Help With Dirty Tank

[jah-hoeva]

Background: Tanks is a 72 gallon bow front and been up since late October, early November. Bio load is 2 small clowns, scooter blenny, small yellow tang and a cleaner shrimp. (5-10 small snails and a few hermits) I cycled the tank for at least a month. Been lucky with no real algae up until maybe 2 weeks ago. Not sure what it is, but is light brown to an amber color. I can blow it right off the sand with a turkey baster, and my mag float cleans the glass very easily. Looking into it online, I was thinking diatoms, cyano or dinos.

Salinity: 1.024 (hydrometer)
nitrate: 5 ppm
PH: 8
Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Been doing weekly 10 gallon water changes.

Up until this point ive only used conditioned tap water. 6 stage RODI is now hooked up and ready to go.

I tested phosphate with a red sea kit (recently expired in December) and it was a shade darker than the darkest on the kit. New reagent arrived today and I will retest tonight

Been running carbon and gfo for not even a week. Since starting these two items, I've noticed my filter pads in my sump have been needing to be changed daily. Not sure if that's a good or bad sign. Have left the lights off all day today and its noticeably better. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Bao]

Maybe I missed that but what kind of skimmer do you have? Also when changing water, try to vacuum out the debris in the sump and also vacuum the sand. It helps a lot in fighting against algae

 

[jah-hoeva]

Skimmer and sump are sea life systems, venturi style. I hate it. Layout of the sump makes it real hard to upgrade it because the water level with my sump is not adjustable and the compartment is only 10"x6". This whole setup came with the tank and stand so I ran with it. May be skimmer and sump shopping this weekend.

 

[phg1960]

If the algae is powder-like, it's diatoms. Brown and mucous like is dynos. Cyno tends to be red, but would be like a thin blanket. Search for these types online to see the difference. It sounds like your phosphates are through. GFO is good to keep that under control, but now the best to remove high levels. I would run some Phosguard to drop that level pretty quickly. Once you get under .1ppm, then continue with the RO and GFO to maintain low PO levels. And, as Bao said, vacuum whatever you can out as often as possible.

 

[reef87]

the first few months is very tough especially with tap water.

 

[Jim Tansey]

the first few months is very tough especially with tap water.
look into getting an RODI system. it will help a-lot.

Post #1

 

[Curren007K]

Diatom bloom, passes with time. Keep nutrients, phosphates, nitrates down.

 

[reefstarter]

Use rodi water and you are going through the uglies , normal it will pass just keep an eye on nitrates and phosphates

 

[G.T]

You basically are Answering your own issues! You are using TAP Water. Only use RO/DI. If you do not want to purchase a ro unit, purchase water from your lfs. Although if you think, marine tanks are to be a permanent feature in your home. Just get one! The money which you have invested in your current system, i am sure was not cheap! It seems that you are cutting a corner, with the last piece of a real must have piece of Equipment.
Bio balls are a great converter of most of the nitrogen cycle, but only takes care of ammonia and nitrite! It cannot rid itself of nitrate no3 because of excess Oxygen.
You will find that getting rid of the bio balls, and let the inside of the tank take care of your nitrosomanas bacteria (live rock, sand bed, even your glass) Utilize your sump, only for your skimmer heater extra water capacity etc Start doing regular water changes with ro/di Your issues will literally go away over night.
Everything stated is a constructive criticism, not a rant on your Tank! It is really an Easy fix.

edit. Missed this one! Invest in a Refractometer, swing needle salinity meters are unreliable and not so accurate!

 

[jah-hoeva]

Rodi just got hooked up last weekend. I figured I had excess phosphate or silica from my tap water thus the rodi and gfo setups. I was just not sure what the Brown was and why all of a sudden.

Going forward, obviously nothing but rodi, but should I minimize lighting for a while? Should I pull the bioballs and drop a real skimmer in that section? Can't fit much where the current one is.

I have no problem getting a better skimmer and sump this week and dumping the bioballs.

 

[Owen386]

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. honestly you tank is a baby. This is all normal and to be expected. Plenty of algae in the ocean. We are just tweaking these eco systems to are liking by stripping phosphates and such to have an algae free tank and perfect parameters for are corals to grow. What you are seeing now is Diatoms they will work them selves out with good husbandry and the use of 0 tds water. Keep up with WC weekly don't feed to much and keep your bio load to a min and you will be OK.

Now IMO I would get rid of the gfo and maybe even the carbon unless your changing it frequently, but the gfo get rid of.

Don't expect your tank to look perfect quickly, and dont go chasing stuff. And by quickly I mean give us an update in like a month.

Good luck

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[s_kelley]

Use only rodi, Get rid of the bio balls, get a clump of cheato, a small clip light, and some rock rubble to put in that chamber and you'll be golden. I like the set up just needs some tweaking

 

[jah-hoeva]

Thanks guys. Just checked phosphate, 0.36ppm

I guess I should have asked before getting the reactor and a bunch of gfo and carbon. Doh

 

[G.T]

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. honestly you tank is a baby. This is all normal and to be expected. Plenty of algae in the ocean. We are just tweaking these eco systems to are liking by stripping phosphates and such to have an algae free tank and perfect parameters for are corals to grow. What you are seeing now is Diatoms they will work them selves out with good husbandry and the use of 0 tds water. Keep up with WC weekly don't feed to much and keep your bio load to a min and you will be OK.

Now IMO I would get rid of the gfo and maybe even the carbon unless your changing it frequently, but the gfo get rid of.

Don't expect your tank to look perfect quickly, and dont go chasing stuff. And by quickly I mean give us an update in like a month.

Good luck

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

He has po4! why dump the GFO

That does not make sense. Its good that a newbie, is even testing the water! Get into good practices early, its not chasing to strive to get good parameters. We all know that good tanks, dont come from neglected or untested units!

Quote:
Use only rodi, Get rid of the bio balls, get a clump of cheato, a small clip light, and some rock rubble to put in that chamber and you'll be golden. I like the set up just needs some tweaking unQuote:

Thumbs up X 2

 

[Owen386]

I said IMO on the gfo My personal experience has been a bad one. There are other natural ways of controlling this issue without the use of gfo just saying... Chaeto is a great way I personally run a fuge with macros....

I also have to disagree with you "We all know that good tanks, dont come from neglected or untested units!" I feel if you are more in tune with your tank you can tell what it needs without testing. Again this comes with experience on our personal tanks but still. I have seen thriving tanks that people do not test regularly. Yes when I was getting my tank parm to where I wanted them I tested quite frequently MY parm where all outta whack and I am glad I have good test kits, just saying there is a time and place for it. In a newly born ecosystem such as the one we are talking about, let nature take its course and loose those test kits for a while. I do agree with good tanks do not come from neglected husbandry practices tho. Keep up with those WC and get some chaeto to export those nutrients.

 

[G.T]

When we have experience, we as you know can leave the test kits mostly to gather dust. But i do believe for a newbie, its a great way of learning the basics until they get the experience that they can tell with a single look that everythings smack on. Just my opinion.
Joe if you are going to change the sump, make sure you have enough room to make a refugium. A small light over the sump, some cheato or calerpa. What ever you can get your hands on. This is truly the best nutrient exchange with the algy and water changes. Your tank will settle down. If and when you need cheato, if your not to far away, you can have some from me to get you started.