BIG TROUBLE!! Need advice please.

doch · #1 10-02-2011, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

You had issues before the crash...you can see it coming with the before picture. How long before is that?

What do you see in that picture that I don't? Everything was super happy before the crash. Are you talking about the hair algae? That wouldn't crash a tank would it? Phosphates were a little high (0.2 for a short while), nitrates have always been low (I just checked with my elos kit... clear as can be). At the time of the crash, the phosphates were at about 0.10. The before picture of the display was probably 2 months ago or so... things got WAY better after that, and then BOOM!!

daniella3d · #2 10-02-2011, 02:27 PM

What do you have on the back glass? is that hair algae?

dc4 · #3 10-02-2011, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doch

What do you see in that picture that I don't? Everything was super happy before the crash. Are you talking about the hair algae? That wouldn't crash a tank would it? Phosphates were a little high (0.2 for a short while), nitrates have always been low (I just checked with my elos kit... clear as can be). At the time of the crash, the phosphates were at about 0.10. The before picture of the display was probably 2 months ago or so... things got WAY better after that, and then BOOM!!

I had a little hair algae before and found out the problem with testing for phostphate/nitrates with a tank full of hair algae is that they would absorb it all and then your tests would be all skewed. I had tests showing 0 ph and 0 nitrates but having hair algae in the tank would mean that the tests are giving a false negative. Having that much hair algae in your tank and having the tests still showing phosphates would mean that there is too much even for the hair algae to feed on. I was over feeding my tank and probably still am but I have added gfo and algae grazers to prevent another outbreak in my new tank.

Bblinks · #4 10-02-2011, 07:16 PM

That's so weird, my Hanna tester has been fairly accurate thus far, I use salifert, redsea, and elos. Usually all within 20 ppm difference. Which mag test kit did you get from brs? I only have salifert and red sea to test mag but never does it hit that kind of numbers... See what ever is cheaper, either send a water sample to myka or if it's cheaper and faster you can send it to me in bc and I'll test it for you too. My wife does a lot of the testing for me which I found to be better, she is a lot more careful and accurate than me.

are you still dosing probiotic by chance? How long ago did you start that system, was it prior to the crash, maybe the answer to your current issues is related to probiotic system. Did you test the freshly made salt water and see what kind of results it gives you and maybe use it to reference the results from your tank water. Keep in there bud. It will work itself out.

chris88 · #5 10-02-2011, 11:56 PM

Doch, Have you tried carbon dosing? I think it would get rid of your nutrient issue.

spawn · #6 10-03-2011, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris88

Doch, Have you tried carbon dosing? I think it would get rid of your nutrient issue.

+1 & make sure to inoculate with a bacteria source. Also maybe get the biggest mixing reservoir you can find in relation to your total display volume & try a huge water change by adding a bit cooler water closer to the bottom while siphoning the warmer water from close to the surface.

doch · #7 10-03-2011, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spawn

+1 & make sure to inoculate with a bacteria source. Also maybe get the biggest mixing reservoir you can find in relation to your total display volume & try a huge water change by adding a bit cooler water closer to the bottom while siphoning the warmer water from close to the surface.

What does this mean? Would dosing zeo bak suffice?

doch · #8 10-04-2011, 02:18 AM

I'll be posting all new entries in regards to this under my tank journal. Should you like to follow, feel free.

chris88 · #9 10-04-2011, 02:23 AM

I have seen carbon dosing absolutely annihilate algae issue in a short time. i have always used vinagar/kalk so i cant talk about vodka but there are lots of threads explain how to dose it. It is a very cheap option, so i say go for it. it shouldn’t interfere with anything else you are running.

MKLKT · #10 10-04-2011, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris88

I have seen carbon dosing absolutely annihilate algae issue in a short time. i have always used vinagar/kalk so i cant talk about vodka but there are lots of threads explain how to dose it. It is a very cheap option, so i say go for it. it shouldn’t interfere with anything else you are running.

Months ago there was one single piece of live rock that I had that used to get HA and when I first put in rowaPhos the algae got annihilated in about 3 days with nothing else changing. Haven't seen a peep in nearly a year now.

As for the apocalypse in your tank doch, I'm glad that it's turning around now. That being said I'd be leery to go so quickly into different filtration/media/filter methods all in one go, often the huge shifts in parameters will cause more problems than they solve and I'd personally wait for any big dosing or polymer methods so that you can get the tank just running happily and stable before stressing the animals with chemical shifts. The funny test results will make it more difficult for you to judge if there is even any true intervention required.