** Hurricane Sandy, We're Blessed & Tank Help **

[specialk]

I am in NYC working for the city/government for post Hurricane Sandy and meeting with homes and families as they rebuild their devastated homes and lives after the storm. YES, they are STILL rebuilding and areas are still devastated. (As many of you that are from here and the beach area communities I am sure know and are aware of.) Makes me feel truly blessed for what I have, as peoples lives were totally changed.



Side story -- I met with an older lady who was about 85 years old, had lost her husband years back and lived alone. Her whole life collection of photos, wedding albums, pictures of her husband and her -- all washed away. She had nothing anymore. Nothing to look back on. Truly heartbreaking. I could not even imagine ... again not trying to turn this into a "downer" of a post., but just stressing that everyone should be blessed for what they have. Sometimes we lose sight of that. I know I got "kicked" and humbled to once again realize I am.


NOW, on to the fish stuff. I have a 125 sps dominate (and some softs as well) back at home in Cleveland. I have a dear gf helping me out with the tank on a daily basis. However, the tank is in the middle of a real good red slime outbreak. Water changes every 2 weeks at 15% and it still fires right back up. I have some chaeto in the refugium (clearly not enough though) but there is clearly too much Phosphate in there. So, in my knowledge of this area (as this is really the first time I have had to deal with red slime) I am looking for a easy aid/solution to give her to help this situation out UNTIL I get back in 4 weeks.


What would you guys suggest I have her do? I was thinking along the lines of a supplement "phosphate remover" to dose to get the levels down? Is this a good approach and anyone have any recommendations as to exactly what type of supplement I can get and use? (with the obvious water change still on top of the supplement)


Thanks guys ... and have a look at these photos taken just yesterday. And keep in mind, this is over a YEAR AFTER Hurricane Sandy. (and yes, this WAS a street!) Gives new meaning to the term "Beach Town" , doesn't it !?!? It in fact, looks like a desert.

 

[kschweer]

It's a great thing you're doing. My girlfriend is a crisis counselor/case manager for people affected by sandy here at the south jersey shore. She has many stories like the one you posted about. It takes a special person to be able to do this kind of job. I went with her to deliver some Christmas presents to a family that lost a lot from the storm. Funny thin is that one of the kids was into saltwater aquariums, and having some issues. I have been helping him out here and there with some tips and some supplies. When we left the only thing I could say to her was "I don't know how you do this everyday." Keep up the good, hard work.

As far as your phosphate issue something like lanthanum chloride may be an option.

 

[b_rad_G]

Lanthanum chloride will be the most cost effective way if you truly have very high phosphate. It is more work and carries a bit more risk.

Gfo is the most used and will work. It is better at maintaining lower levels or polishing the water. It will get exhausted fast in very high phosphate water and can be expensive. You can regenerate it using lye but most people don't like messing with a lye solution.

Aluminum based removers shouldn't be used IMO. I believe they can cause rtn and I wouldn't use them.

Whatever you do make sure you go slow. Dropping po4 fast can cause all kinds of problems with corals especially sps .

 

[jackson6745]

I live across the street from the beach (Rockaway Beach). Thank you for your work.

There is much more to cyano than high nutrients. IME it is from more of a bacterial imbalance with an increasing bio-load/nutrient level. The cure all for me has been Microbe-Special Blend Bacteria. I would use this bacteria coupled with ROWAphos in a reactor. Your cyano will be gone in 4-6 weeks. More importantly you will be left with a cleaner, more balanced system that can process excess nutrients. This is what i don't like about those over night slime removers. Yes they kill cyano, but you are left with a system with much of it's nitrifying bacteria destroyed. Most guys have cyano return using these products.

Since you have SPS, I would't have your girlfriend mess with lantanum chloride. She could potentially kill your tank I would stick with the ROWA in a reactor, it's safer. The only downfall to the Special Blend bacteria is the horrible rotten egg smell She will hate you but it will work.

 

[specialk]

Thanks all ... all good info. I am wondering if I am just better off waiting until I get back ( I may be back in 3-4 weeks now I am told) so that way I can assure that everything that is being done is being done right. I am assuming that the tank will be ok for another 3-4 weeks (with one water change mixed in there between that time) ...?


And Rockaway Beach ... I am there quite a bit. In fact I was a bit confused last week when I drove by on March 1st and there was a St Patty's Day parade going on. I thought I overslept for a few weeks or something. I do like the people in that area ... nice town for sure!

 

[JMSKI333]

Where is your water coming from? My guess is you are bringing in phosphates through your RO unit. Maybe a cartridge change is in order?

Is the red slime attaching to your rocks or sandbed?

 

[specialk]

Where is your water coming from? My guess is you are bringing in phosphates through your RO unit. Maybe a cartridge change is in order?

Is the red slime attaching to your rocks or sandbed?

Actually the RO unit was brand new. I ran it for a good hour just to get it primed, then tested the water and was pulling 0 on the TDS meter. (My old one cracked when it expanded due to the cold winter temps so I had to buy a new one right before I left) And last I checked it was primarily attaching to the rocks... it was really always manly clinging t the rocks.

 

[jackson6745]

Rockaway has it's own St. Patricks Day, and celebrates the standard one as well. Gives everyone an excuse to get hammered. Next time you're in that area shoot me a PM. Come by and check out the reef

Rich

 

[Sn4k33Y3z]

Yo you know a guy name Tyrone Hassell?

I live across the street from the beach (Rockaway Beach). Thank you for your work.

There is much more to cyano than high nutrients. IME it is from more of a bacterial imbalance with an increasing bio-load/nutrient level. The cure all for me has been Microbe-Special Blend Bacteria. I would use this bacteria coupled with ROWAphos in a reactor. Your cyano will be gone in 4-6 weeks. More importantly you will be left with a cleaner, more balanced system that can process excess nutrients. This is what i don't like about those over night slime removers. Yes they kill cyano, but you are left with a system with much of it's nitrifying bacteria destroyed. Most guys have cyano return using these products.

Since you have SPS, I would't have your girlfriend mess with lantanum chloride. She could potentially kill your tank I would stick with the ROWA in a reactor, it's safer. The only downfall to the Special Blend bacteria is the horrible rotten egg smell She will hate you but it will work.

 

[JMSKI333]

Actually the RO unit was brand new. I ran it for a good hour just to get it primed, then tested the water and was pulling 0 on the TDS meter. (My old one cracked when it expanded due to the cold winter temps so I had to buy a new one right before I left) And last I checked it was primarily attaching to the rocks... it was really always manly clinging t the rocks.

Is it an RO/DI unit? Usually when its on your rocks then that means your rocks are leaching phosphates. What I have noticed, is if you neglect your tank for a period of time, the phosphates in your water increase due to normal processes and your rock/sand soak them in. Then once you get back to a steady maintenance schedule and lower the phosphates in your water column, the phosphates leach out of the rock/sand to the lower phosphate zone. Eventually your rock will run out of phosphates to leech and the cyano bacteria will go away.

I would recommend heavy weekly water changes (with 0tds water) and manual removal and after about a month or so it will be gone. Chemical treatments are only temporary since Cyano will always be in our tanks. I wouldn't worry about it too much while you are gone. It won't hurt anything. It just looks terrible.

 

[specialk]

Is it an RO/DI unit? Usually when its on your rocks then that means your rocks are leaching phosphates. What I have noticed, is if you neglect your tank for a period of time, the phosphates in your water increase due to normal processes and your rock/sand soak them in. Then once you get back to a steady maintenance schedule and lower the phosphates in your water column, the phosphates leach out of the rock/sand to the lower phosphate zone. Eventually your rock will run out of phosphates to leech and the cyano bacteria will go away.

I would recommend heavy weekly water changes (with 0tds water) and manual removal and after about a month or so it will be gone. Chemical treatments are only temporary since Cyano will always be in our tanks. I wouldn't worry about it too much while you are gone. It won't hurt anything. It just looks terrible.

That sounds good and YES it is an RO/DI. That is what I will do for the time being and then deal with it when I get back ... seeing as I will have tank fever once I get back since I have not done anything in so long in terms of my saltwater addiction

 

[specialk]

Rockaway has it's own St. Patricks Day, and celebrates the standard one as well. Gives everyone an excuse to get hammered. Next time you're in that area shoot me a PM. Come by and check out the reef

Rich

Yah I will for sure! I spend a lot of time in between appointments at that new Dunkin Donuts right there on he water ...use that spot to get my work done and cruise the web for corals, fish and other topics ..lol

 

[specialk]

Rockaway has it's own St. Patricks Day, and celebrates the standard one as well. Gives everyone an excuse to get hammered. Next time you're in that area shoot me a PM. Come by and check out the reef

Rich

BTW is there a LFS anywhere around here ...? Always a good place to go when I have downtime.

 

[jackson6745]

BTW is there a LFS anywhere around here ...? Always a good place to go when I have downtime.

We have great LFS's but the ones worth visiting are 20-30 miles from here. A couple places on long island, yonkers, and Williamsburg Booklyn have really killer selections of aussie SPS, lps, and zoa. They also have nice fish selections with all the popular wrasses. I'll give you the thick of it when you're coming to the area.

 

[cryptics]

I live across the street from the beach (Rockaway Beach). Thank you for your work.

There is much more to cyano than high nutrients. IME it is from more of a bacterial imbalance with an increasing bio-load/nutrient level. The cure all for me has been Microbe-Special Blend Bacteria. I would use this bacteria coupled with ROWAphos in a reactor. Your cyano will be gone in 4-6 weeks. More importantly you will be left with a cleaner, more balanced system that can process excess nutrients. This is what i don't like about those over night slime removers. Yes they kill cyano, but you are left with a system with much of it's nitrifying bacteria destroyed. Most guys have cyano return using these products.

Since you have SPS, I would't have your girlfriend mess with lantanum chloride. She could potentially kill your tank I would stick with the ROWA in a reactor, it's safer. The only downfall to the Special Blend bacteria is the horrible rotten egg smell She will hate you but it will work.

+1 Special Blend will work.