Help a yellow-belly out?

danedodger

danedodger

Member
The yellow-belly mentioned is ME, not a fish!!!
We got our tank with an eye towards softies and other reef critters but now I'm too chicken to take the leap and go from having FOWLR to inverts. We've got a 130 gallon with:
live sand/crushed coral
80 lbs of liverock (we'd like to get one more 40 lb shipment before we feel we have enough LR)
sucky Seaclone skimmer which we'd like to replace
double biowheel power filter for backup
Fluval 404
2 900 powerheads on each end of the tank (thinkin we might need at least 2 more powerheads or a wavemaker but not sure right now)
lighting: 2 subcompacts 10,000K and blue actinic and one "spotlight" 6500K daylight bulb in the middle (it adds up to about 1.75 watts per gallon for us)
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrates barely register since we did a water change maybe a week ago and yes, using RO/DI water
dosing with Purple Up
critters: about 20 snails, 10 blue legs, 1 emerald crab, 1 velvet damsel, 1 yellow tang, 1 HUGE peppermint shrimp (all of em fat and sassy
We also plan to get a DIY sump/fuge so we can get our equipment out of the tank and get some macros and pods going.
We're plagued right now with algae (I'm pretty sure the great majority of what we've got is just the brownish diatom stuff) so I've been afraid to get anything till we get that under control for fear it would cover them and kill them. But we've been fighting this %$#& algae for almost a year now
I've got such an ITCH to get some softies in there though!!!!!!! Any thoughts or suggestions?
We were thinking of starting with some mushrooms and fanworms and only later down the line trying to tackle some of the harder things like anemones and such after some upgrades.
 
matty0h_52

matty0h_52

Member
whens the last time you cleaned all the equipment? you useing RODI water. do you have the CC on the bottom of the tank and then sand on top? or is it mixed together
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
We clean everything when we do water changes and the last time was maybe a week ago. We split up the bottom, about 2/3 is CC then 1/3 sand for any sandloving critters we might get. I know what you're getting at with both: nitrate traps but we vacume the CC when we do water changes and my nitrates barely register.
 
matty0h_52

matty0h_52

Member
have you tested for phosphates lately? so then you are useing RODI water or NO? If so do you make your own or do you just go to wallmary and Buy it out of the machine?
 
matty0h_52

matty0h_52

Member
well not to give you a on-slot of questions and comments but heres one more for you to keep in mind about killing off the allready grown algae blooms.
1.Lower the lighting Intensighty
2.Take away the Nutrients that are available in the watter-good filtration and skimming should help here
3. CIRCULATION
4. Preditors naterall grazers of the algae
im shure im missing some but those are the biggest
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
How old are your bulbs?? What kind of alge is it. what does it look like. I had this stuff called bryopsis, and man was it hard to get out. Have you tried a sea hare, or a few more snails, and cutting down on the length of time your lights are on.
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
Whew didn't mean to yell for help then run out on y'all but I've been working my fanny off!
Let's see if I can get all this before I have to run off to ye ole grindstone again...
Water: Culligan machine at WalMart - RODI and UV sterilized
Saltmix is Instant Ocean
Skimmer: Yes, this is where we suspect we're having the problem because ours SUCKS!! Never buy a SeaClone!!
Lighting schedule is pretty much 8 hrs on the rest off. The bulbs are only a few months old tops and they're supposed to be good for a year?
The algae just looks like brown fuzzy crud. I THINK it's brown diatom but I'll try to get a good pic or two later for ya to see if you think we're right.
Ack, 2 minutes behind schedule!
Gotta fly but I'll be back! Tomorrow is a DAY OFF :jumping: :jumping: :jumping: :jumping:
 
matty0h_52

matty0h_52

Member
i know on out Glacier machine it tells you when the last time the machine has been serviced. And once i did a 10% watter change with the watter from the machine that wasnt serviced in 4 days (i found out after i allredey pumed and payed for the watter) and i did the watter chenge and BAM out break. A out Brake that im still fighting off
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
well sounds like you are doing good. just keep up the water changes, and try adding more snails. do you have and nassarius snails for the sand bed??
I have the aqua remora pro skimmer and love it. it does a really good job, and soo easy to work. good luck
 
danedodger

danedodger

Member
I'll have to look into when they service the machine. Thanks for the idea.
We do need more cleanup crew but we've been adding a smidge at a time. 30 cleaners give or take isn't enough for 130 gallons. We just added the snails about a week ago. I'm not sure what kind they are since my sweetie did the ordering on that one. I do want to get something to sift the sand for me but again, adding slowly slowly slowly...
After showing him Melev's Reef he's just bound and determined to DIY some of these things and he's decided to do his own skimmer. Pray for me!
He's talking about a 6 ft high counter current after reading several sites like this one: http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/skimmer101.htm
 
kdfrosty

kdfrosty

Active Member
Getting rid of the algae is the easy part....finding out what caused the algea is a bit different.
First, if you plan on keeping softies you will need more light. I'd recommend VHO lighting, but you can get by with PCs. This might also help your algae problem as well.
Shorten your photoperiod. Increase flow in the effected area. Test for phosphates, and possible consider a phosphate sponge or phosphate reducing media.
I currently use the SeaClone 100. You're right, it sucks.....but it gets the job done. I have to empty the collection cup of nasty skimmate every other day. It works, but there's better options out there. If tuned correctly, this should not be the problem.
I used to get water from my local WalMart. We probably have the same style Culligan machine that your WalMart uses. Test the water from the machine. I had a Cyano outbreak and determined that it was from the water in the machine (HIGH phosphates, nitrates) or because one SMALL dosing of Joe's Juice to cure Aiptasia. I'd be willing to bet that the water from this machine is off.
Do a bunch of small water changes, beef up your cleanup crew, shorten your photoperiod, and stop using the crappy Wal Mart culligan water. Buy their bottled distilled ($.37/gallon) or buy an RO machine (about $100 on auction sites). Also consider a lighting upg.
 
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