Tank setup questions

[jdw]

I have a friend who has a 125g fish only tank with 2 tide pool bio-wheel filters underneath, a uv sterilizer, protein skimmer and normal output flourescents on the tank. The tank has dead base rock, fake coral, and a 3 inch crushed coral substrate. He has problems with algea- hair and cryno.
To help eliminate the algae in the main tank, he added a 96w compact to one of the tidepools along with live rock rubble and grape algae. The lighting in the main tank comes on 12 noon/ off 10pm with the makeshift sump on the opposite schedule. He had this setup running for a week and when I went to see him today, he had a thick layer of blanketing red algae in the makeshift sump. (note) his fish all died off while on vacation so the tank is presently fishless except for a crab and 8" eel. Before altering the tidepool a week ago, he pulled all the rocks out and cleaned them removing all the visible algae. It appear the hair algae is starting to come back because of the neon greenish look starting on the rocks.
I want to give him good advice to help eliminate the algae. He wants to keep this tank Fish Only because of the size and expense.

Questions!!
Is the make shift refugium going to work?
Does he have too much wattage on the refugium for the 14 hours its on?
Would live sand and seeding(live rock) the main tank help the problem, if so- would it work with normal output lighting(4- 36" bulbs)?
Obviously more snails and crabs would work, anything else?

While putting my hand in the sump, I felt a little electricity, like something might not have been grounded right, would this have killed the fish? Can this also promote algae growth? Obviously the source needs to be found and removed!

I know you guys are great resources and have a wealth of knowledge, so I hope you can help. I have not had a setup for about 2 years because of work and two young ones, but I periodically look at the postings to pick the right time to re-enter. That urge is always there. I am think of an Aquapod- more manageable.
Jeff

 

[Bill King]

On first impression it sounds like your friend has a nutrient problem. Which may be related to the fish die off.
You don't say if the skimmer is adequate for this size tank. The water flow may be too low. The water chemistry may be out of whack.

I'm No expert, but if this was my system, here's what I'd do.

Start over!!

I'm sure that's not what your friend has in mind, & I'm sure you'll get some other ideas,but here are mine.

Find temporary housing for the eel & crab.

clean everything that goes back in the tank. (find that short & replace whatever is causing it.) heaters are good places to look.

If he likes the crushed coral substrate, limit it to just barely covering the bottom.

Incorporate a deep sand bed to the sump, add as much live rock as it will hold. Keep the grape caulerpa or get some chaetamorpha,

Reuse the "dead rock" & fake coral if he likes the look. Fill it up, turn it on & wait. wait for the ammonia cycle, wait for the algae cycle, then wait some more.

Add fish.

 

[rickyfins]

Bill you think he has a nutrient problem, you didn't tell him about the Xenia factory. I can not believe that was in your vocabulary! Just kidding.

On another note: Bill is right! I personally do not like using tidepools for a SW setup, they are nitrate factories and can contribute to your problems. Live rock/Living rock will compliment the system and appeal to the over all performance and look of a saltwater display.

PC lighting that is out of spectrum, or some subgrade bulb may be causing your problems with cyano, bacteria, and algae problems. They are a bulb that is inferior to Normal Output and VHO manufacturing standards. They just do not use the same phosphors in the bulb making.

YES, it is a nutrient problem, crushed coral substrate if not kept at the utmost cleanliness will harbor all kinds of bad little things not to mention can cause the tank to crash if neglected.

Quote: To help eliminate the algae in the main tank, he added a 96w compact to one of the tidepools along with live rock rubble and grape algae

This may help, but not enough for that size of a system. In fact 2 tidepools can not adequately support a fully stocked SW system that large even though there is enough bio area.

These are my opinion with some little facts thrown in, but they will help for sure.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[jdw]

thanks

thanks

Thanks guys, I didn't think about the nutriants and the substrate, which has been in the tank for a while. Does live sand and live rock need a certain lighting requirement? To answer the protein skimmer question, by size, it is more than adaquate- huge! So do you all suggest getting rid of the bio wheels and putting live rock in the tidepools (both)?

 

[rickyfins]

All these issues are covered on the surface and can be gone into further depth if desired, just let me know.



I would junk the tidepools all together personally. A 33gal is a short 55gal so it may fit nicer under the tank than a 55gal. Just use the base rock from the tank in the sump. Make sure there are divisions in the sump for chemical filtration for example: fiber floss, and carbon chambers.

Living sand has no lighting requirement on the superficial level, but too little light or the wrong spectrum will result in cyano and other algaes building up. Living rock thrives best on more light than most NO lighting setups can provide. I would keep under 2" for safety purposes(keeping nitrates and chemicals that bound themselves to sand at a minimum. OR Go with more than 6" DSB are nice and will last for about 5 years with little effort and longer if you take care of them properly and with some work.

My opinion is go with either T5 HO lighting or VHO, or combine them with some low wattage MH lights for the living rock. The tank would be a FOWLR. Fish Only With Live Rock. The light would not only benefit the LR but would also benefit the fish. Yes they actually have lighting needs too. They will look better and be healthier in the long run with adequate lighting.

Saying that the protein skimmer is huge is not enough. I could be using a very large inefficient skimmer and someone else maybe using a skimmer that is half the size of mine, but it may be more efficient at removing DO.(Dissolved Organics). Many different manufacturers, models, types of skimmers operate at different efficiencies so being large has no bearing on performance. We may be able to guide you to a cheaper, smaller or more efficient model that would adequately remove the unwanted sludge.

I think that should do it, but if you have any further questions, just shoot, I am always checking the boards and trying to keep up to date on current events even though I love hiding under a rock. Its not too far fetched an idea to get this tank in better shape, it will just take lots of time, and a few pennies too.

Thanks,

Rick