Help, Help!!!!

[fishnugget]

I have been struggling with my tank for a long time now. Last year I found that my tank was loaded with copper. We have no idea where it came from. I finally tore my tank down and started over.

Now I have had many corals die in the past few months especially except fpr leathers and zoos. I now have been fighting cyno for the past few months. This is no longer fun. First I tried the darkness method for 4 days. It cleared up and came back a week later. Then I tried red slime remover. It worked for a week then came back. Next I tried Chemi clean. It came back a week later.

I turned my Calcium reactor off a month ago. I did this to not put any extra nturients back in tank. My glass gets covered with algae film daily. I am running 3 250 watt de 14K Phoenix. I was running 3 400watt 10k Reeflux. I have 2 Tunze 6100 and controller. I have a 210 gallon tank. I am at the end of my rope.

I am feeding 5 times a week. My nitrates are 5. My Phosphates are .01. I have been using Blue Line Drops to control phosphates.
Rowa Phos nor Phosban in reactors really worked for me. I use reef Crystals.


Does anyone have any suggestions? I am spent emotionally and financially and physically. This is no longer fun

 

[Osteomata]

Fighting redslime right now as well, only came up on me in the last couple of months after a year of trouble free reefing. My alkalinity is low right now, so I am trying to raise it to see if that helps.

 

[carlosngloria]

what type of sand bed are you using? I have to 15gal tanks set-up and I set them up the same way. Only in one Ive had a red slime problem for months now. It comes and goes away. The one that has the slime problem I used crushed coral sand bed, and the other I used regular live sand. That is the only difference between both tanks.

 

[bpd964]

What method did you use to clean the actual tank of all the copper?

 

[Freed]

Are you using a protein skimmer? Most algae lives off of what a skimmer could be pulling out of your water.

 

[fishnugget]

Large Geo skimmer. Got rid of all water, sand, washed rock. Started over. No copper levels showing evr since.

 

[45commando]

Hi Rich,sorry to hear about the problem algae.I don't think this would really be the cause,because normally it causes a diatom bloom rather than red slime,but have you checked for silicates?I would check the make up water,as well as the tank water.Infact,have you tested the make up water for nitrates/phosphates etc?HTH

 

[fishnugget]

No I haven't tested the makeup water. I use a ro/di topp off. It shows 12ppm going in- 0 coming out. I recently changed filters as well. I can't imagine that this is the problem. I am so stumped.

 

[LouPhoenix]

So what would one do if silicates are present?

 

[illal]

i thought there was no way to fully rid the tank of copper

 

[db_triggerfish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10640358#post10640358 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by illal
i thought there was no way to fully rid the tank of copper

i would not introduce copper to a reef tank but poly-flter should help to get rid of it. And other chemicals in our air and water that find there way into tank.

This is from their website:

Can Poly-Filter® actually remove all traces of any Copper Medication/Treatment? Will Intervetrabrates survive, in a
tank, that Poly-Filter® has removed the Copper?

Answer: Yes to both questions. In fact 8 sq. inches or ¼ of a Poly-Filter® will sorb 285.60 - 288.00 mg of Copper ions. Poly-Filter® sorbs any type of copper both chelated and nonchelated forms. We have treated quarantine tanks with copper-formalin for 14 months adding weekly (0.15 - 0.25mg/L concentration) then used Poly-Filter® (without a water change) to remove the copper down to trace element level (0.040 mg/L) and then added Invertebrates. Method of Analysis: Atomic Absorption EPA Methods 7210 & & 7211.

 

[fishnugget]

Copper is not my issue. I dont have copper

 

[gasman059]

Well many many factors.
Asd u know by now- Algae needs light (your tank lights are perfect maybe too much for FOWLR) and food (nitrates and silicates) to survive.
STARVATION MIGHT BE THE CURE.
bet u there's something else involved perhaps your sand?
check 3 things-salt/RO and finally the sand.

I would look at those three as the culprit providing that filtration and adequacy of flow is existent.

Then cleanup crew- drop some 100-200 snails and c what happens.
Last resort perhaps emeralds, I dunno just some opinions w/o seeing the actual setup.
Good luck

 

[fishnugget]

I dont have a fish only. It is a full blown reef. @350 lbs of rock. Nitrates always low.I have @250 assorted snails. My sand is @1 year old. I have 2 tunze 6100 on controller. Main circulation is Ampmaster 2700.

 

[gasman059]

okok/ would help to visit the tank and perhaps come up with some answers.

For now i would drop your feedings and if u are feeding flakes now is the time to stop.

Feed lets say twice a week and reduce your lights by half and take it from there.
I understand that this has prolly been tried before. But its a battle that u are going to win.
patience is a virtue in this hobby.

 

[fishnugget]

Thanks. Maybe at Tues meeting, someone can help me with a game plan.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Well here are my take on things in my honost opinon

As far as copper goes their is no true way to remove 100% of it from an Aquarium in which it has been dosed. Any subtrate, live rock and especially the silicone in the All Glass Aquariums will harbor the copper and it will slowly leach back into the Aquarium water even if you do a 100% water change and kill your corals nd inverts. In this instance you mayb have to purchase a new Aquarium I know I personally did. Had top throw out a 125 gallon. Someone with a fish only was happy.

 

[fishnugget]

I thought it could have been a return of copper leaching. I had my water professionally tested by Adolf, who is well know as the master when it comes to water chemistry. Last year he diagnosed my tank with copper after doing elaborate tests. After I started having problems this year, he retested and found no copper, or evidence of any leaching. The only thing he found was low magnesium which I immeditely corrected. My issue is now just a continual reoccurance of cyno.

 

[Jasonanatal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10642620#post10642620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishnugget
I thought it could have been a return of copper leaching. I had my water professionally tested by Adolf, who is well know as the master when it comes to water chemistry. Last year he diagnosed my tank with copper after doing elaborate tests. After I started having problems this year, he retested and found no copper, or evidence of any leaching. The only thing he found was low magnesium which I immeditely corrected. My issue is now just a continual reoccurance of cyno.

Fishnugget, you can try one of two things in my opinion. Nutrient starvation by either using one or a combination of the following methods will help to reduce and even irradicate your Cynabacteria "Red Slime Algea".

1. Reduce your current photo-period or change your bulbs if they have reached the end of their lifespan.

2. Reduce the amount of Phosphates within your aquarium by reducing the amount/occurance of feeding or install a Phosphate reactor with either Rowaphose (the best in my personal opinion) or some other type of Phosphate reducing media.

3. Increase the size and variety of your clean-up crew within your aquarium to compensate for the waste. Water changes on a weekly basis will also assit with this.

4. If all else fails you can use "Red Slime Remover" from Ultralife which should clear up your problem in two to three days.

 

[fishnugget]

I have done evrything you have mentioned and nothing works. It all comes back in 1 week. Used Rowa, Phosban, etc. None really worked. 250 clean up crew. New bulbs.

Still have problem