AZBigJohn
Usually confused...
I’m hoping by admitting my failures, and posting my process and story, this post will serve to keep me on track, and never let this happen again.
After several years of moderate success in keeping a 55 gallon reef going, I decided to upsize and go for a tank at least 6 feet long, to be my “dream tank.” In early 2014, after looking at many options, I purchased a 155 gallon bowfront tank. In May, I had amassed the needed equipment, and had it up an running, and sold my 55 gallon tank after transferring everything over.
I fully planned and expected the increase in costs associated with upsizing, but never dreamed how much increased effort would be required to keep it up.
The first few months went well. The tank looked great, a FRAG auction outfitted the tank in lots of frags, and I was just waiting for my beautiful reef to bloom into glory!
Then all of the sudden I began having a hair algae explosion. The more I did to fight it, the worse it got. I got frustrated. I can make hundreds of excuses, (Two jobs, family emergencies, yada yada) but the algae won. I realized in June that my dream tank now looked like this:
I couldn’t even make out the shape of the rocks!
I had lost several fish, and the majority of my corals. I decided I could either admit defeat and get out of the hobby, or I could buckle down, and get back on track and prove to myself I can do this.
I had 5 days off in a row over July 4th. The salvageable frags went into my 30 gallon tank (yes, all of the corals left in my 155 fit into my 30 gallon, without crowding anything already in there) and got to work on operation hair algae removal!
I slowly deconstructed my rock, manually removing as much into the trash as I could. A stiff plastic grout brush was then used to remove as much as I could see. Good rock was stacked in one corner, while excess hair algae collected on the gravel.
Here you can see my confused huge brittle star and a feather duster wondering where their rock went:
Once one side was done, the algae was vacuumed out during a 30% water change. The next day, the other side was done in the same fashion. Day three involved combing the gravel for algae rooted within, complete sump and skimmer cleaning and cleaning and fixing the carbon/GFO reactor. . At the end of it all, the rock was re-assembled.
You are all my witness that I am committed to maintaining the tank in a much different fashion! I will follow up with the changes to my routine I have now made.
Here is my tank a week later…
After several years of moderate success in keeping a 55 gallon reef going, I decided to upsize and go for a tank at least 6 feet long, to be my “dream tank.” In early 2014, after looking at many options, I purchased a 155 gallon bowfront tank. In May, I had amassed the needed equipment, and had it up an running, and sold my 55 gallon tank after transferring everything over.
I fully planned and expected the increase in costs associated with upsizing, but never dreamed how much increased effort would be required to keep it up.
The first few months went well. The tank looked great, a FRAG auction outfitted the tank in lots of frags, and I was just waiting for my beautiful reef to bloom into glory!
Then all of the sudden I began having a hair algae explosion. The more I did to fight it, the worse it got. I got frustrated. I can make hundreds of excuses, (Two jobs, family emergencies, yada yada) but the algae won. I realized in June that my dream tank now looked like this:
I couldn’t even make out the shape of the rocks!
I had lost several fish, and the majority of my corals. I decided I could either admit defeat and get out of the hobby, or I could buckle down, and get back on track and prove to myself I can do this.
I had 5 days off in a row over July 4th. The salvageable frags went into my 30 gallon tank (yes, all of the corals left in my 155 fit into my 30 gallon, without crowding anything already in there) and got to work on operation hair algae removal!
I slowly deconstructed my rock, manually removing as much into the trash as I could. A stiff plastic grout brush was then used to remove as much as I could see. Good rock was stacked in one corner, while excess hair algae collected on the gravel.
Here you can see my confused huge brittle star and a feather duster wondering where their rock went:
Once one side was done, the algae was vacuumed out during a 30% water change. The next day, the other side was done in the same fashion. Day three involved combing the gravel for algae rooted within, complete sump and skimmer cleaning and cleaning and fixing the carbon/GFO reactor. . At the end of it all, the rock was re-assembled.
You are all my witness that I am committed to maintaining the tank in a much different fashion! I will follow up with the changes to my routine I have now made.
Here is my tank a week later…
Last edited:
