Smaller place, bigger tank...My 200DD build

I waged the first offensive strike agains the hair algae today. Here's what I was up against:

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I pulled out as much as I could, scrubbed the rocks with a toothbrush, and did a 30 gallon water change. I sucked up as much algae as I could and also vacuumed the sand bed. There is one tuft that I couldn't reach, but I got most of it. I'm hoping the CUC and tang will be able to manage the stuff that's left. I replaced the phosphate removing filter pad with a new one and added a carbon filter pad.

I also made some changes to the lighting schedule, removed some dead parts of the one SPS coral I got and moved both of the frags.
 
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A vast improvement, but still have a ways to go. It's not as ugly as it looks in the pics...I have to take pictures under 100% whites and 0% blues so the image doesn't look washed out. I ordered supplies like more GFO and Phosphate Rx for my next attack. My next move is to treat the tank with a reduced dose of Phosphate Rx a day before the next rock scrubbing and water change. Hopefully the LED fixture for the fuge will get delivered today or tomorrow.
 
I also think I'm going to give the Maxspect Gyre a try, too. Not sure if I want to go with the XF-150 or wait for the XF-170. I don't want to move my MP40's to the side glass and I'm not getting much flow to the front of my aquascape. I think the gyre would remedy that.

Best case scenario: the Gyre will fix the flow problem, reduce wires in my cabinet, and reduce noise in the room. The only think I can hear on my tank is the whirl of the VorTechs and it reaches obnoxious levels when I turn the pumps up to the level they probably should be running at.

Worst case scenario: I'll have a nifty back up powerhead for when the wet sides of my VorTech's get serviced (which I've had to do twice so far).

I'll probably take the MP10 from my fuge and put it on the QT, and use a Koralia 4 I have laying around in my fuge.
 
the 150 would be plenty for you. I've got it running on a pulse going end to end on a 60" long tank at 60% power and it is moving sand on the other end.

for the phosphates, you may want to consider lanthanum chloride treatments. I do a small one every couple of months when I start seeing a little more algae than normal. That is my only phosphate treatment other than the chaeto in the sump, so no GFO or anything, and it works great. Just make sure you use really good filter socks or there is a chance the precipitate could annoy your tangs.
 
Caravanshaka said:
the 150 would be plenty for you. I've got it running on a pulse going end to end on a 60" long tank at 60% power and it is moving sand on the other end.

for the phosphates, you may want to consider lanthanum chloride treatments. I do a small one every couple of months when I start seeing a little more algae than normal. That is my only phosphate treatment other than the chaeto in the sump, so no GFO or anything, and it works great. Just make sure you use really good filter socks or there is a chance the precipitate could annoy your tangs.
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Thanks for letting me know about the 150! I've been reading reviews on it left and right for quite some time. I want to put it horizontally on the back glass and I'm a little concerned about whether the flow will span the 4' length of the tank. I'd be interested to hear your input on that...

The Phosphate Rx I ordered is lanthanum chloride. I've read that it can be pretty irritating to corals and fish so I'm hoping that one treatment will get me back to ground zero and that I'll be able to keep up with whatever phosphate is left in the rocks with GFO and chaeto. The light for my fuge got delivered yesterday so I'll pick up a timer and macro on my next day off. I will be QT'ing the chaeto for a month, though.
 
edavis said:
some of the thickest hair algae ive ever seen
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LOL, not something I'm terribly proud of. It came out in nice chunks but it's slowly growing back in the same places from which I removed it. My supplies for the next attack against it are scheduled for delivery on Friday.

edavis said:
did you end up putting the purple tang in there or is he QT
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The tang went straight into my DT from a friends QT. I know it was QT'd properly. I'll be setting up a biocube for a QT in the next few weeks. Want to get this algae under control before I start adding anything else to the tank.
 
Went ahead and ordered the Gyre today. I'm anxious to see first hand what it's all about. I see that EcoTech has (at least temporarily) dropped the price of the MP40wES to $300-the same price as the Gyre. I briefly considered getting another VorTech, but the noise of the two I already have is one of the reasons I'm looking to switch.
I'm fighting the temptation to order a new biocube 29 w/ stand for my QT. I'd like to find one on CL but I want to start adding more livestock soon.
 
I committed to buying a Biocube 29 today for QT by ordering the stand and Tunze Nano Osmolator. I was going to order the whole kit and kaboodle, but I b/w the Gyre, stand, and ATO I think that's enough for this week, LOL. This will give me time to put the stand together and figure out what kind of ATO reservoir I can fit in it. I hope that having an ATO will make prophylactic hypo more effective and less stressful on the fish.

I'm going to move the MP10 from my fuge to the Biocube...it's such a waste to have it down there. I have a Korallia 4 that will go into the fuge. Now it's just a matter of getting the Biocube and I can order some more fish. Hopefully by the time a round of hypo is done the algae issue will be resolved and I can make that coral pack order.
 
Got a small delivery yesterday...

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I dosed the tank with Phosphate Rx at 2/3's the recommended strength. Later today I'm going to pull the hair algae that has returned and do a water change.
 
After thinking about it,I decided to go ahead and order the Biocube today. Classes start next week and I figure it will be best to get this out of the way during syllabus week before I actually have to put-in work, LOL. I was going to wait a week to defray costs but this makes more sense...it's nice to be single again, haha.

So there's a Gyre, Biocube 29 w/ stand, Tunze Nano ATO, and a bucket of salt coming my way this week. Looking forward to getting the QT set up and making a fish order.
 
stevenson22 said:
Nice pile of items... it adds up in a hurry..lol
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Thanks man. Yes it does, but so does any hobby. I'm just trying to get everything taken care of so come April(ish) I can sit back and let the tank grow without messing with it too much, while I focus time and money on my other interests.
 
So, not only am I fighting hair algae, but the tank has also developed dinoflagellates. I started H2O2, 1mL for every 10 gallons, two nights ago. At the same time I started a 3 day black out. Once I get a full week of H2O2, I'll go at the hair algae again.

I'm not far from re-starting this tank all together. It's just such a mess to do that though, and I really like my aquascape...This is insane.
 
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