I Have a problem

[kwiknezy1]

My tank has been set up for about a month and a 1/2 now. This is not my first tank, actually it is my second. I just noticed the other day that i was getting this green stuff all over my tank. So here is what i have done so far, and also the equipment that is installed on the tank.. this is for reference in order to help you help me with a solution.
1) Ran test on aquarium
Test Results
4-16-07 Test results
Salinity- 1.021
temp- 79.6
PH- 8.2
Ammonia-0
Nitrate-0
Nitrite-0
Added 4.4 gallons of premix ( Natures Ocean ), added filter ( skilter w/Purigen by Seachem )
Equipment on 75 Gallon tank.
1) Cascade 1500
2) Coralife 220 Needle wheel protein skimmer ( this thing is huge)
3) 2 Jebo 230 watt PC Lights ( 520 Watt total )
4) Sump ( Home made crap that scares me to death if lights ever go off, I
Ordered a new overflow box yesterday to hopefully alleviate this
Problem )
5) 2 150 Watt heaters in main tank
6) 2 100 watt heater in sump
7) Skilter 250 On 75 gallon with Seachem purigen in it only ( didnt want to
take the 1500 apart )
8) 36 Watt UV steralizer
9) 2 power heads ( forgot to list earlier )
I have stopped adding chemicals ( Purple Up, calcium, you name it ) I have also just ordered the "Market leader Pack form Saltwater.com. I just want to make sure that i have not missed anything. I have no fish or inverts in tank as of yet. I do have 165 Lbs of rock in it ( cured )
Here is a pic of what the stuff looks like.

Also here is a Pic of my tank So far.

If you have any thoughts let me know, or if i am on the right track tell me so i can stop beating my head against the wall. Thank you in advance.

 

[renogaw]

ehh, just hair algae. get a clean up crew in there--make sure there's some mexican turbos, although that's a great beginning of hair algae to keep a lawnmower blenny fat and happy for a while.
can get a sea hare as well.

 

[thereefkeeper]

Are you using a filter for your tap water? (RO/DI) You might want to get a phosphate test kit and check. A good cleaner crew should do the trick however, as previously stated.

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by TheReefKeeper
Are you using a filter for your tap water? (RO/DI) You might want to get a phosphate test kit and check. A good cleaner crew should do the trick however, as previously stated.

good call, forgot to ask about the phosphates

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
ehh, just hair algae. get a clean up crew in there--make sure there's some mexican turbos, although that's a great beginning of hair algae to keep a lawnmower blenny fat and happy for a while.
can get a sea hare as well.

For a 75 gallon how many blenny's would you recommend. 2 or 3

 

[earlybird]

Do you have powerheads? I don't see any listed above. They will help keep detritus suspended and prevent the hair algae. And like above, check for phosphates.

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by TheReefKeeper
Are you using a filter for your tap water? (RO/DI) You might want to get a phosphate test kit and check. A good cleaner crew should do the trick however, as previously stated.

All water is from the LPS. I have as previously stated been using the Natures ocean ( premix ) 4.4 gallon as top off water for this tank..

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by earlybird
Do you have powerheads? I don't see any listed above. They will help keep detritus suspended and prevent the hair algae. And like above, check for phosphates.
Yes i do have a powerhead in the tank. In the second pic, you can slightly see it on the left..

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by KwikNezy1
Yes i do have a powerhead in the tank. In the second pic, you can slightly see it on the left..
you'll want more than just 1 powerhead. i have 3 in my tank, plus the return pump.

 

[thereefkeeper]

Originally Posted by KwikNezy1
All water is from the LPS. I have as previously stated been using the Natures ocean ( premix ) 4.4 gallon as top off water for this tank..
You could still have phosphate problems .. even with the premix. Phosphates can come from lots of sources ... fish food, poor quality carbon, etc...

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
you'll want more than just 1 powerhead. i have 3 in my tank, plus the return pump.
This is a big ass powerhead. It was supposed to be used on a protein skimmer that i purchased.. It swirls the crap out of the water. I tried to take a pic of the tornado effect that i have.. it is really cool. Now in my sump the waterflow is amazing. Like i said earlier though kinda dangerous, I have the inlet side of the cascade 1500 in the 75 gallon, the outlet in the 22 nano (below the 75), and a powerhead returning it to the 75. With a a protein skimmer and uv steralizer on that tank.

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by TheReefKeeper
You could still have phosphate problems .. even with the premix. Phosphates can come from lots of sources ... fish food, poor quality carbon, etc...

Ok, how do you control phosphates, i have a phosphate pad in the cascade??? Is there another way? Im not trying to sound like an ass. I am extremely curious.. I have never had this problem before and it is taking away the beauty of the tank.. nobody looks at the tank and says " hey beautiful rock " they always ask " whats that green stuff" for this large of an investment IT SUCKS...

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by KwikNezy1
This is a big ass powerhead. It was supposed to be used on a protein skimmer that i purchased.. It swirls the crap out of the water. I tried to take a pic of the tornado effect that i have.. it is really cool. Now in my sump the waterflow is amazing. Like i said earlier though kinda dangerous, I have the inlet side of the cascade 1500 in the 75 gallon, the outlet in the 22 nano (below the 75), and a powerhead returning it to the 75. With a a protein skimmer and uv steralizer on that tank.
the only flow that's calculatable FOR your DT is the pump in the tank, and the return pump. a "big ass" powerhead means nothing honestly. it looks like a maxijet, which maxes out around 300gph for a maxijet 1200. for a 75 gallon you'll want 750gph minimum for fowlr, and over 1500gph for reef.

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by KwikNezy1
Ok, how do you control phosphates, i have a phosphate pad in the cascade??? Is there another way? Im not trying to sound like an ass. I am extremely curious.. I have never had this problem before and it is taking away the beauty of the tank.. nobody looks at the tank and says " hey beautiful rock " they always ask " whats that green stuff" for this large of an investment IT SUCKS...

you control phosphates mainly by not putting them in your tank. check your supply water, use RO or RO/DI water made up by yourself, not bottled water. use salt made up yourself. there's no fish or inverts in there yet, so unless you're ghost feeding too much, you're getting phosphates from your water.
edit: assuming though that you have phosphates.

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
the only flow that's calculatable FOR your DT is the pump in the tank, and the return pump. a "big ass" powerhead means nothing honestly. it looks like a maxijet, which maxes out around 300gph for a maxijet 1200. for a 75 gallon you'll want 750gph minimum for fowlr, and over 1500gph for reef.

So more powerheads.. Damn i was trying to keep as little equipment as possible out of the main display tank.. oh well i will go purchase 2 more here in a few minutes and it is the Maxijet 1200. Good call

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by KwikNezy1
So more powerheads.. Damn i was trying to keep as little equipment as possible out of the main display tank.. oh well i will go purchase 2 more here in a few minutes and it is the Maxijet 1200. Good call

boy you're in for it you think your initial investment was a lot..... :jumping:

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
you control phosphates mainly by not putting them in your tank. check your supply water, use RO or RO/DI water made up by yourself, not bottled water. use salt made up yourself. there's no fish or inverts in there yet, so unless you're ghost feeding too much, you're getting phosphates from your water.
edit: assuming though that you have phosphates.
Ill buy a phospahte test kit here in a few. Then ill post results.

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
boy you're in for it you think your initial investment was a lot..... :jumping:

To be honest, i dont have a problem with the investment. I just want it to be purny.. Ill spend as much money as i need to, i just hate spending money on crap that i dont need, or is totally worthless.. As for another response earlier i will also see if my LPS has a ro/di unit that i can purchase as well, i might just look on E B A Y and compare prices..

 

[renogaw]

exactly how most feel your set up does look sweet though, and its great that you're willing to listen to advise. its always free to ask a question so post them as often as you need
i got an RO unit for like $200, but supposdely a RO/DI unit is the way to go.

 

[kwiknezy1]

Originally Posted by renogaw
exactly how most feel your set up does look sweet though, and its great that you're willing to listen to advise. its always free to ask a question so post them as often as you need
i got an RO unit for like $200, but supposdely a RO/DI unit is the way to go.

Hey with this kind of money, it would be stupid to not listen to advise.. That is why i posted here and nowhere else.
I an still wanting a few more lbs of rock, preferrable rubble to fill in a few gaps, i have looked on E B A Y and found one guy that had it by the Lb but i cant get no response out of him, i would like around 60 or so Lbs. My goal of 200 or slightly better is close.. then ill let the tank set in before adding anything else.. I also have very thick sand bed ( like you couldnt notice from the pics ) i think it is around 4" i ordered 30 lbs to put in my sump and some mangrove plants and the other stuff that comes in a ball ( green something ) I want this system to be better than the one i had before. self sustaining is the goal.
Oh well off to the LPS.. ill post all results here in a few hours...