Just another 29 gallon biocube !!!

Virtualbasil · Jul 11, 2015

Here is my 29 gallon biocube

livestock: Mated pair ocellaris clownfish, yellow clown goby, spotted blenny
peppermint shrimp, scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, 3 astrea snails, 4 blue tipped hermits, red bulb anemone, pollops, 2 fighting conch snails

Filters: Nano ghost skimmer ( I don't like it ), bio balls, poly filter,bag of carbon, 27 pounds of live rock about

Deaths :c 2 bumble bee snails and one blue tipped hermit

This tank is about 6 months old and is my first tank, I'm having problems with algae on the sandbed and keeping the ghost skimmer adjusted. I might add some sexy shrimp and some more coral HAYO!!!!

Shep · Jul 11, 2015

Looks really good, I like the little cave you have! Are you using RODI water and is the algae on your sand bed green or brown?

Rattooth · Jul 11, 2015

Possibly the growth on sand is cyano- bacteria. There are commercial products to treat that. I have used with success in past, but sometimes you have to do two or three treatments spaced over several weeks?
Over feeding is one of the biggest problems, if not the biggest problems in unwanted algae outbreaks .
Sometimes sand sifters , like worms help.

Virtualbasil · Jul 11, 2015

I have my own RO system that I do 5 gallon water changes with weekly

It is brown algae

I also have a Apex Jr

what is the product that removes it?

I just emptied my bio ball chamber, it had ALOT of debris in it and did a 10 gallon water change so I'm gonna wait to see if thats the problem

ph : 7.8

amonia : 0

nitrite: 0

nitrates : 10-5 ppm

could the problem be phospates? I dont have anything to test for that.

Shep · Jul 11, 2015

If it's brown, it might not be normal algae but diatoms instead.

Virtualbasil · Jul 11, 2015

I'm going to my LFS to have them test the water for everything I cant test for I'll post the results

Virtualbasil · Jul 12, 2015

ok so it is green algae and the LFS said the phospate levels were high so he recommended phosnet by seachem.

Virtualbasil · Jul 14, 2015

just as a update : I did a 10 gallon water change and cleaned the second chamber where all the bio balls are and had alot of debris come out. Added a phos net by purigen bag. Also vacummed the sand bed. I have almost completely rid the tank of the green algae growing on the substrate and I see noticeable decrease in green algae on the glass. This is only after a couple days!

Virtualbasil · Jul 28, 2015

I have a amonia spike of about 1ppm I'm not sure what I should do it has never been this high before? I"m going to do a 10 gallon water change tomorrow, but what could be the cause? PH7.8 nitrite 0 nitrate 0

RareEarthCorals · Jul 28, 2015

Cleaned your bioballs may have killed off some of your bacteria causing a mini cycle to hit. You can hit it with Seachem Prime if it gets too high but it will take two to three weeks for your system to go back to normal. Also look for your nitrites to hit again.

Virtualbasil · Jul 28, 2015

I also had a bag of stuff on top the bio balls for phosphate removal the directions said to only leave in for five days but it has been in for weeks.

RareEarthCorals · Jul 28, 2015

Shouldnt hurt your biosystem to leave it in. I would get rid of the bioballs and change it over to Seachem Matrix. If you want to learn more look up reefthuz on youtube. I use the same system and it works perfectly. My phos and nitrates are zero. Any changes need to be done slowly so as not to
overwhelm your system if you elect to make the changes. Best of luck!

Virtualbasil · Jul 29, 2015

I must have done the test wrong because I just tested it and no amonia at all

Virtualbasil · Aug 4, 2015

I have High amonia yet again, its at about 1 ppm with Nitrite at 0 and Nitrate at 0. WHAT IS GOING ON? It seems like the amonia isn't being converted to nitrogen gas for some reason?!