OK I quit!!!

[michaeltx]

this weekend my tank is coming down. I have had enough of the algae today when I got home from work I cant even see my sand bed anymore I have tried everything and somethings seemed to work but fo the long haul they give up and are going after everything but the aglae.
what I got to combat it
turbos snails
nassaurious snails
cerith snails
sally lightfoots
emerald crabd
blue legs
lawnmower blenny
yellow tang
sailfin tang
coral beuty angel
I have taken day after day after day and pull handfuls of hair algae out and really though I was getting a handle on it. but his morning it came back and bite me in the butt. I can only see a few spots of sand now it has even taken over the patch of cyno that was in the corner. my GSP, PSP, yellow polyps, small colony of zoos, and my sunpolys are all covered in it now.
even the exenia has given up and stayed closed all day today. my leathers arent opening up all the way but the are completely surrounded with hair algae I can see a few bare spot on my tank full of rock.
so this weekend its coming down everything is getting taken out and the water drained out. and I am going to completely start over. going to take a toothebrush to all existing rock and throw all of the 300 LBS of sand out in the cactus patch. I dont see and end to the algae the way it is. ( what did you think I was going to get rid of the tank I dont think so LOL) even the macro algae is straining to get the nutrients the algae in the display is using it before it can reach the algae in the sump..
sorry for ramblig had to get off my chest LOL
Mike

 

[krowleey]

give it some time before u give up, i had the same prob in ym 100 reef but i kept doing ro/di water changes and slowed my feeding down and it went away. mabey lucky i dunno. GL!

 

[michaeltx]

this tank has been up for a year now and I have tried everything I only use RO water phosphates are coming from somewhere not the topoff and I can test water out of my food and its not there so I think I got some bad stuff in my sand that is fueling it. I have tried evrything from sponges and absorbs to critters to eat it. and nothing. just when I think I start getting a handle on it then it jumps out and takes its revenge on me so I start over and do it again hopeing that I would get it under control and do for a week or so then bam its back 10 fold. sothere is something in the system that I have to get out and the sand is the only thing that is new in it.
i want to get a whiter sand anyway LOL
Mike

 

[michaeltx]

ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 25
phosphate 3.+
calcium 450
ph 8.3
alk 11
tamp 82-83
salinity .024 .025
I feed flakes ocean nutrient once a week
I use a homemade concocktion of shrimp, squid, krill, scallops, and crab. tested some it soaked in water no all readings 0 including phosphates.
not sure about the CO2 though
yeah the only thing that i can think of it coming from is the sand so its gotta come because its possibility that its coming from it somehow. but i think I got a mix of quickrette and argonite. this tank was a FOWLR for awhile then I turned it into a reef and I didnt think about the sand being mixed till now. and I assume that with the MH lighting added to that its given the fuel that it needs so. its going to be a long weekend.
Mike

 

[blueberryboomer]

Hey don't give up, I had the same problem, the dang hair algea about killed all my corals, at times I wanted to give up, but here I am still at it. How long do you leave your lights on? I tried everything, and I ,mean everything to get rid of the stuff, everyday I would pull the crap off the rocks and corals only to get up the next day and it seem like there was more. Finally on the advice of a lfs I shop with online, I cut back my lighting. I was running the lights from about 10am til 8pm, I cut them dowm to 11am to 6pm and boy let me tell you, it has helped, I only have a coulpe small patchs left. Please, if you truely love the hobby, then don't give up. Try only running your lights for a few hours a day for a week or two and see if you see any difference. Let me know if you try this and if you find that it has helped? Lisa

 

[ophiura]

Do you have a refugium to grow macros? How often do you feed your homemade food?

 

[jlem]

What are all of the fish you have. If the majority of the fish are algae consumers then don't feed the tank at all. If the tank gets lots of natural light try running your lights only 6 hours a day. How much light does your tank have. I don't think it is the sand. If the sand was feeding the algae then the sand would be dissapearing. Sounds like you may need some more water flow and cut way down on the amount of stuff going into the tank. your fish will eat the algae so you probably don't need to feed your tank.

 

[michaeltx]

I have shortened the lighting to 4 hours a day drastic change. I have pulled it yanked stomped on it everything LOL
I do have a sump with a macro algae culture but the nutrients arent getting to it the are staying in the display and getting used up by the crap upstairs. I have about 2 strands left out of a 20 gallon tank the rest has slowly died off or went sexual and in the past 3 months hasnt grown abit.
the homemade food is feed every three days and flake food 1 time a week. I was feeding daily and since the algae started apearing I have cut down and cut down. I think if I cut down anymore I am going to risk the fishes health. all the food is being eating nothing is being left behind and what little bit hits the sand bed the 3 brittle stars make quick work of it.
the bubs are a few months old I would have to go back and look but they were new just a few months ago.
BLUEBERRYBOOMER by no means am I giving up on the hobby I have so many tanks with a variety of critters in them. I quit trying to take care of the algae and am going to go to extreme measures to get it takin care of. but NO way am I getting rid of my tank thats ust not going to happen LOL
O yeah I was even taking rocks out scrubbing them putting them back in ones that were really back I was throwing in my other tank with the puffers and they would help by pulling it off the rocks for me then I would scoop it out of the tank ;-Þ but thanks for the concern about it though
Mike

 

[ophiura]

How long are the lights on in the refugium?

 

[michaeltx]

I tried not feeding at all but the fish i have will not touch hair algae thats one of the algaes that are a hit or miss on fish that eat it.
the tank gets no natural light all by bulbs which is 2-250 watt 6.5K MH and 220watts of atinic PC they are only on 4 hours a day now also. I have cut back and cut back and cut back but if i cut back anymore I am going to be risking the health of what I do have that is doing good,.
as far as water flow there is 2 802 PH and a mag 7 link to a spray bar that goes completely around the top edge of the tank there is also 2 power heads that are midway down blowing towards the sandbed. the spray bar gets a circular flow from top to bottom of the tank and rest take care of the back and lower spots in the tank.
here is a pic of the spray bar in action. in the pic its not on full blast either its about half the output in the picture.
Mike

 

[michaeltx]

just a few motnhs same as the main bulbs when I changed over from FOWLR to reef I added the lighting and the sump with its light. it has 2 13 watt PC 7100k bulbs on it.
Mike
just reread your post ophiru they are on 24/7 aswell.

 

[rickster]

ROFL ROFL ROFL....
Mike quit? ....oh that's good, that's REAL good.

 

[michaeltx]

never gunna quit just the algae has beating the whole ---- out of me and I quit trying but going take drastic measures. even going to change to a different spectrum of MH bulbs. I just cant deal with it anymore.
actually I was really thinkg of getting another 100 gallon holding off on this one ill it cycled and then get all new rock and then frag all my corals to go in the new tank and leave the algae behind then tear it down and start over with another FOWLR but I dont think I am going to be able to take the algae that long. I cant even see in my tank with out a razor blade to scrape away an area to look into .
Mike

 

[rickster]

DUDE...that has got to be phosphates and light?
What is up with that tank?

 

[michaeltx]

lights are only months old I think its the sand myself its the only majr change up that has occured since this tank has been up and running. but I do have phosphates and its just a guess on the sand cause some cause I cant find it in anything that I add to the tank..
I have never had this problem in any of my tanks that I have had setup this is the first one and boy is it kicking me good
if I can find a camera I will get a picture of it and you can see for yourself.
Mike

 

[rickster]

I agree, focus on the phosphates....
Break down the tank and start over, including fresh macros in the fuge.
bummer, a lot of work eh?

 

[krunk]

sounds like someone needs a hug

 

[quack]

got to wonder bout that homemade food. Pretty rich. It may not test for po4 goin in but i bet its loaded coming out of the fish and inverts gi system!!!
Just a thought! and i may be wrong!!

 

[michaeltx]

actually it is alive but from seeding from existing tanks and the rocks. lots of little critters in there. the spectrum on the bulbs 6.5k MH and atinic PC bulbs .
thats why I quit I have tried everything that I and others can think of without any effect so its time for the drastic and tear down and restart it. I was trying everything not to do that though. I am just glad that I have 4 20-25 gallon tanks just laying around so I can use those as temo houseing while I get the other tank back up and going. also going to take the tangs somewhere maybe to the LFS as a trade in on something else. and after I get it all under control look towards a powder blue or brown maybe how knows. LOL
Mike

 

[michaeltx]

actually I thought about that so I quit giving it to them for over a month and in that time the po4 just kept going up so I started giving it to them again the readings havent had a jump or anything just the same as they have been for awhile so I dont think its from the foods.
Mike