Update.
Coraline was starting to grow the starboard then stopped and faded away. (Alk 11 DKH, CA - 450)
The hair algae is all back, even with siphoning the LR and adding tons of flow. The algae is mostly growing in the high current areas too. The PVC closed loop and sump return plumbing is even getting covered in the hair algae.
I should have tore down the whole tank and started over including changing all the LR but I didn't want to loose the fish that we have got attached too.
Now if I continue to go with this tank it will force me to get rid of all the animals and scrub the tank and get all new LR( ANother $800) and etc. This will be another 6 months before getting back into corals and fish and I really starting to look at the time and money invested (well over $5000) and thinking it is not worth it, I could have had 3 great vacations to the Carribean to look at corals and fish and saved allot of aggrevation.
Maybe I should dump the reef idea and go with a FO tank with a sump with bio-balls and just have fish and fake corals/rock.
_________________
Burn Notice Forum
Coraline was starting to grow the starboard then stopped and faded away. (Alk 11 DKH, CA - 450)
The hair algae is all back, even with siphoning the LR and adding tons of flow. The algae is mostly growing in the high current areas too. The PVC closed loop and sump return plumbing is even getting covered in the hair algae.
I should have tore down the whole tank and started over including changing all the LR but I didn't want to loose the fish that we have got attached too.
Now if I continue to go with this tank it will force me to get rid of all the animals and scrub the tank and get all new LR( ANother $800) and etc. This will be another 6 months before getting back into corals and fish and I really starting to look at the time and money invested (well over $5000) and thinking it is not worth it, I could have had 3 great vacations to the Carribean to look at corals and fish and saved allot of aggrevation.
Maybe I should dump the reef idea and go with a FO tank with a sump with bio-balls and just have fish and fake corals/rock.
_________________
Burn Notice Forum
My suggestions. Keep blasting your rocks with a turkey baster or powerhead. Siphon off any detritus that is collecting on or underneath the rockwork. Make sure to rinse all the juices from the frozen Mysis with RO before adding it to the tank (the packing juice is usually loaded with phosphate). Keep pulling out as much algae by hand as you can. Keep an eye on phosphate levels in your topoff and water change water.
As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. It sounds like you just have a lot of detritus in the rocks still that will have to work its way out. It could take a good couple moths of diligence to win, but you can get there. Good luck!
As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. It sounds like you just have a lot of detritus in the rocks still that will have to work its way out. It could take a good couple moths of diligence to win, but you can get there. Good luck!
The hair algae is the best indicator that you have excess phosphate. It will use it up as it is growing before your test kit will catch it.
Test your source water with your kit, maybe.
There may be a lot of detritus accumulating within your LR, where there is very little flow Make sure that you can you see in behind.
A turkey baster won't suspend the detritus enough in order for the skimmer to pull it out. Use a powerhead.
Mitch
Test your source water with your kit, maybe.
There may be a lot of detritus accumulating within your LR, where there is very little flow Make sure that you can you see in behind.
A turkey baster won't suspend the detritus enough in order for the skimmer to pull it out. Use a powerhead.
Mitch
I'm a lurker here, but an active poster over on RC. I've gone barebottom the past year with excellent results.
You have a phosphate problem. Test kits are not very helpful, if you can measure phosphate you have a huge problem.
You need to remove unmeasureable organic phosphate, get some serious rock cleaners going, and the live rock will "clean" itself. My Starboard tank is 6 months old and the rock is still spewing out crud.
Suggest a phosphate removing media such as Phos-ban, fluidized in a reactor. PO4 minus or Sailfert's phosphate killer is another option, or do both (I did). You'll see dramatic results as the phosphate falls. Be sure you have appropriate algae eaters, either fish or snails, have also heard good things about the "sea monsters" available at blowfishaquatics.com.
Refugiums are not needed, and actually usually won't survive, with a high flow, overskimmed, "clean" starboard reef.
Over on Reef Central, a Marine Biologist who goes by "Bomber" gives invaluable advice regarding barebottom setups.
HTH
John
You have a phosphate problem. Test kits are not very helpful, if you can measure phosphate you have a huge problem.
You need to remove unmeasureable organic phosphate, get some serious rock cleaners going, and the live rock will "clean" itself. My Starboard tank is 6 months old and the rock is still spewing out crud.
Suggest a phosphate removing media such as Phos-ban, fluidized in a reactor. PO4 minus or Sailfert's phosphate killer is another option, or do both (I did). You'll see dramatic results as the phosphate falls. Be sure you have appropriate algae eaters, either fish or snails, have also heard good things about the "sea monsters" available at blowfishaquatics.com.
Refugiums are not needed, and actually usually won't survive, with a high flow, overskimmed, "clean" starboard reef.
Over on Reef Central, a Marine Biologist who goes by "Bomber" gives invaluable advice regarding barebottom setups.
HTH
John
Attachments
I've been considering trying it with my 30 gal tank. Right now it's 90% softies so I'm not sure if I want to attempt to do it but I'm having problems with my soft coral growth. It's stopped and I want to figure out why. It's either phosphate or chemical warfare. Before I try removing the sandbed I'm going to run some phosphate removing media. If that works and the tank perks up I know what I have to do...
Shane
Shane
Is there any pre filters I can put on the powerheads to help?
I thought about getting a phosphate reactor but am really skeptical on buying anymore equipment for this tank right now. Too much invested with no positive gains.
The top off water tests 0 for phosphate.
I thought about adding a fish that will help with the algae but dont know any that will help. I tried a lawnmower blenny a while back and it just died off in a few weeks and didnt tough the algae. I thought of getting a foxface but I dont know.
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Rehab message board
I thought about getting a phosphate reactor but am really skeptical on buying anymore equipment for this tank right now. Too much invested with no positive gains.
The top off water tests 0 for phosphate.
I thought about adding a fish that will help with the algae but dont know any that will help. I tried a lawnmower blenny a while back and it just died off in a few weeks and didnt tough the algae. I thought of getting a foxface but I dont know.
_________________
Rehab message board
I believe there is a phosphate problem, just cant find the source.
I added 36 astreas, 100 tiny blue leg hermits, 3 emerald crabs and about 20 medium sized ceriths, 6 nerite snails.
The snails mainly stay on the glass and rarely go on the LR. The crabs just walk around on the bottom for the most part.
Should I add another 100 snails?
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apollomist
I added 36 astreas, 100 tiny blue leg hermits, 3 emerald crabs and about 20 medium sized ceriths, 6 nerite snails.
The snails mainly stay on the glass and rarely go on the LR. The crabs just walk around on the bottom for the most part.
Should I add another 100 snails?
_________________
apollomist
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