Althea's 90 Gallon.....

[althea2you]

BUELLER...BUELLER... lol.. anyone?!!!!

 

[Octoman]

Sorry Sarah, never messed with dino. But I did have phosphate issues, 2LF phosban and chaeto knocked it out quickly and I haven't had a problem since. I was using grocery store R/O water that was tainted, but I switched over to my home RO/DI unit (same one you've got now). You may need to replace the DI resin if you got that unit used. You won't know for sure until you get the TDS meter, but you should go ahead and get some ordered - you have to replace that more often than the carbon or RO membrane...

BTW, what problems are you having with your ACjr?

 

[althea2you]

ok, well, here is my progress so far... i kept the photoperiod down.. actualy only T-5's today no MH...i ordered my TDS meter, my phosban reactor and stuff for that.. i will be getting cheato here next week... i have the Ro/Di filter up and running and i got the first of the new clean water in the tank...didnt even finish using the other stuff when i saw the algae growing i the tank. so now i have good water right at hand.... i will do a water change tomorrow(anyone think it should be a big one?) like maybe 20% ok, thats not BIG technically, but bigger than my normal water change...? i am trying to nip this in the bud before it gets bad...i blew all the rocks off with a turkey baster so im running the skimmer a little more wet than normal hoping it will grab that crap out of the water... ok.. if you think there is something i am missing, something i should be doing.. please.. feel free to give me any information...

 

[althea2you]

this morning... the rocks look better and the sand looks better, but i also dont have the lights on yet.. i did have the light on the fuge on all night...wanted to dsee if that hd any effect, it did not.. BUT because i didnt use the halides yesterday the tank was pretty dark all day and night, and my grean leather is lookin rough and ticked... like he has a hangover.. so i will do the t-5's then put the halides on for a few hours, then return to t-5... blah blah blah.. i realize this is boring... but im just documenting it for myself... ttyl

 

[althea2you]

ok, so yesterday i had the t-5s and the halides on, but for a shortened period oif time....while the halides were on went about blowing it all off the ricks, my skimmer was going crazy. i have been using my ro/di water, i have not fed the tank anything since i saw this algae showits face in my tank... lol... i have the phosban reactor on its way.. my new lights(one halide for the nano, and the new one for the 90 along with its ballast. now since im trying to beat this algea.. should i put that new light in? wont that give it some fuel so to speak... i will probably get it around the same time... ....ok.. well i guess not, i just checked on the tracking and it says it hasnt even been shipped yet... wth? well.. wrong tracking numbers anyways... o well... ok, thats it for my update.... take care everyone...

 

[vdituri]

Sounds to me like you are doing everything right.
Better water, increased filtration.
I would try a full photoperiod and see what kind of algae growth you get.
A 20% water change wouldn't be out of line. It would just help get the water closer to where it needs to be.

Keep in mind you don't want to change any water parameters too fast as it can shock the corals.

 

[althea2you]

Sounds to me like you are doing everything right.
Better water, increased filtration.
I would try a full photoperiod and see what kind of algae growth you get.
A 20% water change wouldn't be out of line. It would just help get the water closer to where it needs to be.

Keep in mind you don't want to change any water parameters too fast as it can shock the corals.

i actually just read about this story from someone who had dinos... and they said dont introduse and new salt or trace element to the tank....so i took that as dont do a water change right away... because even if i tested for phosphates right now... it would probably read 0 because the dino's use em up.... so im trying to starve it out... so that why i havt done the water change yet... what do you think? i can do it... i judt dont want to feed them.. and i did do a longer photoperiod and the sand was cover by the stringy mess and there were more strand floating straight up with bubbles, more on my rocks, up by the overfow and on my loc lines... LOL.. it wasnt a big nasty boogery pile.. but i think if i dont act, it will get that way very quickly...lol.. so i am trying to nip it in the bud and not let it get to that point....

 

[framerguy]

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...29206-dinoflagellates-documented-journey.html This is a big thread but it documents Jasons bout with dinos.
I think rather than blowing them around and spreading them, you should use a small diameter hose and siphon them out directly as much as you can when you decide to do your water change.

 

[althea2you]

thanks Greg, yeah the only reason i thought twice about this algae was because of that thread, i have already posted over there... and i willl try the siphoning too.. thanks... i figure if i get it off the rock, then maybe my skimmer will catch most of it... seems to be a fast spreader, but i seem to be keeping it in check. tomorrow i am going to try no photoperiod.. with blinds draw and a blanket over the blinds... cause there is a LOT of daylight that comes in through them... see what that does.... stay tuned! LOL.. i will be documenting everything i do with it... hoping that it will help others.. there really isnt a whole lot of documentation on this algae

 

[althea2you]

ok, so far today i have done NO photoperiod what so ever... blinds shut all lights off.... i received my phosban reactor today so i just put that on....i see 0 dinos on the sand nothing really on the rocks.. at least nothing with bubbles n stuff. soooo my question... should i leave the lights off for a couple days??? or should i turn them on for a shortened time tomorrow? then maybe off again the next day? and how long should i run the reactor? a week? 5 days? longer? will i have to replace the media at all in that time? i know, a lot od questions... but i have never seen one of these used... ok.. tia.. i would really appreciate any help!

oh, 1 more thing... my xenia is very unhappy.. it just gets TOO much flow no matter where i put it! UGH.. there is a strong flow throught my whole tank.. wippin through the rocks and all.. will this kill the xenia.. cause it is very reserved at the moment

 

[Octoman]

My xenia seems to be very tolerant of high flow. If I change the flow up, it "pouts" for a little while until it adapts.

 

[althea2you]

ok, second day of no photoperiod....there was no growth over night. everywhere that there was this algae, now there is not.. it has not regrown...i wonder if one more full day will be enough.... as for the phosban reactor.. it seems like the pump is too weak. i was told to get the mini jet 404.... i have it at full power and the phosban's valve wide open and the tubing as short as it can go...(hd to keep cutting it) and the phosban is barely tumbling.. its tumbling, but not like i thought it would.... i read it would bring the granules up into the water cloumn and the valve should be nothched down so that there is a clear part under the particles near the top?.... mine are NO where near the top.they just ruffle around at the bottom. am i still getting full benefits from the reactor?

 

[Woodstock]

I would go another full day with the lights off. The phosban reactor with media (phosban?) will be able to remove the water borne nutrients before the algae can absorb it!

The water flow through the reactor needs to be very slow. You want jsut the top 1/2" of phosphae media to GENTLY tumble. If the flow is too strong, the media will grind into a powder.

Good work Sarah!

 

[Woodstock]

Ohhh... also keep a close watch on your alkalinity. The phosphate media will reduce it.
You may want to test daily for a week or so and be prepared to add a buffer (Arm&Hammer baking soda) very, very, very slowly if needed.
Use this calculator to determine HOW much buffer to use: Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[althea2you]

ok, thank Doni! ill test for it today to see what im at... for starters...


and ok, then mu phosban is tumbling ok...

 

[AQTCJAK]

I agree with Doni when I do use reators of any kind the flow is very slow the out come is very effective that way

 

[althea2you]

ok, i am on my third day of no photoperiod.. is this going to be a problem? for the corals..? alkalinity is at 7. when should i feel the need to add some buffer? 8-9 is prefferable right? so how low can i go? tia

 

[Craig Manoukian]

The no/low photo period occurs in the natural reef when extended dark clods from tropical storms occur. I am not aware of max/mins for no photo periods.

 

[ScubaDrew]

I'm not sure about the max no photo period either. Hopefully someone has some experience. I'm sure each type of coral has a different tolerance. How do they look?

Drew

 

[althea2you]

they are looking good... i was most worried about the leather... but his arms are all about nd floating around.. after the first day he had shrunk down and pulled his arms in .. but now its standing tall.. everything else seems to be ok, except the button polyps.. they seem to have lost a little color... but im sure they wont dye, these are very hardy...