Need help / advice or something!

[mckinney0171]

I've had this tank up and running for over 3 years now.
I've had nitrate issues in the past but they seem to have just about gone away since I started using ro/di water.

The problem I'm having is this yellowish film that develops on the glass. It's thick, it's constant and no matter how much I mag float it, it keeps returning the next day. I can't go two days without having a thick film on my tank walls.

I am not over stocked, I do not over feed. I have more than enough flow. I have a good sump and skimmer. I run gfo and rox carbon. I change out my filter sock every 2 to 3 days. I have good lighting with two led steps and four t5 lights (about 2 months old).

I just don't get it. How do I defeat this stuff? Is not on the rocks that I can see, just on the glass.

My levels are pretty good at....

Ph..............8.4
Nitrate......5.0
Phos...........0
Calcium....520 (I know it's high)
Kh..............7dkh / 125.3
Mag...........1480 (approximately)

What could my problem be and how do I fix it?

Lights are
Orbit marine led
Fluval sea reef led
4 t5 at I bulbs (3 blue 1 purple)

You should try carbon dosing to bring those organics down. With carbon dosing you will want to feed your system A LOT. I had to get used to it because I used to starve my livestock before I started doing it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You should try carbon dosing to bring those organics down. With carbon dosing you will want to feed your system A LOT. I had to get used to it because I used to starve my livestock before I started doing it.

I've never read that carbon dosing reduces organics. I believe it just increases bacterial populations to process nutrients faster. IMO if the nutrients are already low there's no reason to carbon dose and then feed more. I don't just stop carbon dosing.

 

[mckinney0171]

Nutrients that's what I meant to say instead of organics. Oops. Guess I sometimes use those two terms to mean the same thing (excess phosphates and nitrates). I carbon dose all the time.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nutrients that's what I meant to say instead of organics. Oops. Guess I sometimes use those two terms to mean the same thing (excess phosphates and nitrates). I carbon dose all the time.

That's cool. Randy Farley busted me out once for saying Po instead of po4.
He said there is probably not much polonium in the tank.
Lol.

Fwiw all nutints as well as co2 and and cal/alk are in essence carbon dosing, or more correctly the carbon exchange that all life in the planet rely upon. The organic carbon sources we use in carbon dosing just allow the carbon to be more efficiently and quickly absorbed by these organisms as the carbon is much more easily removed from the molecule.

 

[Dj City]

I have looked into carbon dosing but really don't want to do it.
I have tried nopox in the past along with bio pellets and seachem matrix. No measurable positive effect for me.

I'm trying a new approach. I'm keeping it simple!

 

[mcarroll]

Nitrate......5.0
Phos...........0

Sounds like the yellow pigment of dino's.....maybe chrysophytes, but that's less likely.

You're creating the optimal environment for whatever it is by holding phosphates down at zero.....unnatural and unhealthy for almost everything in the tank.

BTW, you also have a ton of livestock in your tank that LOVES high phosphate levels.....in particular the anemone, but literally everything else too.

Adding the algae reactor to your GFO usage did not help matters....macro algae also requires phosphates.

Carbon dosing would make matters even worse as it causes a bacterial bloom.....that (bacteria) is what your dino collection is eating in lieu of available phosphates. (Want a dino bloom? )

So you're trying for simple, but you need even simpler.

Balancing your nutrients needs to be your new goal.....artificially removing nutrients needs to be a thing of the past for this tank.

Once you balance the N in your tank with a little bit of dosed P, you'll start to see improvement.

If the dino's (yellow growth on glass) should automatically go away after a day or two of P-dosing, though it's possible you will have to be a little more persistent.

Not only will the dino's disappear, but the whole tank should be a lot happier. You'll most likely experience a coral growth spurt as well....so keep an eye on NO3 and PO4.....don't let either one get down to zero.

2¢

Let me know if you have any questions as I know this is a lot to take in and that it may be contrary to a lot of what you've heard in the hobby so far.....you're welcome to PM or ask here if you have any questions at all.

 

[Dj City]

Sounds like the yellow pigment of dino's.....maybe chrysophytes, but that's less likely.

You're creating the optimal environment for whatever it is by holding phosphates down at zero.....unnatural and unhealthy for almost everything in the tank.

BTW, you also have a ton of livestock in your tank that LOVES high phosphate levels.....in particular the anemone, but literally everything else too.

Adding the algae reactor to your GFO usage did not help matters....macro algae also requires phosphates.


So you're trying for simple, but you need even simpler.

Balancing your nutrients needs to be your new goal.....artificially removing nutrients needs to be a thing of the past for this tank.

Once you balance the N in your tank with a little bit of dosed P, you'll start to see improvement.

If the dino's (yellow growth on glass) should automatically go away after a day or two of P-dosing, though it's possible you will have to be a little more persistent.

Not only will the dino's disappear, but the whole tank should be a lot happier. You'll most likely experience a coral growth spurt as well....so keep an eye on NO3 and PO4.....don't let either one get down to zero.

2¢

Let me know if you have any questions as I know this is a lot to take in and that it may be contrary to a lot of what you've heard in the hobby so far.....you're welcome to PM or ask here if you have any questions at all.

What is P dosing?

I'm trying to get nutrients balanced with the algae reactor.
I'm not shooting for zero. I can't get to zero if I tried.
I hope to get to the point that i can take the gfo offline.
My test reads zero but I know better because of the algae on the glass, powerheads and growth in the reactor.

 

[mcarroll]

My test reads zero but I know better because of the algae on the glass, powerheads and growth in the reactor.

It's not quite that simple – you are starving out a lot more than just algae by maintaining current nutrient levels.

Starving out the algae isn't even a desirable goal in and of itself since, as you're seeing, it promotes even-worse algae that love low nutrients.

This is most-especially true about newer tanks....they need to be fed, not starved.

I would stop GFO and carbon dosing ASAP. The algae reactor is optional....it will be easier to get a handle on balancing things without it running and I would give the most serious consideration to shutting it down for now. But I understand if you don't wanna have to restart it later. You have to make that decision. (The reactor is not helping in the short term though...you will have to work against it.)

Dosing the tank with what's missing (N or P; nitrates or phosphates) is the correction that needs to be made in the short term – as dictated by your test results.

Seachem and Brightwell both make fertilizer products that would be appropriate....DIY formulas exist too if you google a little.

You will like the info and links on this thread to get you started:
Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

 

[Dj City]

It's not quite that simple – you are starving out a lot more than just algae by maintaining current nutrient levels.

Starving out the algae isn't even a desirable goal in and of itself since, as you're seeing, it promotes even-worse algae that love low nutrients.

This is most-especially true about newer tanks....they need to be fed, not starved.

I would stop GFO and carbon dosing ASAP. The algae reactor is optional....it will be easier to get a handle on balancing things without it running and I would give the most serious consideration to shutting it down for now. But I understand if you don't wanna have to restart it later. You have to make that decision. (The reactor is not helping in the short term though...you will have to work against it.)

Dosing the tank with what's missing (N or P; nitrates or phosphates) is the correction that needs to be made in the short term – as dictated by your test results.

Seachem and Brightwell both make fertilizer products that would be appropriate....DIY formulas exist too if you google a little.

You will like the info and links on this thread to get you started:
Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I have had this tank up and running for close to 4 years.
I don't carbon dose.

I thought that algae in a remote part of the system like in a fuge or reactor would promote beneficial algae growth and limit algae growth in the display. Growing strong algae remotely should out compete algae in the display right?

What is the Seachem product you are talking about?
How would it help me?

 

[Dj City]

I just thought of another problem I have but it should be easy to correct.

I use a 10gal aquarium for my a to but it's not covered.
I'm likely feeding bacteria to the tank through top off water.
I felt the inside glass and its slimey.

I'm going to empty it, clean it, refill it with fresh ro/di water and cover it.
Going to lowes to get a glass or plexiglass cover cut to fit.

 

[Brew12]

I'm likely feeding bacteria to the tank through top off water.
I felt the inside glass and its slimey.

Jurassic Park -"Life, uh, finds a way"

 

[Dj City]

Day 7

After adding seachem fusion 1 and 2 last week, I see that I need to start dosing a calcium supplement. After adding the seachem, calcium went up to 460 and Kh up to 9.
My calcium went from 460 to 420 in 7 days. Kh remains the same.

The algae reactor is working! For the 1st time in 4 years, I have 0 nitrates according to the test.

My water parameters as of today

Calcium......................420
Kh/Dkh.......................161.1 / 9
Mag.............................1475 (approximately)
Ph.................................8.0
Nitrate.........................0
Phos.............................0 (according to test)
Salinity........................1.024

Next choice I need to make is what to dose.
2 part or kalkwasser.

Again, any and all advice is welcome.

 

[mcarroll]

I hope the algae reactor grows like crazy and it all works out, but IMO these numbers aren't sustainable – be wary about trying too hard to keep them.

Nitrate.........................0
Phos.............................0 (according to test)