What Have I Gotten Myself Into???

[anonome]

Your tank is just going through the normal stages of maturity. I know you are frustrated, can read it in your posts. Just be assured that it does get easier with age of the tank. I would say that you have at least another 4 months to go. This is by no means meant to frustrate you any more.
Now, what to do with your problems. First off, I saw very little cyano, which is a good thing. Just keep up with your vacuuming these trouble spots--that's how I got rid of mine. Also, water changes are very important to dilute any nutrients that are fueling both the hair algae and cyano. Make sure your skimmer is working full force, 24/7. As far as the hair algae, every aquarist has their own thoughts on what is acceptable levels of hair algae to be allowed to grow in their tanks. I do keep some, the fish, inverts eat it. However, I do not let it control the tank. Once your rock gets the corraline algae growing on it, the hair algae should be a thing of the past. You may need to take each piece out of the tank and wash it in water changing water with a brush, scrub it. This will help with the cyano also. Just be sure to wash in salt water, not fresh. I used a toothbrush.
Nassarius snails will help with sand bed, also a sand sifting goby (but only if your perameters are right.) Turbo, Margarite snails are good for the algae on rocks and glass, just be aware that they cannot tolerate high temps, so this may be a problem.
I hope this helps, keep your chin up, and just look at that beautiful tank, a piece of artwork, knowing that one day it will look awesome.

 

[lazarus]

thanks..."hot" as i bought the refugium on your advice...had the exact same issues with the skimmer...had to use a plexiglass cutter to shave down the collection cup in order to get it to fit..now all works well but i still got LOTS OF QUESTIONS for you all to answer for me (see above)! thanks again

 

[anonome]

You were posting when I was. Bump

 

[lazarus]

Anonome...thanks alot...i am feeling ALOT better from all the posts telling me i just need to wait it out a bit....can you tell me what is "hair algae" tho? is this what looks like grass on my rock or what is growing on my glass? i like to growth on the rock...no problem with that...its the growth on the DT glass that has me frustrated.

 

[trainfever]

The best cure for Cyano is to increase your waterflow. Waterflow will also help with algae. Direct your powerheads at your rocks to keep detrirus fom forming on the rocks, that is what is promoting algae on your rock. And lastly, cut back the lightong ony your display tank to 8 hours and increase the lighting in your refugium. The best thing to do is get a timer that will turn your lights on and off. Set it so that when your tank lights go on, your fuge lights go off and vice versa. Increasing the light in your fuge will promote macroalgae growth in there and the macroalgae will compete for nutrients with the algae in your tank, thus starving the algae in your tank.

 

[anonome]

By growth on your glass, are you talking about a film that appears, or actually long hair like growth (like the rocks) on your glass. A film is absolutely normal. I use a magna-float to remove the film---very normal in saltwater tanks.

 

[lazarus]

wow...tons of great advice..thanks. i already do the lighting in the refugium opposite to the main lights...but i think i can cut back on main lighting. the glass algae is not stringy, just normal build up but man o man it builds fast! i like the idea of getting the refugium more supercharged...i am showing picks of my refugium here and would love if some can check it out. i cannot find much local stuff for the refugium....only have 2 chaeto balls and 2 hermits on top of LR and mineral mud. What else can I put in here? snails? what else? any recommendations on where to buy?
also the refuge has white deposits on the glass, they look like bits of styrofoam...what's up with that?
thanks as always!

 

[dogstar]

What kind of lighting is on the fuge.....?

 

[lazarus]

fuge has 260 w of 50/50 lighting
i think i need to increase the # hrs on it...one post suggested i run it 24x7 on full lights until chaeto takes off.
any idea what other livestock i s/ put in it?

 

[nigerbang]

wow!!! holy crap. That is a beautiful setup, wish I could sell my wife to buy that. It does get easier with time. Maybe a cleaning crew could help. In my case they got eaten by a Humu Trigger

. Stay in the forums and soak up all the advice you can. One source is no where near enough just listen to everything and make your own judgements and then read more and see where you are. Good luck (If you ever want to trade I can have my wife on a plane in an hour)

 

[anonome]

You can add more live rock to your refugium. Some people even buy pods to start the population off, then they will reproduce. As far as where to buy your snails, hermits etc. this site offers real good quality livestock. They offer a quarantee--how many lfs do that? I know of none. Check out their reef packages.
As far as the white specks on the glass, these are spirorbid worms, harmless.
I noticed that you have a window close to your tank--does sunlight come in it? This may be fueling your hair algae and cyano also. Just a thought.

 

[dexter]

1st off - beautiful tank and set up!
I'm not an expert, however, I have learned ALOT from this website and others.
So, questions were:
1. What is min. amount of light fish and corals need?
2. What snails do you recommend to consume algae?
3. Powerhead...point to the sand? Are there brands that are best for this application that wont be so damn intrusive to the DT?
4. What else to put in the refugium?
1. fish only dont have lighting parameters, fowlr probably the same, but good to have 1-2 watts per gallon, soft corals 3-4 watts per gallon, hard corals 5-8 watts per gallon. Corals are the ones that need the lighting parameters, and Mh is the way to go.
2. Turbo snails from this site are very good. I have approx. 40+ in my 100 gallon.
3. looks like you have a maxjet in tank already. previous post stated somehting that moved the water all around tank and the top as weel. probably a good investment for increased water flow and the gas exchange needed.
4. more LR and some cleaning crew. Run the refugium lights when the DT lights are off. Buy some pods if you need to to jumpstart.
Hope that helps. Again, Beautiful tank setup! That is going to look awesome in 6-8 months!! congratz

dxtr

 

[anonome]

Oh, I forgot to add that when you buy your snails--don't buy astrea snails, when they fall off of anything they cannot upright themselves, so they become fish food!

 

[phixer]

Lazarus, let me know if you get this. Would like to chat with ya.
Phixer

 

[lazarus]

got it! sent you an email. also plan to post more pics in a sec...

 

[dmitry]

Great set-up!
Now, did you say you run your main lights noon-9:30pm??? That's a loooong time! And is contributing to the algae problem. Personally I run my day-lights 5hrs a day, and actinics 2hrs on either end. I think if you cut your light-period by a several hours you'll see a drop in algae. The main lights are also contributing to the heat problems.