Starting 90g Reef Tank Build... Finally!!!

[Tswifty]

Any thoughts on this...?

Here is a picture of the current stage in my refugium. The macro is still growing like crazy, but has a brownish/green look to it.

Here's what it looked like 2 months ago:

I've been harvesting anywhere between 2 weeks to a month. Perhaps I need to be doing it weekly?

 

[HumanIMDB]

I believe that means you're doing too good of a job taking out the phosphate and/or nitrates it needs to grow. It could also need Iron...

But I could be taking out of my arse...

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039064#post13039064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Schwe
:eek2:

Now that's a clean sump!!

I need to give my sump a scrub-down. It is funky and hasn't been really cleaned since it first went on line, either.

Pete and I just scrubbed down our apartment and shampooed all of the carpeting (wall-to-wall... remind me when we build our house to get hardwood and ceramic tile!!), I think it's time to scrub down the sump next!

-Lesya

I didn't realize how dirty it had gotten until I got in their with the razorblade. I couldn't believe how much junk had collected in there.

It's funny, the picture I took looks like a carbon copy of the first picture I took of my sump after I built it, and filled it with water.

 

[melev]

Yep, it looks starved and probably needs more flow. What temperature is the water?

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13038474#post13038474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
I tried but when it was resized to the avatar size the writing was undreadable.
I think its the colours of the picture with the writing that clash.
Here is one I quite liked.

What are program/site are you using to create the avatar?

 

[kar93]

I'm using Paint.NET. Cheap and easy to use.

It might help if you harvest the Chaeto because it looks pretty starved.

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039064#post13039064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Schwe
Pete and I just scrubbed down our apartment and shampooed all of the carpeting (wall-to-wall... remind me when we build our house to get hardwood and ceramic tile!!), I think it's time to scrub down the sump next!

-Lesya

Kara and I both hate having carpet but most apartments don't do hardwood.

We'll be looking for the same when we get a house.

Dedicated Fish Room is also a must.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039123#post13039123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Yep, it looks starved and probably needs more flow. What temperature is the water?

I'll have to check when I get home. Temperature never occured to me.

I have had some concerns over the flow lately. I messed up in my plumbing (forgot to add a ballvalve on the sump side of the Tee), and know I will have to redo it at some point, but am dreading having to crawl under my stand with a hacksaw to do it.

However, If I take the elbow off of the fuge wall, which gravity feeds the water out of the fuge into my sump, the water seems to move through the makeshift bulkhead at a rapid pace, and shoots out into the middle of the return section.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039150#post13039150 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
I'm using Paint.NET. Cheap and easy to use.

It might help if you harvest the Chaeto because it looks pretty starved.

I was planning on doing so this weekend, but didn't have any gloves. I'm getting tired of getting stung everytime I stick my hands in the fuge.

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039205#post13039205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
I was planning on doing so this weekend, but didn't have any gloves. I'm getting tired of getting stung everytime I stick my hands in the fuge.

What is stinging you?

 

[Tswifty]

My guess is bristleworms. Basically works like a mosquito bite... itchy and annoying as all get out for about 3-5 days.

 

[kar93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039205#post13039205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
I was planning on doing so this weekend, but didn't have any gloves. I'm getting tired of getting stung everytime I stick my hands in the fuge.

I used to get stung alot too so I decided to get some plastic salad tongs for doing things in the fuge.

 

[melev]

Soak that area in white vinegar for 5 minutes, and if it was bristles, they will dissolve.

 

[HumanIMDB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039216#post13039216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
My guess is bristleworms.

Hrm, odd...usually you would see them, no?

We have the Coralife Gloves but unless it's a "planned" event, I'm usually going into the tank bare handed and haven't had a problem yet. (Knocks wood)

That may change when we get the Carpet Anemone though.

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039228#post13039228 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Soak that area in white vinegar for 5 minutes, and if it was bristles, they will dissolve.

Good tip, I will have to try it out next time... er... well hopefully I won't. :lol:

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039233#post13039233 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HumanIMDB
Hrm, odd...usually you would see them, no?

We have the Coralife Gloves but unless it's a "planned" event, I'm usually going into the tank bare handed and haven't had a problem yet. (Knocks wood)

That may change when we get the Carpet Anemone though.

The ones on the rocks and top of the macro aren't the problem. There always seems to be a few deep in the macro, and no matter how hard I try to be carefull and weed through it for them I always end up getting whacked somehow.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039117#post13039117 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
I didn't realize how dirty it had gotten until I got in their with the razorblade. I couldn't believe how much junk had collected in there.

It's funny, the picture I took looks like a carbon copy of the first picture I took of my sump after I built it, and filled it with water.

I had the same thing started--I sprinkled some fish food in the sump and started dosing with iron twice a week---greened the chaeto right back up

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039227#post13039227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
I used to get stung alot too so I decided to get some plastic salad tongs for doing things in the fuge.

I would do something similiar, except I have read that it is better to rip the cheato apart rather than pulling out strands, and large clumps.

I believe it has something to do with the way cheato grows end to end or something?

 

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039256#post13039256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
I had the same thing started--I sprinkled some fish food in the sump and started dosing with iron twice a week---greened the chaeto right back up

I'm wondering if I am unintentionally starving it out. I cut back my feedings, and said it earlier, but have really noticed a decline in nuissance algae in my tank.

I guess it may go in turn, that if the nuissance algae is having trouble surving, so might the cheato.

 

[kar93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13039272#post13039272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tswifty8
I would do something similiar, except I have read that it is better to rip the cheato apart rather than pulling out strands, and large clumps.

I believe it has something to do with the way cheato grows end to end or something?

Hmmmmm, Never really heard of that but perhaps I didn't see a problem because I've always had high or almost high bio-load.