My 265 gallon in wall reef.

[blue_eyes53813]

Well some good news and TERRIBLE news... The sump and fuge are ready for a running this weekend and see if all the plumbing is leak proof. I have 100 + gallons of saltwater mixing this week. Of course I want to make sure I get the salinity and temp exact. I put 80 lbs of livesand in the fuge. Got The UV sterlilizer hooked up. This weekend will be the time to sit and watch. I want to start it up so I can be sure to be home and watch it for a few days. During the week is to crazy with my job.

Terrible news.... The algae is back worse than ever... I have no idea what is going on. Last weekend I noticed some brown coating everything again. I cleaned it up.. yesterday ( Tuesday) by 2:00 in the afternoon I had the looks of hair algae and slime algae and diatoms too... I am just sick. Everything in the tank as far as livestock looks good. I have to do all my testing today. yesterday it took me most of the afternoon and night to clean everything up the best I could.. From 4-7 pm I was pulling everything out of the tank again for a good cleaning.

My cleaning schedule has always been the same for the past 5 years.. Filters/sponges cleaned weekly, 35- 40 gallon water change twice a month. RO filters changed about every 3 months. I added 2 more powerheads for more circulation since my last bout with this gunk. Cut back dramatically on the feedings. I only feed once everyother day. Rinse all food. I dont use DTs any more. I make sure all food is being eaten.

Today, Im gonna make sure my skimmer is making a REALLY wet skimmate, Probably have to clean all equipment again... I am even thinking about leaving the lights off today????? I am not sure if that is a good idea for the corals?????

I am hoping the hook up of the sump and refugium this weekend and adding another 100 gallons of water will help alot...

sorry just rambling... any help or ideas would be great.

[lcstorc]

Not sure that turning the lights off for a day will help, but it should be fine for the corals. There are certainly cloudy days in nature and that should be fine for them for a relatively short time.

[blue_eyes53813]

Thanks Lynn...

[Dentoid]

I wouldn't hesitate turning the lights off for a day. Like Lynn said, there are cloudy days on natural reefs. Have you considered cutting back on the photoduration over an extended period instead of just cutting it out all together for a day? That fuge sounds awesome. Sorry you are battling the hair. Do you have Foxface? They're like Mikey, they eat everything!

[blue_eyes53813]

Thanks Dentoid, Actually I have cut back on the lighting as well (during my last battle).. Im rethinking on all the new additions and when the algae started the last time... Seems to be right after a light change in Dec 06(3)250 watts and I just changed the other lights last month.. My MH are on from 12-5 pm.. So I will cut them back again.. And see if the sps are ok with it. No I dont have a fox face.. I will check into one of those too. Are fox face invert safe?

[Dentoid]

For all I know they are invert safe. Mine has not bothered anything but the algae. Their dorsal and ventral fins are toxic, but they do a number on the algae.

[blue_eyes53813]

I will definitely check them out.. I will check the compatibility of them with the fish I have now and see if I can find one.

[blue_eyes53813]

Ohh what a busy day... I was up at 7 am catching fish . I want get rid of some BAD fish.. I caught 5 damsels, my coral nippin coral beauty, my hermit crab eating hog fish. I took several frags of my montipora cap to the lfs for a trade/credit... Came home with 20-30 hermits crabs because now that my hog fish is gone Im hoping the hermits can help me clean up some of my algae mess. I also got a algae blenny, I got 3 purple chromis??? Never heard of them.. I think they look like anthias. And 1 beautiful purple queen anthias.


And ohhhh yea the most important part.. The sump and fuge are hooked up and running... No problems to report... All readings are good.. Water got a little cloudy when the fuge was stirring up some sand,,, But all is good.. Happy dance , happy dance...

[blue_eyes53813]

A few pictures of sump-refugium , Uv sterlizer and plumbing.

[cioutlaw]

Your tank is coming along great, good luck with all the damsels...i like them but they do get nasty & are a pain to get out. WOW do I wish I had a equipment room. Great work!!

[blue_eyes53813]

The new purple chromis??? So cute.. looks like an anthias to me...

[lcstorc]

Wow what a sump and fuge. That is awesome.
That chromis does look like an anthias. Very cool. I will have to keep my eyes open for a couple. Do they school lile the other chromis?

[Woodstock]

I've had purple chromis before; that does not look like one. It does look more like an anthias to me too...

Congrats on removing the 'bad' fish! How is the brown algae battle going? Ihave turned off my lights for up to three days before in order to get dino's (horrible algae) under control.

Nice plumbing/sump, etc. I would love to have that much room to work with!

[blue_eyes53813]

Lynn, The lfs said they do school. If it is a purple chromis, lol.. I'm gonna look in my books today and see if I can find it.

Doni, I still have a little brown algae. I picked up some hermits yesterday and I got rid of my hog fish that I'm pretty sure ate all my hermits.. My clean up crew was pretty scarce. I couldn't leave my lights off for the full 3 days , my acros weren't to happy. I did it for 2 days and than turned the lights cycle back some.. Seems to be working.

[sasquatch]

Nice water works going on Vicki! The small lake you have the skimmer in, where is it located in the overall circuit?