Help With Newer Reef Tank

[vetteguy53081]

I don't think it really changes, day or night and I haven't noticed any bubbles. It's just gross!

Need brighter white intensity photos as visual look offers clues but not always a confirmation
Is it .25 phosphate or.025?
If Dino- do Not order or add neonitro

 

[IndyReef78]

With large systems, doing large enough water changes to be able to maintain the necessary levels is difficult.

It is also very surprising how much can change in a short period of time particularly as a tank “settles”.

I have a 210 with 60 gallon sump and I’ve been using all for reef since I started the tank with great results. Maintaining stability is key with any of these settings. How large are the water changes that you’ve done?

Not sure what the first water change was (husband did it alone while I was recovering from surgery), the most recent was 36 gallons. I'll have to look into all for reef - I'm not familiar with that, but I appreciate the recommendation. I don't want to constantly be dosing and chasing numbers. I really hope to keep this as simple as possible, but I know we will be ordering some Neo Nitro for now and maybe trying the hydrogen peroxide until the Nitro can get here.

 

[IndyReef78]

Need brighter white intensity photos as visual look offers clues but not always a confirmation
Is it .25 phosphate or.025?
If Dino- do Not order or add neonitro

@vetteguy53081, what do you recommend instead of NeoNitro? And the phosphate is 0.25.

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081, what do you recommend instead of NeoNitro? And the phosphate is 0.25.

If it is indeed dino. . . . When we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.

 

[IndyReef78]

If it is indeed dino. . . . When we see zero readings, automatically we assume this is the cause but by the time you see zero numbers, its because the dino has consumed the po4 and no3 and are multiplying and in turn many dose no3 and po4 to bring numbers up not realizing they are feeding these flagellates even more.

Sorry, had to take a break for dinner. So that makes some sense, but what should I do instead?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry, had to take a break for dinner. So that makes some sense, but what should I do instead?

Again - IF.... and IF its dino. . . .
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

 

[IndyReef78]

Again - IF.... and IF its dino. . . .
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them

Thank you. I'm trying to research and I had *just* found this post when you were posting!

 

[IndyReef78]

I appreciate everyone's help, advice and input. I'm going to implement some of the strategies and hopefully get rid of this nuisance!

 

[Uncle99]

Hi everyone! We are on our second tank (a 210 gallon mixed reef). We've been up and running really well for a few months now and have fully cycled and are testing most days. In the last week, we have seen quite a bit of redish brown algae, some of which seems stringy, on the sandbed and the rocks and along the back wall. we have an expanded clean-up crew on the way, a bunch of pods on the way (both arriving this week) and 3 small tangs that we added last night. Our parameters are as follows:

PH 8.2
Salinity 1.026 (did a water change 2 days ago)
Alkalinity 9.8 (per Hanna checker)
Calcium 350
Magnesium 990
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Phosphates .25

Everything was going quite well. The few soft corals (small leather, some firework polyps, a pulsing xenia and a small torch) we have were looking great, then they seemed to almost overnight get angry. We noticed the alkalinity was really low (5) so we slowly bumped that up using Randy's calculator and baking soda. We just started adding magnesium and the Seachem Reef Fusion 1 and 2 to help bump up the low numbers. We have a refugium with bioballs and cheato, a reef mat and protein skimmer running. Looking at the parameters and what we are doing, what else would you suggest to help everything along and especially to get rid of the algae/dino/cyano (whatever it is!)

You’re running 5 export functions plus water change. This strips the waters of organics and may allow pest type stuff, I good place to thrive.

Employ only those things which are required to keep waters balanced in terms of organic load which is feeding everything in your system.

Fugues, water changes, macro-algae, skimmers, filter bags, flosses and continuous mats, can easily outcompete what’s going in.

 

[IndyReef78]

You’re running 5 export functions plus water change. This strips the waters of organics and may allow pest type stuff, I good place to thrive.

Employ only those things which are required to keep waters balanced in terms of organic load which is feeding everything in your system.

Fugues, water changes, macro-algae, skimmers, filter bags, flosses and continuous mats, can easily outcompete what’s going in.

@Uncle99 Would you suggest turning off (at least temporarily) one or more of the export functions? Maybe the reef mat or skimmer? I'd been considering that to help bump up the levels nutrients. We have turned the lights down to 5% blues and I've been dosing Hydrogen peroxide (started last night).