Lance's 225 gal tank

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Mrfish55

Elbow no good, tried doing some tank work today, didn't work out so good. Hopefully hear next week about seeing specialist, need to get it fixed got lots to do, I really want to get that 90gal corner set up.

If you need a hand just let me know.

[Lance]

Update:
The new tank continues to grow hair algae at an alarming rate I swear it grows an inch per day! Never seen anything like it. My Lawnmower Blenny is getting fat! (He thinks he died and went to H.A. Heaven). I moved the Fox Face over from the 90 gal and he too is eating the stuff. But between the two of them they're not making a dent in it. I've been changing 25% of the water every 3-4 days; running Rowaphos in a reactor; nitrate sponge and carbon in a canister filter; lights out for most of the day; and removing and scrubbing the smaller rock every day. If it doesn't start to let up soon I'm going to remove the corals and do an extended black-out. NO3 & PO4 are undetectable on Salifert test kits. MrFish55 brought his Medusa ChemTester colorimeter over and PO4=0 and NO3=.17 (Pretty good readings). Any suggestions? Anything I've missed?
On a positive note, the new skimmer is great. Skims well, runs quiet, and is easy to use. Here's a pic after 48 hrs of running the skimmer. About 1/3 liter of skimmate.

[untamed]

Find a way to grow something else (chaeto, maybe?). In my case, that meant finding a way to install a refugium where I didn't plan one. You have to aggressively weed the HA, while allowing the chaeto to grow. Little by little, you'll switch the nutrient uptake to the refugium and away from the HA.

May also help to darken the tank for a day off and on, while you light the refugium 24/7. Your coral won't mind a day of darkness every now and again.

For weeding, I recommend a continuous siphon. You place a filter bag in your sump, then start a siphon with flex tubing that pulls water out of the tank into the sump through that filter bag (keep your return pump running). While holding the pipe in your hand weed the algae and let it get immediately sucked away into the filter bag. You can do this as long as you can stand it.

[Mrfish55]

NO3 was 7.2 if I remember correctly, bring a sample over tomorrow and we can check it again.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by untamed

Find a way to grow something else (chaeto, maybe?). In my case, that meant finding a way to install a refugium where I didn't plan one. You have to aggressively weed the HA, while allowing the chaeto to grow. Little by little, you'll switch the nutrient uptake to the refugium and away from the HA.

May also help to darken the tank for a day off and on, while you light the refugium 24/7. Your coral won't mind a day of darkness every now and again.

For weeding, I recommend a continuous siphon. You place a filter bag in your sump, then start a siphon with flex tubing that pulls water out of the tank into the sump through that filter bag (keep your return pump running). While holding the pipe in your hand weed the algae and let it get immediately sucked away into the filter bag. You can do this as long as you can stand it.

I had started some macroalgae in the sump, but it hasn't really had time to grow out yet. I can't siphon into the sump because it is in another room, but I used a 5 gal bucket and a 5/8 hose for a siphon and a Mag 950 returning it to the tank. Worked pretty good; must have collected a bushel of the damn weed. I have been alternating lights on and lights off every other day and I AM making progress. The HA has now stopped growing and the stuff I remove does not come back. Whooot! I am winning the battle, slowly but surely.

[Skimmerking]

Ya see that is what happens when you use lots of Cycle. sorry i for got to tell you that... But running the skimmer wet all the time will take it out like stated early when i was talking to you.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

Ya see that is what happens when you use lots of Cycle. sorry i for got to tell you that... But running the skimmer wet all the time will take it out like stated early when i was talking to you.

It's coming around. Every day there is less and less of it. At least the Lawnmower Blenny and Foxface like it.

[Lance]

So the Hair Algae battle goes on, but I'm slooooooowly winning. Today looks better than yesterday, which was better than the day before. At the rate it's disappearing I'm hoping it will all be gone soon. NO3 & PO4 levels are both low and I continue with water changes every 3 days, to keep them that way until the algae dies off. Here's a full tank shot showing the HA. (ugly isn't it)



And one from the left side and one from the right.





Here's a shot of the sump with the macroalgae starting to grow out. Lights are running 24/7



My 2 HA munchers: Foxface and Lawnmower Blenny. The Blenny is getting so fat he kind of rolls in the current.







And one of the only other fish in the tank so far. (Bannerfish)

[Mrfish55]

Looking better than the other day, not so long and stringy, definately better than my sea horse tank!

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Mrfish55

Looking better than the other day, not so long and stringy, definately better than my sea horse tank!

Ha!