witts end

[Briney Dave]

I do have micro bubbles that occur if I get any macros blocking my pump intake. Right now therer are a ton of them

It never occured to me that there would be any link since the bubbles are produced below the surface and thus should just be the same gasses that are dissolved in the water but now suspended as bubbles.


Here is the plan right now. Leave the sand (sorry bare bottom guys) lol

I ordered four tux. urchins
I will do a massive rock scrub and dunk.

I will raise the pH more to 8.5-.6

replace the VHO bulbs

anything else I am missing??

if that fails I boil and reseed with another box of fresh cycled rock add a refresher clean up crew and pray

 

[Morgandy]

Dave, try the rock scrub more than once before boiling, meaning over several weeks, not just a one time big scrub. That's what I'm trying. Just a thought.

I'll have to figure my bubbling problem out now too.

Good luck!

 

[Briney Dave]

Like I said I don't want to boil, I will give your (all) suggestions an honest shot and will press until mid summer, If it looks like I am winning I will continue, if all I am doing is scrubbing the same old stuff off at about the same amounts I am tossing in the towel

Sand bed question, if I hand remove what is on the bed which is a small amount can I burry the area to kill it or am I creating a new monster

 

[bond007069]

Well what ever your do, your algea problem is usually from increase Nutrients in the water.

Removing the nutrient sink, is a start for some, but not everyone (Sandbed)... it does not bother me one bit.... just a suggestion

Things to try....

Using RO/DI water
changing bulbs
increasing pH
adding Kalk to top off ( PO4 binding)
adding PO4 remover media (polyfilters, might be a good choice, no need for a reactor)
manual removal
cut way back on feedings
stop excess daylight from reaching tank
dilution with water changes
scavengers (urchins)

These are all ways to help the problem, but you still have a problem.

Excess NUTRIENTS that you need to manage

From what i have heard brysopsis algae, maybe a tough one to manage and may respond different than a typical hair algea but the premise is still the same.

So what kind of skimmer are you running?

 

[jeepjon]

I would have to agree with Bond...there are excess nutrients. I know that Shawn at the Salty Critter had some problems with the stuff at one point (you can chime in here at any point...) They pointed me toward phosban...which gave me the edge to overcome my nutrient problems. Then better husbandry took over after the technological edge. I am a firm believer that there aren't too many absolutes in the realm of reefkeeping. There are some, but not too many. If you can solve it your way, DO IT! ! ! Different methods may work differently for different people. Some have overcome bryopsis that covered the whole tank (my tank was only 15 gallons though)...so again, might be a totally different story. A larger tank may be nearly impossible to do everything that needs to me done (manual removal, scrubbing, all nutrient removal...etc...)
Just my thoughts on Reefing and this situation,
-Jon

 

[jeepjon]

And to make sure....I mean no offense to those who disagree with me. I have experienced that it can be done...but may not always be possible for people's tanks in their individual circumstances. Just trying to be open here, and express my opinion without stepping on people's toes.
-Jon

 

[Briney Dave]

I just bought the phos-ban reactor and will install it this weekend.

I think, for the most part, the nutrient issue is under control (certainly not perfect though) From what I have read and anecdotally seen is that the bryso is able to control its own nutrient demands by creating a compost pile under itself. so once it is going, all the water changes don't seem to make very much differnce, it does keep any other algea that would take advantage of extra nutrients from also running amuk which is true in my tank, I have no other algae visable.

that is why I can justify trying the scrub and dunk suggestion

I have a percision Marine skimmer which I have long forgot the model number of but is about 8inches in diameter and 28-30 tall I do get good foam from it but I have seen guys running much bigger skimmers

I just wish I wasn't a solid hour from most of you (all) or even a little more, because I would love to have a couple of really experienced and successful keepers to look at my set up and equipement, and see the growth for themselves.

The school system prevents the down loading pictures in case I wanted to post naked pictures of fish (lol) so I can't just post some photos.

I know the price of gas and the the hours of the day keep even the best hearted guys from traveling


The thing of it is that the tank is such an important part of my classroom and my teaching that when it struggles it just kills me. I will do what ever it takes to get this right and for good.

 

[mercedes216]

Have you tried changing your light cycle? Maybe only running you supplemental lighting 3-4 hours a day? ALso remove any ACTINIC supplement for the next 4-6 weeks. I would also keep your PH in the 8.6 area for a bit, that should help alot, and of course keep your calcium levels in the 450-475 range, as it seems the calcium will help prevent some of the growth. Also have you checked your ALK??

 

[Briney Dave]

sounds like solid advice and makes sense chemically I will give it a shot

thank you (all) very much
I will try to re-post this in a month or so to let everyone know the progress.

David

 

[Thurge]

Keep a very close eye on your Alk if you ry pushing the Ph up with Kalk. I didn't and whiped out my invert population. When I did check it it was somewhere around 13, litterally off Salifert's chart. Ph mean while hovered around 8.0 . What finally did it for me was a Foxface Rabbit fish. We had to work in conjunction because he didn't like the thick Bryopsis, but once I rough plucked a rock clear he came in and did the polish and maintanince work.

When I added an airpump to the tank (I clam filter over skimming, I'm weird, I know) I finished off the last of my nusince algae, dramatically. Ph came up finally came up (invert crash made me very hesitant to monky with a tank that wasn't showing ill effects), and the last reminants of some red algae melted in a couple weeks.

 

[Briney Dave]

I will have to pick up a new alk test kit, I don't trust the kits after a year or so. I did a non-scientific test where I ran the exact same test four times with the same water sample on a name brand kit that was about a year and a half old. I got slightly different readings on the first two and significantly different readings on the second two. I have lab training so yes I was nearly exact in my methods of sampling.

I like the salifert brand overall and trust them more so than some others but again not based on good science

 

[Briney Dave]

Ok update time: I scrubbed the rock down last night, dropped a ton of algea down the drain.

I have a kole tang, two urchins, and three more lettuce nudis to add right now (doing the drip aclamation procces as I write)

I found my sea cucumber which very well may be a new tank record: he is at least seven inches long and bigger around than a a sausage. (no jokes please) lol

I don't get to see the tank at night very often so I rarely see the cucumber.

I scrubbed the daylights out of everything and surprisingly the corals all look good today.

my xenia has spread like crazy and even growing on the glass, if anyone needs any feel free to come get some (after the bryso is gone)

zoos are still growing and spreading well
clams are... well happy

acros are doing fine

pH is slowly climbing to a recommended 8.6

if I am missing anything drop me a note

your pal
Briney

 

[johndawg]

Continue to do water changes and keep on testing!

 

[Conniereef]

Briney Dave -
Glad to hear good news from you!!
Connie

 

[Briney Dave]

Thanks Connie, but I am not ready to call it good news. the tank looks good but I know I have not solved my problems. I added the phosphate reactor on Wednesday, and continue with the water changes etc. but until I can look in the tank and not see new growth in the places that were scrubbed then I will not mark down a win.

I have pinned the ears back and am ready for a holy war that I know will take months to win if all goes as it should.

all I can say is if you had this stuff and got completely rid of it without nuking your tank then you have the best parametered tank in the country

your pal
Briney in the trenches lol

 

[Conniereef]

My tank isn't completely rid of the stuff, but it has receded to occasional small patches (knock on wood). I added a tuxedo urchin because I like them, and the bryopsis recession occurred shortly after. Maybe cause and effect, but don't really know. I do find that it seems to occur in lower water flow areas, FWIW.
Connie

 

[Briney Dave]

thanks for the info Connie, I added my two and now have my fingers crossed

 

[Stbringer]

Thoughts on Tuxedo Urchins

Thoughts on Tuxedo Urchins

I had a hair algae problem some time back. I used lettuce nudis, lawnmower blennies, etc. all to no avail (although I DID get a LOT of Lettuce Nudis, if some of you recall me selling em off at the frag swap some time back!).

I eventually did a couple of things that seemed to clear it all up like magic. I put in the tuxedo urchins, I raised the pH, and I used phosban.

What I noticed with the mechanism of the tuxedo urchin was that the urchin would clean the tiny crevasses of the rock, likely preventing the buildup the "compost pile" that the hair algae would then happily sprout upon, and of course grow the compost pile even further.

Any other thoughts on this?

After the process, I am left with a very mean lawnmower that I cannot catch or remove. I find that although they are amusing, they are also quite mean, and kill other things (royal gramma, firefish, sixline wrasse). I eventually banished the blenny to a growout tank with an equally nasty yellow damsel that I cycled the original tank with years ago. They deserve each other, and have been together now for over a year, apparently they have reached a truce. I cannot stand lawnmower blennies. Has anyone else had this problem? (yes, there are plenty of greens for it in the growout tank).

John

 

[Stbringer]

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also raised the heck out of the flow rates, and lost all my lettuce nudis in the process! They stopped breeding, and were apparently unable to feed well under high flow conditions as well as becoming pump obstructions.

John

 

[Csxno1]

Briney, It has been our experience and the opinon of several experts to not worry so much about WHAT the PH is, but that you get it stabilized. Not having more than a .2 swing in a 24 hour period is better than what the actual numbers are. I know many people whose tanks do just as well at 8.0-8.2 as those who are in the 8.4-8.5 range.

Kepp everything stabile and get rid of all the nutrients and I promise things will look much better. The buggest problem I see is how much phosphate is going to remain in the rock and how long until it is done precipitaing out if it does at all. Just strive for the 0 phosphate reading and you will see the algae disappear.