Alage? ID

[rtparty]

glad you took the action for sure, at least a good physical chop in the way of scrubbing is a forced mass remover...this makes preventative steps have to work less since algae are self perpetuating outside of tank parameters in many ways...they can feed in clean water as resident bacteria make food for them, and they also trap their own detritus in fronds for on site feed and degredation, this explains why so many tanks get algae issues even with params well done beforehand.

the scrub isn't so bad if you could use peroxide afterwards...not on the bulk algae, but on the clean or scrubbed spot as a cell burner...little tweak like that next time sure could help boost.

I have not done the scrub yet and am all ears (or eyes lol) to anything that will help.

Should I get a spray bottle filled with peroxide and spray the rocks I plan to keep after scrubbing but before rinsing?

 

[brandon429]

in my opinion try a few different methods but just on some test rocks to save all the effort till we know

what I personally think the meanest/most directive thing one can do is get a sharp steak knife using the tip area and scrape the algae off damaging some of the rock where it was anchored along the way. like when a rasping animal bites off a portion of growth, something forceful.

perhaps not an entire scape of someone's finest coralline rock being scraped up...but for a single spot before the takeover, or on a slightly larger area rock that isn't calcified all pretty yet, scrape hard like a dentist does to our plaque where we bleed a little bit after. rasping happens across industries, and in nature, I stab my reef occasionally heh.

once the physical action removed the anchors not just the topgrowth, then wash up the area with peroxide as a cellular burn, not the bulk mass remover.

if you can get a set of a couple test rocks to retain clean slate even when put back into an untreated tank, that's a strong indicator of how things w proceed after you do it all as a full job and place it all on a sandbed that is no more concern.

after that and lessening that white light level to more blue which helps us tremendously across algae threads I bet you can whip things into shape. I know you are already affecting the common params in your favor, this physical aspect is what I wanted to see.

 

[rtparty]

Really quick before I post a full update...

I clean my Vortech pumps every 2 weeks. Soft toothbrush with very light pressure. I've had them last for years on prior setups...

However, it's been about 4 weeks since I last took them apart and cleaned them since I didn't know what I was going to do with the tank. They have performed just fine.

Well, I pull them apart and wouldn't you know...one is rusting! The ceramic coating is chipped at the very bottom (where I can't even get anything in there) and it is rusting.

I have to wonder if the coral deaths and snail deaths are related to this?

 

[rtparty]

Picture of the chipped portion. I've put in an email to Ecotech to see what can be done.

The new pumps and Miracle Mud will be here tomorrow as well.

How do people put the mud in their system? Should I just put in my sump somewhere? Maybe in a container of some kind?

 

[samnaz]

Hm. I discovered one of my magnetic frag racks was rusting, and had been for quite some time (at least 2 months) and nothing ever died because of it. The rack had way more rust on it than can be seen on your pump, but I suppose there is no way to know for sure what's hidden in there.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed

There’s a thread on googs where I rusted a shaving razor on purpose in my tiny reef packed with corals to demo no harm to someone who’d lost a razor down inside a huge tank and couldn’t get to it.

Tis gfo

 

[mcarroll]

So how have things gone on the last round of things where the sand bed was maybe on its way out?

 

[mcarroll]

If you find detritus on your rocks and in your sand, then it's definitely time to upgrade flow to something stronger.

I clean my Vortech pumps [...] and wouldn't you know...one is rusting!

Almost seems like fate is guiding you to "something stonger."

(I swear I didn't sneak and chip that ceramic after I made that comment.)

 

[rtparty]

So how have things gone on the last round of things where the sand bed was maybe on its way out?

Almost seems like fate is guiding you to "something stonger."

(I swear I didn't sneak and chip that ceramic after I made that comment.)

About half the sand bed is gone at this point and it hasn't changed a thing. Hair algae runs rampant on the rock and sand. I added 30 astraea snails about 10 days ago and 6-7 are already dead. I also added a Tiger Sand Conch to try and move the sand even more.

I am dosing H2O2 to the tank and injecting it straight into the patches of algae. It hasn't done a thing up to this point. The urchin doesn't touch the hair algae either...facepalm

I've "upgraded" to 2 Ice Cap 1K Gyre pumps. I can only run them at 50% or they want to blow water out of the aquarium. The flow is noticeably increased. I'm still playing around with them and trying to find the best setup. They will do great in the new 120 I'm putting together. I also have 2 Tunze 6045 pumps I can put in.

The 120g is getting actual live boat rock and dry sand that I will rinse the h3ll out of. It will also be super shallow. Hopefully just enough for my scooter blenny (who eats frozen food any time I feed.)

This tank has sucked the fun out of this hobby at this point for me so a change was severely needed.

 

[mcarroll]

About half the sand bed is gone at this point and it hasn't changed a thing.

IMO, this gives you permission to move a little faster on removal if you want and you're able. Get the majority of the rest out in 1 or 2 swoops if you can. Keep blasting the rocks.

This tank has sucked the fun out of this hobby at this point for me so a change was severely needed.

I understand, but try to see the whole thing as more of a learning adventure and yourself as an honest beginner so these things are nothing worse than intriguing when they come up. If you put too much on it, then every little bump in the road can seem world shattering....that's definitely no fun.

I've "upgraded" to 2 Ice Cap 1K Gyre pumps.

I also have 2 Tunze 6045 pumps I can put in.

This is great news!!

Keep up the good work vs the algae – remember that you're a key component of your CUC. Snails and crabs are going to be strongest against algae nubbins that haven't had a chance to grow out yet – so if you need a way to focus your efforts to make it more manageable, focus on only the most-established patches of algae.

As for the peroxide spot treatment, maybe look around for a health food store that carries food grade peroxide – it's a lot stronger. Or just use a larger quantity of the regular stuff per dose. Increasing the dose time is only one way to ramp up the spot treatments.

Can you post a fresh pic? I'd like to see the current state of the algae as well as where you have your pumps placed currently.

 

[rtparty]

IMO, this gives you permission to move a little faster on removal if you want and you're able. Get the majority of the rest out in 1 or 2 swoops if you can. Keep blasting the rocks.



I understand, but try to see the whole thing as more of a learning adventure and yourself as an honest beginner so these things are nothing worse than intriguing when they come up. If you put too much on it, then every little bump in the road can seem world shattering....that's definitely no fun.




This is great news!!

Keep up the good work vs the algae – remember that you're a key component of your CUC. Snails and crabs are going to be strongest against algae nubbins that haven't had a chance to grow out yet – so if you need a way to focus your efforts to make it more manageable, focus on only the most-established patches of algae.

As for the peroxide spot treatment, maybe look around for a health food store that carries food grade peroxide – it's a lot stronger. Or just use a larger quantity of the regular stuff per dose. Increasing the dose time is only one way to ramp up the spot treatments.

Can you post a fresh pic? I'd like to see the current state of the algae as well as where you have your pumps placed currently.

I totally forgot to take a before picture. I did a 15% water change this morning and sucked out quite a bit of sand and scrubbed one rock clean. I want to see if the snails will keep that rock clean before another tear down and scrub.

The power heads are at the top on each side pointing at each other. I have them setup to gyre best I can without complex programming. For 10 minutes it moves all the water one way and then it switches.

I'll take more sand out in a day or two. I have to leave some though for my scooter and sand conch.