OP
OP
relradi888
Community Member
Well, the tank looks great overall (to me, from this photo anyway) so first lemme say that doing nothing, or close to nothing, might be a fine option. We're just gonna talk about what you might do if you wanted to take action.
I think your old setup (meet and greet photo) gave your tank a bit of an Achilles heel...if you could get to the bottom layer of rocks and the sand under them, I bet it's thick and nasty with detritus down there. You were prolly doing the best you could with those fat-flow korellias in such a long, skinny tank....just the wrong pump for the job. To right this Achilles heel, I would very strongly consider vacuuming out your whole sand bed over the course of four or five (or more) water changes. The tank will be 100% easier to finish cleaning, plus you'll get a lot of detritus out that you'd otherwise never ever get to. (This is the nutrient reserve that your algae is thriving on.) Once the tank is spic and span you can consider putting in a new sand bed or not.
To maximize the effect of your new pumps, make sure only one is running at a time. Do not aim them at anything, but give them the longest, clearest shot across the tank that you can afford them. Your longest distance is from corner to corner if you can give them that view and they are adjustable enough to aim that way. Aim them level-straight across the tank, or with a very slight upward angle to barely break the water surface. Aim side-to-side however you need to.
I know that advice about the sand bed sounds severe, but it's actually pretty easy (just time consuming) and consider how cheap sand is and consider that it's a real, once-and-for-all solution. Also, remember the first thing I said.
-Matt
I will most certainly take all that into consideration. Thank you for all your thoughts and ideas, I appreciate it emmensely
hospate balance was out of wack. Which led to cyano city
Since switching to vinegar my parameters are in line with yours. I do have some algae which is getting better as I am still ramping up the dosage. If you do really want to try BP make sure to get a reactor that controls the rate of tumble independent of the exchange of water. That's the only way to accurately tune in the BP reactor and even then will still require periodic adjustment as the Bps erode and the tumble changes. Many have had success with these I just wasn't one of them. I still like the ultimate control vinegar offers and no longer worry about what will happen during a power outage as the bacteria in the reactor can turn anaerobic and spoil the culture.
