Next step?!

[Paul_PSU]

I had a mass outbreak of hair algae all over my rock. I would take out a few of the bigger pieces and try to scrub them but could only get about 25% off. I started to rearrange the rock and see if I could do with out the larger pieces and the next thing I know I have all my live rock out of the tank in a tub with saltwater. All I have in my tank is a purple tang and 4 smaller pieces that I made a little cave for the tang with. I have tested my water: Phosphates are Zero, Nitrates are around 20, down from triple digits, Salinity is 1.025, Nitrites are Zero, PH is 8.4. My question is, what is the best way to start over with the live rock I have? I just want to kill everything on it, clean it really well and then put back in the tank. OR, is there another route I should go with the rock.

Thanks for any input or suggestions

 

[Hop]

I'm guessing you are in the same boat I am. Your rocks are loaded with po4. Since it is bound in the rock and the hair algae, and test kits pick up inorganic, rather than organic po4... Basically it releases just enough to keep fueling the hair algae.

Currently I'm cooking about 80-100lbs of rock and am 3 weeks into the 8-12 week drill. If you have the means, I would cook the rocks and you should be good to go, besides figuring how the rocks became loaded in the first place

 

[Paul_PSU]

I have heard people mention it, but not sure on how to "cook" the rocks. Please enlighten me... I was never sure if they just meant to let dry out in the sun or to actually boil the rocks to kill everything in and on it. I have about 150lb of rock. I probably only want to put half back in the tank. I will use the tonga branch and other lighter stuff. I have several pieces of dense base rock that are really heavy.

I had a FOWLR that I was using tap water and treating it and I guess it just finally caught up with me... I have an RO/DI unit now.

 

[tbittner]

Or you can just put the rock back into the tank and let your tang have a feast. In a few months, everything will be "normal" again.

Maybe even think about getting a foxface. That fish will eat almost any kind of algae and they're a model citizen in a reef tank. Just be extra careful around them because their sting packs a powerful punch. If you're allergic to bee's, then don't get one because they are venemous.

 

[Paul_PSU]

My tang was grazing on it, but not enough to impact it at all. I even tried starving the poor fella and he still wouldn't do that much damage to it. My other issue is, that I don't want to add any more fish until I have everything under control as far as Nitrates and hair algae. I want to be able to keep all kinds of coral and clams in the tank also so the fox face would not bother them?

 

[tbittner]

My foxface never touched a coral but they eat a lot of algae. I also have a purple tang and they get along with each other too.

With enough patience, this issue will resolve itself. It's one of the stages that some tanks go through. The algae is really efficient at eating up nitrates and phosphates so your tests show zero. You said you got the nitrates down from triple digits to 20. How long ago was that? Give it a few weeks and the algae will most likely go away by itself as the food for it disappears through water changes.

 

[Paul_PSU]

Thanks for the help! I guess I have a decision to make; To cook or not to cook.

 

[down and outman]

I added a pincushion urchin. Cost me $5. They devour everything in sight, including coraline. Once I had my tank going good I gave him away (mainly because he chowed down on my new pulsing xenia). Also I added large snails, turbos and banded trochus, and large hermits. They do a good job of keeping it clean. A phosban reactor is a must and will eventually take care of your phos problem. See www.bulkreefsupply.com for pelletized ferric oxide.

 

[Paul_PSU]

I have (2) of the TLF reactors with carbon in the first and GFO in the second. I have heard that a rainford goby is also another good fish for hair algae. I am probably going to clean off as good as I can the pieces that I want to keep and get a fox face. I read also that the sea hare is also excellent at the hair algae.

I have a used 90 gal coming and I was thinking about killing off everything on the remaining live rock I was not going to use in the 75gal. I was interested in the DIY live rock for the 90gal. I could just let it dry off and clean it up and then break it into pieces and go at it.

 

[Paul_PSU]

I agree kelly. I have put maybe 25 lbs of just the tonga rock back in. I am going to wait and see what happens. My lfs has a fox face in and holding it for me until I can get there tomorrow. I was thinking about getting one anyways so. have the rest of the rock in a tub with saltwater and a pump. I will keep it in the dark and do some frequent water changes and and clean periodically.

Thanks for the help everyone! I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Paul_PSU]

I ended up picking up the fox face on the way home last night. Excellent fish. My purple tang took two swipes at him and then didn't bother with him. I woke up this morning and they are both swimming together on the one side of the tank. He is already out and about and munching away!

I will just keep an eye on the hair algae and see if it comes back.

 

[Paul_PSU]

Since I have scrubbed the rock and put some of it back in the tank, will the rock cycle again and get the brown diatoms all over it again? I just want to know what to expect.

 

[littleoldme]

Expect the worse and maybe it won't be that bad. How often do you change out your GFO and what was the starting point of your phosphates when it was first added. The reason why phosphates were showing zero is because the hair algae was consuming it. But there was and is phosphates in your system hard to get away from them every time we feed we are adding them and if not using a maintained rodi system or distilled water you are adding them in your water changes too. No need to take the rock out and cook it just get a control on the nutrients and it will handle itself. You should really think about getting a cleanup crew too, mix of snails and hermit crabs can do wonders not miracles.

 

[Paul_PSU]

I change out my GFO once per month with the carbon. My phosphates were around 1 before using GFO. I use RO/DI water also. I have about 20 margarita snails, 3 jumbo nassarius snails and one serpent star. I don't like using hermits cause they never seem to last or they kill my snails for the shells. I am going to add more snails, at least 20 or 30 more. I have to get a sleeper goby to take care of the top layer of sand also.

 

[littleoldme]

That sounds good I have found when going from high phosphates changing it out more often helps. Seems like even though it's not supposed to when the tank phosphates are lower than what is on the GFO, it seems to leach back into the system. I used to use phosban and have switched over to an HC GFO that seems to really be helping things along. In my sons system that I just inherited the duty of maintaining it went from Nitrates of over 80 and phosphates off the charts one month later all algae is gone and the corals are beginning to show growth again.