you've got to read this!

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angelofdeath132

Guest
i currently have a post on here on how disgusted i am with my tank because i am having problems with major algae on my sandbed, and high nitrates and couldn't figure out why. so i did a water change and cleaned out my Emperor 400 and in the bottom of one of my media chambers was what looked like a worm of some type,about 2" long. so i took it out, cleaned it off and it was a damn nail!! it was all crusted over with rust and gunk! i think i know the answer, but i've gotta ask anyway, could that have been the cause off my nitrate spike and algae problems??
 
azonic

azonic

Active Member
I'd say it would have something to do with it but that's just an assumption.
An aside, I know for a fact that Iron is a nutrient which algaes thrive on so if the nail is in any way composed of iron I'd say it would be a sure thing.
Any idea how a nail got in your filter? hehe:p
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
i have NO clue!! the only thing i can think of is that my teenage daughter was pissed at me for some reason so she tried to get me back!! Nah just kidding:D
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
its driving me nuts!! i'm gonna try and explain this a little better if i can. Today my nitrates are 20, the algae on the sand is reddish brown in color and, in the high concentrated places, it's stringy or looks like hair that waves in the current. did a 10 gallon water change yesterday. can anyone give me an ID just on my description? how do i get rid of this? will it go away if my nitrates are lower? HELP PLEASE!!:(
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
i was told that i'm gonna have to do a 100% water change:( is this true? can i rid this by water changes? if so how much and how often?
 
fulcrum

fulcrum

Member
It all depends on what type of metal the nail was made out of. There are other metallic elements that are far more deleterious than iron.
I would do a significant water change and see what happens, but once a metal ion contaminates your system, you may have to start over. (i seriously doubt this is the case though)
The guy who owned my reef setup before me, used stainless steel hose clamps on everything in the sump. They were rusted all over. His reef setup flourished for over two years. He eventually sold off his live stock and broke it down to move, but the tank was very healthy up until then.
As a side comment, I don't think any metal from the nail could elevate your nitrates. They are a result of the biological cycle. That could very well be an independant problem.
 
azonic

azonic

Active Member
I would perhaps try a few small water changes of 20% or so every few days until you get to around 70-80% of your tank.
I would not do it all at once.
Have you a refugium on your tank? If not, ever consider setting one up? Even a small 15-20 gallon tank with a DSB and a bunch of caulerpa would do wonders on your nitrate and algae problem....given of course, it will take time.
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
thanks for the help!! how long will it take this stuff to go away?
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
I would start off with some carbon, and let it run for about 48 hours, then do it again with some brand new carbon. Then I would so water changes as previously mentioned, but I think that 20% would be a bit much. i think that i would do something like 10% two to three times weekly so that there is not such a big disruption to the biofilter. Stick with doing 10% water changes like two times a week for like a month, and run carbon, changing it often, and you should be fine. It will take a while, but this will achieve essentially the 100% water change that was suggested. It will take time, but everything does in this hobby.
As for the red algae, it sounds to me like cyano. Mine was stringy like you describe and it was easily solved. If you go through the process that I described above, it should clear itself. If not try:
1. Changing light bulbs
2. Adjusting/increasing water flow
3. Decrease feeding amounts.
I only had to do numbers 2 and 3, and the water changes as mentioned above (I do 10% weekly) and mine disappeared overnight . . . . literally. Also, siphoning it off with a baster in conjunction with these steps will help immensely.
Hope this helps you out!
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
just put in new carbon Sun. night and did about an 18 - 20% water change yesterday
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
think my lights are O.K. still ordered them online in Feb. it's a PC setup i know i need more water flow. all i have right now is the flow from my Emperor 400 and my skimmer.
 
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angelofdeath132

Guest
very helpful!! thanks alot!! you answered my questions on how to take care of this prob. and how to keep it from coming back. few questions just to make sure i understand and do the right thing: you recommend lowering my lights from 8hrs/day to 4 and then gradually move the length of time back up? also: you said your tank and inhabitants thrived more with a 5% water change weekly instead of say 20% monthly? I also did some math and figured out that i'm not even turning my water over 10x, only about 8x so i know what i gotta do, i just don't know where to place powerhead(s) in the tank to have no dead spots.
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
It takes some time to figure out the dead spots. Just play around with PH placement, and you will eventually figure it out. I am willing to bet that if you only have 8x per hour, once you bring that up to about 15x your red slime will be significantly better if not solved entirely. And yes, start off by halving your time that your lights are on, and then bring it up slowly by about a half hour a day or so until you start to see that your corals are opening up fully and the red slime does not appear.
But I still reccomend only trying one thing at a time. Adjust your flow rate first, and then play with the lights or vice versa. But stick with adjusting one at a time.
Good luck!
 
rhomer

rhomer

Member
Something no one here is mentioned, you probably want to run a few different filters for a while. I would pick one of those poly filters this should help remove any free floating metal particles, you can also get either a heavy metal sponge, or a copper sponge to ensure that you have removed any metal.
BTW carbon will not remove any heavy metal from the system. I would plan on running a poly filter for 3-6 months to ensure that all the metal might be gone from your system.
The above information is based on the assumption that you want inverts in your tank.
There is a very inexpensive way to deterimine if you have a metal problem in the tank, buy an astrea snail and see if it dies quickly, doesn't die but is extrememly lethargic, or behaves normally. If it dies quickly (in a day or two) you have a serious metal problem. If it is slow to move and dies in a week or two you most likely have some metal in the water.
Good luck
Rob
 
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