I need help

[brandon429]

What was the outcome of our toil and effort as tank coaches

 

[hsosa]

What was the outcome of our toil and effort as tank coaches

lol right .

 

[brandon429]

I don't blame him for leaving and never returning lol that tank can't be fixed any other way given that neglect. Heck it still was just one day though, of sheer work.



I'm going to miss him

 

[Ro Bow]

I don't blame him for leaving and never returning lol that tank can't be fixed any other way given that neglect.

I appreciate your help, I didn't respond because I didn't get notifications or updates about this through my email and forgot to check the website. And I love the tank I didnt want to neglect it, I had a lot on my plate going through an anxiety therapy session that was every day for 4 hours for 3 months until a few weeks ago when I graduated. Plus 1-2.5 hours of homework and mental exercises every day as well. And on top of that, doing school?!?! I mean of course the tank is going to be at the bottom of the list. On the weekends id do a water change or test the water or whatnot but I mean i dont have the energy to do a rip clean. I want to spend the few hours I have, resting. Now that I have more time I am planning on spending this weekend working on the tank as you and others have mentioned.

 

[Ro Bow]

@Ro Bow

Post pics of this challenged tank, let's see how it looks currently today

I did its at the beginining

 

[Ro Bow]

get rid of the rock that is on the far left that rock is way full of algae . I would just replace the rock with a new Marco rock or rock for ur lfs. the algae rock just leave it In the bucket till the algae dies off and then throw It in ur sump. Get rid of that algae on the sand. u need to add a few algae eating fish. I like the lawnmower Blennie.

Will do thanks! I have a supposedly algae eater right now, but she doesnt eat this algae AT ALL. Shes a 1 year old tomini tang. Had her since she was a few weeks old and still she isnt even going to sample the algae. She doesnt eat nori either

 

[Ro Bow]

I'm thinking that the most difficult part of this thread is to provide a clear path, step by step instructions to the highschool distracted reefer who needs to perform a cleanup to remove algae on a time and money budget. The OP has been receptive to solutions, added blackout paper and posted pictures, while step by step specifics are light (or hidden in another thread or video) and conflicting as per recommendations.

I am thinking that folks have agreed perhaps:
Step 1: Remove sand, fresh water rinse it repeatedly until no detritus remains and rinse water is clear. Leave the sand in a bucket (in a closet, or garage, any place it can sit and not irritate the home owners)
Step 2: Remove one rock each day and rinse like the sand, and once it is clean of algae replace it. The use of hydrogen peroxide (3% OTC bottle) poured upon algae roots, and then rinsed clean is also a suggestion, option for this step.
Repeat step 2 until all rocks have been through step 2.
Step 3: Drain/ clean the sump until it looks new.
Step 4: Clean skimmer like the sump.

These are the general plan, more or less. It can be completed by next week if the OP focuses time, maybe 2 or 3 weeks depending upon how many rocks are present.

The goby will miss the sand, a tupperware container placed in a corner with sand may improve that fishes happiness but it will confound achievment of results, slightly and require additional steps to remove spilled sand issues.

Unmentioned step. Raising Magnesium (epsom salts) to fight Bryopsis & algae growth? This could be implemented after the major clean if Bryopsis returns with a vengance.

Did I miss anything?

Edit: of course.
Wipe down the glass each day to see what you are working with, and hopefully see improvements along the way.
(Post pictures for our enjoyment too!
Also, no one has asked about the feeding situation in the tank. Without knowing that I would suggest reducing food rates to 1/2 the past rate. Algae loves food and fish can survive better with really light portions vs over fed pollution pits.
We are rooting for the Op’s success! Rah To it!

Thanks so much I very much appreciate your help! Sorry for the delayed response. I will do what you mentioned this weekend and ill update along the way.

 

[Ro Bow]

There's no way to fix that other than surgically. Any number of dosers can kill all that algae, then dying cells sink into the bed on top of waste waste already compacted

Consider not putting sand back in this tank once it's fixed too. Going bare bottom can help ease future work.

The tank can be fixed in one ten hour work day. Do it this Saturday

Get brute trash can from home depot, prepare all new water heated and ready. Use no old water

Thanks. Im gonna go bare bottom this weekend when I do the clean and ill keep it like that until it gets better and I get more used to maintenance. My goby wont be happy but ill get him some pipes and whatnot
When you say use no new water do you mean for when I do water changes and replace the water in the sump and stuff, or to entirely redo the water in the entire tank..? Sorry if thats a stupid question I think I know the answer but figured i may as well ask. Thanks

 

[Ro Bow]

I promise you your phosphates aren't really zero. You wouldn't have an algae problem if they were. Your phosphates are being used by all the algae and that's why they read zero.

I know.

 

[Ro Bow]

@Ro Bow

Be sure and study this fix with family:

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks!

 

[shootingstar_reef]

I appreciate your help, I didn't respond because I didn't get notifications or updates about this through my email and forgot to check the website. And I love the tank I didnt want to neglect it, I had a lot on my plate going through an anxiety therapy session that was every day for 4 hours for 3 months until a few weeks ago when I graduated. Plus 1-2.5 hours of homework and mental exercises every day as well. And on top of that, doing school?!?! I mean of course the tank is going to be at the bottom of the list. On the weekends id do a water change or test the water or whatnot but I mean i dont have the energy to do a rip clean. I want to spend the few hours I have, resting. Now that I have more time I am planning on spending this weekend working on the tank as you and others have mentioned.

Think nothing of it - please focus on your studies. Your tank can come later. Im sure you're already aware of the many "easy/minimum" care type tanks but always feel free to post your questions.

 

[hsosa]

Thanks. Im gonna go bare bottom this weekend when I do the clean and ill keep it like that until it gets better and I get more used to maintenance. My goby wont be happy but ill get him some pipes and whatnot
When you say use no new water do you mean for when I do water changes and replace the water in the sump and stuff, or to entirely redo the water in the entire tank..? Sorry if thats a stupid question I think I know the answer but figured i may as well ask. Thanks

I wouldn't take all the sand out. just take out the sand a little at a time like every water change. its just going to make a big mess and probably unbalance more of ur tank , you want to make changes slowly. the Tomini tang is probably lazy and just eating ur food . how many times do u feed him and what are u feeding the tang. make sure u clean ur glass. on the water change just take out the old water and replace it with new . probably start with siphoning out the water in the sump don't kill any sponges if there in there just leave it alone but take out the detritus and gunk. then on the next water change just take out the water from the main tank and Siphon off any dead spots . try to get more flow in ur tank somehow .

 

[brandon429]

Hsosa

that advice is opposite from what the thread shows, and dangerous advice (because that causes tank crashes to remove sand in sections) though I know you didn’t mean it that way.


Only what the example thread shows is safe and effective, if there’s another way someone will post a thread of it we can read.

Ro, don’t change any aspect of the thread shown if you decide to keep the tank vs get rid of it, you would disassembly clean it exactly as shown, nothing else will work.

 

[KrisReef]

I appreciate your help, I didn't respond because I didn't get notifications or updates about this through my email and forgot to check the website. And I love the tank I didnt want to neglect it, I had a lot on my plate going through an anxiety therapy session that was every day for 4 hours for 3 months until a few weeks ago when I graduated. Plus 1-2.5 hours of homework and mental exercises every day as well. And on top of that, doing school?!?! I mean of course the tank is going to be at the bottom of the list. On the weekends id do a water change or test the water or whatnot but I mean i dont have the energy to do a rip clean. I want to spend the few hours I have, resting. Now that I have more time I am planning on spending this weekend working on the tank as you and others have mentioned.

We are glad you have returned and I am praying you follow through with the rip clean renovation. Turning the tank from chore to clean and beautiful will make you and us proud that you stuck it out. Lot of us fight through issues and the tanks can become a source of great satisfaction but you have to decide your course and take care of yourself and the tank, whatever works best for you. Glad you have returned, fixing it will be work with a reward. Go for it!

 

[Ro Bow]

We are glad you have returned and I am praying you follow through with the rip clean renovation. Turning the tank from chore to clean and beautiful will make you and us proud that you stuck it out. Lot of us fight through issues and the tanks can become a source of great satisfaction but you have to decide your course and take care of yourself and the tank, whatever works best for you. Glad you have returned, fixing it will be work with a reward. Go for it!

Thank you. I will update when I start proceeding in the steps you recommended. Ill let you know if I have any questions before I start. Thanks again!

 

[Ro Bow]

@KrisReef Im kind of worried when I remove all my rocks and sand that the fish will get scared/stressed and die, is that a possibility? I have an extremely timid tomini tang and i've been working since we got her to desynthesize her and now if I do a major thing where I remove all the rocks it wont be good. And I was also wondering that when you said to remove the rocks and clean them, I want to do it all in one day if thats possible. I have enough time this Sunday. I was wondering though that after cleaning the rocks with peroxide and rinsing them afterwards do you put them straight in the tank or do they need to dry? Thanks. Oh and how do you get snails off the rocks? And I also have a very dirty powerhead ill clean that too. Should I put peroxide on it as well? Sorry for the questions. Thank you

 

[Dburr1014]

@KrisReef Im kind of worried when I remove all my rocks and sand that the fish will get scared/stressed and die, is that a possibility? I have an extremely timid tomini tang and i've been working since we got her to desynthesize her and now if I do a major thing where I remove all the rocks it wont be good. And I was also wondering that when you said to remove the rocks and clean them, I want to do it all in one day if thats possible. I have enough time this Sunday. I was wondering though that after cleaning the rocks with peroxide and rinsing them afterwards do you put them straight in the tank or do they need to dry? Thanks. Oh and how do you get snails off the rocks? And I also have a very dirty powerhead ill clean that too. Should I put peroxide on it as well? Sorry for the questions. Thank you

Snails are easy, push from the head to the tail slightly down towards the rock. Snails recedes into its shell and tries to hold on the rock. But if you keep even pressure it will release itself.

After cleaning and peroxiding and a final rinse, yes, go back in the tank.
Do one at a time if possible. Let each rock sit in a peroxide bath for about 15 minutes.
So take one out, clean, peroxide. Take out another, clean, put first one in fresh salt water to rinse, peroxide second one. First one ready to go back in. So on and so on.
If your worried about the tang, put in some large pvc sections for him to hide in.

Good luck.

 

[Ro Bow]

Snails are easy, push from the head to the tail slightly down towards the rock. Snails recedes into its shell and tries to hold on the rock. But if you keep even pressure it will release itself.

After cleaning and peroxiding and a final rinse, yes, go back in the tank.
Do one at a time if possible. Let each rock sit in a peroxide bath for about 15 minutes.
So take one out, clean, peroxide. Take out another, clean, put first one in fresh salt water to rinse, peroxide second one. First one ready to go back in. So on and so on.
If your worried about the tang, put in some large pvc sections for him to hide in.

Good luck.

cool thanks for the help!

 

[Ro Bow]

@brandon429 I read through the thread you linked and I will reread it many times but I had a question about something not much mentioned. My parents would freak out if they saw me taking the fish and shrimp and snails out of the tank and into a smaller tub or something like you said. I wanted to confirm that you want me to later remove the fish and animals and put them in a separate tank (can find one for free on fb marketplace no problem) temporarily for a day or two when im working on that? Ill only be able to use a heater and wave maker in there, right?
And my main concern though is that you said to remove all the water from the tank? So, i will be replacing ALL of the water in the entire system then? The sump and dt? Doesnt that mean ill be essentially restarting the tank from the beginning? I am confused. You said to wipe it with vinegar too, after doing that do you get a towel or something with tap or ro/di water to clean it or what.
I just want to make sure i understand correctly. And to make sure, it is 3% peroxide to be used right?
Thanks and sorry for all the questions

 

[Ro Bow]

Just took pictures under white light