Randy's Tank and Learn Thread

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Clogging with bacteria slime? I lose flow rate to it overtime in a reactor.

I think it was particulate detritus.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hair Algae

I may need to rethink my husbandry if these new snails do not make some headway on the GHA. It’s getting worse, not better. I may consider vinegar dosing the way I did on my last tank. I never had such issues with it.

I also never dosed trace elements that way I do now with the AFR. I might be just driving it too much. Last tank I mostly just dosed kalk and fish food and vinegar, and while it was by no means perfect, neither cyano nor gha was ever this bad.

 

[jonelder68]

Are your foxface and YT picking at it? Mine would for sure gobble that up. Looks like it might have cyano on areas? Maybe that’s why if not.

Kalk does miracles in many ways my tank sure turned around once I turned on the Kalk dosing for what it’s worth.

Any tuxedo urchins? They are good and fast workers. Love my pair.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No cyano is visible since the Chemi clean.

Those fish may eat some. They are not getting any algae from me at the moment to encourage it, but they also eat the flakes and pellets the other fish get.

 

[bureau13]

I don't know if they're all like this, but I had a pretty bad hair algae thing developing on my overflow, back glass, some of the rocks, etc. My rabbitfish and Mimic Tang didn't do much with it, the snails munched on it but weren't really making that big of an impact. I added a bristletooth tang and I swear that stuff was gone in a week. I am not sure if you have room or desire for one, but it did the trick for me. I added him to a tank where the Mimic was the undisputed king, and was worried about that, but they squared off for about an hour and have been thick as thieves since then.

Hair Algae

I may need to rethink my husbandry if these new snails do not make some headway on the GHA. It’s getting worse, not better. I may consider vinegar dosing the way I did on my last tank. I never had such issues with it.

I also never dosed trace elements that way I do now with the AFR. I might be just driving it too much. Last tank I mostly just dosed kalk and fish food and vinegar, and while it was by no means perfect, neither cyano nor gha was ever this bad.

 

[Lasse]

I added a bristletooth tang and I swear that stuff was gone in a week.

That´s my experiences with bristletooth tang´s too. IME - they are also outstanding diatom-eaters too. It´s help i they are a little bit hungry IMO.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[jonelder68]

My white tail bristletooth destroys all and any algae so I agree. He even is constantly grazing the sand bed. I’d be afraid of adding one now with Randy already having an established YT. My YT tried for two weeks to murder my newly added WT. Even after days in acclimation box then even had to split the tank in half with a divider for a week. Eventually they just had to fight it out. Mirrors covering all sides helped slow it down from constant fighting. Eventually after weeks of fighting they decided to play nice. I wouldn’t try again without removing the established tang and then reintroducing both at the same time outside of the DT in a QT/observation tank set up.

 

[rishma]

Hair Algae

I may need to rethink my husbandry if these new snails do not make some headway on the GHA. It’s getting worse, not better. I may consider vinegar dosing the way I did on my last tank. I never had such issues with it.

I also never dosed trace elements that way I do now with the AFR. I might be just driving it too much. Last tank I mostly just dosed kalk and fish food and vinegar, and while it was by no means perfect, neither cyano nor gha was ever this bad.

Curious to see you consider vinegar in response to hair algae. Care to elaborate?

I understand the trace element comment

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Curious to see you consider vinegar in response to hair algae. Care to elaborate?

I understand the trace element comment

Hey, not seen you posting in a while. Welcome back.

I’m just brainstorming with these thoughts, but one hypothesis is that bacteria driven by vinegar outcompete the algae for a trace element, while potentially providing food for corals that contain C, N, P and trace elements. In fact, the phyto I dose may be doing that already.

 

[jonelder68]

Hey, not seen you posting in a while. Welcome back.

I’m just brainstorming with these thoughts, but one hypothesis is that bacteria driven by vinegar outcompete the algae for a trace element, while potentially providing food for corals that contain C, N, P and trace elements. In fact, the phyto I dose may be doing that already.

I’m probably responsible for @rishma return been having him help me with designing a CO2 reactor for my tank. Which reminds me I might have some questions for you soon also pertaining it and Kalkwasser.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m probably responsible for @rishma return been having him help me with designing a CO2 reactor for my tank. Which reminds me I might have some questions for you soon also pertaining it and Kalkwasser.

Well, that’s good whatever caused him to post again. :)