The Newbie Needs Help!!!

[fordguy67]

so i have had an aquapod 24 for a about two months maybe a little more but about 2 months, and i do frequent water changes but im constantly getting that ugly brown algea all over the rocks, the sand, and the glass. how do i keep that algea from coming back? is there something that i have to put in the water?
also, i have bought that fission protein skimmer that is designed for the nano style tanks. i intsalled it the way the directions said to and it is the same exact as the diagram in the book, but its not producing the foam at the top, i dont think it is working, how do i get it to work?
thanks, any help is appreciated.
p.s. my girl behind the counter at me lfs said that there was nothing for it to skim in the tank, is this true?
and i have what i think is plenty of hermit crabs, i have one the is somewhat large and its legs are like stripped blue and black and i have ten very small blue leg hermits, one shrimp, lawnmower blenny, and a manderin

 

[nano_nut]

How long are the lights on? What are you changeing water with, tap water?

 

[saltn00b]

yea most likely diatoms from using non RO / RO/DI water

 

[fordguy67]

my lights are on for 12 hours a day
i have a well in my backyard so i had to use well water, that water was giving me that nasty blue green slime algea. then i switched to bottled water, which stopped the blue green algea but at the same time, it killed my walet. so i went out and bought a tap water filter (thats what it says on the box, has no brand name) it seems to work, i dont get the blue green slime but i do get the borwn algea

 

[saltn00b]

it might just be a filter for drinking water, and not an actual Reverse Osmosis (or with DeIonizing) Unit. in which case you will still be getting diatioms

 

[reefnut]

Phosphates = diatoms... eliminate the phosphates (by using RO/DI water or distilled water and maybe even a PO4 remover) and you eliminate the diatoms. The first priority is getting rid of the source which sounds like your well water.

 

[fordguy67]

well the tap water filter that i bought said that it was for fresh or saltwater aquariums, i cant exactly get rid of the well though that would cost thousands and then the nearest water tower is about 20 miles from my house
do you know how i could get my protein skimmer to work?

 

[reefnut]

No, no getting rid of the well isn't what I meant. Use a RO/DI unit to purify the well water. Is the tap water filter a DI??
I'm not familiar with your skimmer but if it's not producing foam at this point then it's not working, I'd have to think there is plenty to skim...

 

[reefnut]

I looked the fission protein skimmer up and it seems to be an ok skimmer... is there any way to adjust the water level in the skimmer?? If so, adjust it higher until you start getting foam.

 

[dragonzim]

How long have you had the skimmer running for? They take a little while to break in before they'll start producing foam.

 

[fordguy67]

on the box it says
"Tap Water Filter"
makes deionized water for aquariums
it removes:
Minerals:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Sulfate
- Chloride
- Carbonate
- Flouride
All Heavy Metals
- copper
- zinc
- lead
- iron
- cadmium
- Aluminum
Undesirable Contaminants
- phosphate
- nitrate
- Ammonia
- Silicate
- Nitrite
Chlorine and Chloramine
Organic Pollutants
- Insecticides
- Herbicides
- PCBs
- Pesticides
it says all that and then it says it again in different languages so i guess its a DI i honestly really dont know, im new at this and it doesnt say "DI" on the box

 

[fordguy67]

DragonZim,
i bought the protein skimmer about two weeks after i purchased the aquapod, and i installed the skimmer the same day that i bought it.

 

[reefnut]

IF the phosphates are not coming from the well water then it's coming from overfeeding. What are you feeding and how often??

 

[fordguy67]

i feed one cube of brine at night