What is wrong with my tank and how can I fix it?

[Chris_Noles]

@Lasse
If that’s regular hair alga. Does it spread like other algae? Can the rocks be scrubbed In tank? Or would that just make it worse? Of course a large water change would need to be done afterwards to remove as much as possible. Or is it safer to remove rock and scrub?

@Chris_Noles What’s your water change routine? Smaller more frequent water changes would be good.

I usually would change 20% every other week. My pump that does water changes for me broke so I haven’t done one in the past 3 weeks.

 

[Chris_Noles]

The mat of algae on my sand looks like it is clearing up…so far so good. Scrubbed my rocks down a good bit a couple of days and have been dosing nitrates everyday

 

[Lasse]

I cases like this - I normally do not do any WC before the problem is solved. The reason is that sometimes a bloom of a organism may deplete some compounds that this organism need. The lack of these compounds can give a favour to other less nuisance organisms. with a WC - you may fill up these depletions again,

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Chris_Noles]

It was suggested that I should turn down my light, pull my rock out and spray it down with a hose to get alllll the algae off, clean it with some RODI. Put it back in the tank with the lights lower, throw in a tuxedo urchin ($20 at my LFS) and 2 Mexico turbos and that should take care of the issue in the mean time. Good or bad idea???

 

[Chris_Noles]

Scrubbed the tank down and have the lights dimmed 50% also turned over the sand a bit, the tank looks 100 times better….will post a picture later today

 

[Chris_Noles]

Looks a bit better…..

 

[Lasse]

I would also stir up the sand every evening

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Chris_Noles]

Hi everyone, here is an update on the tank. I’ve been scrubbing the rocks almost every other day and today I decided to take them out of the water, get my garden hose and spray everything down (except the rock with Zoas). I gave them an RODI wash and Saltwater wash and put them back in the tank. Also went picked up 2 mexican turbos, my guy at the LFS said the tuxedo urchin wouldn’t be necessary when I got 2 turbos in there. Lights are still at 50% and I’m stirring up my sand every night.

 

[Aqua Man]

2 or 3 hermit crabs would help too if you don’t have any. There little claws a can reach in the crevices. Regular Blue legs are my favorite!

 

[Chris_Noles]

2 or 3 hermit crabs would help too if you don’t have any. There little claws a can reach in the crevices. Regular Blue legs are my favorite!

Yup I got 3 hermits in there….hopefully these turbos do the trick….

 

[Lasse]

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I love this picture - algae in the read circle - total algae free in the blue circle - you need more hermits so they can clean each others shell too Once I had a total algae free aquarium with one exception - a small forest with 30 mm long thread algae on the shell of one of my snails

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Chris_Noles]

Hi everyone tank is doing well so far....but I still have this green mat of algae on the sand that I can not get rid of. Any ideas on how to fix this?

 

[Dcloser12]

This is bad. I'd pull rocks, bleach, oven dry and then reinstall them one by one a few days apart

 

[Aqua Man]

This is bad. I'd pull rocks, bleach, oven dry and then reinstall them one by one a few days apart

That’s a joke, right??!!!

 

[Aqua Man]

Hi everyone tank is doing well so far....but I still have this green mat of algae on the sand that I can not get rid of. Any ideas on how to fix this?

Algae or are you still dealing with cyano? Have you been able to get your phosphate and nitrate measurable?

 

[Chris_Noles]

Algae or are you still dealing with cyano? Have you been able to get your phosphate and nitrate measurable?

It’s this green mat all over the sand. I have not tested either in a while…let me check that

 

[Aqua Man]

" MY WHITE SAND METHOD "

I've always talked about this in the fb groups because i get so many questions and compliments on my sand bed ....well here's my method....note: I've never tried this on a tank older than 3 years !!!! I'm well aware of the problems that can occur on older tanks...this is a "DAILY" method i use...

www.reef2reef.com

This method might work for you. I wound up taking my sand out and washed all the junk out. Now I’m trying to remember to stir up sections every day. I Still have some cyano on my rock work and coral that keeps coming back. It’s been a pain.
My nitrates and phosphate are very low and I’m dosing both to get them where I want.

 

[Chris_Noles]

" MY WHITE SAND METHOD "

I've always talked about this in the fb groups because i get so many questions and compliments on my sand bed ....well here's my method....note: I've never tried this on a tank older than 3 years !!!! I'm well aware of the problems that can occur on older tanks...this is a "DAILY" method i use...

www.reef2reef.com

This method might work for you. I wound up taking my sand out and washed all the junk out. Now I’m trying to remember to stir up sections every day. I Still have some cyano on my rock work and coral that keeps coming back. It’s been a pain.
My nitrates and phosphate are very low and I’m dosing both to get them where I want.

The green mat also covers some of my rock. Could this be some type of green cyano?

 

[Dcloser12]

That’s a joke, right??!!!

Absolutely not. I did it with my tank last summer after having an algae issue so bad I couldn't get a handle on it. Algae was dying and releasing nutrients so fast other algae was booming. I mixed a cup of bleach in 5gal of rodi water, hand scrubbed and then rinsed in tap water, then into the oven at 250 for an hour then into clean rodi water where it sat for an hour, checked for chlorine and then bam. Into the tank. Got about 2/3rds of my rock done and then the tangs and cuc were able to get the rest under control. Never lost a single coral over it or fish

 

[Lasse]

The green mat also covers some of my rock. Could this be some type of green cyano?

Probably Yes

Up with the nitrate (+3 ppm) if it is low and stir the sand every day. You can try to suck up some of it too - but not too huge WC:s

Sincerely Lasse