Need help

Aadam210 · Aug 3, 2023

Hi , i’m 15 years old and about a year ago i had to take over the responsibility of a quite large marine tank, i honestly didn’t give it much care for the first year however now i am looking to do it properly. However i have run into many problems and was hoping to find some answers here . The tank is about 1000L and sump about 650L it’s 8ft x 3ft x 2ft . I know a few things however i have a lot to learn

Here are just some of the many questions i have:

There is some kind of SHL computer hooked up to the tank which i don’t really understand but what it does say is my Ph is reading 9.4 . there are currently a few fish in the tank including a skeleton eel and hybrid black tang
Does anyone know why the ph is extremely high?

The tank currently has two reef led 90s but no coral and i’m looking for the best lighting schedule for when i do add coral

Also i have been using an rodi machine which hasn’t been changed in years which i now understand is very dangerous as the tds was at around 11ppm. to change the filters i had to unscrew a few pipes and soak the canisters in hot water as they were hard to get of. after replacing and reassembling the whole thing i am only getting waste water and the di resin canister isn’t filling up.

I am also having a massive hair algae problem and don’t know what to do

The hybrid black tang has been tin the tank for close to 3 years now and nothing has been added to tank in that time so i’m sure there is no icy or velvet or anything like that or i assume the fish would be dead already however it shows some symptoms of it like always seeming agitated and swimming kind of sideways

If anyone has any extra information to give me it is much appreciated

SnazzyUrchin792 · Aug 3, 2023

Your pH is not that high. Those need frequent recalibration. Check the pH with a manual kit. pH is easy to test for and even API will give good enough readings. A tank of that size will need ReefLed 90’s x4 or ReefLed 160’s x3.
For the GHA (green hair algae), start with preventitive measures. Test phosphate and nitrate. Detail your feeding schedule. Detail your lighting schedule. Then go on the offensive. Go in bare-handed and physically rip out as much as possible. Then buy tuxedo urchins. Lots of urchins. And Mexican turbo snails.

Aadam210 said:
The hybrid black tang has been tin the tank for close to 3 years now and nothing has been added to tank in that time so i’m sure there is no ich or velvet or anything like that or i assume the fish would be dead already however it shows some symptoms of it like always seeming agitated and swimming kind of sideways

This part could be caused by high flow, but, this is not my area of expertise, so, #fishmedic.
Just out of curiosity, is there any markings on the computer measuring pH? What is its color scheme?
Also, can you provide a full levels panel?
Give:
pH
Phosphate
Nitrate
Alkalinity
Temp
Salinity
Magnesium (optional)
Calcium (optional)
Best of luck! I am 15 and a tank of that size is my dream! I’m jealous!

SnazzyUrchin792 · Aug 3, 2023

Also, can you give pics? Makes sure your white channel is all the way up while taking the photos

Jay Hemdal · Aug 4, 2023

Aadam210 said:
Hi , i’m 15 years old and about a year ago i had to take over the responsibility of a quite large marine tank, i honestly didn’t give it much care for the first year however now i am looking to do it properly. However i have run into many problems and was hoping to find some answers here . The tank is about 1000L and sump about 650L it’s 8ft x 3ft x 2ft . I know a few things however i have a lot to learn

Here are just some of the many questions i have:

There is some kind of SHL computer hooked up to the tank which i don’t really understand but what it does say is my Ph is reading 9.4 . there are currently a few fish in the tank including a skeleton eel and hybrid black tang
Does anyone know why the ph is extremely high?

The tank currently has two reef led 90s but no coral and i’m looking for the best lighting schedule for when i do add coral

Also i have been using an rodi machine which hasn’t been changed in years which i now understand is very dangerous as the tds was at around 11ppm. to change the filters i had to unscrew a few pipes and soak the canisters in hot water as they were hard to get of. after replacing and reassembling the whole thing i am only getting waste water and the di resin canister isn’t filling up.

I am also having a massive hair algae problem and don’t know what to do

The hybrid black tang has been tin the tank for close to 3 years now and nothing has been added to tank in that time so i’m sure there is no icy or velvet or anything like that or i assume the fish would be dead already however it shows some symptoms of it like always seeming agitated and swimming kind of sideways

If anyone has any extra information to give me it is much appreciated