30 Gallon SPS Reef Build
- Thread starter lubeck
- Start date
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smallreef
Guest
My theory is if you have detritus in your sump vac that out... then take water off the top off the sump or DT either way only the TOP of the water... not from the bottom...
then it seems you are only removing the water and no beneficial bacteria/copepods...
the biggest thing is KEEP trimming your chaeto and keep pulling as much of hair algae as possible (pull the hair algae before doing you water change so if some gets in the sump you can get it out right away)
maybe cut your light cycle down on your DT and LONGER on your chaeto...
then it seems you are only removing the water and no beneficial bacteria/copepods...
the biggest thing is KEEP trimming your chaeto and keep pulling as much of hair algae as possible (pull the hair algae before doing you water change so if some gets in the sump you can get it out right away)
maybe cut your light cycle down on your DT and LONGER on your chaeto...
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smallreef
Guest
You should really alternate your sump light with your DT... and I think 12 hours is a LONG time for you DT light if your talking 2 hours actinics, 8 hours day, then 2 hours actinics, Id cut my days down to 4 or 6 hours.... it will help with the algae...
and running your fuge light on an opposite schedule should help keep your PH stable which should help with the algae too...
and running your fuge light on an opposite schedule should help keep your PH stable which should help with the algae too...
acrylic51
Active Member
Lubek I don't recall, but have you tried the lights out on the tank......I would agree cutting back the DT lighting a bit....Definitely 12 hours way to much. If the 24/7 is working on the fuge to keep your PH up and stable continue with the practice really no set rule on how it's run.
lubeck
Active Member
I will cut my lights down by 4 hrs and see what happens. Going to do some water changes every three days and use some algaefix marine. I don't want to use chemicals but I've not been winning the battle the last three months. I've removed to large pieces of rock and put down in my sump to see if it will help increase flow in the dt. We will see.
lubeck
Active Member
What about trying the peroxide treatment on spots and see if it gives you some relief......Although a temp fix the source still needs to be identified......
Sean I don't know about the peroxide treatment I will have to read up on it. There's no doubt i have to figure out the source of the excess nutrients but I'm not really sure what it is. I'm thinking its my food and the lights. My bio load isn't it and I believe my filtration is more than adequate
I really believe its the food. Too much and the pcs are too small.
Sean I don't know about the peroxide treatment I will have to read up on it. There's no doubt i have to figure out the source of the excess nutrients but I'm not really sure what it is. I'm thinking its my food and the lights. My bio load isn't it and I believe my filtration is more than adequate
I really believe its the food. Too much and the pcs are too small.
lubeck
Active Member
Pics. I've also noticed I'm getting beams of natural sunlight in the morning and late afternoon. However where the sun is actually hiting there isn't any HA. It needs to be noted that when I was dosing for about 5 months the sun was probably hiting the tank too but there was no HA growth and my corals were not getting enough nutrients and bleached out. This with a 12 photo period if not more.
geoj
Active Member
Just a word of caution: algafix kills banded trochus snails. It also wiped out most of my chaeto. Which I am having a hard time to get it growing again. You might want to take some of the macro out to put back later.
I used Algaefix and in 11 doses I have not had any of my banded trochus snails die. So I would look back at what else may have killed your snails. If you have not read the thread on Algaefix on the other forum it may help you realize what went wrong.
I used Algaefix and in 11 doses I have not had any of my banded trochus snails die. So I would look back at what else may have killed your snails. If you have not read the thread on Algaefix on the other forum it may help you realize what went wrong.
lubeck
Active Member
I've done two 20% wc the last 6 days will test the phos tomorrow. I did end up using the algaefix and this is my second dose. Results are fair but more importantly my corals and inverts are all okay. I'm not sure where the excess nutrients is coming from. I did end up reducing my lighting for now by 4 hours.
Its hard to pinpoint what the causes are because I had too many things happening at once. Replaces sand bed, stopped carbon dosing, started adding selcon and chempure to my food source. All of which happened within a couple months. I use to feed tons of food when dosing and it didn't cause any algae growth. Strange.
Its hard to pinpoint what the causes are because I had too many things happening at once. Replaces sand bed, stopped carbon dosing, started adding selcon and chempure to my food source. All of which happened within a couple months. I use to feed tons of food when dosing and it didn't cause any algae growth. Strange.
spanko
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/387844/30-gallon-sps-reef-build/320#post_3500404
I don't know what others have experienced but, I have ran a low nutrient tank for years and no mater how low I kept things if my corals were growing, so too my algae would grow. If I was starving out the algae, I was also seeing stress in my corals.
I agree here. But only certain types in my experience. I have some Gelidium pusillum growing in a few places right now. Nothing that is bothersome though.
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/387844/30-gallon-sps-reef-build/320#post_3500404
I don't know what others have experienced but, I have ran a low nutrient tank for years and no mater how low I kept things if my corals were growing, so too my algae would grow. If I was starving out the algae, I was also seeing stress in my corals.
I agree here. But only certain types in my experience. I have some Gelidium pusillum growing in a few places right now. Nothing that is bothersome though.