Finally Working on Cleaning the Tank

[Clinton]

Hey all,

Any suggestions on where I go from here would be greatly appreciated

TANK Size: 155g bow front

TANK AGE: 18 months

FILTERS: ~40g Sump w/ protein skimmer rated 300g, filter pad in first section, fuge in center, DSB in DT, around 100lbs rock
I have a media reactor not set up

LIVESTOCK: blue hippo tang x1
Clown x2
Royal Gamma x1
Coral Banded Shrimp x1
A couple dozen hermit crabs
Sea cucumber x1
Just added after today's cleaning and major water change
Yellow tang x1
Lawnmower Blenny x1
Trochus Snails x15
Short spine rock urchin x2
Emerald crab x3
Brittle Star x1
Tiger Fighting Conch x1
(Blotched rabbitfish DOA so will probably purchase a different rabbitfish)

As you can see, I really let my tank go. However the parameter have always held at 0ppm because of the algae taking up the nitrate and phosphate so fast. I use RoDi water but went 6 months no changes. I feed very lightly once a day. I can't put my finger on where all my excess nutrients are coming from. I had a resident in my basement and neglected my duties to my tank.
Working 65+ hours a week is not conducive to good maintenance routines. I intend to do 20g water changes biweekly for the next couple months ( little over 10%) then 40g water changes every couple months. So the water changes should help (scraping hair algae off with the hose while doing it).
Do you guys think my tank will ever be algae free again? I've got bubble, and tons of tons of hair.
Before and after photos posted. Always love your feed back to give me motivation to move forward including livestock options?

 

[andrewkw]

Is it just hair algae or bryopsis? You could dose fluconazole for either. It will kill hair algae too but takes longer. If it is just regular hair algae it's relatively easy to remove. You do need to figure out where the nutrients are coming from. What is the live rocks history? Is it possible that it's leaching. What about the sand. How old is it?

You could start real simple with a 5 gallon bucket and a brush and just take one rock out at a time and scrub them down. Skim wetter and turn the lights down or completely off. Doesn't look like you have any corals, the fish only need enough light to see. I would also look into carbon dosing. There's a million different things you can do, several of which are relatively easy. You just gotta figure out what ones work best for you. One other thing I would do is get a bunch of filter socks and change them everyday especially after scraping in the tank. Just pull out as much algae as you can and then go from there.

 

[Alexreefer]

I believe that yes you can. like you said just small water changes and monitoring your params and scraping off algae you will get it back to normal. then start buying colorful sticks!!!

 

[Clinton]

Yep colorful sticks are the goal in mind. Right now I have one what I think is a Kenya tree in there. I dropped the lights from a 12 to 8 hr cycle. I was wanting to keep it high to imitate where I want it when I add corals.

The rock was ran years ago. About 5 years dry and then boiled before being added to my system. The sand was dry Caribbean white sand.

 

[Clinton]

I've implemented a carbon infused filter pad that I then rinse everyday in a bucket of RoDi... think 3 months time I'll start to get there?

 

[Alexreefer]

Yes and maybe with rigorous husbandry, you might get there a little faster

 

[Clinton]

Yes and maybe with rigorous husbandry, you might get there a little faster

Looks like my little helper and I will have this full and ready for the next few months. I'll probably start scraping 3 rocks a day for the next week ;).

 

[Alexreefer]

Wow is that your water change "bucket"!

 

[Rjukan]

Great work so far, tank looks so much better in the after pics.

What kind of light is that though? It might not be helping your algae issues.

 

[Clinton]

Wow is that your water change "bucket"!

110g livestock tank. When I move I plan on making one of these my "sump" and building a tank into a wall. This water change bucket is the best ;)

 

[Clinton]

Great work so far, tank looks so much better in the after pics.

What kind of light is that though? It might not be helping your algae issues.

They're Orbit LEDs from the current reef line.

 

[Jet Sled]

I would also recommend grabbing some Vibrant (bacteria algae eating product) along with all the other proper husbandry and tips provided above. Some people like it and some dont, but I personally have had good results with it and it has never harmed anything in my tank when dosed properly (its a once a week thing or maby twice a week in your position). Please keep us updated as the tank improves I cant wait to see it sparkly clean and algae free! Good Luck!

 

[Clinton]

I would also recommend grabbing some Vibrant (bacteria algae eating product) along with all the other proper husbandry and tips provided above. Some people like it and some dont, but I personally have had good results with it and it has never harmed anything in my tank when dosed properly (its a once a week thing or maby twice a week in your position). Please keep us updated as the tank improves I cant wait to see it sparkly clean and algae free! Good Luck!

Does vibrant hurt the coraline algae any? Since first setting it up I've been anxious to have it haha. Although it grows so fast I can always seed it again.

 

[Clinton]

Looks like with vibrant, i can take my cheato out and a couple choice live rocks and put them in my quarantine tank for safe keeping

 

[Jet Sled]

It has not hurt any of my Coraline and I even have some new growth since using it. I originally had a Dino issue, but it helped some of my other algae issues aswell. I got a frag not to long ago that had bryopsis on it that I did not notice when I put it in my tank and it has all disappeared while still using vibrant. I dont have Cheato personally so I have not had to deal with that issue, but I read it will break it down if dosing frequently and that some peeps remove it while dealing with algae outbreaks

 

[Clinton]

Not too shabby for a couple weeks. Looking even better now. I'll post photos tonight

 

[Jet Sled]

Nice! What has been working for ya so far?

 

[Clinton]

Nice! What has been working for ya so far?

Weekly 30% water changes, a little hand picking, completely dumping my fuge and starting over, and vibrant has really been beating up the bubble algae. I'm looking forward to having a show tank back. Next will be corals haha

 

[Jet Sled]

Nice man! Always feels good when things are going in the direction ya want. Glad the vibrant appears to be working for you. I’ve still been using it and I dose it every two weeks now as a maintenance and have no visible algae growth on any rocks!

 

[Clinton]

Nice man! Always feels good when things are going in the direction ya want. Glad the vibrant appears to be working for you. I’ve still been using it and I dose it every two weeks now as a maintenance and have no visible algae growth on any rocks!

I'm going to try and get on top of it and even out my CUC and not dose so I can get corals and macros :)