stable.