False Readings, Cyano, Green Algea, and im out of ideas.

[rcoapstick]

I had a few inhabitants disappear over the past month or more. I lost a blood fire shrimp, a scarlet skunk shrimp, a small yellow tang, and finally a small pink skunk clown. I removed a serpent star and a emerald crab thinking they may have been the culprit of the missing animals. Who knows they may have died due to water conditions. Since starting my tank 6 month ago I have been keeping a strict regimen of weekly water changes. Starting around month 2 I got green algae on all rocks. It never went away, and strangely it barely grows on rocks that were introduced to the tank 2 months ago. Under the guidance of members of this forum the idea of "let it get dirty" prevailed and so I have given up trying to get the green algae off the rocks. Now I have some cyano that is growing on two rocks in the tank. It is not spreading quickly but I have seen it progress over the past two months some. Like I said I change my water once a week and I have been getting nitrate readings of 15ppm-5ppm in the recent months (usually near the lower end), and usually a zero reading for the phosphates. I have not removed any of the dead inhabitants as I could not find any evidence after they went missing. There is not much detritus in the tank as the clean up crew of various types of snails and hermits keep the place pretty clean. I run an ASM G2 skimmer, and change the filter sock every two weeks for a clean one. The tank is 90 gallons. The water circulates through the sump at 500gal/hour and I have two powerheads in the tank that add another 600gph of movement each. Tank lights run 6 hours a day. Tank lights are 2x 150 14K metal halides that are a year old. I have new ones just havent installed them yet. The metal halides are supplemented by 2X130W Power Compact Actinic Lamps with 6 moon lights. The PCs are 4 months old. The sump has a 10 gallon refugium with a 7inch sand bed. I have a grow lamp I got from the LFS for the Chaeto that illuminates the refugium 8 hours a day on an opposite schedule from the tank lights. The chaeto doesn't grow fast but it stays alive. I've only trimmed it once since I put it in there four months ago. The refugium got cyano before the display tank but after transfering some of the CUC to the refugium the cyano is all but gone in the refugium. I have Zoas(probably around 800 polyps total), about 20-30 superman mushrooms, a blastomussa,pink pulsing xenia, a torch coral, a four headed neon trumpet, a giant bubble coral, 2 RBTAs, 2 Ocellaris clowns, 2 High Fin Cardinals, and a pink skunk clown. I used to feed daily with mysis shrimp, about 1/2 to 1/3 of a cube. I have been feeding about every three days about 1/3 of a cube for the past week or so supplementing with formula two and shrimp pellets. About once every two weeks I will target feed the corals, which results in some missed targets which the fish usually take care of when the pumps come back on and stir things up. The tank temperature hovers around 79.5 degrees. pH will swing between 7.8 and 8.0.

Before you lecture me on the RBTAs being in such a young tank please realize I know this, I took them on when I was more nieve about the hobby. I am looking for a good home for them until my tank stabilizes. In the meantime they are satisfied with my weekly water changes. No gaping mouths, no gut-spewing.

I am concerned about the spreading cyano. I hope that cutting back on feeding will help control the nitrates better. Please ask whatever questions would help you help me. Thanks everyone.

PS I found nerite snail eggs everywhere today!

 

[reefer gladness]

Just a few thoughts from my own battle with hair algae..

Are you running any kind of filter media? Something like Chemi-Pure Elite maybe? I've had good results using the CPE and Purigen together and intend to continue when I upgrade to a larger tank.

Circulation - it sounds like you have enough based on the pump specs but that's no guarantee there are not dead spots in the tank where nitrates build up. Maybe just take a look at where the powerheads are pointed to be sure you're getting the most from them.

Not sure about the 7 inch sandbed in the fuge. I started with sand and LR in the fuge but eventually removed everything as it just seemed to be a detritus trap and nitrate factory. I keep a ball of chaeto and a handful of mangroves in there now and that's it. Maybe try turning the pumps off for a few minutes and take a sample of water from the fuge close to the sandbed and measure it for nitrates and see if that's a source.

Do you clean the sandbed in the display tank when you do waterchanges? I try to clean up as much detritus from the sandbed and fuge as possible with each waterchange.

Good luck! I think we all go through ugly tank stages, if you keep at it though you'll get it eventually and most likely learn something you can share with the rest of us.

 

[dmatt88]

Cyano that I've experienced seems to correlate directly with overfeeding n lighting. Hell, same with all algae. Good luck in your battle. In the meantime syphon out all u can during wc n give er hell.

.........yep. I'm a reefer.

 

[StirCrayzy]

Stick it out. Youve got a lot invested, and its worth fighting for.
Lord knows ive fought for less just on principle.

Maybe a good idea to take a water sample to LFS to validate your test kit.
Seems like any nitrates would be wiped out with weekly WCs. How much do you change %?

What is the source water?

 

[Bearjohnson]

One question I have is where are you getting your water from? Are you using a RODI filter and is the water well water or city? You can also cut back on the duration of your lighting schedule. I had a similar problem in my 56 gallon and I cut the lights down to 4 hours a day but then I also dumped 18 turbo snalls in and between the two all was clear in about 2 weeks. You would be amazed at how much they will mow down in such a short period of time.

 

[rcoapstick]

One question I have is where are you getting your water from? Are you using a RODI filter and is the water well water or city? You can also cut back on the duration of your lighting schedule. I had a similar problem in my 56 gallon and I cut the lights down to 4 hours a day but then I also dumped 18 turbo snalls in and between the two all was clear in about 2 weeks. You would be amazed at how much they will mow down in such a short period of time.

The water is RO/DI coming from my LFS. I change 20 gallons a week.

 

[rcoapstick]

Stick it out. Youve got a lot invested, and its worth fighting for.
Lord knows ive fought for less just on principle.

Maybe a good idea to take a water sample to LFS to validate your test kit.
Seems like any nitrates would be wiped out with weekly WCs. How much do you change %?

What is the source water?

LFS confirmed water test results and actually they had higher readings than my kit.
Water change is 25% but it is getting to be an expensive option every week

 

[rcoapstick]

Just a few thoughts from my own battle with hair algae..

Are you running any kind of filter media? Something like Chemi-Pure Elite maybe? I've had good results using the CPE and Purigen together and intend to continue when I upgrade to a larger tank.

Circulation - it sounds like you have enough based on the pump specs but that's no guarantee there are not dead spots in the tank where nitrates build up. Maybe just take a look at where the powerheads are pointed to be sure you're getting the most from them.

Not sure about the 7 inch sandbed in the fuge. I started with sand and LR in the fuge but eventually removed everything as it just seemed to be a detritus trap and nitrate factory. I keep a ball of chaeto and a handful of mangroves in there now and that's it. Maybe try turning the pumps off for a few minutes and take a sample of water from the fuge close to the sandbed and measure it for nitrates and see if that's a source.

Do you clean the sandbed in the display tank when you do waterchanges? I try to clean up as much detritus from the sandbed and fuge as possible with each waterchange.

Good luck! I think we all go through ugly tank stages, if you keep at it though you'll get it eventually and most likely learn something you can share with the rest of us.

It is not hair algae, just green coloring covering the rocks, it does not scrub off. It has been suggested it is green coralline, but i disagree.

No filter media.

The deep sand bed in the fuge was suppossed to act as a nitrate trap not producer.

I syphon the sandbed during water changes.

 

[reefer gladness]

Green algae on the rocks was the stage right after I had a brown diatom bloom and before the coralline really started to grow. It's normal so far as I know and may just be an indication that your tank is young and the rock and sand haven't caught up with the bioload in your tank.

I'd be running carbon at the very least and may as well run the CPE if you're gonna do that.

I remain skeptical about deep sand beds but there's an easy way to test - just turn off your return pump for awhile and measure nitrates in the sump compared to the display tank.

 

[rcoapstick]

I have read some things about introducing "more desired" types to out compete the types of growth you REALLY dont want. Any thoughts on that?

 

[StirCrayzy]

I have read some things about introducing "more desired" types to out compete the types of growth you REALLY dont want. Any thoughts on that?

Sounds like maybe you are looking at the scrubbers? That is a good start to soak up pollutants.
also you may want to throw in a poly filter pad to help things out.

You may just be stuck with overpopulated new tank producing excess waste and Re -Cycling.

 

[rcoapstick]

So Poly filter and chemi pure elite?

WHat exactly is poly filter? just a polyester filter, or is it something specific?

 

[dmatt88]

Polyester filter. U may consider chaeto algae. It took ha out of my system. It out competes for nutrition. This is the jigsaw aspect of reefing. Enjoy it. Then something new. Hence rs.

.........yep. I'm a reefer.

 

[rcoapstick]

Polyester filter. U may consider chaeto algae. It took ha out of my system. It out competes for nutrition. This is the jigsaw aspect of reefing. Enjoy it. Then something new. Hence rs.

.........yep. I'm a reefer.

I dont have hair algae. Just green algae on the rocks. just ike the rock turned green. Also, I still have chaeto, but it doesn't grow very fast at all.

 

[dmatt88]

It's a pretty new tank. Id not sweat. Time will change the colors in ur tank. Change lights on ur chaeto if ur not throwing it away weekly.

.........yep. I'm a reefer.

 

[ReeferZack]

I can almost guarantee you have green coralline on your rock. I have the same on mine. It is only 3 month cured. Now spots of purple are taking over the green. I have read that the green just can't win out over the purple. It is a shame because i think it is gorgeous.

And it is much harder to see with the light on. See below

 

[ReeferZack]

Oh and I forgot to mention. I had a cyano problem on the front sand bed about 3 weeks ago. I annihilated it in two weeks. I reduced my lighting from 10 hours of daylight to 7 hours.(Which is where i leave it now) I then siphoned with the gravel tube all the cyano off the sand bed. It came back after the first weeks water change but after the second I have not seen any in a week and a half. I had some spots on the rock though. I just left it and never touched it. I guess it absorbed what ever it liked on the rock in those particular spots and then went away. Its all gone now. Sometimes patients and perseverance(water changes) are the best things to do. I am slowly figuring this out. I'm starting to realize that this hobby has an array of crazy changes that are going to take place in your tank. Its nature doing what it does. It can be hard not to freak out when you walk up to your tank and something just looks completely different then the day before or things are changing colors like crazy. Patients.

 

[catran]

Oh and I forgot to mention. I had a cyano problem on the front sand bed about 3 weeks ago. I annihilated it in two weeks. I reduced my lighting from 10 hours of daylight to 7 hours.(Which is where i leave it now) I then siphoned with the gravel tube all the cyano off the sand bed. It came back after the first weeks water change but after the second I have not seen any in a week and a half. I had some spots on the rock though. I just left it and never touched it. I guess it absorbed what ever it liked on the rock in those particular spots and then went away. Its all gone now. Sometimes patients and perseverance(water changes) are the best things to do. I am slowly figuring this out. I'm starting to realize that this hobby has an array of crazy changes that are going to take place in your tank. Its nature doing what it does. It can be hard not to freak out when you walk up to your tank and something just looks completely different then the day before or things are changing colors like crazy. Patients.

Lol! I came back from vacation only to see that my rock had green algae too. But, I'm used to the crazy changes. You're learning quicker than most that wc's are vital in this hobby. Sorry to hear about the cyano though. If it makes you feel better, I still have intermittent issues from time to time with it too. My inverts demand high flow and steal most of it. I have to be creative to make all of them happy!
Yes, be patient and stick with it! It's awesome when you break through!


Cat

 

[StirCrayzy]

WHat exactly is poly filter? just a polyester filter, or is it something specific?

Poly Filter is the NAME of the filter pad, it removes many impurities and changes color when exhausted.

 

[rcoapstick]

I can almost guarantee you have green coralline on your rock. I have the same on mine. It is only 3 month cured. Now spots of purple are taking over the green. I have read that the green just can't win out over the purple. It is a shame because i think it is gorgeous.

Ahhhhh.... that does look just like my tank.

The cyano though is really dark purple? and its not on the sand. is this actually purple corraline? Picture to come later