Increase flow to avoid cyano

[Cbones1979]

20 gallon long tank. Currently using 2 hob filters (one 50 aquaclear fuge that isn’t working well) and a 20 aquaclear and two wave makers on either side of the tank.
Does that seem like enough flow to keep the sand moving? There seems to be dead spots and def orangish red covering on the sand in those spots.

 

[SteveEreef]

If your wavemakers are pushing 20-40 times the tank you should be fine. Can you redirect the pumps a bit? Also what are your NO3 and PO4 parameters.

 

[Cbones1979]

If your wavemakers are pushing 20-40 times the tank you should be fine. Can you redirect the pumps a bit? Also what are your NO3 and PO4 parameters.

No3 10
Po4 .25

 

[SteveEreef]

No3 10
Po4 .25

These numbers are not bad. If you haven’t tried yet I would with start feeding less and sucking it up when you do your water changes? How long has this tank been running?

 

[Cbones1979]

These numbers are not bad. If you haven’t tried yet I would with start feeding less and sucking it up when you do your water changes? How long has this tank been running?

Tank been up 2 years. Just starting adding corals this year (few months ago).

using distilled water for changes and instant ocean reef salt

 

[Cbones1979]

If your wavemakers are pushing 20-40 times the tank you should be fine. Can you redirect the pumps a bit? Also what are your NO3 and PO4 parameters.

I can redirect. I have very fine sand so if I direct too much toward the floor the sand blows up all over the tank. I have one wave maker blowing towards front of tank and one blowing towards the back

 

[Cbones1979]

Ugh...super bad today
Testing now

 

[SteveEreef]

If it’s just that little bit in the sand bed it really does not look too bad to me. I would just gravel vac during water changes. Your salt is fine IO. I use to use distilled water from Walmart a couple of years ago with no ill effects. Have you checked theTDS from the distilled water you use?

 

[Cbones1979]

If it’s just that little bit in the sand bed it really does not look too bad to me. I would just gravel vac during water changes. Your salt is fine IO. I use to use distilled water from Walmart a couple of years ago with no ill effects. Have you checked theTDS from the distilled water you use?

I think the chaeto is dying. Strands everywhere in the tank. I’m filtering it out.

Only new thing I’m using is reef crystals by instant ocean. Used to use just the saltwater mix. Testing parameters now.

 

[Cbones1979]

1.026 sal
440 cal
9 alk
0-.25 phos (still using api)
10 nitrate

 

[SteveEreef]

1.026 sal
440 cal
9 alk

Numbers are fine. For the cheato dying I wonder if your iodine or iron are low? When you switched from IO to IO reef crystals did you do it over time with 10-20% water changes?

 

[Cbones1979]

Numbers are fine. For the cheato dying I wonder if your iodine or iron are low? When you switched from IO to IO reef crystals did you do it over time with 10-20% water changes?

Yeah, just did a 20% with the reef when I ran out of saltwater. I even dumped the rest of saltwater mix into reef bag so it was prob 1/10th old 9/10 new salt

 

[Cbones1979]

Numbers are fine. For the cheato dying I wonder if your iodine or iron are low? When you switched from IO to IO reef crystals did you do it over time with 10-20% water changes?

Running just blue lights today to see if whites being set high plus other factors assisted in the bloom. Sand looks clear this morning however.

 

[SteveEreef]

Running just blue lights today to see if whites being set high plus other factors assisted in the bloom. Sand looks clear this morning however.

Glad to hear it’s clear this morning

 

[Cbones1979]

Glad to hear it’s clear this morning

Nope

Still there haha

 

[Cbones1979]

Boo