Help with GHA & Red Slime Cyano.
- Thread starter Pawlu
- Start date
Creekview
Member
Basically I used a piece of black acrylic siliconed into one end of the tank, forming a 2" wide chamber. The tank runs a 1" plenum, and it set up the system so that the air stone lifted water from the plenum up past the screen. LEDs were positioned outside the tank to shine thru to the screen. I'm not familiar with your tank, but it links like it has a rear chamber. Is it clear or opaque? For a 38 gallon tank you need 38sq inches of collector screen. The main thing is to avoid getting the LEDs wet, as they will self destruct. My in-tank has been replaced by the 'fuge design. Increased flow resulted in much better growth of algae on the scrubber.
I have a question about the algae issue.
I have a well established reef (28 gal Nanocube) and all my corals and fish are doing great.
I do have a GHA and glass algae issue so I'm starting to make some changes from advice I have seen here and other threads. Basically I have enough HA to be a nuisance and the glass algae has to be cleaned off every couple of days.
Lighting is a Rapid Led kit which replaced the CF's and since doing that the corals took off. The atinics are on for 10 hrs while the whites are only on for 2 hrs during that 10.
I use the larger InTank media basket with 1 piece of blu/white foam on top and Chemi Pure Elite and Cheato below. I also have Purigen in one of the other chambers. The media basket it lighted during the night and the Cheato is growing with no problem.
I make my own RODI water and use Reef Crystals for salt mix.
I want to add a Vortech MP10 because there are spots in the tank where flow is not so good due to the live rock and the additional Koralia nano pump only helps in those areas if I change its location and then another area suffers. I'm hoping that the MP10 will help with that issue.
I also think I need to add a protein skimmer of some sort because to be quite honest because of health issues I don't make my planned 5 gallon a week water changes all the time. I know this is not the way to fix my short comings on water changes but may help and probably wouldn't hurt to have one anyway.
So here is my question,, I know there are many ways to fix my algea problem and I will do what it takes but I have decided to go ahead and buy a skimmer and the MP10 but since I can only get one first then the other which one do I do first?
I am already going dark on lighting for a few days after which I will cut back on the lighting time and intensity.
As far as the skimmer goes I have been reading and reading but can't seem to find a definitive answer as to which one that will work with my JBJ 28 Nano without breaking the bank and I know you get what you pay for but still there must be some consensus as to which skimmer to use for my purpose without going too cheap and throwing money away either.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Ed
I have a well established reef (28 gal Nanocube) and all my corals and fish are doing great.
I do have a GHA and glass algae issue so I'm starting to make some changes from advice I have seen here and other threads. Basically I have enough HA to be a nuisance and the glass algae has to be cleaned off every couple of days.
Lighting is a Rapid Led kit which replaced the CF's and since doing that the corals took off. The atinics are on for 10 hrs while the whites are only on for 2 hrs during that 10.
I use the larger InTank media basket with 1 piece of blu/white foam on top and Chemi Pure Elite and Cheato below. I also have Purigen in one of the other chambers. The media basket it lighted during the night and the Cheato is growing with no problem.
I make my own RODI water and use Reef Crystals for salt mix.
I want to add a Vortech MP10 because there are spots in the tank where flow is not so good due to the live rock and the additional Koralia nano pump only helps in those areas if I change its location and then another area suffers. I'm hoping that the MP10 will help with that issue.
I also think I need to add a protein skimmer of some sort because to be quite honest because of health issues I don't make my planned 5 gallon a week water changes all the time. I know this is not the way to fix my short comings on water changes but may help and probably wouldn't hurt to have one anyway.
So here is my question,, I know there are many ways to fix my algea problem and I will do what it takes but I have decided to go ahead and buy a skimmer and the MP10 but since I can only get one first then the other which one do I do first?
I am already going dark on lighting for a few days after which I will cut back on the lighting time and intensity.
As far as the skimmer goes I have been reading and reading but can't seem to find a definitive answer as to which one that will work with my JBJ 28 Nano without breaking the bank and I know you get what you pay for but still there must be some consensus as to which skimmer to use for my purpose without going too cheap and throwing money away either.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Ed
A skimmer can do a lot for your tank, and it's what I'd get first. However the JBL Nano skimmer seems to be a small air driven skimmer. I don't think it would be very effective, especially on a 28 gal tank. Air driven skimmers also need almost constant replacement of the wood air stone they use. Considering the size of your tank, I think you'd be much better off getting something like an Aqua C Remora. Yes, I know it's about 6 times the price of the JBL Nano, but you'll only need to buy it once.
Pawlu
Member
Hi Race58, I have nearly won my battle with GHA and with Cyno, about 90% of the GHA is gone and cyno is now pretty much on the sandbed, I plan on getting rid of it once and for all once I finish converting an old canister filter into a sphyon vac, at that point I will give the sandbed (first inch) a good cleaning sucking up any left over cyno.
As for your current situation, if funds are an issue I would invest in a good air driven skimmer that can be powered by a Rena Air 300 or 400 using limewood air stones. These are cheap and using an airline regulator can be easily tuned for some good skimming. This is what I use and the whole thing cost me less than $40 to setup. Here is a link to some cheap but very effective protein skimmers: http://www.aquariumneeds.com/webpages/ReefNeeds/rnCombiSkimProteinSkimmers.asp
I have an MP10 and to be honest in a 28Gal it might be a little too powerful for what it is worth, I never run mine more than 70% power in a 38 gal. They are also pretty pricy, but they are also very good pumps. A cheaper alternative is to get yourself another Koralia Nano and experiment with a few different positions.
As for your current situation, if funds are an issue I would invest in a good air driven skimmer that can be powered by a Rena Air 300 or 400 using limewood air stones. These are cheap and using an airline regulator can be easily tuned for some good skimming. This is what I use and the whole thing cost me less than $40 to setup. Here is a link to some cheap but very effective protein skimmers: http://www.aquariumneeds.com/webpages/ReefNeeds/rnCombiSkimProteinSkimmers.asp
I have an MP10 and to be honest in a 28Gal it might be a little too powerful for what it is worth, I never run mine more than 70% power in a 38 gal. They are also pretty pricy, but they are also very good pumps. A cheaper alternative is to get yourself another Koralia Nano and experiment with a few different positions.
Pawlu
Member
I only need to replace my airstone once every 3 months and they are dirt cheap, as far as tuning I only take a look at the bubbles in the tube every morning while having my coffee, if its over skimming I turn the $2 valve open, if its under skimming I close, its super simple to tune, in my case I just need to keep about 1 Inch over head from the tank level.
OK that's a good point to get another Koralia and then I would have more for a better skimmer.
Or maybe this one?? http://www.petco.com/product/121564/Aquatic-Life-Mini-Protein-Skimmer.aspx
Thanks
Ed
Kongor
Member
I have a problem with turf algae currently but I heard this method works very well on HA... not sure about cyano...
Raise your magnesium SLOWLY (100ppm or less per day) to about 1900-2000 using Kent Tech-M magnesium, this won't work unless you use Tech-M. Keep it at that level until the problem stops. This is part of the puzzle, but it seems like you tackled the causes of your nutrient import and this will help eradicate any new algae from the die off that will happen once it gets starved.
For whatever reason there is an impurity in this solution that kills algae very well and I've been doing it for the past two weeks with no harm to none of my livestock and I have SPS, LPS, softies, scallops, tons of inverts, and 10 fish.
Raise your magnesium SLOWLY (100ppm or less per day) to about 1900-2000 using Kent Tech-M magnesium, this won't work unless you use Tech-M. Keep it at that level until the problem stops. This is part of the puzzle, but it seems like you tackled the causes of your nutrient import and this will help eradicate any new algae from the die off that will happen once it gets starved.
For whatever reason there is an impurity in this solution that kills algae very well and I've been doing it for the past two weeks with no harm to none of my livestock and I have SPS, LPS, softies, scallops, tons of inverts, and 10 fish.
Pawlu
Member
Have no experience with that skimmer, if you really want to invest in a power driven skimmer I would save up for a top brand with a very good record behind it. Or considering you do not even have a skimmer, the air driven one as I suggested will already be a great improvement. The basic simple design of an air driven one works, its simple and easy, yes it needs more attention but so what, its really not that bad. Eventually I want to invest in a good powered skimmer but only when I know I can get the best I can afford, for now, I will stick to changing out the air stones for a few dollars once a month.
ziggy
Active Member
average is about 1 per gallon
Pawlu
Member
Well the first thing was patience, it took me approx 4 months to fix the issue. It also took an entire change in the way I was doing things. The main changes are:
1) Increased water changes to 15% weekly
2) Increased water flow (doubled the size of the overflow pump, added MP10) and changed water flow patterns
3) Reduced intensity of white/red lighting
4) Performed a 3 day no white lighting, left actinics on
5) Started changing GFO and Carbon every 2 weeks vs every month
6) Cleaned out salt and RO storage tanks
7) Replaced RO pre-filters and will start doing so every 6 months instead of every 12
8) Further fined tuned water parameters and mantaining higher calcium, alk and mag levels
9) Added a conch snail towards the end, this guy is great and does an amazing job of cleaning the sandbed every night.
10) Started blasting the rocks with a turkey baster prior to water change!
During the whole time I never killed the lights entirely, and never put any chemicals in the tank. Never took out any rock to scrub, during the beginning of the battle I actually took a wirebrush to areas that were hard hit with GHA along with the intake of an external canister filter (I hooked up for the purpose of picking up remove GHA) and scrubbed away.
1) Increased water changes to 15% weekly
2) Increased water flow (doubled the size of the overflow pump, added MP10) and changed water flow patterns
3) Reduced intensity of white/red lighting
4) Performed a 3 day no white lighting, left actinics on
5) Started changing GFO and Carbon every 2 weeks vs every month
6) Cleaned out salt and RO storage tanks
7) Replaced RO pre-filters and will start doing so every 6 months instead of every 12
8) Further fined tuned water parameters and mantaining higher calcium, alk and mag levels
9) Added a conch snail towards the end, this guy is great and does an amazing job of cleaning the sandbed every night.
10) Started blasting the rocks with a turkey baster prior to water change!
During the whole time I never killed the lights entirely, and never put any chemicals in the tank. Never took out any rock to scrub, during the beginning of the battle I actually took a wirebrush to areas that were hard hit with GHA along with the intake of an external canister filter (I hooked up for the purpose of picking up remove GHA) and scrubbed away.
I can not agree with your advice. The skimmers you recommended are not that much less expensive than the AquaC Remora or similar skimmer and the fact that you need to replace air stones every 3 months and look at it every day and adjust it demonstrates that it needs constant attention and is high maintenance. The Remora I have only needs to be cleaned in total every 6 months or so, and doesn't require any daily adjustment. It really is set it and forget it.
The one thing thing that an air driven skimmer will give you is long contact time. There are places where this may be desirable, but I can only think of a few. Notice something else too. There are very few air drive skimmers still being sold, even though they are somewhat less expensive. This is because they just are not as effective as the newer designs.
I've used similar air driven skimmers. The first one I got was a Sander skimmer when the first came into the USA, about 45 years ago. Since then I've used quite a few others, and moded them as needed. Yes, they were an improvement over not having a skimmer at all, but they don't come close to the other types of skimmers available today.
