RocketEngineer's 30g

[RocketEngineer]

crvz, I have confirmed it, two different types of hair algae. One is an olive green stringy kind in the middle of the tank. The other is a more branched bit thats on the rock on the right side of the tank. Here is a pic of today but its very hard to see the algae.

I think I can find those at Dr. Macs (aka my LFS). I will have to check. I may be able to find something similar.

When we moved the tank this weekend, I added more SW and when I tested tonight, the pH was back up to 8.2 and the test for nitrates came back 0 ppm. So, someone correct me if I'm wrong: because the algae is growing there is no nitrate in the water for the test kit to see.

Keep the help coming. I can use all the help I can get.

 

[crvz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11719346#post11719346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RocketEngineer

I think I can find those at Dr. Macs (aka my LFS). I will have to check. I may be able to find something similar.

Regular turbos are pretty good too, but I've never seen a snail mow down hair algae like those zebras. However, they're considerably larger.

Regarding the nitrate, the idea that the algae using it up is credible. But don't neglect phosphate, which is much more of a concern and huge driver with algae growth. Unfortunately, phosphate kits only measure free phosphates in the water column, and they usually tell only a very small part of the story. If you can measure phosphate in the water, you're really loaded up. Phosphate is in high demand in the tank; it will bind with aragonite sand, bacteria likes it, and it definitely acts as an algae fuel. With new rocks, the die-off will release some phosphate into the tank, but it takes a while for this break-down to occur, which is why hair algaes take a while to initiate in a brand new setup (diatoms consume silicates, which is why they're timed a little different).

So, what to do? If you have relatively healthy rock, the hair algae may run it's course, starve itself out, and get eaten by various members of the clean-up crew. But long term, you want to make sure to remove bound phosphate and not introduce new sources to keep the algae at bay. This is done through skimming, siphoning detrital flock, and gently blowing the rocks clean once every month or two.

This is part of the story regarding sandbed "crashes." If you leave wastes and detritus on the sand bed, the phosphate will bind with aragonite sand, and over time (in most cases, years) the sand will literally "fill up", not being able to trap anything more. When this happens, if you continue adding wastes to the tank (mostly through food), with no where to go the phosphate levels in the water will become quite elevated, fueling algae (almost uncontrollably) and making it hard for corals to thrive. This is primarily why I'm a big advocate of siphoning wastes instead of leaving them to rot anywhere in the tank (think dead spots beind or in the rock).

 

[RocketEngineer]

Ok, thats about what I thought. Right now my skimmer typically turns out about a half cup of gunk a day when I get the foam level where I like it. Right now I don't have a cleanup crew at all other then the one hitch hiker.

I will be sucking out the settled stuff from my sump on the weekends and adding enough SW to fill the sump back to my current mark. I figure thats 2-4 gallons a week. Before I suck the gunk out, I will probubly do a "powerhead-on-a-stick" pass across the rocks. I will also stir up the top of the sand bed at the same time just to get the settled stuff into suspension.

So what do folks think, time for a cleanup crew or wait until the algae is on more then just the one center rock?

 

[gary faulkner]

How are your ammonia and nitrite readings?

If both near 0, you can add clean up crew. If not, I would wait till they are.

HTH

 

[RocketEngineer]

Funny thing, the ammonia reading showed .25 ppm for about 4 days, then nothing. Nitrite never even registered on my kit. I know its a titration test but it should have shown something. And two weeks into the cycle, I'm still reading zero on the nitrate test as well.

In other news, I spotted a second feather duster on the same rock as the first one tonight. This one is more up front and if I get lucky, I may actually be able to snap a picture of this one.

General question: Anyone know what the aquamarine coloring on my LR is? Its on the bottom side of several pieces. I also have a powder blue area on one of the rocks on the left side of the tank. Any ideas?

 

[crvz]

There are green shades of coralline, but I think a close up picture would be necessary to ID it.

 

[RocketEngineer]

A really small pic because the file size is just a little too big but the colors are there.

The hair algae is starting to really take off on the rock in the center of my tank so Saturday is a trip to Dr. Macs for some snails. Was thinking (3) turbos, (3) Cerith, and (3) Nassarius. Suggestions / recommendations otherwise?

 

[gary faulkner]

Probably coralline or maybe sponge.

 

[RocketEngineer]

So, any comments on the snails? Good, Bad?

 

[crvz]

Well the cerith and nassarius aren't going to help with the hair algae. Adding a few of them won't hurt, though.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Ok, so what will take on the hair algae? I know hermits will but I am trying to stay away from them for the time being. In a bigger tank, I think them eating the snails wouldn't be a problem but in such a small tank, I think I will stick with just snails.

 

[crvz]

There are not a lot of hermits that will eat hair algae that I've seen. Turbos, astreas, that zebra turbo I mentioned, maybe margarita snails?

 

[RocketEngineer]

Well at the recommendation of Dr. Mac, I now have 6 Black Cyano snails, 6 Turbo algae grazers, and one queen conch.

Black Cyano Snails
Turbo Algae Snails

I also picked up 5 pounds of live sand to start activating my sand bed. Within moments of adding the sand to the tank i spotted a couple pods, very small snails, a mini starfish, and what i think is a small bristle worm.

Once everything was drip acclimated, I put all the snails into the tank. The funny thing was watching one snail try to use the shell of another to get itself righted but instead just succeeded from flipping the hapless snail further onto its back. Eventually they were all on their own and heading for either the rocks or the glass. The conch is totally buried in the sand bed but there should be enough for it to eat for the time being.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Well after only a couple days in the tank, the turbo snails have done serious damage to the hair algae that was trying to take over the middle of my tank. The diatoms appear to be dieing back as well so things are progressing nicely. The LS from Dr. Macs has a TON of life in it with what I take to be pods crawling all along the glass by the sand.

At this time the tank is evaporating anywhere from a half to a full gallon a day. So I was thinking about using this kalk dripper as a simple ATO.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/nftt/index.php

What do you think, good idea, bad idea? When I finally get some good pics, I will post them since I know everyone wants pics.

 

[Reeftanks6]

looks goood

 

[RocketEngineer]

Well tonight I blew out my rocks using a powerhead-on-a-stick and MAN THE POO! Its amazing what you can't see in rocks that look nice and clean. I hope my skimmer pulls out most of it but at the moment it looks like I have two dead spots, one in the back right hand corner behind the pile, and one in the front left corner. Not sure what I'm going to do about that. For now I will keep stirring it up and trying to get it into the sump.

Does having the junk stay on top of the sand bed mean that its not up and running yet? Any suggestions for the time being?

The hair algae is being mowed down. I think I have some coralline growing on my overflow (along with some hair algae ). Once the tank clears, I hope to snap some pictures.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Tonight, I stirred up the top of the sand a little to get the stuff settling onto the sand bed into suspension. After the powerhead trick last night, there was more then normal. After it had settled a little I noticed what I thought was a Medusa worm on top of the sand. It was orange with a bunch of little tentacles at one end. It always amazes me what I can find in this tank from one day to the next. SO much better then the FW tanks. And now for a couple pics.

The big turbo snail is in the corner by the thermometer. As you can see, its foot is twice as wide as the thermometer. The hair algae on the middle rock is nothing more then a few scattered patches and a green coloration on the rocks.

Starting at the snail, if you go up and left to the piece of rock in the sand, then left, you can JUST make out the eye of the conch sticking up from where its buried. This cleanup crew has done a great job. Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Well, the tank is ticking over nicely so far. There are a ton of little critters on the glass and the snails have taken the algae down to a few small patches here and there among the rocks. Lots of colors showing up on the rocks; purples, lavenders, powder blues, aquas, light green. All the parameters check out.

pH: 8.2
SG: 1.025
Alk: 9 dK
Temp: 78 F

So, the question I have is: Am I ready for fish?

I was thinking about the following:
(2) Ocellaris Clowns
(1) Firefish
(1) Yellow Watchman Goby

Any Comments and/or suggestions would be great.

 

[BLKTANG]

The fish selection is good.

Just a ? for ya.

Are those drain pipes open?If so i would worry about getting fish,or a snail sucked into your sump.Or even worse getting sucked in,& stuck in one of the elbos.

 

[RocketEngineer]

The drain pipes are open. There is a ring of water about a quarter inch high that flows into the 3/4" pipe. The flow across them is pretty small so I don't see any fish going for a ride. I can understand your concern though. I may trim down the two pipes and install a horizontal slit pipe to act as an overflow. Time will tell.

Any problems adding all the fish at once if they are small?