been through multiple blooms

[a.t.t.r]

What type of water are you using to top off / water change?

Why wouldn't algae grow? What else will consume the nutrients you have what appears to be a rather lifeless tank between what looks to be gravel and dead rock.

 

[GymCoral]

I feel like the protein skimmer should be able to handle filtration for this size tank alone? I may have read wrong. Sorry this is all new to me. As you can see the windows are a problem but may put up blackout curtains until I find a nice cabinet for it to sit on. I just really wanted to be somewhere it’s seen alot. But now I’m looking at brown water lol

 

[GymCoral]

What type of water are you using to top off / water change?

Why wouldn't algae grow? What else will consume the nutrients you have what appears to be a rather lifeless tank between what looks to be gravel and dead rock.

What type of water are you using to top off / water change?

Why wouldn't algae grow? What else will consume the nutrients you have what appears to be a rather lifeless tank between what looks to be gravel and dead rock.

I have 11 corals, a clown, and a fire shrimp currently. Live rock, and I’m topping off with distilled water. My blenny passed away sadly. Some turbos

 

[a.t.t.r]

Do you suggest throwing

Thankyou for your advice. do you think I should maybe throw back on my top fin power filter along with the protein skimmer? I currently only have a nitrate reducing media pad

Nah. If that is live rock and not just wet “dry rock” or from an established system I would say just let it run. Maybe get some GFO in there. Hopfully you will get hair algae soon instead. Don’t try to rush things.

 

[GymCoral]

Nah. If that is live rock and not just wet “dry rock” or from an established system I would say just let it run. Maybe get some GFO in there. Hopfully you will get hair algae soon instead. Don’t try to rush things.

So I should continue to just use the protein skimmer? I had longer haired brown algae bloom up through my tank the other day and then the water got real nasty but was only running the skimmer at this time. I just threw the top fin filter on the back earlier, but havnt been running it, as I was only running it to drop my nitrate levels which I’m pretty happy with rn. I’m going to reduce my light schedule from 12 hours to maybe 7 or 8 hours since it’s near the window. Am I ok with one power head or should I possibly up it to two heads. What’s GMO?

 

[Lavey29]

So I should continue to just use the protein skimmer? I had longer haired brown algae bloom up through my tank the other day and then the water got real nasty but was only running the skimmer at this time. I just threw the top fin filter on the back earlier, but havnt been running it, as I was only running it to drop my nitrate levels which I’m pretty happy with rn. I’m going to reduce my light schedule from 12 hours to maybe 7 or 8 hours since it’s near the window. Am I ok with one power head or should I possibly up it to two heads. What’s GMO?

12 hours way to much light. 8 to 10 is all you need. Skimmers do more then filter out junk they oxygenated the water for your fish. You need good adequate filtration on reef tanks. Focus on weekly water changes and keeping parameters in good ranges. You will experience various ugly stages throughout the first year. It's all part of the tank development of its biome.

 

[Brandont21]

You can get a fairly decent Ro/di unit to put under your apartment sink. Which is what I did. Will potentially help, i wouldnt worry about the UV killing good bacteria as most of it will be living in your live rock and sand.

 

[Kiboshed]

2 things:

Stability- stop trying a bunch of different stuff and get 1 solid routine you do weekly and stick to it. 20% water change every week. Carbon filtration. Feed less. Big flow.

Placement- Get the tank away from the window or completely black out the window. Tack a heavy blacket across it or something.

Side notes: Plan ahead, these animals will live 10+ years. Is your tank in a place where you can care for them that long? If not tear it down. I see you already have a clown fish. Are you aware that's a 20+ year commitment in a apartment?

 

[GymCoral]

2 things:

Stability- stop trying a bunch of different stuff and get 1 solid routine you do weekly and stick to it. 20% water change every week. Carbon filtration. Feed less. Big flow.

Placement- Get the tank away from the window or completely black out the window. Tack a heavy blacket across it or something.

Side notes: Plan ahead, these animals will live 10+ years. Is your tank in a place where you can care for them that long? If not tear it down. I see you already have a clown fish. Are you aware that's a 20+ year commitment in an apartment?

I’m completely aware that the tank will have to move as I’m not 60 and plan on dying in my apartment or the next few homes I have to live in.

 

[GymCoral]

You can get a fairly decent Ro/di unit to put under your apartment sink. Which is what I did. Will potentially help, i wouldnt worry about the UV killing good bacteria as most of it will be living in your live rock and sand.

I’ll look into one today, thanks man

 

[GymCoral]

12 hours way to much light. 8 to 10 is all you need. Skimmers do more than filter out junk they oxygenated the water for your fish. You need good adequate filtration on reef tanks. Focus on weekly water changes and keeping parameters in good ranges. You will experience various ugly stages throughout the first year. It's all part of the tank development of its biome.

I think it’s all coming down too to much light, I’m going to reduce the time a lot as I realize now 12 hours is just for my enjoyment to see it when I get home from work. I’m going to have a water test done now and get some more carbon filters possibly look at a ro/di system.

 

[ArtisticReef]

I live in California and my tank is by a large sliding glass door. It gets sunlight and I don’t have any algae. My keys are:
Solid clean up crew
Tangs if tank is large enough
RODI water for top off & mixing saltwater
Keep NO3/PO4 ratio around 100:1. I target NO3 10-20 & PO4 0.08-0.15
Finally manual removal if it crops up
I actually have to feed my tang algae wafers and nori.
Good luck with your tank

 

[ArtisticReef]

12 hours way to much light. 8 to 10 is all you need. Skimmers do more then filter out junk they oxygenated the water for your fish. You need good adequate filtration on reef tanks. Focus on weekly water changes and keeping parameters in good ranges. You will experience various ugly stages throughout the first year. It's all part of the tank development of its biome.

I run mine 13 hours a day and my tank is my our patio door. I don’t have any algae. It’s not the light.

 

[Lavey29]

I run mine 13 hours a day and my tank is my our patio door. I don’t have any algae. It’s not the light.

Big difference between a heavily stocked well established tank and a new system with minimal biome. My lights run 10 hours in the day and 2.5 hours moonlight but my tank is also well established. I think lights are only part of his problem currently.

 

[GymCoral]

Current levels

 

[GymCoral]

I run mine 13 hours a day and my tank is my our patio door. I don’t have any algae. It’s not the light.

Beautiful gonis

 

[GymCoral]

So I picked up a green machine last night as Petco said I could return it. After 14 hours the water column clarity has increased about 50%. I am extremely happy with how the uv system working in the tank! Anyone run uv on their tanks 24/7? Thankyou everyone

 

[a.t.t.r]

It is a bandaid not a solution.
BTW your water looks more white then green. You may actually be seeing a bacterial bloom not an algae bloom. Take a look under a scope and see what ya find.

 

[GymCoral]

Here’s under full light. Check the right side by the the window, but I’ll look into that rn. It was an almost brown/cloudy coloration. Thankyou.

 

[GymCoral]

green killing machine seems to be working pretty fast. I’m Extremely happy, I can see everything ! It is looking like it may eliminate this issue by within a 72 hour span. Still observing how it may affect my biome but I plan to continue using the uv system after the clear to help with the extra light and potential parasites that may come into the tank. A small sump tank and cabinet are planned for the near future to get it away from the windows. Tanks getting a little crowded with equipment. All my corals seem to be rockin with all the algae growth brown growth cleaned off them. Will be waiting to add another fish.