sarahmorton2003
Member
I need some serious advice before I spend some $$$ or cause massive stress on my tank. This will be a little long but if you can endure, I appreciate your comments and advice.
Tank:
Our 55G tank has been setup since 9 Sept 02. We started with water produced by an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter, this lasted till about Feb 03, when we switched to distilled water. That got expensive and we have been using RO/DI water since mid-March 03. We have 260W PC/VHO. We have an in sump Pro skim, heater, nitrate sponge. We have six power heads in the tank that produce good circulation, however some dead spots. We started with about 15 lbs LR and 50 pounds of base rock (package from LFS) and a SB of about two inches, later increased to 4-4.5 inches.
Sig. Problems/Observations:
We had a nitrate spike in late Jan, which has subsided but never returned to what we consider normal levels.
We started getting what we considered a lot of green algae growth early on. Out LFS, (since changed) said it was OK. We now have a raging green algae problem and hair algae (patches all over the rock that looks like bushy broccoli heads).
We understand our bio-load looks excessive but the fish are small, Tangs under 2-2.5, all others 1-1.5, except blenny. He’s 3-4.
We have lost about 5-10% of our snails, each month. Mostly astreas, some Mexicans.
We will remove the chromis, tomato clown and blenny when we find a way to do that. We’ve tried traps, nets, and more traps. All to no avail. Since we may remove the LR to replace it we will remove the fish then.
What we are thinking of doing:
Replacing all rock with cured LR from a LFS. Boiling the current rock to kill hair algae, and everything else, and returning the good pieces to the tank to become LR.
Remove chromis , tomato and blenny and sell/return.
Refrigium ??? (need help on how and why)
Pics:
Param chart (will post params if you can’t read the pic), Hair algae, and tank
Tank:
Our 55G tank has been setup since 9 Sept 02. We started with water produced by an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Tap Water Filter, this lasted till about Feb 03, when we switched to distilled water. That got expensive and we have been using RO/DI water since mid-March 03. We have 260W PC/VHO. We have an in sump Pro skim, heater, nitrate sponge. We have six power heads in the tank that produce good circulation, however some dead spots. We started with about 15 lbs LR and 50 pounds of base rock (package from LFS) and a SB of about two inches, later increased to 4-4.5 inches.
Sig. Problems/Observations:
We had a nitrate spike in late Jan, which has subsided but never returned to what we consider normal levels.
We started getting what we considered a lot of green algae growth early on. Out LFS, (since changed) said it was OK. We now have a raging green algae problem and hair algae (patches all over the rock that looks like bushy broccoli heads).
We understand our bio-load looks excessive but the fish are small, Tangs under 2-2.5, all others 1-1.5, except blenny. He’s 3-4.
We have lost about 5-10% of our snails, each month. Mostly astreas, some Mexicans.
We will remove the chromis, tomato clown and blenny when we find a way to do that. We’ve tried traps, nets, and more traps. All to no avail. Since we may remove the LR to replace it we will remove the fish then.
What we are thinking of doing:
Replacing all rock with cured LR from a LFS. Boiling the current rock to kill hair algae, and everything else, and returning the good pieces to the tank to become LR.
Remove chromis , tomato and blenny and sell/return.
Refrigium ??? (need help on how and why)
Pics:
Param chart (will post params if you can’t read the pic), Hair algae, and tank
