Search results

noaquariumyet, He was in a rock. I pulled out the rock and flushed him out with a turkey baster and aquarium water. Sorry I did not answer sooner. I just saw your post. Hopefully, you have already caught the murderer! Tripp

Okay, I just tested my filtered DI water from the Tap Water Filter. I tested it twice to be sure. If my kit can be trusted, the Phosphates in the water are at 0.2 (and maybe 0.3). This is the water that I use for mixing for water changes and for all top-offs, so indeed the water is at least...

Birdy, Good thought to test my water coming out of the purifier for phosphates. I know that I have tested it for Nitrites and Nitrates (0), but I can't recall testing Phosphates; and if I have it has been a while. Tripp

Thanks Bob. I did get the mantis though!! Right now he is in the Fuge cause I can't bring myself to kill him, even though I think that he killed my 2 fish. I have not decided what I will do with him long term. Yeah, now I am afraid that the brown algae covering the macros in the fuge might...

hmmm . . . . Well, the brown algae did start turning green about 10 days ago. I could not take it anymore and I scraped it off of the glass. I then cleaned all of the sponges (3) that I have on powerheads and on my overflow, because I figured all of the algae particles would gunk them up and...

Okay, I know that the simple answer is anything over zero is too high. I have been battling brown hair algae for over a month now and have mentioned this in other threads as I toyed with lighting adjustments and such. The Brown algae has not gotten much worse, but it has not gotten any better...

Plus labor, I'm guessing . . .

Well, I took both Hydrometers to the LFS. Not much help, but they did try. They also use a hydrometer and do not have a refractometer. They tested theirs against mine, and in the process the "arm" fell out of my old one and down a drain in their shop -- so now I am down to 1 hydrometer (the...

Not a bad thought, but a refractometer is outside of the budget right now. I am taking BOTH hydrometers to the LFS today and I will have them check it against "known" levels there (I am hoping that they use a refractometer) so that I can tell which one is closest to correct. I am still really...

Yes, I do this already. My thought is to mix water changes "weak" for a while (maybe 1.020 or so) until it drops. I might also draw out a little saltwater every couple of days and add fresh deionized water. My thought is that I should probably drop it the .005 that it needs over a two week...

I have been using a SeaTest Specific Gravity meter that I bought about 10 years ago ever since I bought it. SG has, in recent months, been reading 1.024-1.025 (an increase from my former levels of 1.022-1.023). Since this one is old, and occasionally "sticks," I decided to buy a new one...

Mostly snails, huh? Me too. Often, like last night, I find three blue legs chowing down on a snail that fell off the glass. The crew that you bought (and that I bought) has blue-legs, right? I am convinced these guys are snail murderers. Of course, from what I read, lower SG causes snails...

Yeah, I am thinking about that. Not sure where to keep it though. This little guy is small; no more than an inch long. I have been losing scarlet reef hermits and snails and blaming blue legs. This guy may be the true murderer. On Christmas morning I work to find my newest fish dead -- a...

Well, I was looking at my tank tonight and caught a glance of a pair of eyes looking back at me - a mantis! I bought a whole 3 lbs of rock at my LFS a few weeks ago to fill in some spots in my tank and so far it brought with it aptasia and now a Mantis. I managed to catch the rascal though...

************************************************* The only problem I see is that you will lose pressure in your return by diverting it to the fuge. ************************************************* Yeah, my plan is to put an adjustable valve of some sort (not sure until I get to explore the...

Presently on my 55 gallon tank I have a 10 gallon sump that is just a 10 gallon aquarium with a Sealife Systems skimmer and return pump, plus a heater. I want to expand this to give me a refugium for plants (for water quality primarily), and to increase water volume. I have looked through...

Well, I added fresh carbon last night in hopes that that will help some. Over the holidays, I hope to replace my 10 gallon tank sump with a larger tank (20g long or 29 gallon) that I can partition off to contain my skimmer, return pump, and a refugium (to which I will add live sand, plants, and...

Here is a pic showing that UGLY brown hair algae on the rocks and especially on the back glass --- yuck!!!

I don't want to stray too much from my own issue, but Bang's latest post brings up another question . . . what is the frequency that VHO bulbs need to be replaced? Yearly? BTW, I'll probably add a photo tonight showing this ugly algae. Perhaps I am not describing it correctly or effectively...

Thomas, You are right, until the most recent post today, I don't think that I had mentioned the method and time frames for changing my lights. My alkalinity (KH) is between 11 and 12. I am not using carbon, but that would be easy to try. For my water changes, I am using de-ionized water...