So the only algae left now is hair algae, and it gets all over pumps and frag rack and thats it. I have to clean pumps and power heads once a week or so… and the frag rack i clean every couple weeks. I run Phosban, i am going to run a refug once i get a light to put on it, but i cant find anything to work for a HOB refug(anyone?). I feed twice a day, and a piece around 1/2 of my pinkie. It also gets all over the frags. I have good growth with the frags, but also with the algae. And im so tired of having to scrub the actual frag plugs, and corals… anyone have a way around this.
I really wish i had gotten in this hobby before high school, as i have so many plans that i want to do, but i cant till after college now…
anyways back to algae… so any other thoughts about it. I also get what looks like diatoms along the filter outspouts…
Ooo… and good news were getting a flat screen TV, so i can now move my tank to a stand and off the counter… this means that i can actually get a sump underneath and take everything off the back. this is around 1.5 months out…
Im going to need some ideas on a stand that i can fit a large enough sump/refug in… i also wanna put small prop system togther in the basement, so ima have to plan for that. What do you guys have on your prop systems (gear and stuff) also what lights… .
Well i started out as algae and moved to an update… hmm anyways thanks guys…
Couple questions, are you using RODI water? or tap? If you have hair algae your getting some kinda nutrients from something. How old is the phosban media?
well, without knowing to many details about your system, i can tell you that feeding twice a day sounds like a lot to me. My fish are FAT, and i feed once a day at most and skip a day here and there.
Diagnosing the source of HA is easy. You have a nutrient imbalance:) Fixing it can be a little harder. Once HA takes hold in a tank, testing can be tough because NO3 and PO4 can often test very low or at 0 because the HA is absorbing so efficiently.
IMO, cut back on the feeding and continue doing what your doing. Growing a macro algea like chaetomorpha in a refugium will do wonders. Chaeto, heavy skimming, and a good CUC has always worked for me.
My problem with heavy skimming is the overflow, i need someway to empty the collection cup without taking it off. Have to drill a hole and stuff, but i dont know how to do that.
The hair algae has gone down significantly since the phosban, but its still there and encrusts my frag rack (What seems like) instantly.
I wanna grow chaeto, and i have some but i dont how to light the HOB sump, and i dont know how much to start with, like a big ball or a little bit…
ill start feeding every other day… makes it easier for me.
Reduce feeding to every other day, you can also cut back on your photo-period (your lights not your camera). Many of us have reduced our lighting by a couple hours here and there to help keep things under control - no ill effects will come from it.
Another idea is to turn your lights completely off for 3 days once a month (or when you see algae outbreaks starting). Even our most light demanding corals will be fine for a few days - they think it’s just cloudy. And the fish will appreciate being able to see out of the tank so they can watch some TV too.
I think ill reduce the photo period. I did the black out for 3 days and everything went brown, and is just starting to get color back… hoping that it will be under control soon…
Keep in mind when your not physically removing the HA from the tank, its nutrients are still there. Cutting the lights won’t allow the HA to suck the nutrients from the water and therefore they will build up in the water, and the HA will come back quickly afterwards. Killing the lights for days IMO should be done only if you have a fuge and/or will do a waterchange/keep an eye on parameters.
[quote=“IanH, post:7, topic:2325”]
Keep in mind when your not physically removing the HA from the tank, its nutrients are still there. Cutting the lights won’t allow the HA to suck the nutrients from the water and therefore they will build up in the water, and the HA will come back quickly afterwards. Killing the lights for days IMO should be done only if you have a fuge and/or will do a waterchange/keep an eye on parameters.[/quote]
go to lowes and get a $5 clip on light, and a $3 6500k bulb and your ready to rock…it thats too big, i grew my chaeto out with an even smaller light that i had clipped on my old aqua clear i sold u. i actually use that light to grow chaeto out in the tank on my work desk.
also have you looked into building a coil denitrator? this may be good for you now and in the long run. you could use it on this tank, and probley any tank in the future. just google it and youll see a million DIY ideas. i believe our club handy man LogansDaddy could probley could you some good advice on making one because i think he has a homemade one.
how many pounds of live rock and sand do you have? i wonder if your natural filtration is able to process your tanks load at this point?
[quote=“longballz84, post:10, topic:2325”]
also have you looked into building a coil denitrator? this may be good for you now and in the long run. you could use it on this tank, and probley any tank in the future. just google it and youll see a million DIY ideas. i believe our club handy man LogansDaddy could probley could you some good advice on making one because i think he has a homemade one.[/quote]
In my personal opinion denitrators are mostly used in the hobby in situations where they are not designed to.(though they may be marketed for) If your Nitrates registered on an API or RedSea test kit then you Nitrates are significantly higher then you think and all a coil denitrator will do is bring your Nitrates from a very high level to a… very high level.(say from ~55ppm to ~50ppm)
Coil denitrators in my opinion can be helpful when you have a higher end hobby test kit and are finding less then 5ppm and desire lower for some odd reason.(having some level of Nitrates in the system can be good for certain animals) Otherwise there are bigger husbandry issues to be addressed then a coildenitrator can fix.
That being said if you have the free time to build one and test and adjust its effluent for months to make sure it is indeed helping then by all means. In my opinion people do a heck of a lot to avoid doing water changes.
It may be that you just have to keep up with your current maintenance. Phosphates in particular can leach into rocks and sand and slowly leach out over a long period of time. I think you should keep doing what are you doing as far as maintenance.
That being said you might try reducing how much you feed as suggested before.
yep, down to once a day and ill go down to every other day…soon… It has seemed to lessen a lot …just some turf algae which i dont mind… we will see what it looks like in a week… thanks everyone
I don’t think it would hurt at all to do water changes twice a week this week and next as long as they are at least two days apart. Might help you see results a little quicker. Wouldn’t recommend going much larger with the water changes though and don’t go too crazy with the frequency. Everything takes time.
Hope it continues to get better for you. If you have any specific questions or don’t understand anything anyone stated please speak up so we can help. You’re doing pretty good so far for a newbie. Seem to be taking things slow and asking the right questions.
I cant believe its been almost 5 months now… feels like just yesterday i was filling up the tank with a garden hose, adding the salt first, and shopping at Just fish…
Ill try that… let you all know in a few weeks the results…
Wow what a difference… wOw, already theres no hair algae but a little on the frag rack, and if i put the frag on the bottom in 2 hours the urchin and CUC have wiped it clean…