I desperately need help- orange water

MasterBacon · Nov 2, 2016

Brew12 said:
Go grab a Merlot.... or maybe a Shiraz. If you like sweet white wines you can go with a Moscato. Relax, have a glass. You will get through this so don't stress and don't panic.

Looks like a bottle of schnapps on the right bookcase, second shelf, ready for consumption.

aaron23 · Nov 2, 2016

Make sure to rinse the GFO before you use it in waterchanged dirty water

gemini9 · Nov 2, 2016

jennifer.v said:
Hey everyone. Hubby here. I think I have confirmed that it is GFO. My frustration stems from the fact that it seems like every month there is something new going wrong. I know that comes with the hobby but its just wearing me down to where I look at the tank with spite instead of joy. Anyway, here are the tank stats.

210 gallon display
Trigger systems ruby 36 (I think that's the right number)
2 return pumps totaling 1400 gph
2 vortech mp40w
2 BRS jumbo media reactor with carbon and gfo
3 taotronics 230w(?) led panels at about 50% and a 8hr light cycle
Skimz monster 310(?) skimmer
I have macro algae in the refugium part of the sump as well as about 500g of purigen.
4 inches of Fiji pink sand and 250 lbs of live rock.
I use reef crystals for my salt and have a BRS 5 stage RO system that runs a tunze osmolator ATO
2 dosing pumps for BRS calcium and Alkalinity.

I'm currently not in front of the tank so I may have gotten something wrong or forgotten something. But it has a very light bio load with a few chromis, a clown, snowflake eel, and a mix of about 20 snails and crabs for cleanup. Various LPS (Hammer, torch, scans) and hardy SPS (purple and orange cap, rainbow Monti) for coral.

Thanks for the help you guys and having my wife involved and stepping up has brought forth a second wind.

Hang in there. It's rough at first but as your tank matures, allot of your problems will clear up. I had my own battles as I'm sure everyone else has too. When you're us starting out its hard and you'll want to give up, but give it some time. New tanks are always really unstable l.

gemini9 · Nov 2, 2016

I've had my share of problems lol

jennifer.v · Nov 2, 2016

Water change #1 happening tonight! Also the fluval canister filter (rated up to 400 gallons) is on sale at PetSmart so I may get that too. And looks like I'm getting another bucket of reef crystals and getting ALL the carbon they have to offer! Hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll look better. Should I just do a quarter water change and do them every 3 or 4 days or just a huge 50% water change? I don't want to destroy ALL the biological matter in there with such a huge water change.
Also, there is no slime on the walls, they feel like the my usually do, and there is definitely orange dust stuff in the sump so hopefully it is just the gfo stuff. I'll also definitely order that phosphate test kit, PetSmart doesn't carry it and I don't believe petco does either, those are the only two options in this town for fish stores. Anything else that we should look into getting?

DeniseAndy · Nov 2, 2016

You will not kill the biologicals with water changes. Most live in the rock. No worries about that. Also, make sure to rinse the carbon well before you use it. You do not want to compound the issue.

Best wishes.

melypr1985 · Nov 2, 2016

DeniseAndy said:
You will not kill the biologicals with water changes. Most live in the rock. No worries about that. Also, make sure to rinse the carbon well before you use it. You do not want to compound the issue. Best wishes.

+1 I would do the 50% water change. It wont effect the bio filter. Good luck!!!

Brew12 · Nov 2, 2016

jennifer.v said:
Water change #1 happening tonight! Also the fluval canister filter (rated up to 400 gallons) is on sale at PetSmart so I may get that too. And looks like I'm getting another bucket of reef crystals and getting ALL the carbon they have to offer! Hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll look better. Should I just do a quarter water change and do them every 3 or 4 days or just a huge 50% water change? I don't want to destroy ALL the biological matter in there with such a huge water change.
Also, there is no slime on the walls, they feel like the my usually do, and there is definitely orange dust stuff in the sump so hopefully it is just the gfo stuff. I'll also definitely order that phosphate test kit, PetSmart doesn't carry it and I don't believe petco does either, those are the only two options in this town for fish stores. Anything else that we should look into getting?

I'm not sure that carbon will do much to pull iron out of the water. If you can run a very fine filter that would be helpful. I've heard some people say that they had luck putting a magnet in their tank. (Not sure I buy that, but if you have a magnetic tank cleaner, stick it next to the glass and see if it attracts the particles).
I personally would do the largest size water change that I am most comfortable doing. Your tank isn't in any immediate danger from the GFO leaking out. It may look like poisonous soup, but looks can be deceptive.

You may need to pick up another bottle of wine, but I don't think they stock those at either Petco or Petsmart.

Darryl · Nov 2, 2016

largest water change and filter pads micron and carbon
Good Luck it will work

Betty1964 · Nov 2, 2016

That is exactly what our tank looked like after the power was out for a few days and we had a serious loss of oxygen in our water. What kind of circulations do you have going? Have your powerheads/return pump been off for any period of time?

Hans-Werner · Nov 3, 2016

Hi, I agree that it might be an algal bloom, most probably dinoflagellates. Water changes allone will be of minor use. You need to install a UVC-unit (water clarifyer) of sufficient power to get rid of the algal bloom. After you have installed the UVC water changes make sense. Otherwise the algae will double as fast that you can hardly see any success after one day, no matter how much water you change. Carbon may bind some toxins but will not help against the algal bloom. Ozone may help too but I have not tried it yet.
The algae have eaten up all nutrients so of course nutrients are extremely low now.

norskfisk · Nov 3, 2016

I have experimented a lot with phytoplankton in aquariums. This is a phytoplankton bloom. It will go away by itself very soon, and most likely never return. Since the nitrate level is so low it means that it is already struggling with getting enough nutrients. You don't have to do anything. Phytoplankton blooms look worse than they are because the small organisms have such a large surface area to volume. The total biomass may not be bigger than a small damsel fish in this case. Fine filter socks and a good skimmer helps. Just see this as a way to export the remains of the hair algae that have now become micro algae. This is also perfect food for sand bed critters like tiny copepods. These algae are so great food for filter feeders that you would have a large fauna eating them in your tank if you could keep the bloom for a few weeks. You can't though, it will disappear by itself. Just consider yourself lucky as long as it lasts.

Hans-Werner · Nov 3, 2016

I am sorry but I do not fully agree with norskfisk. A longer time ago I had a dinoflagellate bloom that perpetuated itself for more than half a year, even without any lighting, just with the light from a window and probably feeding on bacteria, and I had a green Nanochloropsis bloom (introduced with an algae additive) about 3 years ago that also didn´t disappear by itself. The first mentioned tank was nearly empty and was installed as quarantine tank but the system with the Nanochloropsis bloom had some corals and filter feeders and to my surprise both were not happy about the algal bloom, so I cleared both algal blooms away with UV sterilizers. I had one or two more algal blooms after installing new tanks and I had to clear all away with UV.

jenreefer · Nov 3, 2016

+1 on water changes, many of them and add and change filter sock every 12 hours. Take the gfo offline and make sure it was set up right. If it were me, would turn lights off also just to make sure not algae bloom driven by light.

Do you run activated carbon? if not, get some and place in a filter bag and get it in there to absorb any toxins.

Keep us updated. good luck

Paul B · Nov 3, 2016

This is easy. After all that hair algae you had died, it rotted allowing it's nutrients to go back into the water all at once. That is just microscope algae you have there and will not hurt anything and may actually be good. But now you need to get rid of it. I personally would run a diatom filter and in an hour, your tank would be as good as new, or even better because all that plant matter will contain all the nutrients in your tank. Removing that will fix the problem and keep hair algae out of your tank at least for a while. I also would "not" change the water. I realize that sounds counterproductive and opposite of what everyone will tell you but changing the water will add more algae growing nutrients and your water now, with all the algae will be perfect. Of course if you don't have access to or can't borrow a diatom filter, you could try a canister filter or you will have to change the water even though I think that will give you more problems.
In your first post you said that your problems became worse after you changed water. Most people didn't hear that but I have been saying that for decades. Changing water to fix algae is usually the exact opposite thing that I think you should do. If water changes worked so well, no one would have algae problems.

You also don't need to test because with all that green matter, your water will be perfect.
Good luck

Tori · Nov 3, 2016

This little Marineland polishing filter works pretty well if you can't get your hands on a diatom filter.

https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-P...=1478178943&sr=1-1&keywords=marineland+magnum

I would get an extra micron filter or to so you can keep going when they clog.

https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-P...=1478178967&sr=1-4&keywords=marineland+magnum

Paul B · Nov 3, 2016

That will solve your "problem" in an hour. (as long as you don't change water

)

lewis.maryann08 · Nov 3, 2016

I would start doing water changes test the clean water to make sure it is ok...

Epicreefster · Nov 3, 2016

Given how dark it is I would say its micro algae. GFO dust tends to settle out and dust everything pretty quick, but might tint the water. To figure it out, take two cups of tank water, microwave one till its hot, doesn't have to boil just get it to 120F or so, then set them side by side. If they settle the same then its GFO, if its algae the microwaved one(dead algae) should settle in an hour or two and the other(live algae) will take longer, but will eventually settle as well so keep checking it. If its dinoflagellates then it can settle quick but will also settle on the sides of the glass not just the bottom.

I agree with Paul B that water changes tend to not help with algae problems, especially when you are reading 0 nitrate and phosphate. The algae has stripped all the nutrients from the tank water you take out, and the water going back in may or may not be zero nutrients. Either wait it out, add a UV C sterilizer a small 8w or 15w one will clear water of algae in a day or two and is more affordable, or try hydrogen peroxide(cheaper option), I don't have dosing advice on that but there is a lot about it on this forum.