Help!! I need advice! About to throw in the towel!

[imustbenuts]

It's new tank syndrome. GHA is part of the cycle. You will deal with cyano next. Just keep cleaning the rocks and sand bed. Then do large water changes weekly for a few months. If large water changes don't keep no3 and po4 down you could add a reactor with roaphos or some other GFO or phosphate RX. It will slow down in time without the nutrients in the water. Also consider keeping the white light % low for a while.

 

[Jeff Evrard]

It will work itself out. start by cutting your white spectrum to 4 hrs and your blue to 8. If you can fit a skimmer in the back , do it. sounds like the tank is still cycling. Those all in ones will take a while.

 

[Jeff Evrard]

its not that bad.

Id look into a quieter skimmer like a tunze. You may want to look at fluconazole too. its pretty effective with gha it seems. we can ask some of the Fluconazole pros here if you'd like.

a good thing a guy said once. "Nothing good happens fast in this hobby only bad things happen overnight, if you think you go slow, slow down even more" - Diesel

so its a bummer, but it is not the worst tank I have ever seen.

so you know, you can strip the nutrints till the zoas die the algae wont.

feed the fish healthfully. the corals will eat poop, light and nutrints from the water.

The red yellow bla bla spectrum is Banana Sandwiches BTW. ocean plants like blue light. the ocean has blue light no?

its new tank stuff. dont panic.

The Red and Yellow stuff is not BS. Algae in the ocean grows near the surface and shore where there is the most white (full spectrum ) light. You would be surprised how blue the light around us really is. Plants go through a veg faze and the a fruiting faze. when veggie out they love the red end of the spectrum and when fruiting they respond to the blue end. All predicated by the seasons. (amount of sun exposure in a given area).

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The Red and Yellow stuff is not BS. Algae in the ocean grows near the surface and shore where there is the most white (full spectrum ) light. You would be surprised how blue the light around us really is. Plants go through a veg faze and the a fruiting faze. when veggie out they love the red end of the spectrum and when fruiting they respond to the blue end. All predicated by the seasons. (amount of sun exposure in a given area).

I should restate then. They can use all light we provide. To have 14k you need Red to have 20k you need red and many corals need red. But corals and green plant will do just fine 20k plus in 20k plus. As they use that too. That is what I should have specified I suppose. So I get it
I have a color meter and a spectrometer to check spectums of light both natural and man made.

So in a home tank with algae probs it may alleviate a symptom but it won't cure it and imo not a reason to not run red as it possible the engineers only put enough in to mix a 14k to 16k native color anyway.

 

[Cory]

Ive tried a few phosphate removers. Ive tried seachems phosgaurd. Algae continued to grow. Ive tried a bulk regular gfo my store sells at 10x the reccomend amount and algae still grew. Ive tried a chaeto refugium and it still grew. Ive tried vodka dosing 10 x the reccomend amount and slime covered the whole tank and hair algae (not healthy), Ive tried an algae turf scrubber, algae slowly faded, but still remained, but the real kick in the butt for hair algae was when i used rowaphos. In my bare bottom tank all the algae dissolved away and corraline started growing in a few days. Even the corals got white tips and started growing. Rowaphos is my pick for po4. Give that a try.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ive tried a few phosphate removers. Ive tried seachems phosgaurd. Algae continued to grow. Ive tried a bulk regular gfo my store sells at 10x the reccomend amount and algae still grew. Ive tried a chaeto refugium and it still grew. Ive tried vodka dosing 10 x the reccomend amount and slime covered the whole tank and hair algae (not healthy), Ive tried an algae turf scrubber, algae slowly faded, but still remained, but the real kick in the *** for hair algae was when i used rowaphos. In my bare bottom tank all the algae dissolved away and corraline started growing in a few days. Even the corals got white tips and started growing. Rowaphos is my pick for po4. Give that a try.

Good to know.

 

[Cory]

Good to know.

The nicest and most algae free tank ive seen was a guy who used rowaphos, a 6 foot skimmer, and ozone/carbon. 150 gal bb tank. Another point for rowaphos for me. He changed it every two weeks. His glass had a haze every two-3 weeks. Zoas covered half the bb, and lots of corals were growing at the top of his rock structure. He also did water changes.

Seachem phosgaurd didnt even put a dent in po4 on my hanna. I think its better at silicate removal.

My ats keeps po4/no3 at zero. I just dosed some no3 in the hopes it will reduce po4 more and kill the tanks remaining algae. If it doesnt ill be buying rowaphos

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The nicest and most algae free tank ive seen was a guy who used rowaphos, a 6 foot skimmer, and ozone/carbon. 150 gal bb tank. Another point for rowaphos for me. He changed it every two weeks. His glass had a haze every two-3 weeks. Zoas covered half the bb, and lots of corals were growing at the top of his rock structure. He also did water changes.

Seachem phosgaurd didnt even put a dent in po4 on my hanna. I think its better at silicate removal.

My ats keeps po4/no3 at zero. I just dosed some no3 in the hopes it will reduce po4 more and kill the tanks remaining algae. If it doesnt ill be buying rowaphos

That's crazy. I can't always figure it how corals don't starve like that.
I am defiantly not a ULNS guy.

 

[Cory]

That's crazy. I can't always figure it how corals don't starve like that.
I am defiantly not a ULNS guy.

Yeah i know right. Well he must have had some food in the water otherwise theyd be dying or its actually not that uln

 

[NakiFantaki]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am going to pick up a used Tunze 9001 for $40 or a used Tunze 9004 for $60 on Friday.

Will this skimmer fit in the back of my Nuvo tank? I read mixed answers.

Seriously, you guys have been great!! I need all the help I can get! Lol

My tank looks fantastic tonight! Did a good clean and a large water change last night and things looks great!

 

[kass03]

I would just keep doing weekly or biweekly water changes with cleaning the sand with every one. A skimmer is a good idea also.
It will take time but you will win.

 

[TherealplexiG]

Put a diy ats... Need help with design or building it let me know.. Or you can buy the best on the shelf.. @Floyd R Turbo
He will help you with off the shelf....

 

[whs6704]

Had the same problem
All u need is a rabbit fish.
The best fish i ever did buy for hair algae.

 

[Whasmack]

I'll tell you what I did to start to win my battle with a few algaes I've been fighting for a couple of months :
My tank is 180g -
- Running a 40w UV Sterilizer
- 50mL H2O2 dosing every morning. Took a week or 2 to start having a good, slow effect.
- 2x a week I dose MicroBactor7 & Vibrant with KZ Coral Snow
- Started running GFO, even though p04 was 0.00 (Hanna)
- I do Carbon Dose, because my nitrate started to rise up, 1mL Zeostart
- Got a Rabbitfish. I see him eating away at bubble algae, but that's all.

Not sure the UV is having a great impact, but the other 3 definitely turned the tides. I have 0 new algae growth, and my filter socks always have loose algae in them. I also see loose algae coming off the rocks. Slow & steadily I'm winning!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am going to pick up a used Tunze 9001 for $40 or a used Tunze 9004 for $60 on Friday.

Will this skimmer fit in the back of my Nuvo tank? I read mixed answers.

Seriously, you guys have been great!! I need all the help I can get! Lol

My tank looks fantastic tonight! Did a good clean and a large water change last night and things looks great!

I think so. Also keep an eye out for the ghost skimmer.
http://shop.mediabaskets.com/Tunze-DOC-9001-Nano-Protein-Skimmer-9001.htm
https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/351431-im-ghost-or-tunze-9001-for-im-fusion-20-nano-chime-in/
https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/354232-im-nuvo-owners-needed/
https://www.tapatalk.com/topic/1489...vative-marine-lagoon-fusion-25-and-tunze-9001

 

[NakiFantaki]

Hey guys. Just a quick update - did a big clean and water change 3 days ago and things are looking a lot better and I haven't seen much GHA grow back yet. I have been dosing 4ml of H202 everything evening.
Here is a quick tank shot...can't really see much but at least you can't see a ton of fur!!! Lol

 

[40B Knasty]

Hey guys. Just a quick update - did a big clean and water change 3 days ago and things are looking a lot better and I haven't seen much GHA grow back yet. I have been dosing 4ml of H202 everything evening.
Here is a quick tank shot...can't really see much but at least you can't see a ton of fur!!! Lol

Good to hear, but give it a week and a half before you get to excited. Your phosphate issue was only bandaided. Not fixed. Keep your sponge clean. Use a turkey baster to kick the detritus of the rocks so it does not feed the algae trying to reseed from brushing it off with the toothbrush. Be diligent if you want to get ahead!

 

[NakiFantaki]

Check, check and check! I guess I am a little excited because before the GHA would start to grow back the next day.. I am picking up a skimmer tomorrow so I'm hoping that it helps remove excess nitrates and phosphates from the water. I also have cut back my feedings a bit. Going to try and pick up some trochus snails tomorrow as well.

I really want to take my lights off acclimation mode but I think I'll wait a few days.

Other then that corals and fish look happy and I returned the lettuce slug to the LFS today!

 

[bif24701]

The first year in tank really is a pain. Hang in there!

The rock takes a LONG time to hit the sweet spot. Its the bacteria deep inside we wait to develop not for stuff to come out of it. .So starting dry really does take longer.

This is a very good point.

 

[bif24701]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate it! I did a large water change tonight.. about 45-50% and replaced all of my media and sponges. Also scrubbed all of the rock and cleaned the sandbed and my coral frags. I added 2ml of peroxide for good measure. Lol. Tomorrow morning I will go ahead and dose 350mg of fluconazole and hope for the best. Tank looks great right now!! Lol...

Next major clean out I will dip the rocks in peroxide. And go that route. I'm also trying to get my hands on a used skimmer and I might try to make a DIY fuge. I will be getting some phosband this weekend and I will up my GFO.

I really don't want to shut the tank down but sometimes it gets so frustrating... and the water change and the taking care of the tank is hard on me sometimes. I have a pretty bad cervical injury and I'm waiting surgery so when I posted the initial post I was in a lot of pain and just over it! Lol. I do love my tank so much and I have never had a hobby that I have enjoyed like this. Even though I don't have the money to have all of the nice equipment sometimes I still enjoy it greatly.

Thanks again everyone!

Have you considered doing a HOB refugium?
The biggest you can afford
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sumps-tanks-refugiums/refegiums.html

Get that new Kessil refugium light

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/h80-tuna-sun-flora-refugium-led-light-kessil.html

I think growing cheato is way under rated. I have 300 gallons and large hungry fish. I don't need GFO or carbon dosing. I put a high intensity grow light over my refugium and NO3 went 20ppm to 4ppm, PO4 from .09 to .03 in less than a week!!! I feed so much no one would take me seriously if I showed them lol.