Help - critical - tank is in really bad shape

[stacksoner]

Photo A look like it could be a match.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982218310601

 

[Jeremy Luke]

[QUOTE="slewrock1, post: 5483077, member:

Photo A look like it could be a match.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982218310601[/QUOTE]

Photo A indeed looks like a match

 

[Chavin20]

Have you try using GFO?

 

[Jeremy Luke]

Have you try using GFO?

I have a GFO reactor and I've used it in the past. I've found it to be a dangerous tool for my tank. It immediately strips the water too clean no matter how little I put in the reactor which has caused bad reactions in my SPS very quickly. The algae is a pain but my SPS are still living and soaking up alkalinity and calcium at usual levels.

I want to put an algae reactor online. The Pax Bellum is a bit too $$ for me. The Skimz model goes in the sump only and I don't have room for one in my sump. I am waiting for the Tunze model which was supposed to be available already. I contacted Tunze and they said that they were hoping to have it available by Christmas.

This all started with the bad DI resin, which I've corrected. I know that I'm putting in clean water. I just would have hoped the algae would have receded by now. This stuff is crazy. I removed pounds of it again last night and did a 25% water change again.

 

[saintsreturn]

If you are still loosing your mind on this, i would recommend a different approach. Reduce the water changes to 0 as soon as you can. Feel comfortable you have removed ad much of the previous bad water as possible and then stop the changes. Water changes are adding so much good nutrition back into your system, you are still feeding the algae with it. Keep up on the manual removal (also, hit up local reefers to see if you can make a buck in the process :D ) and do what supportive additives you are comfortable with. Then keep pulling them out over and over. At some point, your system will rebalance and stop feeding it.

I had GHA bad. So bad i stopped posting on forums and hid in my corner while trying every suggestion in the book. I couldnt win and when i was ready to give up, i did. At that point I found one of the members on here and followed his advice and stopped doing water changes and stopped adding magic bottle x to the problem. I used manual removal for the large stuff and a filter sock, toothbrush, hose combo for the small stuff. I siphoned the water back into the tank. About a month in i was down to GHA on one rock.

That rock was then moved into my new 110 with its algae in tact. The algae has been withering since day one and is barely noticeable now. I do not claim to understand the science, trace elements, or nutrient levels on any level enough to teach the theory, but this method worked for me. When i got it out and it stayed out for a couple weeks, i resumes semi frequent water changes.

Good luck

 

[Jeremy Luke]

Thanks for the response @saintsreturn and I'm game to try it. I am curious though, If I'm now creating water that has zero TDS and after mixing the water it measures 0 PO4, how could the new water be contributing? BTW, before my water change last night the display tank measured .14 PO4 ppm (Hanna ULR) I haven't had a chance to test again but I was going to test it tonight.

 

[Mikedawg]

This might help - https://www.arkive.org/enteromorpha/enteromorpha-spp/

 

[MnFish1]

Try a python (or a strong siphon and suck out as much as you can - pulling it by hand can sometimes spread it further.) - use the water you removed for the basis of your waterchange volume. Try to get all of it out each time you siphon (of course you will miss some- but you get the idea).

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I've been siphoning also. I'll do more of that tonight. That really is the best way to do it for sure.

 

[saintsreturn]

@Jeremy Luke the water changes will help and i know i go against the norm of saying to reduce them. I honestly cannot explain it. I believe it has more to do with "trace elements" and things we do not test for. So even though you are replenishing good nutrients for your tank and removing "harmful" nutrients, you are still replenishing unknowns.

The best way i can explain it and the way it was explained to me is.... "What happens after your water change?" - "The algae just grows right back" - "Right, but what happens in between them" - "I pull and siphon so much of it that i start to move onto the next rock." - "Right, so if you see a rapid growth after the water change, why do you keep doing the water change?" - "I get what you are saying, but i need to do water changes to remove the algae and phosphates." - "Ok, but what happens after your water change?"

That is how the conversation went. LOL... sounds ridiculous after i typed it out, but hopefully it helps. Best thing is, if it doesnt... do a water change.

My exact method was this:
1) Turn off return pump
2) turn off wave pumps
3) hand pull long strings
4) Siphon and scrub with toothbrush small areas.
4.1) run siphon water through thick filter sock
4.2) hang filter sock over tank for water to re enter system
5) turn everything back on

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I'm planning to siphon to the sump tonight

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I'm planning to siphon to the sump tonight

Through a filter sock

 

[chris85]

Narrowleaf sea lettuce

Ulva fasciata

Family Ulvaceae - marine algae (green)

Select a category

• 

Distinguishing
Characteristics
Marine green algae; plant body (thallus) membranous, thin, delicate, translucent, green to bright green in color, long and narrow, ribbon-like, up to 30 cm (12 in) long and less than 1.5 cm (1/2 in) wide, convoluted at edges, tips (if not broken off) narrowing to a point, blades (leaf-like structures) may be branched or single; attached to hard substrates, several blades may be attached together at base to a joint disk-shaped holdfast.
Similar Species
The narrowleaf sea lettuce is similar to the broadleaf sea lettuce and the false kelp, but its blades are much narrower than the others (< 1.5 cm or 1/2 in).
Habitat
Jetties, reefs and other hard substrates
Maximum Size
Other Common Names

Previous Scientific Names

Is this what you have? If so just load up on amphipods and it will be gone in no time.

 

[Jeremy Luke]

It looks similar but I think it has a lower density and there is no firmness to the skin

 

[chris85]

The texture is hard to explain, but I guess you could say no firmness to the skin and i have seen that stuff grow one stalk at a time. The picture is not a good representation of the algae.

Can you take some out and get a picture? What are your numbers on you tank. Including temp. Is there anyway you could test for iron?

It is also very nutritious if you cant get rid of it.... Just eat it or use it as fertilizer as it contains fresh water in the leaves.

 

[chris85]

The texture is hard to explain, but I guess you could say no firmness to the skin and i have seen that stuff grow one stalk at a time. The picture is not a good representation of the algae.

Can you take some out and get a picture? What are your numbers on you tank. Including temp. Is there anyway you could test for iron?

It is also very nutritious if you cant get rid of it.... Just eat it or use it as fertilizer as it contains fresh water in the leaves.

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I'll take some pictures of it out of the tank tonight.

 

[RamsReef]

The texture is hard to explain, but I guess you could say no firmness to the skin and i have seen that stuff grow one stalk at a time. The picture is not a good representation of the algae.

Can you take some out and get a picture? What are your numbers on you tank. Including temp. Is there anyway you could test for iron?

It is also very nutritious if you cant get rid of it.... Just eat it or use it as fertilizer as it contains fresh water in the leaves.

Sushi wrap?

 

[money88]

Through a filter sock

With the return pump on. My dumb self earlier this week turned off the return pump and then siphoned from display to sump. Needless to say overflowing my sump :)

I've done it right countless times, just takes a brain fart to do something stupid

 

[RamsReef]

With the return pump on. My dumb self earlier this week turned off the return pump and then siphoned from display to sump. Needless to say overflowing my sump :)

I've done it right countless times, just takes a brain fart to do something stupid

We all have, we all have lol