Frustrated. My tank still looks like c**p.

[lcs]

So, the tank's been cycled since mid-September (six months ago now) and I have been slowly adding livestock. A fish here, a couple frags there. The rics and the fish are doing really well "“ including the seahorses "“ but the zoas are not all that happy and the rest of the tank just looks like hell. The coralline hasn't been spreading at all beyond the rocks it's already on "“ despite Ca being at 500. For the last week I've had cyano coming and going, but the worst thing is that all over the dead rock and, unfortunately some of the zoas, I have this brownish-greenish filmy looking algae (?). Even after I clean it off, it'll be back in like five minutes. OK, maybe 10. But seriously, it comes back within a few hours. It makes everything look so icky. I've been OK through the hair algae, diatoms, film algae, bryopsis, etc, but this is really bothering me. Probably because I may lose that zoa colony I just bought because of it. :sad1:

Any ideas how I can clear this up or do I just need to wait? I keep seeing people's tanks that say they have been set up for six months or less and they look so clean and bright. Wahh "“ I want mine to look like that too!

Ok. Sulk over. For now.

 

[superkat]

it's okay to vent. I've been postponing one for a few days...

 

[Adam_T]

First thing's first:

-Parameters?
-Size of tank?
-Equipment (filteration...lighting...flow)
-Livestock (sand, rock, etc...)

I'll do my best to help and I'm sure others will too...

 

[superkat]

First thing's first:

-Parameters?
-Size of tank?
-Equipment (filteration...lighting...flow)
-Livestock (sand, rock, etc...)

I'll do my best to help and I'm sure others will too...

absolutely.

 

[lcs]

Reef Octopus NW100 in sump skimmer
Lighting: 4x24W Current Sundial w/ Geismann bulbs
Flow: Eheim 1250 return, Maxijet 600
- low for seahorses
Livestock: 2 H. erectus seahorses
YWG/shrimp
bi-color blenny
couple crabs, 5 nassarius, 8-10 nerite, 4-5 cerinth snails
around 55lb LR, 3" sand bed
Parameters:
pH 8.2
SG 1.025-6
NH3 0
NO3 0
PO4 unknown
Ca 500
Alk ~2 meq/L (Red Sea kit)
temp a consistent 76F

That's everything off the top of my head.

 

[smogl00]

what's your total water volume?

 

[jaybfresh]

I'll tell ya what... I had a 55 for a couple years. It was my first big tank and things looked like crap. I was using culligan water from walmart, I had an undersized skimmer, and water changes were irregular. I had hair algae and cyano everywhere. One day I got fed up, took out all my rock and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. I added a phosban reactor with gfo, got an ro/di unit and refractometer, and upgraded my skimmer. I kept up with water changes and my algae was completely gone within 3 weeks. After that, the coral started coming along. My tank is pretty much unrecognizable from a year ago. It is certainly not on the level of many URS folk, but I am happy to look at it everyday.

Start attacking po4 and then deal with calcium and alk, though to my knowledge you don't need to worry about those 2 with soft and most lps coral. Make sure your test kits and salinty are accurate.

There is light at the end of the tunnel!!

 

[Henry Colf]

What size tank do you have? Your alk seems a little low. Do you use lime water to keep your ca. and alk balanced? Have you had your mg tested to find out what it is at? The standard for lighting is minimum 4 watts per gallon. Need more info. to try to help....

 

[reefdogg1107]

buy salifert test kits

 

[ggdowski]

I might be wrong, but I doubt Mg is low.
Reason being is because the Ca+ level is actually quite high (500).
I would target 400-420 for Ca+ levels.
I dont think you could get a 500 Ca+ level with a low Mg level.
Are you sure on the Ca+ level?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I keep seeing people's tanks that say they have been set up for six months or less and they look so clean and bright. Wahh "“ I want mine to look like that too!

you have a Seahorse tank, right?

Are you comparing your horse tank to other horse tanks or are you comparing it to reef tanks? (Two totally different biotopes!)

FWIW certain crabs might be helping your situation and certain crabs might make it worse. What kinds of crabs do you have?

Bicolor Blennies are (secretive) coral nippers. Watch it very closely!

What type of salt are you using?

 

[lcs]

Are you sure on the Ca+ level?

It's been a couple weeks since I tested, but it's been at that consistantly and I don't have anything using it up. The Mg was around 1350 the last time I checked, but it's been a couple of months.

Lighting: So . . . 4 watts/per gallon would be about 200 watts (I'm assuming my actual water volume is probably around 50gal) and I have 96 watts. Hmmm . . . Part of my problem?? The bulbs are about 6.5 months old now by the way.

The only thing I don't have that J does is the gfo. Should I be running that as well? I use RO/DI for changes although I did start the tank with tap water back in August. Possibly a PO4 issue then? I don't have a kit, I'll have MO check for me when I get a chance and go from there.

Are you comparing your horse tank to other horse tanks or are you comparing it to reef tanks?

Reef

FWIW certain crabs might be helping your situation and certain crabs might make it worse. What kinds of crabs do you have?

One blue-legged and one mystery one. I think.

What type of salt are you using?

Seachem Reef

Thanks so so much for all the replies guys!!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

you want to end it there?

you want to end it there?

bummer.

Possibly a PO4 issue then? I don't have a kit, I'll have MO check for me when I get a chance and go from there

JMO: don't waste your time.
Run some GFO and see what happens.

Get more herbivorous snails. (Get a couple of big turbos.)
Lighting isn't the source of your problem. Stop comparing your horse tank with reef tanks

 

[jfl14609]

I completely agree with Gray dont compair a seahorse tank to a reef tank seahorse tank equals high nutrients reef equals ow nutrients

 

[Flanders]

IMO - and raise your alk above 2.5 and watch it closely for awhile. when I was starting out, once I had my alkalinity stabilized the nuisance algae started going away and things really started taking off. I'm not saying that's the only cause of your problems but it certainly isn't helping. that and taking care of phosphates should help a lot.

 

[lcs]

Why would my alk be so low? There's nothing in the DT that would be using up the buffering capacity. I've also tested my QT - that is empty - and freshly made water. They are both in the middle of the "normal" range on the Red Sea test while my DT is at the low end of the normal range; possibly at the high end of the "low" range (could this kit be any more vague??) while my pH for the DT has always been at 8.2.

 

[jdoenumber2]

Do you have any macro in your display? How ofter are you doing water changes? What is the tds of the source water? Have you considered turning all lights off for 3 days and block all light entering it? If you do then do a 20% water chance. Follow that by a 10% in a couple of days. As far as zoas go maybe you can let a friend babysit them until you get things in order so you dont have a complete loss. I wish you luck.

 

[Flanders]

alkalinity will drop over time in every marine aquarium no matter what is being kept. I'm not sure how you are buffering your tank, but what I'd do if I were you is (AFTER testing with salifert alk and calcium test kits, and verifying the results, as has been stated, the red sea kits are not satisfactory):

provided you end up with a 2.0 meq/l alk and 500 ppm calcium, simply add baking soda and retest until alk gets above 2.5. this should drop the calcium down as well. then you should be able to get back on a balanced daily dosing schedule with weekly fine-tuning.

for a more detailed explanation:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

from the article:

"To raise 50 gallons of tank water by 1 meq/L will require about 16 grams of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate; sodium hydrogencarbonate). Since a level teaspoon of baking soda weighs just under 6 grams, then 1 teaspoon will raise the alkalinity in that 50 gallons by ~0.4 meq/L (~1 dKH)."

 

[lcs]

Do you have any macro in your display?

No, but I very much want some! My hang-on ‘fuge is on it’s way and I’m hoping that will go a long way toward improving things, but I’m thinking that will likely take some time.

How often are you doing water changes?

Water changes are 5% every week to ten days. If I end up going two weeks I do 10%.

What is the tds of the source water?

Source water is RO/DI and the TDS is zero.

Flanders – I’m not buffering at all. I have no calcifying corals and I would have thought that 5% water changes every week would have been enough to keep the alk up. I also have an aragonite sand bed of about 3"; wouldn't that contribute to the buffering capacity as well?

If I was having alkalinity issues wouldn’t I see a drop in pH?

 

[450reef]

water changes , water changes , water changes