WaggishPotato
New member
Hi everyone,
I'm pretty new to all of this, mostly started with my fiance as this was her hobby and I got myself sucked into it as well. I had always helped her with checking parameters, water changes, feeding, acclimating, the whole 9.
This past Christmas, we acquired a Red Sea Max Nano (20 gallon, complete setup). I knew it was great in the sense that everything was pretty much done as far as picking out parts, but a 20 gallon was going to be a challenge as smaller tanks usually are. My previous experience here was helping care for a 29 gallon BioCube.
- We have a 180 gallon reef tank that is running very well with a bunch of corals and about 30 fish all happy. The levels were always right on, so when it came time to fill the 20, we just did a water change on the 180, into my 20.
- We used cured Fiji live rock and let the tank sit for about week before turning on the protein skimmer adding a few small snails and hermit crabs as the tank started showing some algae buildup.
- Week 2, we added a Royal Gramma and a couple more snails and tiny hermit crabs.
- Couple days later, we added an Ultra Rose BTA and Spotcinctus Clown into a small hangon tank where they hung out and became friends. They were added to the tank, we put in a small mushroom frag and a star polyp frag.
- We had a 2 headed trumpet frag that came out of the 29g and went into the 180, but was doing poorly, so it was transplanted to my 20g where it perked up and split to 4 heads now.
! Around this time, Nitrates built up from 20ppm to about 40ppm. I did a 10% water change. It seemed like the tank was cycling so we thought it was OK and I continued to check parametes and kept an eye on all of the life inside. The fish all ate no problem, the BTA and corals all looked very happy. I added filter floss behind the overflow to help filter junk out, which was changed regularly.
- Week 3, close to week 4, we added Springeri Dottyback, Tuxedo Urchin, Acanthastrea Echinata and Hammer a coral, Rock Flower Anemone, and 4 snails. Parameters remained the same, everything still seemed very happy and was eating, corals seemed bubbly and happy. The Anemones were eating, hammer and echinata would eat, all looked good. Because Nitrates were still a bit high, I did another 2g water change.
- Here everything still looked happy and this was when it started looking a little hazy that I thought something was up.
- End of January, the Nitrates came down to around 10ppm and everything still looked very healthy. 2 different Zoas were added, a small Frogspawn, another mushroom, cleaner shrimp, because algae on the rocks was getting out of control, as very small Lemon Peel Angel.
! Around this time is when I noticed that even after cleaning my tank and everything settled, the water seemed dirty. I cleaned the filter sock and replaced my filter floss and assumed it would get better, but no, it didn't.
In the coming week, my tank water basically just turned completely green (see photo). Ok, I figured because obviously I had moved quickly, my tank just cycled into a full blown algea bloom and this was normal.
I turned the AI Prime down from 55% all around for 10 hours, down to 35% for 8 hours. Soon after talking to the local fish store people, I turned the lights down further to about 20% for 6 hrs.
The tank has been running carbon since day 1. The protein skimmer has been doing an awesome job. The auto top off is also doing wonderfully. I have two small bags of media in the back that have been in there the whole time as well.
The last major change on the tank was a 4 gallon water change, cleaned the protein skimmer best I could (removed from the tank and cleaned), all sponges cleaned, filter sock cleaned completely (need to replace), carbon rinsed, and the lights have been off completely for the last 5 days except for about 30 minutes per day for them to eat. Also, as per the advice of our local fish store help, I have been running Algone for about a week or so. I went as far as taping closed the curtain on the window near the tank that might let in the smallest sliver of light during the day (black out curtains).
The parameters as tested last night:
79.0°F
Salinity 1.024
pH 8.0 (This seems to have dropped from 8.2 in the last week)
Ammonia 0.0ppm
Nitrites 0.0ppm
Nitrates 5.0ppm
Calcium 420ppm
Carbonate Hardness 161.1ppm (This seems to have dropped from 179ppm in the last week)
Phospates 0.25ppm
Running Carbon and Algone
Even tonight feeding, I can see that all of the fish are eating until there is no food left at all. Even my Dragonette grabs what tumbles along the sand. It's hard to speak for the corals as I literally cannot see them.
Today is day 21 that the tank has gone completely green and I have no idea what to do.
Please help.
I'm pretty new to all of this, mostly started with my fiance as this was her hobby and I got myself sucked into it as well. I had always helped her with checking parameters, water changes, feeding, acclimating, the whole 9.
This past Christmas, we acquired a Red Sea Max Nano (20 gallon, complete setup). I knew it was great in the sense that everything was pretty much done as far as picking out parts, but a 20 gallon was going to be a challenge as smaller tanks usually are. My previous experience here was helping care for a 29 gallon BioCube.
- We have a 180 gallon reef tank that is running very well with a bunch of corals and about 30 fish all happy. The levels were always right on, so when it came time to fill the 20, we just did a water change on the 180, into my 20.
- We used cured Fiji live rock and let the tank sit for about week before turning on the protein skimmer adding a few small snails and hermit crabs as the tank started showing some algae buildup.
- Week 2, we added a Royal Gramma and a couple more snails and tiny hermit crabs.
- Couple days later, we added an Ultra Rose BTA and Spotcinctus Clown into a small hangon tank where they hung out and became friends. They were added to the tank, we put in a small mushroom frag and a star polyp frag.
- We had a 2 headed trumpet frag that came out of the 29g and went into the 180, but was doing poorly, so it was transplanted to my 20g where it perked up and split to 4 heads now.
! Around this time, Nitrates built up from 20ppm to about 40ppm. I did a 10% water change. It seemed like the tank was cycling so we thought it was OK and I continued to check parametes and kept an eye on all of the life inside. The fish all ate no problem, the BTA and corals all looked very happy. I added filter floss behind the overflow to help filter junk out, which was changed regularly.
- Week 3, close to week 4, we added Springeri Dottyback, Tuxedo Urchin, Acanthastrea Echinata and Hammer a coral, Rock Flower Anemone, and 4 snails. Parameters remained the same, everything still seemed very happy and was eating, corals seemed bubbly and happy. The Anemones were eating, hammer and echinata would eat, all looked good. Because Nitrates were still a bit high, I did another 2g water change.
- Here everything still looked happy and this was when it started looking a little hazy that I thought something was up.
- End of January, the Nitrates came down to around 10ppm and everything still looked very healthy. 2 different Zoas were added, a small Frogspawn, another mushroom, cleaner shrimp, because algae on the rocks was getting out of control, as very small Lemon Peel Angel.
! Around this time is when I noticed that even after cleaning my tank and everything settled, the water seemed dirty. I cleaned the filter sock and replaced my filter floss and assumed it would get better, but no, it didn't.
In the coming week, my tank water basically just turned completely green (see photo). Ok, I figured because obviously I had moved quickly, my tank just cycled into a full blown algea bloom and this was normal.
I turned the AI Prime down from 55% all around for 10 hours, down to 35% for 8 hours. Soon after talking to the local fish store people, I turned the lights down further to about 20% for 6 hrs.
The tank has been running carbon since day 1. The protein skimmer has been doing an awesome job. The auto top off is also doing wonderfully. I have two small bags of media in the back that have been in there the whole time as well.
The last major change on the tank was a 4 gallon water change, cleaned the protein skimmer best I could (removed from the tank and cleaned), all sponges cleaned, filter sock cleaned completely (need to replace), carbon rinsed, and the lights have been off completely for the last 5 days except for about 30 minutes per day for them to eat. Also, as per the advice of our local fish store help, I have been running Algone for about a week or so. I went as far as taping closed the curtain on the window near the tank that might let in the smallest sliver of light during the day (black out curtains).
The parameters as tested last night:
79.0°F
Salinity 1.024
pH 8.0 (This seems to have dropped from 8.2 in the last week)
Ammonia 0.0ppm
Nitrites 0.0ppm
Nitrates 5.0ppm
Calcium 420ppm
Carbonate Hardness 161.1ppm (This seems to have dropped from 179ppm in the last week)
Phospates 0.25ppm
Running Carbon and Algone
Even tonight feeding, I can see that all of the fish are eating until there is no food left at all. Even my Dragonette grabs what tumbles along the sand. It's hard to speak for the corals as I literally cannot see them.
Today is day 21 that the tank has gone completely green and I have no idea what to do.
Please help.
