Still need help with my tank.

booya

booya

Member
Kipass4130, beaslbob, NM reef, SquishyFish or any one else that my help. I tried to post the pics of my tank but I can’t. I was wondering if a may email them to you so you could have a look. I would appreciate it if I could.
Here is the skinny on my tank.
I cycled my tank for about a month half of that was with a piece of shrimp. I never saw a true ammonia spike but for the first half of the cycle I think that I had a bad test kit. Now I use a salifert for NO3, NO2, NH3, and pH.
My tank has been up for about two months. I have 4 65w PC (2 blue 2 White). I have a Red Sea PRIZM Skimmer that is rated for a 60g tank. I have 2 power head that are rated for 400 gph and a power filter that is rated for a 60g tank, but I am not running carbon in it right now. I was going to add that to it tonight. I have a clean up crew that started at
• 20 Scarlet Reef Hermits most are gone because the blues killed them. 5-7 left
• 20 Blue leg Hermits I think there multiplying
• 20 Turbo/Astrea Snails most are gone blue leg again 5-10 left
• 4 Emerald
• 1 Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp
• 1 perc clown fish has been in for 4 days.
• 1 fighting conch
• 5 Mexican turbo snails
I feed formula one 1/8-1/4 a cube twice a day. I have been doing this for 4 days. Before no food. No additives.
Test results are;
Ammonia = 0 nitrite = 0 nitrate = so low it does not show ph 8.0, salinity 1.022 Trying to increase pH any suggestions may help. It was lower like 7.8 in morning time. Temp 80 degrees I have cut my lighting to 7 or 8 hours a day.
If any one knows what is in the last pic I would like to know
Thanks everyone Jake
 
overanalyzer

overanalyzer

Active Member

Originally posted by booya
I can't email you Kip can I have your address again

Originally posted by Kipass4130
kpeeler@NOSPAMcarolina.rr.com remove NOSP
AM
i will post the pics for ya
well first - you don't need to feed your fish so much!! once a day - small amount.
Why are you red legs disappearing? Blue legs killing them??
Also - what are you alkilinity readings?? that might be affecting your PH.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
there is a size and file type limit on posts. I find I have to resize the pictures using the software that came with my digital camera to post properly. Have to make it smaller to post at all.
Carbon should help. If I read correctly, you only have one fish. Your ph should not drop with only one fish unless you buffering is very low. Additionally a drop from 8.0 to 7.8 a few days after adding a fish may correct itself in a week or so. You could buffer but a little more running will really help.
My email is beaslbob@aol.com. I would be interested in seeing the system.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by Kipass4130
with that much hair algae... the nitrate and phosphate can be consumed at a fast rate leaving 0 results on the test kit... kind of a hidden NO3/PO4 problem
Kip you slay me. the problem must be really hidden if all the tests are 0.0.
I see some glimmer of hope there. some macros on the rocks betwee the hair. With no corals try turning your lights completely off for a week. The return to the 7-8 hours per day.
No doubt plants would help this out.
Too bad my yellow tang was not there. He would have a field day and a very full tummy.
Jake hang in there. In a couple of months your coraline could take off and this will be a distant memory.
 
ajwaters

ajwaters

Member
i feel your pain....
Thats what my tank looks like also. I've been using ro water since the beginging. I have had a better control on it lately.
by using poly filters i do a 20% every other week. I take out what rocks i can and toothbrush them in a 5 gallon bucket with water in it. and then on the other week i only do a 5% and toothbrush the rocks. net up the grass. thats has far that i've gotton now i just started doing it this way so i do not know well it will work.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by Kipass4130
well considering i dont know the increments of the test kit.... this is thoroughly possible (the larger the increments... the more the possibility) ... if it is a nitrate test kit from salifert tested at super high resolution... then less likely
sorry i posed a concept that you werent taught in the 70s
Aww understand Kip and it is possible the resolution of the test kit was hiding some low values.
But your original post stated: "the nitrate and phosphate can be consumed at a fast rate leaving 0 results on the test kit". Gee i though that was what plants did. Seems to me the real problem here is ugly plants. Obviously the plants are doing their job. Just they are ugly.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by FranknBerry
I would advise against turning off your lights... The dieoff from that much algae could be really bad......
How bad?
That's a big twinkie...
I agree.
His tank has one fish and a cleaner crew. The idea was the hair would die off fast allowing the coraline and especially the few strands of macros to catch up. When the lights returned there would be less (or no hair) and some coraline and macros. Then control the amount of lighting to allow the macros to thrive but not the hair. Again with only one fish and a cleaner crew, the danger would be minimul. But as you stated nitrates and phosphates would rise. And be consumed by the macros and coraline when the lights returned.
 
booya

booya

Member
I have had my lights off for the last two days and it has helped a little. The only thing is that I have a few polyps that I got free from my LFS. And I have a ricordea. So I need to give some light. I have seen that the Mex. snail are making a big difference. How could my Cleanup crew be to big with this much algae?
I did use tap water. Using DI now.
 
shanev

shanev

Member
beaslbob-
WHat Kip was getting at is you can get a 0 on a phosphate test, with that much hair algae anbd still have a HUGE phosphate problem.
If algae is growing as fast as Phosphates are introduced (either by feeding, or tap water, etc) and the hair algae is consuming that so fast that it test as 0, you still have a phosphate problem, its just harder to test for.
 
sheracr123

sheracr123

Member
BOOYA....
Looks like my tank before I switched to RO/DI and got my sailfin blenny. (Thats him sitting in my shroom in my avatar.) I don't know if a blenny could be incorporated into your tank or not, but he's a super cool fish and really mows down the algae. I have had him about 8 months and I think he has tripled in size. (He's maybe 3" now).
Oh, I have a pic with him in it. It was for something else, but he loves the camera!!!
Just another idea...
Mendee
 
shanev

shanev

Member
Whila LMB will help to get rid of what you have it is still treating the symptom not the cause.
IMO I would manually remove as much of the hair algae as you can. And do frequent water changes with RO/DI water.
 
booya

booya

Member
I am using DI water now.
How often should I do water changes?
How should I remove the Algae? I use my hand and grap the long stuff while my rocks are still in the tank, do you think that I should pull the rocks out one at a time and clean them?
 
sheracr123

sheracr123

Member
If your using Ro now, you have probably already treated the problem. It just takes a long time and alot of water changes to get rid of it. I was doing 20% a week.
This is what I found out about a Lawnmower. (It is the same as mine, just a diffrent color! Didn't know that.)
The Sailfin/Algae Blenny is also referred to as Jewelled Rockskipper or the Lawnmower, Jeweled Blenny, or Rock Blenny. Its body is a mottled tan with blue dots and it shows tons of personality.
A well-established 30 gallon or larger aquarium with multiple swimming levels and plenty of rock is a suitable environment. It is not usually aggressive unless the tank mates appear to have a similar shape as it does. It is best to house singly unless kept in a larger tank and the two are a mated pair. It tends to perch and hop from rock to rock looking for microalgae to graze on. It is known to nip at small-polyped stony coral and clam mantles.
The Sailfin/Algae Blenny does best in well-established aquariums with large amounts of natural algae to feed on. The diet can be supplemented with vegetable matter, Spirulina, and herbivore preparations.
HTH
Mendee
 
j_g

j_g

Member
He doesnt need another refugium cause that is a refugium! he needs sally lightfoot crabs, emerald crabs, etc...
 
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