DaVinci
New member
So, to try and understand my tank's problems better, I took photos and parameters to write up a detailed report to help with diagnosis.
The main display is a 4x2x2 120 gallon with dual overflows. Two 1" drains set up with 1 1/4" dursos and 3/4" returns. The tank drains into a 20 gal long sump. Right away, I can say my sump setup is awful, but I can't do anything about it until a few months from now, where a move will allow the perfect time to fix it.
The sump tank has no baffles or built-in filtration. The drains dump right into the back corners. The AETech Reef Devil skimmer is in-sump, powered by a Mag 7. The return is a Mag 9.5, slightly throttled back by a ball valve. There is a UV sterilizer that needs a new bulb as well.
The tank was seeded back in June with gravel and water from my well-established 30 gallon, gravel in the sump. I forget the brand of substrate, but its very fine pink samoan sand, about 100LBs. I estimate 100 LBs of live rock, as well. Two powerheads along with the four locline outlets off the return profive lots of flow.
The tank is lit by a Marineland 4x54W T5 fixture, 10K/Actinic mix. The lighting schedule is 2PM to 10:30 PM on a timer.
The tanks houses fish and a mixed reef.
3 chromis, two clowns, sixline wrasse, yellow tang, spotfin jawfish, damsel, shortspine urchin and a coral banded shrimp. CUC could use some help, just about 15 astrea snails and some crabs.
The corals include a forest of kenya trees, two hammers, a frogspawn, a leather and a few mushrooms.
These parameters were taken at 6PM today, so halfway through the light cycle, and 19 hours from the last (large) feeding.
temp 80.5
salinity 1.023
PH 8.2
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Amm. 0.5
Phos 0
I cannot measure calcium/mag/alk at this time. I know right away the worst kicker is my ammonia.. not exactly sure where its from. I do not overfeed, and I do 20 gal water changes weekly with RO. I do know my sump somehow catches a lot of detritus in the gravel but I try t siphon as much of it out as I can every week.
The problems began a few months after stocking this tank originally. I had a major outbreak of ich and another disease at the same time (black spots on the yellow tang) that decimated most of the original stock. The tank never got as beautiful or stable as it was then. I battled lots of cyano on my rocks and gravel. Using extra carbon in a sock as well as removing some photo time with the lights. That, combined with serious playing with the flow and direction, the cyano started to retreat.
Lately though, the cyano made a small and brief comeback at the same time that I began to have this nasty, filamentous growth take over my rock, similar to the bacterial blooms described when starting a vodka regimen. Where this growth has finally stopped, its never gone away, and now I have this nasty brown, fluffy algae moving in.
I can't seem to stop it, nor figure out what causes it. Any thoughts? Attached pics show the problem algae the best, also including random extra shots, to get a feel for the whole tank.
The main display is a 4x2x2 120 gallon with dual overflows. Two 1" drains set up with 1 1/4" dursos and 3/4" returns. The tank drains into a 20 gal long sump. Right away, I can say my sump setup is awful, but I can't do anything about it until a few months from now, where a move will allow the perfect time to fix it.
The sump tank has no baffles or built-in filtration. The drains dump right into the back corners. The AETech Reef Devil skimmer is in-sump, powered by a Mag 7. The return is a Mag 9.5, slightly throttled back by a ball valve. There is a UV sterilizer that needs a new bulb as well.
The tank was seeded back in June with gravel and water from my well-established 30 gallon, gravel in the sump. I forget the brand of substrate, but its very fine pink samoan sand, about 100LBs. I estimate 100 LBs of live rock, as well. Two powerheads along with the four locline outlets off the return profive lots of flow.
The tank is lit by a Marineland 4x54W T5 fixture, 10K/Actinic mix. The lighting schedule is 2PM to 10:30 PM on a timer.
The tanks houses fish and a mixed reef.
3 chromis, two clowns, sixline wrasse, yellow tang, spotfin jawfish, damsel, shortspine urchin and a coral banded shrimp. CUC could use some help, just about 15 astrea snails and some crabs.
The corals include a forest of kenya trees, two hammers, a frogspawn, a leather and a few mushrooms.
These parameters were taken at 6PM today, so halfway through the light cycle, and 19 hours from the last (large) feeding.
temp 80.5
salinity 1.023
PH 8.2
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Amm. 0.5
Phos 0
I cannot measure calcium/mag/alk at this time. I know right away the worst kicker is my ammonia.. not exactly sure where its from. I do not overfeed, and I do 20 gal water changes weekly with RO. I do know my sump somehow catches a lot of detritus in the gravel but I try t siphon as much of it out as I can every week.
The problems began a few months after stocking this tank originally. I had a major outbreak of ich and another disease at the same time (black spots on the yellow tang) that decimated most of the original stock. The tank never got as beautiful or stable as it was then. I battled lots of cyano on my rocks and gravel. Using extra carbon in a sock as well as removing some photo time with the lights. That, combined with serious playing with the flow and direction, the cyano started to retreat.
Lately though, the cyano made a small and brief comeback at the same time that I began to have this nasty, filamentous growth take over my rock, similar to the bacterial blooms described when starting a vodka regimen. Where this growth has finally stopped, its never gone away, and now I have this nasty brown, fluffy algae moving in.
I can't seem to stop it, nor figure out what causes it. Any thoughts? Attached pics show the problem algae the best, also including random extra shots, to get a feel for the whole tank.
Attachments
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