Need Help with a Couple of Issues

[RavenFan02]

I'm having 2 issues with my tank that are driving me crazy. First my paramaters: temp 79-80; salinity 1.023, ph 8.4, trites & amm 0ppm, trates 10 - 20ppm, calcium 390, phosphate 0. Tank is about 7 months old. I have T5 lighting (nova extreme fixture...actinics on 9 - 9...daylights from 10 - 8) ...use tropic marin...its 65 gallons...have a sump with protien skimmer and HOB fuge with chaeto. I have about 1,900 gph of flow (2 koralia 1s, 1 koralia 2, 1 small maxijet and a mag drive 7 return pump). Also, I am using RO/DI water.

My first issue is the coraline on the glass. It is constantly turning white in spots then it will turn back to purple. I'm guessing that this is due to the calcium levels being a little low. I've been dosing with B-ionic to try and keep the levels up. Wonder if switching salt would help...maybe to reef crystals or tropic marin pro. Any suggestions? Should I test for anything else?

The 2nd issue is my sand looking like crap as you can see from the pics below. I'm guessing that this is hair algae. I don't believe that this is a flow issue, but not sure what it could be and it looks ugly and I want it gone. I've tried siphoning it to no avail. What should I do?

 

[Craig Lambert]

What is the tank stocked with, how much and what do you feed, and what skimmer are you using? As for your water parameters what is your Alkalinity level?

I wouldn't pay much attention to your phosphate test results as almost all phosphate tests measure inorganic phosphates, but not organic phospates. My guess is that you have a phosphate and or silicate issue based upon the algae growth you have.

 

[RavenFan02]

My tank is stocked with about 85 lbs of LR. For fish I currently have a lawnmower blenny, pair of ocellaris, yellow watchman goby and a sixline wrasse. I've got a sun coral, about 6 zoo frags and a BTA. Inverts include 2 turbo snails, 2 nassarius snails, about 8 astraea snails, 15ish red leg hermits, 1 sally lightfoot, 1 emerald crab and 1 fire shrimp.

During the week I'm feeding once in the evening, 2 xs a day during the weekend. I feed a combo of frozen mysis, krill, formula one, formula 2, cyclopeeze and flake. I dose with either selcon, zoecon or vitachem.

I will test for alk tonight and post those results.

What do you think could be going on? Thanks...

 

[poormanisme]

I would try to get your salinity up to 025 or 026. Manually remove as much of that crap as you can. Do as many water changes as it takes to get get those nitrates down to 0. Maybe get my calcium up over 400. Run some sort of iron bases phosphate remover. Also, what is your alkalinity running? I'd try to keep that ~9ish. If I had that stuff i'd start with this stuff and see what happens over the course of a few weeks. Good Luck

 

[RavenFan02]

How much water and how often would you recommend doing the water changes? I run Rowaphos in my sump, but I'm not sure if it is iron based. I've been dosing just about everyday with b-ionic 2 part to get the calcium up in the 420 to 450 range, but it still seems to be under 400. Do you think switching salt mix could help? thanks

 

[BreefMe]

Raven, I also would consider beefing up your clean up crew. The snail hermit population is too low for a 65 gal tank.

You should have more like a hundred snails of different types - Turbo, Ilyanassa Obsoleta, Nassarius.

Also, at least 30 or more of the blue legged hermits. Plus add to your red legged hermits.

I would use ebay for this. The LFS will make you go broke on this kind of stuff. When the ebay package arrives. Pour contents into a small plastic bucket. Slowly dump in water from your tank a little at a time to slowly acclimate. Pick out who made the journey and transfer them to the tank without dumping in the water. The shipping water is extremely high in amonia from no filtration or anything else.

This should help along with the other suggestions.

 

[poormanisme]

How much water and how often would you recommend doing the water changes?

I would do 25% every couple days with full strength sea water. Do you mix your own water? If so, when is the last time you check the TDS of the RO/DI unit?

I run Rowaphos in my sump, but I'm not sure if it is iron based

Rowa is great stuff and yes it is iron based. When is the last time you changed the rowa? could it possibly be exhaused?

I've been dosing just about everyday with b-ionic 2 part to get the calcium up in the 420 to 450 range, but it still seems to be under 400. Do you think switching salt mix could help?

Getting your salinity up to natural sea water levels will help. Also, when is the last time you checked your magnesium levels? Most salt mixes are chronically low in magnesium. If you have low mag you will never be able to get calcium and alkalinity levels up.

Also, while there are many critter that help by eating algae you shouldnt need a million of them to keep algae managable. I have about 3 dozen snails and a dozen hermits in my 120 and it stays algae free. Of course there are lots of opinions on the amount of inverts you should keep so your mileage may vary.

 

[Jon Evans]

RavenFan02, I'm battling the same thing right now. I'm about to place an order for more hermits and snails.

By the way... Go Browns!

 

[RavenFan02]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10904531#post10904531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jon Evans
RavenFan02, I'm battling the same thing right now. I'm about to place an order for more hermits and snails.

By the way... Go Browns!

That's harsh...at least you could say thank you for giving you that game!

Good luck with the algae.

 

[RavenFan02]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10904125#post10904125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by poormanisme
I would do 25% every couple days with full strength sea water. Do you mix your own water? If so, when is the last time you check the TDS of the RO/DI unit?
Rowa is great stuff and yes it is iron based. When is the last time you changed the rowa? could it possibly be exhaused?
Getting your salinity up to natural sea water levels will help. Also, when is the last time you checked your magnesium levels? Most salt mixes are chronically low in magnesium. If you have low mag you will never be able to get calcium and alkalinity levels up.

Also, while there are many critter that help by eating algae you shouldnt need a million of them to keep algae managable. I have about 3 dozen snails and a dozen hermits in my 120 and it stays algae free. Of course there are lots of opinions on the amount of inverts you should keep so your mileage may vary.

I will try the water changes to see if that works. Yes I mix my own using Tropic Marin. I purchase the RO/DI from a very reputable LFS, don't have my own unit yet.

The rowa is recently replaced. I did so partially because of this issue...it has probably been in ther about 3 weeks. I don't have a mag test get, but will get one. What kind of salt mix do you use?

I thought that was a little overkill, don't really want a bunch of snails and hermits all over the tank. I could probably use a few more nass snails to keep the sand stirred and maybe some blue leg hermits, but that is it.

I appreciate all the help.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10900712#post10900712 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BreefMe
Raven, I also would consider beefing up your clean up crew. The snail hermit population is too low for a 65 gal tank.

You should have more like a hundred snails of different types - Turbo, Ilyanassa Obsoleta, Nassarius.

Also, at least 30 or more of the blue legged hermits. Plus add to your red legged hermits.

I would use ebay for this. The LFS will make you go broke on this kind of stuff. When the ebay package arrives. Pour contents into a small plastic bucket. Slowly dump in water from your tank a little at a time to slowly acclimate. Pick out who made the journey and transfer them to the tank without dumping in the water. The shipping water is extremely high in amonia from no filtration or anything else.

This should help along with the other suggestions.

I'm sorry if this sounds rude... ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?!?
100 snails in a 65g is a bit extreme. I think I have 10 snails, and 10 hermits overall in my tank.

 

[RavenFan02]

Yeah...I thought that was a little nutty. I need to figure out the cause first.