My 20 gallon Build

Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I'm excited to start filliung it up... I'm taking in more water today to get it tested to see it its still mid cycle. I looked yesyerday andf the shrimp I put in there is gone.
 
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Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
sorry, been a while since updating. the tank is now cycled and I have 3 fish in thee. a tomato clown, and 2 damsels. None of them are staying in there permanently. they will be thrown in the 90 gallon as soon as i beat this hair algae. I was stupid while setting it up and used water from the 90, not my 20 is covered in HA, I'm also having a bout of cyano in the tank and I got my water levels checked and I was over 200 in nitrates. I have done a ton of water changes and I am now down to 40. still a long way to go, but its a ton better. I also got some Aqua-Pure phostpahte pads and I am running that in both the 90 and this little one.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I know its been a while and I promised pictures a few months ago. I was hoping to get the hair algae under control before but I just can't get a handle on it. Here are the pics and all advice will help. I've been using R/O water and my phosphates are below .25 ppm and my nitrates are between 20-40. It just won't stop growing and its driving me nuts.

DSC00004.jpg


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This is not the final aquascape, but the algae s so bad that I can't get in there without stirring it up. :verymad:
 
dmatt88

dmatt88

Has been struck by the ban stick
Trates r easily fixed by water changes n honestly u would benefit from more live rock. Phosphates r the result of one or more of the following. Over feeding. Tap water used in top offs n water changes. U can reduce phosphates by adding a competing algae to ur sump ie chaeto. Good luck I know its frustrating.

..........I live my life as a warning to others.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I've been fighting this for what feels like forever, I'm almost tempted to treat with copper, kill all the algae then doing heavy duty water changes so I can add inverts back into it... I'm so frustrated I'm not sure what to do.
 
BLADEYAMAHA

BLADEYAMAHA

Well-Known Member
Let it do its thing, cut back on feedings, cut back on light to 8 hours if you have not already, get a phosphate test kit, test your input water into your RO/DI filter and test you output water out of you RO/DI water. Test your tank water too for phosphates. Do you have a good skimmer? Do you use carbon for filtration in your tank? These are a few things you could start with if you have not already. Cutting back on feeding and cutting back on the time your lights are on could solve a lot of problems alone.
 
dmatt88

dmatt88

Has been struck by the ban stick
If u subject the rock n sand to copper its bye bye inverts forever.

..........I live my life as a warning to others.
 
Acanman

Acanman

Member
Lights off x 3 days. 5 gallon water change day 1 and day 3. For water change try to suck out as much of that algae as possible. Get some polyfilter pads from lfs. Is the tank near a window?
 
tucker

tucker

Member
This setup has so much potential! Wish I was that talented. I would say cut back on light 8 hours on a day. Feed only like once or twice a week. Clear out all food they don't eat within 3-5 minutes with a net. Using any carbon filtration, you can also add nitrate eating carbon to your regular carbon? What are your nitrates at? Add some chaeto in the sump pump area to compete for the nutrients. Hows your clean up crew looking? What about taking the fish you have in there out for now and adding a lawnmower blenny, court jester goby, or black sailfin blenny instead to eat up some of the starting algea. Add a couple emerald crabs, different types of snails including turbos as well as some hermits?
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I've been trying to build up a cleaner crew, but within a week they are gone,Could the algae cause a chemical imbalance that could kill inverts? I'm going to cut out all light tomorrow with a crazy water change then I'm just gonna wait with a water change every other day till its gone, I'm so sick of the HA.
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I just tested my nitrate, phosphates and alk. My trates are at 30 phosphates show 0 and alk is at 9, Whe algae is still growing like crazy. Is there something else I should check?
 
Lemonpeel

Lemonpeel

Member
I do a water change every 5-6 days. I need to get more r/o water and I'll do a wc later today, I noticed that my urchin has no spines left so I moved him to my 90 gallon to see if that helps him out.
 
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