Need help guys, tank is in bad shape

[joem1cha3l]

Over the past few weeks ive let my tank go to hell and yes i know its very unfair to the fish. Ive been struck with working well over 60 hours a week and just have not had time. Now there is green "stringy" stuff growin in my tank and my sand has been overtaken with a black substance. My cleanup crew is very minimal and i think its time to get a new one int here. What can i get to eat the stringy algae and the cleanup my sand? A direct link to something off liveaquaria.com or a comparable site would be great so i can get this ordered up. Thanks guys

 

[Capt_Cully]

I think you may have to roll up your sleeves on this one. You may need to siphon off the sand, prune the stringy stuff by hand if possible, and do a MAJOR water change.

I think the clean up crew can only do so much if your water is thick with disolved organic compounds that usually fuel this type of bloom.

What lights you running?

 

[Capt_Cully]

Oh, and 3 fish in the 10gal is a pretty big bio-load for that much water to handle.

Hope I'm not coming across negatively, just trying to help ya out :thumbsup:

 

[joem1cha3l]

no i certainly appreciate the words, right now im running 2 x 24 T5HO lighting.

 

[snorvich]

I go with Capt_Cully on his advice. a HOB protein skimmer would be useful going forward.

 

[joem1cha3l]

Will my fish be alright when i have my hands in there? I always feel like they will have a "heart attack"

 

[atrox]

Look at the brightside though, they are all signs of a healthy tank.

 

[FBNitro]

Your fish should be fine. They'll probably hide. My Brown Goby swims around while I have my hands in my tank, the Green Goby hides, and the Lawnmower plucks my hands a couple times either to scare me off or to see if I'm food and then hides.

HOB skimmer would be nice (I don't have one either on my 10g)... but I just don't have the room with the Fuge on there, not sure if you do or not.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13048870#post13048870 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by atrox
Look at the brightside though, they are all signs of a healthy tank.

Huh?? Those are signs of a healthy tank.

Like others have said, going to have to get your hands wet and do some water changes. Which, once you get it down, should only take 20 minutes at most. Granted the first couple of times are going to take longer, since you will have more to do.

And having a Sebae anemone is a 10 gallon tank ( besides it going to get too big ) is contributing to this ( IMO )

I had 2 medium sized LTAs in my 29, and was starting to get some cayno on the sandbed, within 2 weeks of selling them ( and doing the same water changes ) it was gone.

 

[Sk8r]

weellll, in the sense green is better than toxic cloudy white soup...

You've got too much phosphate in there; nothing likes that except algae. A phosphate reactor would help. A skimmer would help. You're over-populated with an under-equipped tank, basically, and if you neglect it for a single week, it's going to go south as it has: very fragile. Knowing you have a life outside your tank, and things will intervene, see if you can score a larger tank (use this one for a sump) and a skimmer; and use ro/di water only. Used equipment if you check out your vendor can be a real plus: minimal cost for higher quality. Concentrate on your equipment and setup for a while instead of buying live things and you will be able to keep the live things much better.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13051009#post13051009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
Huh?? Those are signs of a healthy tank.

There should have been one more " ?? " after "tank" as in those are signs of a healthy tank. IMO