Smaller place, bigger tank...My 200DD build

[2tangcrazy]

Hi, I also have a purple tang. I have had several Powder blues over the years. That is why I got a 180 tank so I could have one. If you are concerned with ich, don't get one unless it is the only Tang in your tank. they are ich magnets. i have a Naso tang and the purple tang, but I have lost several Powder Blues . Good luck

 

[eric b 125]

Hi, I also have a purple tang. I have had several Powder blues over the years. That is why I got a 180 tank so I could have one. If you are concerned with ich, don't get one unless it is the only Tang in your tank. they are ich magnets. i have a Naso tang and the purple tang, but I have lost several Powder Blues . Good luck

I'm back and forth on the powder blue tang. I really don't want to crowd the tank with large fish. The tank is 200 gallons and all, but both the PT and PBT get pretty large and that's a lot for a 4' tank. I have time to figure it out, though. I'm not adding anything until I figure out this hair algae problem. As far as ich is concerned, all the fish I get will be properly QT'd with hypo.

I picked up enough muriatic acid and lye to regenerate the kati/ani resins three times, so I should be good on that. I also got a phosphate test kit but when I got home to test the water I realized that one of the reagent bottles was missing. I'm going to exchange it as soon as I get some coffee in me and I'll figure out if phosphate is the culprit.

 

[eric b 125]

So, there are no phosphates or nitrates in my FW or SW holding cans, which is fantastic because I eliminated a possible source. I didn't test the tank, because the hair algae is the indicator in and of itself, and a reading of 0 would be a false negative. My guess is that phosphates are leaching from the rocks. I have a phosphate reduction filter pad in the sump and I've been running a small amount of GFO. I'll replace the filter pad and double up on the GFO. I'll do a water change this weekend and hopefully will get the fuge lit and with chaeto, too. I think some macro will go a long way in reducing the hair algae and exporting these nutrients.

 

[trigger40]

you are right macros are very helpfull.

 

[eric b 125]

you are right macros are very helpfull.

Oh, it will definitely make a difference, but I'm still going to have to manually remove the hair algae this weekend.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You'll get it under control. Glad that your buckets aren't the culprit.

You shoulda soaked those rocks in some muriatic acid before putting them in the tank. it would have gotten the phosphates in the rocks pulled out. I'm sure you know that though.

Once you get it under control it will be easier. Do you have a TDS meter on your Kati/Ani unit?

If all else fails, you could set up an algae scrubber.

 

[eric b 125]

You'll get it under control. Glad that your buckets aren't the culprit.

You shoulda soaked those rocks in some muriatic acid before putting them in the tank. it would have gotten the phosphates in the rocks pulled out. I'm sure you know that though.

Once you get it under control it will be easier. Do you have a TDS meter on your Kati/Ani unit?

If all else fails, you could set up an algae scrubber.

I had the rocks cooking for months and had no reason to believe there would be a phosphate issue. I do not have a TDS meter on the Kati/Ani. I bummed one from my buddy the other day and it read 0. I think that some good ol' fashioned elbow grease and getting the fuge online will pull the phosphates out. I really don't want to add something else that I need to maintain to the system, LOL.

 

[eric b 125]

I waged the first offense against the H.A. today. Here is what I was up against:

I pulled out as much as I could, scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush, and did a 30 gallon water change. I sucked up as much algae as I could and also vacuumed the sand bed. There is one tuft that I couldn't reach, but I got most of it. I'm hoping the CUC and tang will be able to manage the stuff that's left. I replaced the phosphate removing filter pad with a new one and added a carbon filter pad.

I also made some changes to the lighting schedule, removed some dead parts of the one SPS coral I got and moved both of the frags.

 

[eric b 125]

Will post 'after' pics tomorrow once the tank has cleared.

 

[snakeblitz33]

A little elbow grease does go a long way.

I like your aqua scape. It's not bulky like some systems. More room for SPS to grow!

 

[snakeblitz33]

Hey man, I hope you don't mind, I just posted a picture of your tank in the article section, talking about aquascaping. I credited you with the photo. It's one of the older shots, before the algae appeared. I really like your scape.

 

[eric b 125]

A little elbow grease does go a long way.

I like your aqua scape. It's not bulky like some systems. More room for SPS to grow!

Thanks buddy! I wanted room for fish to swim and corals to grow, and I also wanted to allow for good water flow throughout the rock work.

Hey man, I hope you don't mind, I just posted a picture of your tank in the article section, talking about aquascaping. I credited you with the photo. It's one of the older shots, before the algae appeared. I really like your scape.

I don't mind at all. That's quite a compliment, Seth, thank you!

 

[snakeblitz33]

Your welcome dude! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. It just stopped raining here - after three solid weeks.

 

[eric b 125]

Here's what the rocks look like now:

A vast improvement, but still have a ways to go. It's not as ugly as it looks in the pics...I have to take pictures under 100% whites and 0% blues so the image doesn't look washed out. I ordered supplies like more GFO and Phosphate Rx for my next attack. My next move is to treat the tank with a reduced dose of Phosphate Rx a day before the next rock scrubbing and water change. Hopefully the LED fixture for the fuge will get delivered today or tomorrow.

 

[eric b 125]

I also think I'm going to give the Maxspect Gyre a try, too. Not sure if I want to go with the XF-150 or wait for the XF-170. I don't want to move my MP40's to the side glass and I'm not getting much flow to the front of my aquascape. I think the gyre would remedy that.

Best case scenario: the Gyre will fix the flow problem, reduce wires in my cabinet, and reduce noise in the room. The only think I can hear on my tank is the whirl of the VorTechs and it reaches obnoxious levels when I turn the pumps up to the level they probably should be running at.

Worst case scenario: I'll have a nifty back up powerhead for when the wet sides of my VorTech's get serviced (which I've had to do twice so far).

I'll probably take the MP10 from my fuge and put it on the QT, and use a Koralia 4 I have laying around in my fuge.

 

[eric b 125]

The fixture for my fuge was delivered yesterday. Will need to pick up a timer and chaeto on my next day off (Friday).

 

[eric b 125]

Went ahead and ordered the Gyre today. I'm anxious to see first hand what it's all about. I see that EcoTech has (at least temporarily) dropped the price of the MP40wES to $300-the same price as the Gyre. I briefly considered getting another VorTech, but the noise of the two I already have is one of the reasons I'm looking to switch.
I'm fighting the temptation to order a new biocube 29 w/ stand for my QT. I'd like to find one on CL but I want to start adding more livestock soon.

 

[trigger40]

if you get the bio cube you will haft to resist turning it into a reef tank!

 

[eric b 125]

if you get the bio cube you will haft to resist turning it into a reef tank!

Oh man, I have literally 0 interest in taking care of two tanks. My existing tank is already giving me more problems than I had to deal with with my last tank. The Biocube will be a bit more expensive than a QT has to be, but they are clean looking all in one systems which is important to me even though it's just a QT.

I was going to use the TTM of QT, but it's more work than I'm realistically willing to do, so hypo in the Biocube will be the way I go. The other thing I like about the Biocube is that I can QT fish and corals (obviously not at the same time) right out of the box.

I was supposed to get a package today with some stuff for my fight against the algae in my tank, but the UPS guy didn't leave it. He left one of those signature slips on the front door of my building so I won't get it until Monday

 

[trigger40]

you could use the bio cube as a grow out tank after all the live stock has been added if you get it. just a thought.
what did you get for the algae? if you dont mind me asking.