So tired of fighting all this.

[NS Mike D]

After I spot treat with peroxide can I put the rock right back in the tank or do I need to set it in salt water for awhile?

just rinse it in some rodi

 

[Cflip]

pull the frags off the rocks and scrub and peroxide them to deal with what you have now. Know you target NO3 and PO4 target ranges and focus on stability in the range.

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel and Tail Spot Blenny are grazers that can go in a 55gal

add corals to take up space (and compete with algae) on those rocks.

I’ve tried adding other fish but they always disappear after a month or two.

 

[Cflip]

pull the frags off the rocks and scrub and peroxide them to deal with what you have now. Know you target NO3 and PO4 target ranges and focus on stability in the range.

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel and Tail Spot Blenny are grazers that can go in a 55gal

add corals to take up space (and compete with algae) on those rocks.

I don’t have the chemical knowledge to keep corals alive.

 

[NS Mike D]

Would I need to quarantine the urchin first? Would he be OK with my hawkfish?

I'm not aware of urchins carrying pest/disease . I'll let others answer this. As for compatibility, I checked live aquaria's chart and shouldn't be an issue. urchins have good armor.

 

[Cflip]

If it was me I would skip the chemical treatments, remove the hawk fish, manually remove what you can then add a appropriate CUC including emerald crabs and lots of assorted hermits.. problem solved.

I’m sure that would work. But I’m pretty attached to my hawkfish. I nursed him back from completely losing his tail plus I love his personality.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I’m sure that would work. But I’m pretty attached to my hawkfish. I nursed him back from completely losing his tail plus I love his personality.

Understand completely.. I’m just of the mindset that I would never house anything in my reef tank that would limit my invert choices, for me it’s all about the corals and invertebrates my fish are just for the bio-load

 

[NS Mike D]

I don’t have the chemical knowledge to keep corals alive.

go to the red sea site and watch their videos, it's one of the best tutorials in keeping corals and they have a very good easy to follow program.

You have some decisions to make. If you want a fish only tank, then you can pull that rock and solve your algae problem. Fish have much higher tolerance than corals and thus basic flirtation will work. You can go bare tank, or you can use artificial decorations which can be easily removed for cleaning.


If you want corals, then you'll have to commit to understanding the biology and water chemistry (see about about red sea videos). Lot's of folks hear who can provide support along the way.

As for that hawkfish, if you keep that rock, you'll have to decide if the hawkfish is a hindrance to fighting algae and then decide it's future in your tank

fwiw, lots of people have beautiful fish only tanks.

 

[Cflip]

go to the red sea site and watch their videos, it's one of the best tutorials in keeping corals and they have a very good easy to follow program.

You have some decisions to make. If you want a fish only tank, then you can pull that rock and solve your algae problem. Fish have much higher tolerance than corals and thus basic flirtation will work. You can go bare tank, or you can use artificial decorations which can be easily removed for cleaning.


If you want corals, then you'll have to commit to understanding the biology and water chemistry (see about about red sea videos). Lot's of folks hear who can provide support along the way.

As for that hawkfish, if you keep that rock, you'll have to decide if the hawkfish is a hindrance to fighting algae and then decide it's future in your tank

fwiw, lots of people have beautiful fish only tanks.

Thanks I didn’t know about the videos I will look at them to start. So if I pulled the live rock and out and put in fake rock no more algae problems? Would I have to add some other type of filtration without having the live rocks assist so to speak.

 

[drawman]

After I spot treat with peroxide can I put the rock right back in the tank or do I need to set it in salt water for awhile?

Rinse in saltwater well and then you can add it right back to the tank.

pull the frags off the rocks and scrub and peroxide them to deal with what you have now. Know you target NO3 and PO4 target ranges and focus on stability in the range.

Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel and Tail Spot Blenny are grazers that can go in a 55gal

add corals to take up space (and compete with algae) on those rocks.

Great advice here. Large corals will definitely compete with algae for nutrients.

Would I need to quarantine the urchin first? Would he be OK with my hawkfish?

Urchins are one of the only things you don't have to quarantine. Just rinse very well in saltwater to be on the safe side.

just rinse it in some rodi

I think you mean saltwater . Just to be safe and not kill anything else on the rock. Best to do it during a waterchange as you'll toss that water anyway.

I’ve tried adding other fish but they always disappear after a month or two.

You have something going on here. Either poor fish selection, parasites, etc. You may want to read the stickies in the disease forum section.

I'm not aware of urchins carrying pest/disease . I'll let others answer this. As for compatibility, I checked live aquaria's chart and shouldn't be an issue. urchins have good armor.

Rinse urchins very well in saltwater and you should not need to quarantine them. Every thing else on the other hand should be quarantined.

 

[NS Mike D]

Thanks I didn’t know about the videos I will look at them to start. So if I pulled the live rock and out and put in fake rock no more algae problems? Would I have to add some other type of filtration without having the live rocks assist so to speak.

algae is ever present you have more aggressive options to deal with it with a fish only tank. .

 

[drawman]

Thanks I didn’t know about the videos I will look at them to start. So if I pulled the live rock and out and put in fake rock no more algae problems? Would I have to add some other type of filtration without having the live rocks assist so to speak.

Fake rock will grow algae just as well as real rock. Personally I would try to work with what you have.

 

[Cflip]

Rinse in saltwater well and then you can add it right back to the tank.


Great advice here. Large corals will definitely compete with algae for nutrients.


Urchins are one of the only things you don't have to quarantine. Just rinse very well in saltwater to be on the safe side.


I think you mean saltwater . Just to be safe and not kill anything else on the rock. Best to do it during a waterchange as you'll toss that water anyway.


You have something going on here. Either poor fish selection, parasites, etc. You may want to read the stickies in the disease forum section.


Rinse urchins very well in saltwater and you should not need to quarantine them. Every thing else on the other hand should be quarantined.

Thanks I’ve learned a lot from everyone today. Much appreciated. I will try a few of the suggestions. As far as the fish disease forum they know me well-lol. I always quarantine they are healthy eating well then one day just disappear. Someone must be eating them I’ll have to find an urchin, today was the first time I’ve heard of them. I will also try the peroxide and test and dose.

 

[Cflip]

Never knew that corals will compete with algae. Interesting. But that would require adding a bunch of chemicals and testing I’m sure. Unless there is one that wouldn’t?

 

[drawman]

Thanks I’ve learned a lot from everyone today. Much appreciated. I will try a few of the suggestions. As far as the fish disease forum they know me well-lol. I always quarantine they are healthy eating well then one day just disappear. Someone must be eating them I’ll have to find an urchin, today was the first time I’ve heard of them. I will also try the peroxide and test and dose.

Unless ich, velvet, flukes, etc. made it past your quarantine and is in your display. With a resistant fish it will always be present unless you do a fallow period. Not saying this is the case for you but these are very likely causes for unexplained fish deaths. Glad you're on the disease forum though it's a wonderful resource.

Never knew that corals will compete with algae. Interesting. But that would require adding a bunch of chemicals and testing I’m sure. Unless there is one that wouldn’t?

They will compete but it helps to have grazers like others have mentioned. Then corals really have the chance to outcompete. I would say at this point if coral and their care doesn't interest you try the other methods we've outlined and I think you'll be happy. Keep up nutrient export methods.

 

[Cflip]

Unless ich, velvet, flukes, etc. made it past your quarantine and is in your display. With a resistant fish it will always be present unless you do a fallow period. Not saying this is the case for you but these are very likely causes for unexplained fish deaths. Glad you're on the disease forum though it's a wonderful resource.


They will compete but it helps to have grazers like others have mentioned. Then corals really have the chance to outcompete. I would say at this point if coral and their care doesn't interest you try the other methods we've outlined and I think you'll be happy. Keep up nutrient export methods.

Will do!! Yes I did fallow as well! Finally got a group of 5 fish going keep trying to add another one or two without much success so far. I need a tough guy fish!

 

[NS Mike D]

Never knew that corals will compete with algae. Interesting. But that would require adding a bunch of chemicals and testing I’m sure. Unless there is one that wouldn’t?

The nitrogen cycle is part of any aquarium (actually everywhere) salt, fresh, salt etc. You feed your fish which introduces nutrients. The fish excrete ammonia (NH3). Bacteria will convert that in a 2 step process to make NO3. PO4 is also introduced in food, Nitrogen and Phosphates (same stuff that makes lawns and gardens green) are used in photosynthesis along with Carbon and light to ultimately make the sugars that are the energy source source for plant, algae and (cyano)bacteria. Zooxanthella are the photosynthetic bacteria that live inside corals that form their symbiotic relationship.

We get rid of the excess NO3 and PO4 by changing water or going photosynthetic life (liek macro algae, plants and corals) in the aquariums. If we don't nuisance algae and bacteria will thrive (assuming light and carbon are around).

Oceans are like deserts and coral reefs are like oases. They have evolved to adapt to environments that have very little NO3 and Po4. Algae and bacteria can thrive in just about any environment. Now, if you dropped a bag of fertilizer loaded with N & P on your lawn, you lawn will burn out. Corals can be sensitive to excess NO3 and PO4 way before fish, algae and bacteria will.

Also, some nuisance like cyano bacteria can get N from other sources in the water and can thrive when there is some PO4 and no NO3.

Thus we seek to maintain stable low levels of NO3 and PO4 in reef tanks. Otherwise nuisance algae will thrive while corals will struggle.

Additionally there are few things we can add that will kill algae that will not also kill corals (or rather their zooxanthella ).


Regardless of whatever type of aquarium one keeps, they all make use of keeping NO3 low, algae eaters and manual cleaning to keep unwanted algae from over running an aquarium.

 

[reef-rc]

I’ve been using Red Sea algae management no3 po4-x but not consistently. I’m not sure how often I should add it. My tank is small 55 gallons and it’s been up for years. CUC is snails. A sump and a skimmer.

Good luck Cflip. I see that @NS Mike D mentioned many valid points.

btw - i too use Red Sea NoPox intermittently to control my Nitrate mostly and adjust my dosing accordingly to what reading I am getting. I do heavily feed my corals to encourage growth.

 

[Cflip]

Just did a nitrate test it’s at 1.0 ppm my phosphate are at well less than .25 really need a better phosphate testing kit. So I’m thinking not to add any nopox.