my first reef at 4 months

[mdefo25]

you should consider getting a fox face to control some of that algea.

 

[mudskipper1]

yeah, I am kicking myself now because I could have gotten a Foxface rabbitfish for free from a friend, but I was slow to make a decision and sadly it died before I decided I would take it.

 

[sharko88]

Emerald Crabs would love that buffet of bounty.

 

[mudskipper1]

yeah, I already have three, they havent made much of a dent in it.

Any opinions on the lights out idea?

 

[Scoobaman17]

I tried a foxface and no matter what anyone says I'll never go there again. The first day in the tank it touched nothing but all my polyps on my corals. Ripped through my corals biting off the polyps. I'm just putting in my experience here. Never heard of the lights out idea but I would think that would do more harm then good.

 

[mudskipper1]

Any opinions on the lights out idea? or should I just wait it out?

 

[mudskipper1]

bump

 

[Purple Penguins]

the lights out works pretty good for some algae, like the green film on your glass or when your sandbed starts to get greenish, I found however it doesnt work so well for hair algae, I have a tiny patch of it that has been the same size for many months, I think my algae blenny keeps it that size.

for lights out what I do myself is...
Day 1 Actinics only
Day 2 All lights out except moonlights
Day 3 Same
Day 4 Same
Day 5 Actinics only
day 6 Normal light cycle

some do it in a shorter time periods, I myself have had good luck doing it this way, It does not affect my corals or my anemones in a bad way, they almost sleep for a few days and when lights are back on they are puffed up and very happy. In the ocean there are days of clouds and storms so darkness is not that abnormal, I do this to my tank every other month, and it wouldnt hurt to start doing this if you like, it will help a bit, but the hair algae you need to get to the bottom of what is really causing it...

to many feedings?
lights on to long?
using tap water?
tank near a window?

best of luck and tank does look good for only being 4 mths

 

[mrme]

Hey Mudskipper1,
Tanks lookin real good, Great looking Montipora Digita.
What are your tank perameters ?

 

[Purple Penguins]

thought I would share

one of my tanks when I first started it...

same tank now..

 

[IceWish]

i think you should wait it out.....just make sure you have a filter sock or some other mechanical filtration to collect the algae once its dead.

 

[mudskipper1]

purple penguins-I only feed once a day, enough so the fish/corals eat it all within 1-2 min. sometimes I hand feed the clowns so the fish get more of the food and less is wasted.

The lights could be a contributor, but the prob started when I had a 10 hr. photoperiod.

I am using an old RO unit, but the water is pretty good quality w/ the relatively new filters.

Tank get no direct sunlight, just ambient sunlight in the room.

Nice tank, how long has it been up? love the nem, and the bubble. Does the tank have the standard PC lighting?

Thanks for your response

mrme- thanks, and the params are posted on the first page, those are the readings I get everytime I check, and the temp is an average

Icewish-yeah that is probably what i will do, and I have a blue bonded filter pad between baffles for mechanical filtration.

Thanks all for the input

 

[newreefbishop]

That fox may have been possesed.....I have had mine for over a year, and it never touched corals.....it rips through algae though.... Tank looks good.....its still young and I think with the parameters the way they are the algae shouldnt spread

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11616853#post11616853 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scoobaman17
I tried a foxface and no matter what anyone says I'll never go there again. The first day in the tank it touched nothing but all my polyps on my corals. Ripped through my corals biting off the polyps. I'm just putting in my experience here. Never heard of the lights out idea but I would think that would do more harm then good.

 

[mudskipper1]

I put in the Flatworm Exit today, the flatworms started dying almost instantly, but a few are still alive. I used slightly more than the instruction suggested, and have not noticed anything but the flatworms distressed. I will be doing a 25% water change here shortly, but that is just because the tank needs it not because of the flatworms. So far I am pretty happy with the flatworm Exit... Knock on wood

My HA is receeding some, so hopefully that will continue

And, sadly I knocked another piece off my monti digi so now I have 3 in 3 months, I have glued each to a piece of rock, so now I have 3 frags. One isnt doing well (the first frag I ever glued), but the other 2 seem to be healthy. I have read that it is one of the most fragile corals, so hopefully I am not alone. All 3 have been small pieces, each about an inch long, but considering the original piece is only about 4 inches long with 2 main branches, this is a significant amount of growth. Hopefully though, I will be able to trade the frags eventually

Thx for readin

 

[mudskipper1]

The flatworms seem to be gone, but my cleaner shrimp is dead .
I dont know if it is related to the flatworm exit or not. Everything else in the tank seems fine. Luckily it was still inside the 15 day guarantee, so I should get my money back, but still not much consolation.