I think I should start over

[Mike1995]

I think the snowflake clowns or black ocellaris clowns are awesome. If I didn’t have a pair I would totally get a new pair.

You could get a small tang like a Kole or a Tomini.

Some flasher wrasse males are on my 120 stocking list. A Midas Blenny. Very cool, active fish with personality.

Chromis, I hear any group will end up with 1

I was also wondering, what's an easier way to put new water in the tank? Right now I'm using a small bucket. And it makes everything a mess lol .

 

[leptang]

For what I can tell it looks as if your tank has dinoflagellates. From what you described cloudy water brown algea in the pictures. Does it look like air bubbles hanging off of the brown agea? If you nitrate and or phosphate are at zero dinoflagellates make the tank look ugly and toxic. Get a nitrate and phosphate test kit and test to see where the levels are at. Your water maybe to clean.
Hopefully this link will work check it out maybe you can figure out this problem
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

The picture I uploaded is dinoflagellates eating away hair algea hope this helps.

 

[Mike1995]

For what I can tell it looks as if your tank has dinoflagellates. From what you described cloudy water brown algea in the pictures. Does it look like air bubbles hanging off of the brown agea? If you nitrate and or phosphate are at zero dinoflagellates make the tank look ugly and toxic. Get a nitrate and phosphate test kit and test to see where the levels are at. Your water maybe to clean.
Hopefully this link will work check it out maybe you can figure out this problem
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

The picture I uploaded is dinoflagellates eating away hair algea hope this helps.

I tested my water a little bit ago.. nitrates have gone up to like 20ppm. Phosphate is still around .03-.05. Some of the algea is exactly as you described. It had bubbles on it. Should my levels be higher?

 

[leptang]

I tested my water a little bit ago.. nitrates have gone up to like 20ppm. Phosphate is still around .03-.05. Some of the algea is exactly as you described. It had bubbles on it. Should my levels be higher?

You are in for a battle if it is dinoflagellates. I try to keep my nitrate at 5ppm and my phosphates at just under .03 but .03 is fine I actually dose nitrates and phosphates when they fall to low. The key is trying to keep the numbers consistent.

 

[Mike1995]

You are in for a battle if it is dinoflagellates. I try to keep my nitrate at 5ppm and my phosphates at just under .03 but .03 is fine I actually dose nitrates and phosphates when they fall to low. The key is trying to keep the numbers consistent.

What can I dose with? Any specific chemicals?

 

[leptang]

What can I dose with? Any specific chemicals?

I use seachem flourish
Nitrogen and flourish phosphorus

 

[leptang]

But there is other things that help battle dinoflagellates read the link I sent
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[leptang]

What I do to get the numbers to drop quickly, I dose a little vinegar in my tank with the skimmer clean and running optimal to skim out bacteria that eat the carbon/nitrate/phosphate.
Then I dose the nitrate and phosphate using a calculator
http://rotalabutterfly.com/nutrient-calculator.php

 

[JasonK84]

Some very good advice coming from @dantimdad and some others. I'll follow along but it looks like you are in good hands. Hang in there and it will get better.

 

[Wiz Khareefa]

Do you have a test kit just to see what the approximate chemical balance is?

 

[Mike1995]

Read thru the article. Seems right. My phosphate and nitrates are/were inconsistent and low.
I saw the one part about "good" algae. I didn't realize that there was good stuff . So I was always scraping it off the glass and stuff .

 

[leptang]

Read thru the article. Seems right. My phosphate and nitrates are/were inconsistent and low.
I saw the one part about "good" algae. I didn't realize that there was good stuff . So I was always scraping it off the glass and stuff .

I also run a uv sterilizer to conbat the brown bloom that happens when the light is low

 

[Mike1995]

Do you have a test kit just to see what the approximate chemical balance is?

Yes, I tested a few days ago before I started a blackout. I believe phosphate was .03. And nitrates were almost 0. I retested again tonight, the levels are a little different . Nitrates are up to 20ppm. Phosphate is like .05. not much change in that. Any idea what caused my nitrates to rise?

 

[Wiz Khareefa]

Great advice around the board. What is you light cycle time

Ok. First let’s tackle the algae with a 5 day blackout.

This isn’t anything that hasn’t been seen on the site before. There is a variety of things that you can do, but still think the blackout followed by a series of water changes in the 30-40% range will be in play.

It will take some time, but it’s fixable.

Ps: Maroon Clowns are pricks. Mean ******** from what I have read

I agree! Clowns are in the Damsel family and like all damsels there are mean ones in the bunch!!

 

[JasonK84]

What can I dose with? Any specific chemicals?

Stop, remember the very good advice you have been given about not doing anything drastic at this point.
All you are doing at this point is keeping everything dark until Friday, and stirring a little bit of sand, and minimizing the food you are putting in. The rest will come later once the algae has been knocked back.

Remember, Nothing good happens quickly.
Stay the course of @dantimdad 's advice and he will guide you through this.

 

[Mike1995]

I also run a uv sterilizer to conbat the brown bloom that happens when the light is low

I have a finnex light. The par is not anywhere near the more expensive lights . I mean, I have 2 freshwater planted tanks too .Both with finnex lights as well and the marine one I have makes them look dull in comparison. It's a lot brighter.
The light I have has a 24/7 setting. I have been using it . Would this also be contributing to unwanted algae?

 

[Mike1995]

Sorry.. tty all tomorrow. I got ahead of myself..

 

[leptang]

I'm not going to lie, I'm considering starting over myself. But I'm playing around with it and testing myself to see if I can defeat the Dino's!

 

[ChaseBurke]

Agree 100%. I would follow @dantimdad advice to the T, and while others have valid points and suggestions i would not follow 20 different peoples advice.

 

[Wiz Khareefa]

I offer a little advice. Every tank is different and there is no sure fix but I personally would not dose anything. I agree with lights out and I would do a water change with good R/O salt mix (Do you have a local store you trust?)Let the tank settle in the dark for a few days and don't get too much in the habit of chasing numbers when the tank is so young. It needs time to settle and then test after a few days in the dark. I would also do nassarious snails. Me and my buddy order them off eBay pretty cheap I think $24.00 for 50 but he ships 70 these guys eat everything I haven't had to touch my glass since the went on active duty. I have more but you will have to take baby steps and have patients, you will get there. Been doing this over twenty years and it's different with every setup. You have great people on here giving you great advice something I did not when I started.