Nutrient control question......

[Gwitness]

So I just read through almost every line of this thread. There are three questions that I did not see asked, maybe I missed them. Do you use RO/DI for your top off and water changes? When where the filters and membranes last changed if you do. The third question relates to earlier in the thread when you showed a pic of your tank and I could see in your sump. On the left hand side you had two little white containers with blue lids on them. They looked like a fish food that I used to feed in my last set up. I didn't think I over fed either, however always had this same problem and hair algae too. Have you tried switching foods?

Thanks for taking the time to read through the thread!! As for rodi unit I have a spectra pure and I change out all filters every 6 months and have not had to change out membrane yet....as for food I do feed a small pinch of flake here and there but I mostly feed larrys reef frenzy food and pe mysis ....weird thing is the cyano or whatever it is, is mainly on sand when it comes not the rocks....I will siphon the sand and it will literally come back the next day??

 

[Gwitness]

This was siphoned yesterday and now it looks like this within one day....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If the growth is only on the sand, I'd consider removing or replacing the substrate.

 

[fragit]

This was siphoned yesterday and now it looks like this within one day....

I know other people have mentioned this, but it was very successful for me in the past. When I first started with reef keeping I had a 10gl refugium stocked full of caulurpa it really helped with water clarity, and competing with nuisance algae there was not a bit in my display which was a 29 gal. I only did a mechanical sump, and ran a HOB skimmer. My last tank, had my 29 that I DIYed into a sump with a small fuge in the middle w/cheato, and the display was a 40 breeder. It was really clean and nice for a long time, then boom something happened (girl friend/nursing school) and developed a very similar algae problem. I always kicked myself for not setting up a larger refugium. I'm currently planning a new build and am going to set the 40 up as my refugium. I am convinced that all that macro helps keep a tank clean, plus it really provided a breeding ground for all sorts of pods, snails and worms and good stuff that will keep your tank clean and feed your fish and corals. Just food for thought.

 

[Gwitness]

I know other people have mentioned this, but it was very successful for me in the past. When I first started with reef keeping I had a 10gl refugium stocked full of caulurpa it really helped with water clarity, and competing with nuisance algae there was not a bit in my display which was a 29 gal. I only did a mechanical sump, and ran a HOB skimmer. My last tank, had my 29 that I DIYed into a sump with a small fuge in the middle w/cheato, and the display was a 40 breeder. It was really clean and nice for a long time, then boom something happened (girl friend/nursing school) and developed a very similar algae problem. I always kicked myself for not setting up a larger refugium. I'm currently planning a new build and am going to set the 40 up as my refugium. I am convinced that all that macro helps keep a tank clean, plus it really provided a breeding ground for all sorts of pods, snails and worms and good stuff that will keep your tank clean and feed your fish and corals. Just food for thought.

I might just do that and add some to the sump but my sump is only a 40 breeder so I'm thinking that it won't be enough to even affect anything nutrient wise....I might give it a try though

 

[fragit]

I might just do that and add some to the sump but my sump is only a 40 breeder so I'm thinking that it won't be enough to even affect anything nutrient wise....I might give it a try though

That's why I'm setting mine up as a stand alone. Is your sand old? Was it stored at all?

 

[Gwitness]

That's why I'm setting mine up as a stand alone. Is your sand old? Was it stored at all?

Yeah when I move to my next place I am going to try and have a huge sump or something so I can set it up the right way!! The sand was bought brand new and it was the dry aragonite sand....it wasn't live sand....I washed it out with tap water for a long time and then emptied water and let it dry out for a week before I put it in the tank.....

 

[DeadheadSC]

I couldn't agree with you more!! So my nitrates read 5 on salifert test and phosphates are consistently reading 0.0 to 0.03 consistently but as of late has been reading 0 consistently and that's why I took off gfo and now recently started to stop nopox because of low phosphate readings and cyano showing up.....randomly about a week ago my anemones all started to move and hide, sps turned paler and Zoas closed up and won't open.....didn't change anything with the tank either....really weird! But I stopped dosing nopox for two days now and I think I'm gonna stop for good right now....how do u get phosphates and nitrates back where they should be? Technically they are in correct ranges but obviously out of whack like you said.....fish seem great and happy, lps are looking better now and sps I don't have many but are still pale and no polyp extension....I literally rarely have a coral grow but they do open and sps definitely don't grow or color up great.....thanks so much for your previous response and help!

I agree on the params. seeming a little strange. The limiting factor for uptake of nutrients in a system dosing carbon should be nitrate. Often, the reason people add GFO in addition to dosing is that they were sold on the notion that given proper skimming, nutrient levels could be controlled solely through addition of this product and adjustment of the dosage. This isn't entirely true. Carbon dosing(more specifically the NOPOX product) should rapidly deplete the system of nitrates sometimes leaving more phosphate in the system than we would like to see. It's is beneficial at this point to realize that the problem isn't excess phosphate, it's a nitrate level so low that is not able to support the nutritional needs of the bacteria you want to remove the excess phosphates. At this point, adding GFO would seem like a great way to go. However, a reduction in dosage of your carbon source and possibly (in some cases) the addition of a little nitrate through feeding is actually the course of action that needs to be investigated. I think I read somewhere that Red Sea has actually reccomended adding reef energy A for just this purpose. My .02 as I see on here so often.

 

[Damon]

You know, question.. And it's a shot in the dark, but you said you rinsed the sand with Tap water and let it dry for a while? And that the mysterious algea only grows on the sand bed and not the rocks or the walls?

 

[Gwitness]

You know, question.. And it's a shot in the dark, but you said you rinsed the sand with Tap water and let it dry for a while? And that the mysterious algea only grows on the sand bed and not the rocks or the walls?

Absolutely nothing on the walls or glass ever....some on the rocks but not a lot.....most of it is usually on the sand....weird thing now is I increased to 100ml of vinegar from 90 about two days ago and it almost seems if stuff on the sabe is going away a little bit, but too early to tell yet

 

[Tristan]

I'm just curious......how hard is it to keep a successful reef by just good skimming, live rock, and of course water changes??! I have tried nopox dosing, gfo, etc....and I'm just curious how hard is it to run a successful reef ...fully stocked by just good skimming and consistent water changes??? I just always see everyone running a lot of the other things or carbon dosing to help out, which I know they work, but I was just wondering if keeping it as simple as possible would work and how well? Obviously different tanks mean different size water changes and skimmers....but would a fully stocked reef have to have gfo or carbon dose done on it to keep up with nutrient levels? I am currently nopox dosing and I'm debating just ending it and just let my skimmer do the work and do my weekly or bi weekly water changes....thoughts? Opinions? Experiences? Thank you!

Have you tried using miracle mud? I've heard a lot of good things about it.

 

[Gwitness]

Have you tried using miracle mud? I've heard a lot of good things about it.

I have heard good things also but honesty have no idea how to use it or how I have to set it up....my sump is just an open 40 breeder so I'm assuming I would need a legit sump with baffles to run he miracle mud but maybe not....what does it even do?? Haha

 

[Tristan]

I have heard good things also but honesty have no idea how to use it or how I have to set it up....my sump is just an open 40 breeder so I'm assuming I would need a legit sump with baffles to run he miracle mud but maybe not....what does it even do?? Haha

 

[Gwitness]

Hmmmm interesting.....

 

[Damon]

Hmmnn.. That is good. Hopefully it will continue.. I have say and watched your progress. I'm hoping it goes away and the increase is tipping the scales..

And the mud, you don't have to have baffles, but it helps, along with not having a ton of flow in the system. I used both miracle and the Carib mud in the past. There wasn't much difference to me at least between the two, and the miracle is much more expensive. But, I know my mangroves grew well in it. My cheato always and still does grow well because I have a ton of light down there. My current sump is bare bottom.

But I hope the increase in vinegar tips the scales indeed.. Be watching out for you..

 

[Gwitness]

Hmmnn.. That is good. Hopefully it will continue.. I have say and watched your progress. I'm hoping it goes away and the increase is tipping the scales..

And the mud, you don't have to have baffles, but it helps, along with not having a ton of flow in the system. I used both miracle and the Carib mud in the past. There wasn't much difference to me at least between the two, and the miracle is much more expensive. But, I know my mangroves grew well in it. My cheato always and still does grow well because I have a ton of light down there. My current sump is bare bottom.

But I hope the increase in vinegar tips the scales indeed.. Be watching out for you..

Appreciate all the help and input once again!!! I will definitely have an update good or bad in a couple weeks or so

 

[Gwitness]

Hmmnn.. That is good. Hopefully it will continue.. I have say and watched your progress. I'm hoping it goes away and the increase is tipping the scales..

And the mud, you don't have to have baffles, but it helps, along with not having a ton of flow in the system. I used both miracle and the Carib mud in the past. There wasn't much difference to me at least between the two, and the miracle is much more expensive. But, I know my mangroves grew well in it. My cheato always and still does grow well because I have a ton of light down there. My current sump is bare bottom.

But I hope the increase in vinegar tips the scales indeed.. Be watching out for you..

Here is a picture of the stuff on my rocks.....but the weird thing is that it's not all over my rocks or anything.....and when I squat down and look at my rock at an upward angle, there are a bunch of air bubble on my rocks....not covering them but there is a nice amount?? The other weird thing is that the brown spots on my sand don't have any air bubbles or long stringy stuff.....man I really hope this is not Dino's cause I have a packed out reef haha ....

 

[Gwitness]

If the growth is only on the sand, I'd consider removing or replacing the substrate.

Hey randy if you get a chance check out the pictures and what I wrote on here yesterday.....let me know your thoughts please! I'm hoping it's not Dino's!! I don't think it is from pics ive seen of Dino's but just want to make sure

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can't tell much from those pictures.

Does it seem snotty when you push something through it?

 

[Gwitness]

I can't tell much from those pictures.

Does it seem snotty when you push something through it?

Not really but I have found some that are kinda stringy looking on the back of this one rock but I siphoned it out today in my 30 gallon water change, along with siphoning the sand.....I think it's a combination of cyano and Dino's but I have no idea.....on a brighter side I did check my nitrates and they are lower than they have been and were about 3.5 so hopefully that gets Lower and lower....any other ideas for getting rid of this stuff??