I'm tearing it down !

[shuguley]

If I was only home 2 days a week, there is no way I would have a reef tank. But Ronny, I saw your pics a couple weeks ago, it didn't look that bad. If you are expecting perfection, it will never happen. Algae is natural, and algae isn't really a bad thing either, we just think it's ugly. If you really want to stay in the hobby you should learn to live with the algae instead of this "all or nothing" mentality of yours. If I go 4 days without cleaning my glass it looks pretty bad too, but I don't worry about it, that's why somebody invented mag floats.

But if you really are not enjoying it, you should get out. Just don't kill the livestock with bleach.

 

[Ronny#66]

I quese I'm asking a lot not home like I want to be. But I just look at the tank pics here and they always look so pristine. Well You have talked me into staying again . Maybe when i get home I'm so tired from driving 11 hours it looks worse than it is. I think I will put that lawn mower blenny in there see what he will do.

Ronny

 

[Ronny#66]

turretdr what do you do for living ? What size tank do you have ? I'm a truck driver now. I think tank is so small not enough room for any fluctuation That doesn't affect whole enviroment.

Ronny

 

[kel2682]

Its a sad sad day for that tank and its tenants

 

[kraze3]

Your parameters may be in check but its possible that GHA is consuming your nitrates, thats why they are low or zero. I had a good battle with the GHA in my 29 gallon. First it was winning but now I have it down to only a few spots and Im not giving up now.

I work 12 hours a day and when I come home i usually eat and go to bed. Its a little different than your situation cause I am here if anything goes wrong but I usually only do cleaning and maintenence on the weekends. Algae can be beat it just takes time and patience.

I also think that your seeing alot of pristine tanks becauseif you had a great looking tank wouldnt you show it off. Alot of people want to say hey look how good my tank looks. Who wants to say hey doesnt my tank look like crap right now. Also think of it this way, how many pics of tanks have you actually seen here versus the amount of members.

Try reading thru this thread, it will help you.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1569829

 

[kel2682]

u can doooo it

 

[turretdr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14600926#post14600926 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ronny#66
turretdr what do you do for living ? What size tank do you have ? I'm a truck driver now. I think tank is so small not enough room for any fluctuation That doesn't affect whole enviroment.

Ronny

I am a service engineer, I travel to customers facilities and work on their equipment (CNC sheet metal fabrication ie. turret punches, press brakes, shear, combination equipment, etc. (hence the screen name)). My tank is a 125 with a 55 sump and 40 refugium.

Of course, the smaller the tank, the faster things change.

 

[shuguley]

I agree with what kraze3 said about clean tanks. The pristine tank pictures you see on here are probably taken right after the owner cleaned the tank with a ton of elbow greese. I seriously doubt that all of these pristine tanks always look that pristine. If somebody wants to show off their tank, of course they are going to clean it first. Maybe some tanks do always look pristine, but that's probably because the owner puts in a lot of time and effort, something that would be hard for you to do in just 2 days a week. Also, like you said, with a small tank like yours, it will be harder to keep pristine than a huge tank like most of the tanks of the month on here.

 

[zackdastack]

nononono

 

[DiazE]

Can we see a picture of the algae forest you talk about?
Tip: get some sea hares.

 

[kel2682]

where are you located ronny????

 

[IridescentLily]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14601142#post14601142 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shuguley
I agree with what kraze3 said about clean tanks. The pristine tank pictures you see on here are probably taken right after the owner cleaned the tank with a ton of elbow greese. I seriously doubt that all of these pristine tanks always look that pristine. If somebody wants to show off their tank, of course they are going to clean it first. Maybe some tanks do always look pristine, but that's probably because the owner puts in a lot of time and effort, something that would be hard for you to do in just 2 days a week.
Also, like you said, with a small tank like yours, it will be harder to keep pristine than a huge tank like most of the tanks of the month on here.

^^^^ I agree on all points.

Also, I wonder how old are your test kits Ronny?

 

[Ronny#66]

Look at green left of button polype on live rock and back glass.

Ronny

 

[Ronny#66]

Can't get rid of this all parameters good

Ronny

 

[Ronny#66]

I'm in Vermont

 

[KarlBob]

Maybe we need a stickied thread in this forum for "Average Tanks and Algae Jungles", so the pristine tanks aren't the only pictures new reefers see.

Ronnie#66, I haven't seen your pictures, but I can just about guarantee I've seen worse in my own house!

The big reason I prefer reef tanks over freshwater is also the reason they're so hard to maintain: in general, they're far more complex ecosystems. Seeing a peanut worm you never knew you had suddenly poke out of a rock is fun. Watching cyanobacteria bloom on top of your expensive corals is not so fun.

 

[kraze3]

Ronnie did you read that thread I linked you too? That tank is not bad at all like i said. You need to take a razor blade to that galss and get it all off. Take the coraline too it will come back. Scrub that crap off the rock with a toothbrush.

 

[hamiltonguy]

Take a look at my 20g. If you're saying you have a jungle of algae in your tank then mine must be the Amazon Rainforest of algae. Like you, I'm only home 2 days a week because I go away for university and for the past month I have been SWAMPED with midterms, labs, assignments, etc. And in about 2.5wks I have finals coming up again. But every weekend that I come back, I do my water change, make sure all my livestock is healthy. As for the algae, it's ugly as all hell but I KNOW it will go away. I finally have this weekend free with no university work and so I'm gonna spend a few hours on it picking away every little bit of algae. It just takes time man, keep at it and your tank WILL look good.

 

[DiazE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14602996#post14602996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hamiltonguy
Take a look at my 20g. If you're saying you have a jungle of algae in your tank then mine must be the Amazon Rainforest of algae. Like you, I'm only home 2 days a week because I go away for university and for the past month I have been SWAMPED with midterms, labs, assignments, etc. And in about 2.5wks I have finals coming up again. But every weekend that I come back, I do my water change, make sure all my livestock is healthy. As for the algae, it's ugly as all hell but I KNOW it will go away. I finally have this weekend free with no university work and so I'm gonna spend a few hours on it picking away every little bit of algae. It just takes time man, keep at it and your tank WILL look good.

DAMN!!! The one who started this post shouldn't be complaining. Do you have a skimmer? You need a good one to remove the dissolved organic compounds fueling the growth. :eek1:

 

[hamiltonguy]

Well I don't want to thread jack but no I don't have a skimmer, I'm thinking of buying a aqua c remora but I'm planning an upgrade to 75g in a couple months so I don't know if it'll be best investment.

I'm gonna spend a couple hours today picking it all off and doing a 4g water change. Then the same thing tomorrow. I haven't had time to deal with the algae I've just been making sure that my DOCs are low and livestock is happy and healthy. My nitrates read 0 but I think the algae is consuming them all.