rustybucket145
New member
Where do you get your natural sea water from? Have you always used it?
I need Help bad!!!!
- Thread starter Jecco
- Start date
Litespeeds
New member
Got it from my LFS which is Great Bay Aquarium in San Leandro for around 69 cents per gallon. Didn't test it and for all I know, it could have been regular salt mixed with whatever water they have and sold it as sea water.
I don't know the owner but the salesman I have known for years and I respect what he has to say and believe he wouldn't steer me wrong. I have never used natural sea water until about 2 months ago. It was about 4 months ago that I started a small construction project at my home and I think the fine dust particles from the sheetrock contaminated my tank. At the same time, my T5 bulbs were starting to shift in color as well as output. All this contributed to my outbreak of hair algae as well as brownish slime type algae.
I have done 2 15 gallon water changes in the past 2 months on my 90 gallon tank. I have at least 100 lbs of live rock so I figure there is only about maybe 60 gallons of water in the tank and 10 gallon in my 15 gallon refugium.
I do have a RO/DI at home so I figured I am going to start mixing my own now. This way I know for sure it is phospate free.
Two water changes in two months. You might try increasing your water changes. Myself, I do 2 water changes a week. Of course BB reef , and can't have any detrius building up. Makes for a spotless tank though. Total water change is 50% or more monthly. The 250 gallons removed, exports excessive nutrients....
Litespeeds
New member
That is alot of water changes. I guess too much is better than not enough. In between water changes, I do add trace elements, calcium, strongtium, magnesium, iodine, etc. Top off with ro/di water. Maybe I will do a 10 gallon water change every 2 weeks to see if this helps speed up the recovery.
I would be careful adding, anything you don't test for. Find a good salt, I use Kent marine. And with weekly water changes most elements will be replenished. Untill your demands go up and your algae goes down..... I would do 10% weekly, bare minimum. That's 50% monthly. Ask most reefers, I think thats more the norm
In addition to the many good suggestions above try keeping your pH at or above 8.45 for as long as it takes to help eradicate the problem. Also, do all of the ricks that lead to a higher redox potential; i.e. very clean prfilters, substrate, etc. Higher pH and redox levels will often help put the nail in the coffin for noxiuos algae problems.
