Is This the Ugly Phase that is expected?

[Rexless]

Greetings to All,

I'm at the 1 year anniversary of my 30 gal tank and lost a few fish and a bubble tip anenome but that was most likely because I added to much too soon.

Havent been very consistent with water changes as I should be just because work/life gets in the way often. Am feeling a bit overwhelmed now and just waiting for something catastrophic to happen which I dont want lol.

I'll keep reading for tips on nuisance algae but is it normal to feel a bit paranoid in this hobby; so many avenues to take, my first goal is to raise zoas but not sure what to start testing/dosing.

 

[SMSREEF]

Greetings to All,

I'm at the 1 year anniversary of my 30 gal tank and lost a few fish and a bubble tip anenome but that was most likely because I added to much too soon.

Havent been very consistent with water changes as I should be just because work/life gets in the way often. Am feeling a bit overwhelmed now and just waiting for something catastrophic to happen which I dont want lol.

I'll keep reading for tips on nuisance algae but is it normal to feel a bit paranoid in this hobby; so many avenues to take, my first goal is to raise zoas but not sure what to start testing/dosing.

Don’t worry, That’s just some hair algae that needs cleaned out. Manual removal is best.
you can also pull a rock, manually remove the algae you can and to a quick spot treatment with some peroxide on the surface. Do not drench rock in peroxide because it will kill the bacteria inside the rock. You just use some on the surface.

Just start doing regular water changes to keep your nutrient levels in check and replace the elements your corals and anemone need.

 

[Rexless]

Don’t worry, That’s just some hair algae that needs cleaned out. Manual removal is best.
you can also pull a rock, manually remove the algae you can and to a quick spot treatment with some peroxide on the surface. Do not drench rock in peroxide because it will kill the bacteria inside the rock. You just use some on the surface.

Just start doing regular water changes to keep your nutrient levels in check and replace the elements your corals and anemone need.

Thank you very much and will follow your advice. Much appreciated.

 

[brandon429]

you have the option to simply clean the reef out correctly. here's some peroxide work to inspect:

Reef2Reef Pest algae challenge thread hydrogen peroxide

Thank you for the quick reply and guidance. it Is a Waterbox 100.3 so a take down is fairly easy. Went through it to get all the fish out a month ago and is no problem. All corals on plugs aside from the nem so that is also a non issue. Conchs, snails, hermits, fire and cleaner shrimp is all...

www.reef2reef.com

200 people opting out of uglies, and being happy w results. not a single bacterial issue.


there are also myriad dosers avail to help, awaiting threads linked we can read our own patterns from.

vibrant is one, but I wouldnt use it as that compounds waste already in the system via dieoff

we remove it


nobody says you have to use peroxide at all. simply go where you can find the good results.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s simple-
Reduct white light intensity and add snails:
Turbo, astrea, nerite, cerith, trochus and nassarius
And a few blue leg hermit crabs
What is phosphate level and are you using rodi water or tap water from the faucet ?
Also- is tank at or near a window ?

 

[Rexless]

you have the option to simply clean the reef out correctly. here's some peroxide work to inspect:

Reef2Reef Pest algae challenge thread hydrogen peroxide

Thank you for the quick reply and guidance. it Is a Waterbox 100.3 so a take down is fairly easy. Went through it to get all the fish out a month ago and is no problem. All corals on plugs aside from the nem so that is also a non issue. Conchs, snails, hermits, fire and cleaner shrimp is all...

www.reef2reef.com

200 people opting out of uglies, and being happy w results. not a single bacterial issue.


there are also myriad dosers avail to help, awaiting threads linked we can read our own patterns from.

vibrant is one, but I wouldnt use it as that compounds waste already in the system via dieoff

we remove it


nobody says you have to use peroxide at all. simply go where you can find the good results.

Right on yo! I'll read through and act accordingly. Appreciate the advice.

 

[Rexless]

It’s simple-
Reduct white light intensity and add snails:
Turbo, astrea, nerite, cerith, trochus and nassarius
And a few blue leg hermit crabs
What is phosphate level and are you using rodi water or tap water from the faucet ?
Also- is tank at or near a window ?

I have two snails but not sure exact species but I see where your going. That's thing I still have the basic test kit, Amonnia, PH, Nitrate and Nitrite. Now I know to get phosphate kit now and I'm using RODI for sure. Awesome, Thank you!

 

[brandon429]

Tank cleaning is such a passionate topic among aquarists lol we are all vying to get best methods tested.


the key breakdown to save 30 pages of read, still scan the before and after pics though they’re gemlike, is this:

you know by looking at the cross section of the sandbed above its not an ant farm of life. It’s grains and mud. Maybe a worm that migrated out of the live rock that hitched in on a frag, but right there in cross section you can see all zones of your sandbed.

cleaning that isn’t harmful. Even if the worm dies heh


he had a finite lifespan anyway, sped up now to remove the feed for your algae, which is typical waste that builds up in rocks and sand and can be proofed at any time by disturbing sand, it will cloud. Or twist a rock midwater, that will cloud.

under white light intensity green algae feed off those detritus castings as they break down further, gha actually catches and holds waste for on site degrading by design.


to directly kill algae and remove holdfasts for waste, while removing waste, fixes the cause and the symptom same time....hence the after pics for rolls above.


awaiting any other thread with as many nano fixes but truthfully there are many ways to fix it, lesser invasive ways.

what works best is what should be chosen, but we have about fifteen analogs of that tank already fixed it would be a breeze


I recommend all new water but your water can be drawn off and reused if you want.


youd drain the tank, catch the water before it gets down low and cloudy. Then per links on post #1 we’d clean the tank bottom up, leaving only a reef that looks like the after pics. Input back 80% old water and 20% new, your reef now looks like it will take you eight months to earn the snooze way.

it’s the opposite of what anyone wants to do lol but the after pics, awaiting any other thread showing five after pics.


this option isn’t practical in large tanks. In nanos, it’s unbeatable.


our method isn’t exclusive or against fine grazer balances

agreed dedicated fish and snails can help, but we add them in the clean condition tank, not the invaded clouded one. Snails and fish add to clouding (produces whole waste pellets copiously) doubling what’s there above.


you may not have to deep clean now, but one day

might as well practice, before loaded with coral.

 

[brandon429]

I seem like a peroxide elitist aware lol not intentional


it’s merely to add to the rolls. I’m open to purveying literally any other method, someone impress me. Link—> insert lemme see


in that thread above labeled peroxide we use peroxide as 10% of the job it’s fractional. Cleaning out that filthy, filthy sandbed is 90% lol


i simply advocate ripping any misbehaving reef instantly into shape with no delay to ID or measure params. it can’t be all that bad.