Raeges 75 gallon Adventure

[Raege]

Hello folks #honestyinreefing im getting spent with the gha battle. Lot mire corraline on glass and plastic but not taking over rocks yet. It’s a less missed weekly WC just got to it today not bad another 24 gallons swapped out and took out half the rocks for a bin scrubbing.
About half the algae pulled by hand real easy barely held on which is a good sign it’s weakening (I hope) another half was tight to rocks like a bleepity bleep.
Been feeding every other day but in week and a half the stuff took off hard and got some black slime algae on sand bed couple spots.
Letting the new water mix in for another 30 minutes then pulling out test kits and give it the full works.
Also going to retest my source water and rodi haven’t checked it for nitrates phosphate in a few months. Been relying on my tds meter reading zero still but gotta lock down every possibility.

For corals not to hung up on em Kenya and gorg fine rest at this point with plucking and pulling not expecting em to last and if they don’t it’s the cost of getting tank cleaned up.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

God gives his toughest challenges to his favorites in the words of @NY_Caveman ...

Ur a tough cookie bub. U got this.

 

[Crabby48]

congratulations with the family news.
This hobby I’m learning may test your patience. The day you catch a break the enjoyment of the tank will be so much greater. Hang in there

 

[Brew12]

GHA is something we want growing in our tanks, we just don't want to see it. I recommend a 2 prong approach for dealing with GHA. First is to get the right CuC to help with your issue. The #1 CuC critter to quickly get rid of GHA is a Dolabella sea hare. They absolutely mow down GHA. Short spine urchin are also a good choice. Depending on your stocking, some fish enjoy GHA, too.

The other thing we can do is try to force algae to grow in an area we don't mind it. That is the concept behind a refugium or an Algae Turf Scrubber. ATS's grow GHA very efficiently

If you don't want to go those routes, Vibrant is very effective at clearing out GHA but I feel it is overkill.

Good luck!

 

[Raege]

GHA is something we want growing in our tanks, we just don't want to see it. I recommend a 2 prong approach for dealing with GHA. First is to get the right CuC to help with your issue. The #1 CuC critter to quickly get rid of GHA is a Dolabella sea hare. They absolutely mow down GHA. Short spine urchin are also a good choice. Depending on your stocking, some fish enjoy GHA, too.

The other thing we can do is try to force algae to grow in an area we don't mind it. That is the concept behind a refugium or an Algae Turf Scrubber. ATS's grow GHA very efficiently

If you don't want to go those routes, Vibrant is very effective at clearing out GHA but I feel it is overkill.

Good luck!

Thanks for the options Brew much appreciated. Added a Seahare and more trochus snails last week. The fuge has some rocks lotta chaeto going well and some gha on the rocks in it I peel of weekly.
I used vibrant early in tank life and it did wonders on Dino’s but wiped out my chaeto stripped nutrients to well so hoping to stay on course with the natural balance. Going to check out a turf scrubber tho. My foxface only like stuff I picked of the rocks that get away from me ;Facepalm good things he’s my favorite or he’d be fired lol.
I feel I’m getting so close it’s like sitting in an hours worth of traffic to drive the last mile to the beach
Rich Don thanks my reefing brothers for your encouragement. Gonna get there reeftank 365 will be mine. Don will hook ya up with more Kenya hoping yo make Brianpalooza in NYC if not can maybe have Rich mule it up there

 

[Raege]

And the numbers....
Po4 .1
Nitrates 64+
DKH 7.7
Ca 450
Mg 1450
This is about three hours post scrub and sand bed vacuuming. Total water change was 24 gallons out of about 90 total volume. I haven’t tested for some time just 24 gal changes weekly (except this last was biweek) concerned with the nitrates still thru the roof.
Feeding every other day just rinsed LFS fish frenzy consumed by fish quickly
Sand and mud removed from sump
New bubble magus curve 9 oversized skimmer in use for months replacing curve 5
New ufo fuge light on 10 hours opposite main lights
Main lights turned down to 65%max shortened peek time and overall on time on
Rocks scrubbed fully out of tank in fresh mix water once and half of em today
No deaths/ missing fish to decay
Fresh socks every three to four days
Running new uv sterilizer in sump
Cleaned all pump have increased DT turnover approx 12x
Gyres increased flow
Nitrate reactor online
Off to test rodi which comes out by inline meter at zero tds and salt mixed rodi
nem great shrimp fine fish aces corraline looks to be getting hold

What else could I be missing to test/ modify and get nitrates inline. Other than more equipment like a scrubber

 

[Raege]

#honestyinreefing
Fellow salt fanatics wake the kids phone the neighbors I’m an idiot. Rodi water is indeed the root of my evil. The extra heavy water changes after first scrub have been killing me. The Tds reading of zero is great but need to get rodi back to pure water. Going to replace all filters. Filters with my water quality should have still been good but now I know to do a pm lot sooner and to lake testing of rodi a new priority monthly to save this from ever happening again.

The filter must have been slowly degrading for. Some time hence numbers lowering to 20s months ago then getting outta control. Boy do I feel stupid it took me so long to check what in hindsight shoulda been obvious... I’ve e en recommended others having trouble yo test their rodi and ignored my own advice.

Another hard lesson learned hope this helps someone else who stumble across this thread

Stay salty and positive the answers and result will come hopefully faster for all you lol
Raege in da Cage OUT

 

[Crabby48]

Great news finding the cause. What did you you to test rodi?

also why not run your five light longer. I know people who will run it 24 hours

 

[Raege]

Tested with RedSea pro kits. I have inline tds but it’s plus or minus 2% or mine may be borked up.
As for fuge light I’ve read plants need a rest period just like humans so recommendations I’ve read were at least 4-6 hours dark. Like everything in the hobby opinions vary but it makes sense to me anyway plus extra light in fuge will gunk up unwanted algae’s in sump compartments as well and being basically lazy don’t want that lol

 

[Fudsey]

So what was your readings on the rodi?

 

[Raege]

Only did nitrates and off the charts. Some of tank reading i think was from sand bed being sucked and the scrubbingo rocks that registered higher than rodi itself. Going to retest display today and compare again

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Thanks for the options Brew much appreciated. Added a Seahare and more trochus snails last week. The fuge has some rocks lotta chaeto going well and some gha on the rocks in it I peel of weekly.
I used vibrant early in tank life and it did wonders on Dino’s but wiped out my chaeto stripped nutrients to well so hoping to stay on course with the natural balance. Going to check out a turf scrubber tho. My foxface only like stuff I picked of the rocks that get away from me ;Facepalm good things he’s my favorite or he’d be fired lol.
I feel I’m getting so close it’s like sitting in an hours worth of traffic to drive the last mile to the beach
Rich Don thanks my reefing brothers for your encouragement. Gonna get there reeftank 365 will be mine. Don will hook ya up with more Kenya hoping yo make Brianpalooza in NYC if not can maybe have Rich mule it up there

I'll be ur mule anytime daddy.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Hope the rodi filter change turns out to be the fix. I always knew there was something off with the amount of wc's u do... just didnt add up. Looking forward to see the troubles with nutrients dissipate over the next few weeks ray. Cheers bub

 

[Raege]

Evening folks, new rodi filters arrive Sunday hopefully early. Mass quantities will be made first for atp reservoir then to get as much water changed over as possible in next few days. Nitrate numbers are dropping bio filter has made a small dent in 2 days but Kenya coral is very unhappy.
Tomorrow getting some seafood. To mince and make my own frozen portions to control that nutrient source as well as possible.
Reefing it’s not for the faint of heart
Stay salty

 

[PanchoG]

I loved watching my sea hare graze during the ugly phases. I have a time lapse of it somewhere... they are gha eating mean machines!

Mean machine !
Mean machine !
Mean machine !

 

[PanchoG]

#honestyinreefing
Fellow salt fanatics wake the kids phone the neighbors I’m an idiot. Rodi water is indeed the root of my evil. The extra heavy water changes after first scrub have been killing me. The Tds reading of zero is great but need to get rodi back to pure water. Going to replace all filters. Filters with my water quality should have still been good but now I know to do a pm lot sooner and to lake testing of rodi a new priority monthly to save this from ever happening again.

The filter must have been slowly degrading for. Some time hence numbers lowering to 20s months ago then getting outta control. Boy do I feel stupid it took me so long to check what in hindsight shoulda been obvious... I’ve e en recommended others having trouble yo test their rodi and ignored my own advice.

Another hard lesson learned hope this helps someone else who stumble across this thread

Stay salty and positive the answers and result will come hopefully faster for all you lol
Raege in da Cage OUT

Good news Ray, happy for you that GHA is doomed. lol #r2r4life

 

[Raege]

Good news Ray, happy for you that GHA is doomed. lol #r2r4life

Lol I’ll settle for GHA tamed Water will be a big part of the fix fingers crossed

 

[Victoria M]

Yes, we need pictures of Shrek. Are you saying that the ro di water was 0 TDS but had nitrates?

 

[Raege]

Yes, we need pictures of Shrek. Are you saying that the ro di water was 0 TDS but had nitrates?

Affirmative, Tds incoming 23 out was reading zero but nitrates off the charts.
I have about 20 gallons fresh rodi now just finished tests and nitrates phosphates are testing at zero Hooray!
I want to swap the probes of TDS meter later to confirm outgoing is shot.
Shreck is mia I suspect that acclimation time was not sufficient with how high my nitrates were....
On a light note Nem is back in his hole out of corner and it seems I gave discovered that WgWhA will win out over GSP in ideal conditions
Going to mix 25 gal salt change tomorrow after replacing ATO container should be able to get enough rodi before bed. Here’s cpl pics of the ugliness At least Lenny is loving the water still He is Huge now

 

[najer]

Shrek could be sleeping and digesting, fingers crossed!