i need help please

[stanleo]

This 55 gl has been setup for 5 years but 7 months ago I tore everything down and scrubbed the rocks, epuipment, filters, the works and changed 90% of the water.

I clean the glass and it takes about 3 days for the green film to be noticable when viewed from the inside and another 2 days till its noticable enough from the outside to be annoying.

I have 2 canister filters. I was running filter floss and sponges and carbon in both until a couple weeks ago when a guy at a reef aquarium store advised me to take out the floss and the sponges. I did that and in one of the filters I am using a GFO for phosphates. Its GFO that is designed to work in canister filters.

At that time I had him test my water and these were the results.
Salinity 1.030
Phosphates 0
Nitrates 5
Magnesium 1400
Calcium 500
Alkelinty 7.7.

I was using a swing arm for salinity is why it was so high. I got a refractometer and I fixed that. He told me to dose baking soda every oher day for four doses. I did that. Before this I was doing 20gl WC weekly and he said that was over kill so last week I only did 10gl. I also changed salt mix at that time from a genaric store brand to Kent Reef Salt.

So today I tested the water myself and these were my results.
Salinity 1.025
pH 8.2
Phosphates 0
Nitrates 5 or 10 (I can't tell the difference between the colors of those two numbers on API kits.
Magnesium 1360
Calcium 440
Alkelinty 9

I use a skimmer and have to clean out the cup every couple days. The skimmate is dark green and runny and every couple days there is about 3mm of it in the cup.

My feeding is as follows
Everyday: a pinch of flakes for fish, a dried seaweed sheet for the sea hare, a few drops of phytofeast for various filter feeders
Every other day: pellets for the crabs
3 times a week: a cube of frozen shrimp for fish and others, and I target feed my duncan. on these days I don't do flakes or pellets but I still give the sea hare his seaweed which he rips up and it goes everywhere but he does eat most of it and I take out the big peices that are left after a couple hours.

I have been cleaning the filters once a month. I have one pump on the right pane that does 1300 gph, and a small pump in the middle facing the front that does 300 gph. The filtes are Fluval 304 and a Fluval 305.

Today it seems all I can see is brown diatoms on my rocks and the sand. Animals all behave normally. In fact when the salinity was so high they were sluggish and now they are very active and when I feed them they eat like there is no tomarrow.

Here is my issue. I still have brown diatoms, hair algae and red slime growing in the tank. Why?
Am I feeding to much?
Are my numbers bad? Everything I have read I thought that those numbers are what you want?
Is it possible that the algae is using up all the nitrates and phosphates so that when I test I can't detect the actual levels?
Should I just give it time?
Do you all think 20gl a week is overkill? WHen I was doing that I still had all the algae growth but it didn't seem as bad.

I don't know if pics of the algae will help you help me but I can privide them. "Please help me, Obi Won Kanobi, your my only hope."

 

[Reef_in_Denver]

A common theme I have noticed when going through my own algae research is water quality.

Have you ever tested the saltwater for phosphates BEFORE adding it to your tank? A lot of people find out that their LFS or their own RO/DI system does not do an efficient job of producing water with low Phosphates.

Do you run a sump/refugium with macro algae to combat phosphates in the system?

 

[stanleo]

No I don't use a sump. I have tested the RO water before and after I add the salt. It reads 0 and I just got new filters for the RO unit a month ago. I haven't done that test for a while though.

My light is 4 t5s. 2 10000k daylight, one actinic and one ATI coral plus. 10 hours a day.

 

[LPSGUY]

I think the 20g a week is overkill. I would do 20% or 11g. I would ditch the other canister filter, dont need it, nitrate factory. Keep the one with GFO. I would ditch the phyto feast, this could be adding to excess nutrients. An entire dried seaweed sheet a day...is a lot in my opinion. I'm not that knowledgable on sea hares, but if it takes that much to feed it I would remove it. I have 3 tangs in a 125 and feed them half that amount every couple of days, big fat and happy. I think you are way over feeding.

What kind of smimmer do you have? Also, what about RO water you didnt mention that? Do you have an RO/DI unit?

How much coral do you have. You can cut down on lighting period as well to help with algae. Trying 8 hours a day (depends on type of corals so be careful)

 

[stanleo]

Skimmer is a Marineland SeaClone 150 HOB. I have a RO/DI unit and just replaced filters one month ago.

I have 2 toadstool leathers (one is big) a Duncan, star polyps and a Maxima clam. Would that be okay for 8 hours a day? I have thought about doing that but was scared to. I will try running just the one filter. I will lesson the seaweed to every third day. I have tried to get info on how much to feed them but all I get is A LOT. Not much out there on sea hares but I can't imagine they need more than 3 tangs!

I was told that Maxima clams need a feeding supplement when they are less than 2 inches. Is that not true? That's the main reason I use phytofeast.

Thanks for the replies, keep em comin please. The more info I get the better I feel.

 

[LPSGUY]

I dont know about the clams I've never kept them. Clams need a lot of light I would stick with 10 hours.

Try lessoning the feeding and removing the one filter for now. I would also urge you to get a better skimmer and invest in a sump. Not to be negative but the Seaclones arent very good and pull very little from the tank. 3mm every couple of days is not much. My old 75g would pull 2 inches in two days running dryer and more when wet skim. Adding some macro algae to the sump will help pull phospates from water. It's another expense but I think its worth it. And I wouldnt post it just to have you go out and spend more money...I know this hobby is expensive.......outside of that you are doing everything I can think of and have a good handle on things.....

 

[Small triggers]

Also...when was the last time you changed your bulbs? If they are over 7-9 months old with how long you run them they need changed...
And I'm sure you could get away with shortening the daylight span...mine only comes on for 5 hours a day and I have a clam that is just fine with it...
But being your light is not as strong I'd say the 8 hours someone suggested will be fine...
I also agree with removing the one canister...but then you may need another powerhead to replace the flow...
And if you are able to do a sump it's a great investment...as you can get a better skimmer, because even the best hob skimmer cannot match a good in sump skimmer...

 

[stanleo]

I just got a new light fixture with new bulbs for Christmas. I know a sump would do wonders and I would love it but I have spent so much in the last 2 months I just can't afford it. Plus there is no room for it.

This might be a crazy question, but what about putting a macroalgae in the DT? There are some that I think look really nice.

 

[Small triggers]

I like macro algae in the DT as long as you have a tang or something else to keep it in check...(I have prolifera in my tank and my tang and turbo snails keep it down fairly well)
Also...as far as you lighting...I'd take an hour off of each timing...new lighting is as hard on things as really old lighting...and your tank has to get used to the brighter lighting...