Think you have algae problems!!!

[nm reef]

I don't have a pic yet but I'll get one and post it tomorrow. A LFS refered me to a lady here in town in need of help. She has a 120 gal fish only and a 55 gal reef that I was told was over grown with hair algae. After speaking to her on the phone my wife and I went over to her home to see what she had. Well....when you see a pic you'll freak!!! The 120 has what she claims is over 100 lbs of LR...I don't know...I couldn't see anything but algae. Thick growth that prevented visual confirmation of any rock....it was tough to even tell if there was water in the display the algae was so thick!!! The 55 was only slightly better....no skimmers working....VHO lighting well over 2 years old....uses only tap water(and our tapwater is bad)...both systems have sumps with bio balls...both have nitrates out the roof....both have what may be a combination of CC & sand....the 120 has a 36ppt level and the 55 showed 38ppt.
I agreed to start regular bi-weekly maintenance on both but man is this going to be tough to overcome. Tomorrow I plan on a 25 gal water change on the 120 and a 10 gal water change on the 55....I'll start manual removal of algae and do water changes weekly to remove what I can. Both systems have timers and they are now reduced to 2 hrs daily...the only living creature I saw was a tomato clown that said "help me"...poor guy. I'll post a few pics tomorrow evening so ya'all can see just how bad this project is.
Sure made me appreciate my lil 100 gal reef all the more!!!
Hopefully in a few months this lady will be pleased with the improvements in both systems...and in the process I should be able to fund future expansion on my reef. Sad to see any system get in the condition I found hers in.....:thinking:

 

[spsaddict]

glad to see qa fellow reefer helping out... try adding a sea hare or 2 and a foxface rabbit fish to help aid you

 

[beth]

You must have been called over to Bob's house.
Are you working for a LFS now?

 

[spsaddict]

Originally posted by Beth
You must have been called over to Bob's house.


ZING

 

[nm reef]

I don't call on ya'alls buddy "the algae man" for any reason....he and I don't see eye to eye on any issue!!!
No I don't work for a LFS...but I have started a small scale maintenance service that is refered via a couple LFS's....
I agree the seahares are a likely addition as soon as I get things stable...and a foxface is a good option down the road...right now I'd hesitate to add anything!!!Top tell the truth I'm scaed to even put my hands in!!!!!
This afternoon I will take some pics of this 120 in distress...ya'all simply will not believe the massive amounts of hair algae that consume this aquarium!!!!
To date I do weekly maintenace on a 220 reef....the 120 & 55 systems mentioned above...and I'm establishing a 100 gal bow front from scratch for another client. Basically word of mouth got it started and I needed a means of funding my habit. Plus I enjoy helping fellow hobbyists...I've circulated a few business cards and two LFS's refer clients....there have been several contacts for advice and/or assistance ...a few local hobbyists have contacted me about problems and have come over to view my reef and ask advice(free of charge)...so far just the three regular maintenance customers. Who knows...maybe down the road I'll be able to afford that Oceanic 220 reef ready that I want!!!!

 

[beth]

That is cool, NM. Nothing like being able to work at something that you love. Are there fish in that aquarium? Hopefully not. :scared:

 

[nicky1.8t]

nice to see some one be helpfull to other hobbiest. adn ni want to see some pics. heres a pic i snaged off this site a while back i forgot whos tank it was but they had a clown hostin hair algea

 

[mightyoxjuice]

I was in a lfs in Green Bay, Wi last year some time. The owner had a tank with not less than 5,000 bubble algae (valonia). He liked the look of it, so he said.

 

[nm reef]

Well I have a few pics but they ain't pretty!!! 15 gal water change on a 120 display and a 5 gal water change on the 55...used syphon and nets to remove all I could get today...still lots left. Lighting is reduced to less than 4 hrs per day and may be reduced even futher. I plan to run weekly water changes of 20 gal & 10 gal until things start to turn around...nitrates are thru the roof...all these tanks have ever seen is tap water...and our tap here is nasty!!! As soon as I get water chemistry in line and most of this forrest removed I'll look for a combination of algae eaters and improve circulation/filtration...and start right away with only RO/DI water. All the foundations are in place for a couple of very nice systems but the algae issues need to be resolved first...I think both will be much nicer in a few months. The 120 is to be a fish only...the 55 is to be a reef.....wish me....and the lady that owns them luck!!!!

 

[nm reef]

...a tank a certain former member would be proud of...

 

[nm reef]

...you would not believe how much nasty/stinky hair algae has already been removed....and under the dang hair algae I found a serious outbreak of valonia!!!!

 

[nm reef]

I hope to see this situation turned around and plan to post frequent pics along the way...in time I hope to post pics of stable systems that the lady can once again be proud of....ain't gonna be easy...but I believe it can be done.
So....think you have a algae problem????
:scared:

 

[viper_930]

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

 

[reef_magic]

my tank almos tlooks exactly like that!
how can this be fixed?

 

[harlequinnut]

That looks like a forest!:scared:

 

[shoreliner11]

Does she have any fish in either of the tanks?...cause I sure hope not. At the same time I would be thuroughly amazed that something could live under such conditions...I bet her pod population is just teeming

 

[coloradodeb]

I had hair algae that I thought was bad......so I removed a few rocks to my QT and kept it extremely dark for a few days.and scrubbed the poop out of it.and now,....no more hair algae. i only wish I were there to help with the tank restoration........

 

[thomas712]

Wow NM you really have your hands full.
Were you able to make any suggestions to the owners to order new lights or will they take anyother suggestions and expenitures to make things right?
What advice have you given them so far?
Thomas

 

[krishj39]

I agree with what I think Thomas was getting at. Does it look like this lady is willing to learn and change? I hope so, not just for the animals, but because she will get so much more enjoyment out of it when she really understands the right way to do things. Or maybe she is planning on having you do it from now on? That doesn't sound fun to me, but I guess some people just want to look and not interact.

 

[aggie05]

Ummm...Why don't you just tear the tanks down and have her start over. Honestly, it would be easier and better for the tanks in the long run. You said she hasn't done things right from the start so why would you want to slowly convert it over to the "right" way? Just get all the rock out, clean it, and start fresh the proper way. Just a thought.