Kim's 75

[user 26995]

I've gone through some major algae issues. Just stay diligent. It will work out. You will be happy with it again.

oh wait, i am still going through an algae issue in one of my tanks. but it is getting better. slowly but surely.

 

[CarlaW]

Kim, I think if you added some radishes and carrots, and onions, and maybe some Italian with that, you might have yourself a salad. Sorry, could not resist.
The fact that the algae is only on the rock is weird, but it does say something I think, . Like I said before, if you need some caulerpa you are welcome to it, the chaeto is pretty, but the caulerpa works, it has been for 10 years for me. I just can't believe that about the skimmer tho, that is really puzzling . Give me a call, the old gal doesn't get out much.................... she could use the company . And the blue is not large, but it is blue and should give you years of enjoyment..............lol. I don't know much about the skimmer you are lookin at tho, sorry.

You got this , nuthin a little TLC won't hurt

 

[kamar]

I've gone through some major algae issues. Just stay diligent. It will work out. You will be happy with it again.

oh wait, i am still going through an algae issue in one of my tanks. but it is getting better. slowly but surely.

Thank you for the encouragement. Yeah, it looks 100x better after cleaning out the salad fixings

 

[kamar]

Kim, I think if you added some radishes and carrots, and onions, and maybe some Italian with that, you might have yourself a salad. Sorry, could not resist.

Well, you're not the only one to toss that out there. I texted a picture to my husband and he had a salad comment too.

 

[CarlaW]

I don't feel so bad now .

 

[DevonM]

That is an impressive amount of algae! I siphoned out quite a bit too last night. Hoping my algae scrubber will kick in soon. My skimmer is producing but not a whole lot. On to less greener pastures!

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Hi Kim...sorry about the algae, I don't have much to add to the discussion, lotsa good ideas, though. Devon is using a self-contained algal scrubber from Santa Monica Filtration to work on his algae before it really gets going with the new set-up. I have been dosing with Dr. Tim's Waste away and I am making slow progress, the algae grows back much more slowly or not at all after plucking/siphoning (a coffee can full at a time...literally); my skimmer works well, takes out lots of gunk = tiny pieces of algae and lots of bacteria that I seed the system with...but it is still a problem. I am looking at bioballs in a reactor/seeded with bacteria for the next step in the process. Looking back on my camera (phone) I've not taken any pics of my salad (ha!)... I mean aquarium since January...I feel your pain!

 

[sarmo]

hi Kim,
sorry to hear about your hair algae issue. I had a huge problem at one point. I thought I needed a new skimmer, thought I needed more flow, I thought I was feeding too much, I couldn't figure it out. like you I picked it out, sucked it out but I also tried to blow it off the rocks with a Mag 18 and used the pre filters on my circulation pumps to catch the floating green soup. all that did was drive me crazy! like you I thought phosphate might be the problem so I got some of these http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+10473+28057&pcatid=28057, phosphate removal pads. I put one in my sump to catch the algae that went into my overflow, acting as a mechanical filter. I changed it once a week. it took about a month or two but those stupid green pads fixed my problem!!!! now of course I also did more water changes and got rid of the urchins that were eating the coralline off my LR. (my hair algae was on all the non-coralline covered areas, including the end glass) not on corals, well not until I started blowing it off with the Mag 18. after I did that it got on everywhere, I mean everywhere!!! don't do that!!!!
I don't know for sure, it seems you never KNOW for sure in reef keeping, but I really think those pads solved my problem. there are much more sophisticated means of removing phosphate and any of those might have given me the same result. when you knew me I had a fuge set up, and I still think that is the best, but if I had your problem I'd get some of those pads again.

just my 2 cents

 

[sarmo]

PS- I also got a foxface and lawn mower blenny. I think both of them helped as well.

good luck

 

[kamar]

Hi Kevin - yeah, I've read all about algae scrubbers over on algaescrubber.net, and I find the idea very simple, low cost and possibly very effective. I had considered using one, and may yet as I have enough room in my sump for one for sure. I will definitely follow along to see how it works for him. I've read up on how to build one, which looks pretty simple, with a few details that are critical. Yeah, it's a continuous battle for sure! I just never had such an algae issue in my 36 . . . I am kind of wistful about having moved to this new system. Good to hear that things are turning around for you in yours. I just don't see the right kind of skimmate in my collection cup. The other HOB one produced some dark, nasty stuff. This one, no matter where I set the band, is just tea colored, copious amounts of water. The shaft on the impeller broke awhile ago, and I replaced it, but I wonder how well the pump works.

 

[kamar]

Hey Rob, thanks for sharing your experiences. I had always used various phosphate pads in the past in my canister filter on the 36, not knowing if they ever did anything . . . well, maybe they did! I will order some. I do have a poly filter stuck in between the baffles in the sump, and it sure looks dark brown and nasty in about 3 weeks! I really think the simpler and easier to do that something is, the more likely you will keep it up and eventually turn things around. Of course, I'm using GFO - and I am now regenerating it as it's so expensive - but the whole process is kind of a pain. And, I did get a starry blenny, and a little blue tuxedo sea urchin, which are both in QT right now. I only got one urchin, that may be an oops . . we'll see with just one. I love the blenny! I've always wanted one and he is absolutely adorable! I do need to get the refuge section of my sump set up, and I think that will make a huge difference too. I tried awhile back . . . F&S was always out of chaeto, so I got some from Ebay. Unfortunately, it came with pyramid snails too that I discovered while in QT . . . so I threw it out. (Sooo glad I QT everything!!) I see F&S has their stuff back in. I am sucking the algae out, and trying to get the loose stuff out too before it breaks down. So, did you guys finally get spring too? Took forever here.

 

[DevonM]

Hey Kim, Have you cleaned the air intake on your skimmer lately?

 

[LostCreekReefer]

Hi Kevin - yeah, I've read all about algae scrubbers over on algaescrubber.net, and I find the idea very simple, low cost and possibly very effective.....

Hi Kim- thanks for the pointer to algaescrubbers.net. whoda thunk there is a caring internet community dedicated to better aquarium husbandry and water quality through the use of algae? How narrow can we make a BBS? That being said, there is a TON of good info there, I am considering making one my self as I have a place to put it and can *slightly* revise my plumbing and just let gravity do the rest...like it does right now, 24/7, just install a little detour through a well positioned scrubber. I KNOW I can grow algae in an totally awesome fashion. Just not sure about the lighting, what LEDs to use in a saltwater wet environment. Fun!

 

[kamar]

Yeah, you bet! I've read a ton over there and I totally think you could DIY your own scrubber. Oh yeah, I can grow algae too, no problemo! And the cool thing, is that it's hair algae - competition of the exact type that's trying to grow in our displays! So, ideal phosphate uptake once you get one going. When designing my plumbing, I thought to put in a manifold on my return just for that reason. I was going to try chaeto or caulerpa first as I'm not too keen on the splashing that running water would make over a screen. I see Devon got the self-contained one. Strings for the attachment site must be new since I last looked into it. They were using plastic needlepoint mesh. I know canister filters are shunned in the saltwater crowd, but you know, that's all I really had for filtration and I'm wondering now if it, packed full of different types of media might not have been doing a great job. After all, I had zero algae eaters in my tank, and not a ton of it growing. Hmmmm . . .

 

[kamar]

Hey Kim, Have you cleaned the air intake on your skimmer lately?

I did. I ran the pipe cleaner they give you through there thinking I might dislodge something. I never cleaned my HOB one ever in six years and it still worked great. I know you had an urchin in your tank - do you still? How did he work out for you? Any complaints about eating too much coralline? I thought he was so cute.

 

[sarmo]

hi Kim,

is the starry blenny an algae eater? I don't know. I do know the lawnmower blenny is.
sounds like you got the GFO covered.
I agree that if your canister was working for you on the 36, then maybe you should add it to your 75? sounds like you are trying everything. maybe you need to follow Carla's advice and be patient???? i never liked that answer, but it works for her!!!

pics would be nice. the bad with the good, right!!!

 

[CarlaW]

LOL..................... Thanks Rob

 

[DevonM]

I did. I ran the pipe cleaner they give you through there thinking I might dislodge something. I never cleaned my HOB one ever in six years and it still worked great. I know you had an urchin in your tank - do you still? How did he work out for you? Any complaints about eating too much coralline? I thought he was so cute.

I have a halloween pincushion urchin still. He's doing very well in the tank. He eats algae and such and if he does eat coralline... I wish he would do a better job at getting it off the glass.

 

[sarmo]

how's it going Kim? I hope your hair algae is getting under control?????

 

[kamar]

Ok - refugium section is now set up!!

I got sea lettuce, chaeto and gracilaria. There's quite a wad of algae in there now, and I'm lighting it on a reverse cycle with (2) LED bulbs in the 5,000K range. The whole section is lit up pretty good. The red gracilaria is really pretty! It's a branching algae that almost looks like a coral. I really like that one. I would put it in the display it's so pretty, but I think the urchin might eat it. The sea lettuce kind of floats around everywhere, so I had to rig up a screen barrier to keep it from floating over into the return. I did a little cleaning in the refuge section before adding the algae, and found about a dozen pods, which I made sure I returned back in there. I just love these little guys, and it was fun to watch them jet off into the water.

I'm still pulling out wads of algae in the display, but I'm sticking with it and it looks pretty good once I get most of it out. Thankfully, it's easy to remove. I also believe that the first batch of recharged GFO wasn't good, so wasn't pulling out PO4 like it should. I got another single reactor just for the recharging process and the new batch is working great. The algae in the display turned visibly browner and weaker after changing out the GFO last time. I got a huge F&S Phospure pad, and the commercial size Poly Filter, which I cut both into manageable sizes for the baffles in the sump. I think in time, and using my new methods, I will eventually get through this.