Discouraging Reef:/

[brandon4432]

I have set up a nano soon-to-be reef and i have faced a few problems that cause a great amount of discouragement.
First: algae.

Hair algae everywhere. Snails won't touch the hair algae and I haven't even noticed the emerald crab munching on it.

Brown/green algae covers glass daily and covers sand bed.

All water comes from a RODI unit and instant ocean sea salt.

Second: sand bed.

Sand bed is covered in algae, and has one dead spot. Increased flow blows the sand all around and the sand tends to settle on some of my rock scape(so annoying)

Right now I am using one koralia nano 240 and a custom flow diverter from the filter and the diverter is pointed towards the waterline. I may change the diverter into a normal output that doesn't "jet" the water. Furthermore replace it with an additional Koralia 240.

Third: oily film on surface of water although the water like is broken and covered in lots of ripples.

Please help! If you have any questions pertaining to the system you can ask here or check out my COMPLETE build thread under this link:

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/10-Gallon-Nano-Reef-build.209623/

FYI canister filter is running with a fine sponge, GFO, and Chemi Pure Elite.

Water changes 10% weekly, and the canister is cleaned completely every other week.

Skimmer pulls out so much waste. I only feed my fish lightly every other day.

 

[helldiver]

Could be salt or check your Ro/di unit with tds meter and test magnesium

 

[Wiz]

The oily water surface concerns me. Sounds like a contaminate. Can you think of any foreign substance that might have gotten in? Being that you are running gfo and chemi I am really thinking there is something bad in the water. With that much filtration and flow, having a lot of algae on the glass and sand is odd. I would explore this thoroughly before doing anything other than manual removal.
As for the hair algae, I would pull out manually as much as you can. Then get a good grazer like mexican turbo, zebra turbo or a sea hare.
The flow issue is solved by finding the appropriate mounting spot andd aim for the koralia and outlet. Im sure there is a combo that will allow your sand to sit still.
Have you tested parameters? What are they?
I am really leaning toward a foreign substance getting in from your post.

 

[Wiz]

First what are seachem stability and prime conditioner? And why are you using them?
Second I don't see the most important tests which are nitrate and phos.
Also amonia should be undetectable imo.
And why are you dosing two part daily? I don't see calc, alk, or mag test results nor any tank stockvthat might require this yet.

 

[Jimmyb819]

As I have learned from reading many algae threads, algae only grows when there are available nutrients and light. We need to run the lights for our tanks so elevated levels of Phosphate and Nitrate will almost always grow algae. If you aren't introducing Phosphates into your system through feeding (over feeding and high phosphate foods) then the Phosphates are probably leaching from your Live Rock. Where did your rock come from and did you do anything to cure it before it went into the tank?

 

[brandon4432]

The oily water surface concerns me. Sounds like a contaminate. Can you think of any foreign substance that might have gotten in? Being that you are running gfo and chemi I am really thinking there is something bad in the water. With that much filtration and flow, having a lot of algae on the glass and sand is odd. I would explore this thoroughly before doing anything other than manual removal.
As for the hair algae, I would pull out manually as much as you can. Then get a good grazer like mexican turbo, zebra turbo or a sea hare.
The flow issue is solved by finding the appropriate mounting spot andd aim for the koralia and outlet. Im sure there is a combo that will allow your sand to sit still.
Have you tested parameters? What are they?
I am really leaning toward a foreign substance getting in from your post.

Yes, this concerns me greatly as well. I can't think of any substance that would of somehow leached in. As well as not got absorbed by the carbon. I have tested the parameters, phosphate was 0( probably due to all the hair angel absorbing it?)

 

[brandon4432]

First what are seachem stability and prime conditioner? And why are you using them?
Second I don't see the most important tests which are nitrate and phos.
Also amonia should be undetectable imo.
And why are you dosing two part daily? I don't see calc, alk, or mag test results nor any tank stockvthat might require this yet.

Stability is what I used to help quick start a cycle and Prime I use when acclimating fish due to its ability to detoxify everything harmful and provide slime coat.

Ammonia has been undetectable since the cycle ended many months ago.

I don't dose the two part yet, I will start dosing it when I have enough corals to absorb all the added nutrients.

 

[brandon4432]

As I have learned from reading many algae threads, algae only grows when there are available nutrients and light. We need to run the lights for our tanks so elevated levels of Phosphate and Nitrate will almost always grow algae. If you aren't introducing Phosphates into your system through feeding (over feeding and high phosphate foods) then the Phosphates are probably leaching from your Live Rock. Where did your rock come from and did you do anything to cure it before it went into the tank?

I forget where the rock came from but it'd Fiji Live rock that I cycled in a small tub of saltwater with a pump and heater as well as 100% water changes twice a week for about two weeks. Then I slowly added it piece by piece to my aquarium and waited 4 days in between adding pieces. Cycling the rock I got inpatient and I probably should've waited longer.

 

[brandon4432]

Stability is what I used to help quick start a cycle and Prime I use when acclimating fish due to its ability to detoxify everything harmful and provide slime coat.

Ammonia has been undetectable since the cycle ended many months ago.

I don't dose the two part yet, I will start dosing it when I have enough corals to absorb all the added nutrients.

I also scrubbed it before adding it to the tub to cure

 

[Oscaror]

This isn't the absolute reason why, but canister filters are a very bad thing. They just fill up with detritus and pump nitrates & phosphates into your tank. In the long term it will not benefit you.

 

[brandon4432]

This isn't the absolute reason why, but canister filters are a very bad thing. They just fill up with detritus and pump nitrates & phosphates into your tank. In the long term it will not benefit you.

Or so I've heard. My canister is cleaned complete often and doesn't contain any biological media due to your very concern, I'm hoping to let the live rock do all the bio filtration and use the canister for chemical media almost like a reactor.

I've heard MANY people discourage canister filtration on a reef, but Check out WawaWangs Reef on the Nano Reef featured tanks

 

[Oscaror]

Or so I've heard. My canister is cleaned complete often and doesn't contain any biological media due to your very concern, I'm hoping to let the live rock do all the bio filtration and use the canister for chemical media almost like a reactor.

I've heard MANY people discourage canister filtration on a reef, but Check out WawaWangs Reef on the Nano Reef featured tanks

The problem with cleaning out a canister filter is that you lose its main function, to build up bacteria that consumes nitrates. This works so well in freshwater tanks as they don't really have detritus issues, but on a saltwater tank when you keep cleaning it out it loses its main purpose. Everything a canister filter is meant to do, a skimmer can too, but much more effectively. (I'm speaking out of my own experience btw, just so you know these statements have credibility) Plus, biological media or not, it will still do what I told you it will, and that is build up detritus.

 

[brandon4432]

The problem with cleaning out a canister filter is that you lose its main function, to build up bacteria that consumes nitrates. This works so well in freshwater tanks as they don't really have detritus issues, but on a saltwater tank when you keep cleaning it out it loses its main purpose. Everything a canister filter is meant to do, a skimmer can too, but much more effectively. (I'm speaking out of my own experience btw, just so you know these statements have credibility) Plus, biological media or not, it will still do what I told you it will, and that is build up detritus.

I understand what you're saying, although the main purpose of the canister on my setup is not to build up bacteria but to mechanically polish the water and chemically absorb harmful contaminants through carbon and GFO. That being said one side effect is a build up of some amount of detritus. Key word "some" but so will a sump in some areas. A sump would be 100% more effective although it's not practical to have a sump given my setup. I have also been reassured by many that it is possible to have a thriving reef with a canister although being a nuisance at some points. My point is I am aware that the canister is looked down upon and I really do wish I could practically run a sump on my setup as I do run sumps on some other tanks. I'm aware of the pros and cons of each but it's not possible to have a sump and this point but it is possible to run a reef with a canister although annoying at times. Anyways thanks for the input, I'm going to now try and tackle this hair algae problem:/

 

[Oscaror]

I understand what you're saying, although the main purpose of the canister on my setup is not to build up bacteria but to mechanically polish the water and chemically absorb harmful contaminants through carbon and GFO. That being said one side effect is a build up of some amount of detritus. Key word "some" but so will a sump in some areas. A sump would be 100% more effective although it's not practical to have a sump given my setup. I have also been reassured by many that it is possible to have a thriving reef with a canister although being a nuisance at some points. My point is I am aware that the canister is looked down upon and I really do wish I could practically run a sump on my setup as I do run sumps on some other tanks. I'm aware of the pros and cons of each but it's not possible to have a sump and this point but it is possible to run a reef with a canister although annoying at times. Anyways thanks for the input, I'm going to now try and tackle this hair algae problem:/

As long as the canister filter isn't too big and the water is flowing through fast enough it should be OK but if it's tricking you might want too find a way to speed up it's input and output.

 

[brandon4432]

As long as the canister filter isn't too big and the water is flowing through fast enough it should be OK but if it's tricking you might want too find a way to speed up it's input and output.

Yes, very true.

 

[twilliard]

I would lean on doc's
But from what...
Aminos?
Too much food on feeding day ?

 

[brandon4432]

I would lean on doc's
But from what...
Aminos?
Too much food on feeding day ?

What are doc's?

 

[twilliard]

What are doc's?

Dissolved organic compounds

 

[Harry_Y]

How long has the tank been up?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I would add more flow, one pointed at the surface. Secondly, I would do a 50% water change, using a different salt. Thirdly, I would start dosing Red Sea's nitrate/Phosphate remover.