Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[WaterKeeper]

Scott, they are talking about particulate matter not dissolved organics. Ozone only attacks dissolved materials and corals do not absorb those directly. They do capture particles that pass by and I think that is what the lps people are talking about.

 

[johnike]

<a href=showthread.php?Os=&postid=15573965#post15573965 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paul B
OK people you heard WK, If you are looking for a place to put your nose, find someplace else besides the top of the skimmer like maybe the gas range.
Good advice, sometimes I find my Mother N Law sleeping with her nose right on the top of the skimmer.

Also don't use the ozone hose to clean wax out of your ears or burn the hairs out of your nose.
Also if you can't smell Ozone, find a different hobby, maybe picking up cigarette butts or collecting rare pictures of Paris Hilton
with clothes on.




Yes and the directions on shampoo bottles. and the little packet that comes in camera's that says "do not eat" Before they started putting those warning labels on there, I used to make sandwiches out of those things.
And whatever you do, don't take those labels off of furnature that says "Do Not Remove This Tag Under Penalty Of the Law" because the tag police will come after you, they work with the tang police. :smokin:

Or the baby on the side of a bucket of salt.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15574144#post15574144 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Scott, they are talking about particulate matter not dissolved organics. Ozone only attacks dissolved materials and corals do not absorb those directly. They do capture particles that pass by and I think that is what the lps people are talking about.

thanks WK---so there are very little useful organics in a tank?

 

[Aquarist007]

Jason---how are you setup to run ozone?

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15574467#post15574467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
Jason---how are you setup to run ozone?

My final setup:

maxijet 900 in aquarium ---> skimmer ---> refugium

whisper 60 airpump full open w/ silicone air line ---> ozonizer
---> ozone safe one way check valve ---> 3" wood airstone placed through the top of the skimmer down into the middle of the skimmer body. Should be some pictures abovewith the air stone.


Edit: just quoted the post below with the airstone setup.

Got the salt and phosphate test kit in and did a quick test.

12:15pm Tests (actinic lighting just turned on at 12)
Temp: 79.6
SG: 34
pH: 7.8
ORP: 164
Nitrate: 0 !!!!! WOOP !!!
Phosphate: 0

Algae should start going way at some point here.

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15531829#post15531829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
BTW, I officially have a tank from the dead. I present to you Frankenskimmer.

I now have a sea clone maxijet 1200 pump, coralife super skimmer 65 body, drilled out overflow, and Lee's berlin 3" wood stone. You know I decided on the three BEST skimmers out there to make one ultimate best every skimmer in the world.

This final step of the air stone came about out of laziness and less maintenance. I had some foam in the refug to remove the microbubbles. Still had a few getting into the tank and realized I really didn't want to clean the foam every week because heaven forbid I ANOTHER nitrate factory going on. Instead of the air going into the pump the pump is just pumping water and using the whisper air pump to push air/ozone right into the stone into the skimmer. This allows the air bubbles to go straight up and never travels all the way down to where the water goes out of the skimmer. No micro bubbles and no foam necessary now. Just have to replace the air stone every couple months or so.


Has a small cost to it but much less maintenance. Worth it in my book. Plus the foaming output is a LOT more. Here's some pics to show what I'm talking about.

 

[dspirito]

Excellent job so far! I really love how you refinished the original setup like a new beginning, very symbolic! The seahorse handles are definite keepers as well.

 

[jason2459]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15577844#post15577844 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dspirito
Excellent job so far! I really love how you refinished the original setup like a new beginning, very symbolic! The seahorse handles are definite keepers as well.

Thanks a lot. It's definitly a new beginning and I've learned a whole lot more this time around since finding this site. Never had to actually start up a new tank as the old tank was already established for many years before I got it. So, I didn't know what to do or what to expect. Patience and time are key I found out and don't over react to anything. I've never had hair algae or really any kind of algae before so I would have probably freaked out if I didn't find this site and read everything I could on new tank setups.

I do love those seahorse handles. Nice solid brass.

 

[jason2459]

BTW, that GHA is getting browner and browner. Mainly right down the center of it and spreading out more and more. Plus I think I had a diatom bloom over the weekend as I did notice a brown coating on areas that didn't have algae covering it but it's almost all gone now.

 

[jason2459]

Here's some visual aids to what I've been talking about.

The brownish center is spreading out nicely on most all of the algae in there now. Used ot be all light green.

Here's about a day of skimmer production. Flash seems to have lightened up the liquid. In person it looks darker.

 

[jason2459]

Little closer without flash

 

[jason2459]

Quick probe test tonight.

7:30pm
Temp: 80.6
pH: 8.26
ORP: 186

Just noticed a couple small tuffs of green algae I had on one rock, only place I've seen them too, is getting white tips on the top. I find this really interesting to see the tank cycle like this.

Sorry the pic is blury. Wish I had a digital SLR and manual focus.

The unknown crab looks like a red leg. He's gotten fat and another new home.

 

[jason2459]

One of the florida cerith snails I got from reefcleaners seems to have an identity problem.

Seems like he wants to be a reindeer.

 

[jhawkor]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15587731#post15587731 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
One of the florida cerith snails I got from reefcleaners seems to have an identity problem.

Seems like he wants to be a reindeer.

Haha I got one from reefcleaners like that too. My tang ate it off him though

 

[WaterKeeper]

Your Tang ate Sponge Bob! :eek1:

 

[Metal Man 1221]

wow thats really a bummer, flood damage is probably the worst to come by other than fire

it flooded pretty bad in Fargo ND this year, lucky all the dikes held up

but that is a really nice stand
nice job on the recovery

 

[jason2459]

Thanks Metal Man. I remember ND all over the news here for that flooding earlier this spring.

Noticed this evening the GHA getting greener but this time a light wispy green and kind of a poofy thin strands on top. I think it's starving. But what do I know it could be splitting off and spawning some more. Only time will tell over the next week or so.

Decided to do a full set of tests.
8:15p
Temp: 82.5
SG: 33
pH: 8.28
ORP: 150
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

I don't think I really want the GHA to just disappear over night that's for sure. I think if that were to happen I'll probably get a good Nitrate spike and who know what else. Just hope it slowly goes away and doesn't just implode. If I notice it drastically disappearing I'll run the diatom filter with some carbon mixed in with the DE.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15594248#post15594248 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jason2459
Thanks Metal Man. I remember ND all over the news here for that flooding earlier this spring.

Noticed this evening the GHA getting greener but this time a light wispy green and kind of a poofy thin strands on top. I think it's starving. But what do I know it could be splitting off and spawning some more. Only time will tell over the next week or so.

Decided to do a full set of tests.
8:15p
Temp: 82.5
SG: 33
pH: 8.28
ORP: 150
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

I don't think I really want the GHA to just disappear over night that's for sure. I think if that were to happen I'll probably get a good Nitrate spike and who know what else. Just hope it slowly goes away and doesn't just implode. If I notice it drastically disappearing I'll run the diatom filter with some carbon mixed in with the DE.

keep blasting the rock with a turkey baster and driving away the food for the algae

why the really low orp value?

 

[jason2459]

I haven't feed the tank anything yet. I've also stopped the every day water changes and going about once a week for now but I have hit the rock work with the turkey baster every few days.

The ORP at 150 isn't near as low as it has been before as in the 114-130 range it has been in the past. I think the highest it's been was in the low 200's. It recently went up to the 180's about a week ago then back down to 160's and now in the 150's.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with the ORP as the algae is going through some type of new stage right now.

 

[jason2459]

Well, I got a couple new additions to the tank. I know it's about two weeks earlier then I had planned to get any fish and wasn't going to be my first fish that I wanted to get but I could not refuse this oportunity. My LFG had a mated Pair of Ocellaris that he needed to find a home for. I was only going to get one before because a mated pair was so expensive. I got a steal of a bargain getting the two of them for $25!!!!! I love my LFG. He brought them over to my house earlier tonight.

The two are very healthy looking and already very active in the tank. One is definitely slightly bigger then the other, about 1.5" and 2". I can never remember if the bigger one is the mail or female.

Being Delivered

Swimming Around together

Cleaner coming around to give them a once over

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