Update on algae problems

[jkreefer]

Well as to not continue to derail the tank tour thread I thought I would just start a separate thread.

So on wednesday my chiller arrived and got it hooked up and running. Awesome how quiet it is!! After I got that done I decided to get some corals mounted that I had been procrastinating doing. So I decided to scrub the algae off with a toothbrush in the areas that I was going to mount and I was suprized to find that when i was scrubbing there was a TON of just silt, detritus, ect. floating up as I was scrubbing. So i decided to grab an MJ1200 and blow off all my rock. To my surprise, there was copius amounts of "stuff" that I'm sure contributed to my problem. Even though I've vaccumed it 100 times it doesent get down into the cracks and crevises of the LR. I have a GFO reactor that should be here any day, and with that and some big water changes as per the sugestions(and about 15 trochus snails), I'm pretty sure I'll have this thing licked in no time! pretty stoked!

 

[Grant W]

Yah, Its no wonder the filter socks plug up so quickly. Btw where did you get the Trochus snails from?

 

[northbay-reefer]

Nice job Jeff, just a little elbow greese and you got yourself a great start to full enjoyment.

Here is my story: I let someone borrowed my ORP meter and totally forgot about it for months until he returns it to me so I tested my ORP tonight and to my surprise it is running at only 110 which is very BAD, the ideal should be around 400 but I generally running it abt about 275-300. Needless to say I cranked up my Ozone reactor and rerun my Carbon reactor. I'll check tomorrow to see if that will improve my ORP.

 

[jkreefer]

From Ceasars, I think they were $2 each but they do MASSIVE damage to the algae on the rocks and overflows. I got 4-5 to start out and after seeing them in action I went back and got 10 more.

 

[Grant W]

Def my favorite. I also like that they can rite themselves if they get flipped over. Much better workers than the astreas.

 

[Lucas M]

I never see my Astreas do anything except sand sift. The Trochus work the glass non stop.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Trochus are fast, the astrea are slow and when they fall .. forget it

 

[lokii_37]

Sounds like you almost have it liked Jeff. I'll have to check out some of those trochus snails. My algae is on the way out but I think I could get a few more snails.

Nick

 

[jkreefer]

Thanks everyone! I still have some work to do but it's looking much better. I'll keep you posted.

 

[jkreefer]

Just did a 25 gallon water change, vacuumed out about 1/3 of my sand(going to replace it with the small gravel/crushed coral) so I can utilize my tunze 6105's to their full capabilities without having a major sand storm. As of right now my tank already looks 1000 times better than it did a week and a half ago. The GFO and reactor shows up tomorrow, so I will get that running and hopefully after another week or two we'll be as close as possible to algae free!! I hate this beast, and I believe that the only way to get rid of it is constant persistence of it's removal, and education as to why it's there in the first place.

 

[Grant W]

Good job Jeff, you'll be stocking that beast in no time.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Jeff, hurry and get your tank ready man ... I have frags for you ... so use that as your motivation