Algae, sand-bed/rocks need some help - water results inside

Tropix · 12/08/2009, 03:03 AM

I have been an experience reef keeper for years but i am back at noobie stage.

Quick history: I was away from my aquarium for 20 months and the person keeping it running didn't know how to maintain but felt confident to learn enough to-do it. Well when I returned, everything died and there was an extreme case of hairline algae.

I tore the tank down 90 days ago, pulled out all of the liverock and scrubbed it till there was no more algae on it, the sand I pulled out, all of it and ended up getting rid of all the water to.

I decided to run the system as a FOWLR and I sold off 40lbs of rock and kept about 30lbs, 60 gal. I bought 50lbs of ultra fine fiji pink LS, after a couple weeks through in 2 damsel.

Al right enough of the history.

System setup

60Gal drilled w/20gal sump
CPR back pak skimmer where I custom made it for in sump with a larger pump.

2 small hermits reg leg
1 Extremely large red leg hermit (Optimus Prime) he is my favourite at the moment, he eats all the algae extremely fast and is doing what I really need right now, will return him once I have this tank doing good .
1 sally light foot

nitrites 0
nitrates 0
ammonia 0

I didn't check for phosphate, always been RO in it.

Anyways I did another water change 10 gal, wanted to vacuum the sand and see if I could clean it up, now there seems to be dead algae all over the rock and chunks of it throughout the sand and that is what i want to clean up. I am thinking about taking the rock out and scrubing them.

What I think caused this, was that my aquarium was in contact with my window, now I bought new drapes and they block all light so, never gets any natural sunlight now.

Lighting 4 55 power compacts 1 150 PPO HQI halide . I would run the halide cause I liked the effect but now I only run the attincs only. I would like to get my sand white and rock stay clean of algae, I need to know what to do and I will do it, I won't add anything until I get it looking like that even though buying something might help divert the nutrients unless I just cut them out somehow.

joeychitwood · 12/08/2009, 05:02 AM

Can you describe the algae? Is it brown like diatoms or red like cyano? If so, it should be just a stage in the new tank. Direct sunlight certainly isn't necessary or even desirable in a tank.

Tropix · 12/08/2009, 01:19 PM

Green brownish algae

joeychitwood · 12/08/2009, 01:21 PM

a photo would help, but it sounds like you may have diatoms. They are very common in a new tank and should resolve shortly.

dpmatty · 12/08/2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropix

Green brownish algae

This sounds like how my hair algae looks as it's dying. Best to suck it out right away, at least that's what's working for me.

Tropix · 12/08/2009, 01:37 PM

I bought this Hermit crab that is a little bit larger then a golf ball, I mean we are talking big but he has been the best thing to add. Just over night, he ate up half the algae so I am hoping by the end of the week the algae should be gone.

12/08/2009, 03:03 AM	#1
Tropix Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Pismo Beach, cA Posts: 156	Algae, sand-bed/rocks need some help - water results inside I have been an experience reef keeper for years but i am back at noobie stage. Quick history: I was away from my aquarium for 20 months and the person keeping it running didn't know how to maintain but felt confident to learn enough to-do it. Well when I returned, everything died and there was an extreme case of hairline algae. I tore the tank down 90 days ago, pulled out all of the liverock and scrubbed it till there was no more algae on it, the sand I pulled out, all of it and ended up getting rid of all the water to. I decided to run the system as a FOWLR and I sold off 40lbs of rock and kept about 30lbs, 60 gal. I bought 50lbs of ultra fine fiji pink LS, after a couple weeks through in 2 damsel. Al right enough of the history. System setup 60Gal drilled w/20gal sump CPR back pak skimmer where I custom made it for in sump with a larger pump. 2 small hermits reg leg 1 Extremely large red leg hermit (Optimus Prime) he is my favourite at the moment, he eats all the algae extremely fast and is doing what I really need right now, will return him once I have this tank doing good . 1 sally light foot nitrites 0 nitrates 0 ammonia 0 I didn't check for phosphate, always been RO in it. Anyways I did another water change 10 gal, wanted to vacuum the sand and see if I could clean it up, now there seems to be dead algae all over the rock and chunks of it throughout the sand and that is what i want to clean up. I am thinking about taking the rock out and scrubing them. What I think caused this, was that my aquarium was in contact with my window, now I bought new drapes and they block all light so, never gets any natural sunlight now. Lighting 4 55 power compacts 1 150 PPO HQI halide . I would run the halide cause I liked the effect but now I only run the attincs only. I would like to get my sand white and rock stay clean of algae, I need to know what to do and I will do it, I won't add anything until I get it looking like that even though buying something might help divert the nutrients unless I just cut them out somehow.

12/08/2009, 05:02 AM	#2
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	Can you describe the algae? Is it brown like diatoms or red like cyano? If so, it should be just a stage in the new tank. Direct sunlight certainly isn't necessary or even desirable in a tank.

12/08/2009, 01:19 PM	#3
Tropix Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Pismo Beach, cA Posts: 156	Green brownish algae

12/08/2009, 01:21 PM	#4
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	a photo would help, but it sounds like you may have diatoms. They are very common in a new tank and should resolve shortly.

12/08/2009, 01:37 PM	#6
Tropix Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Pismo Beach, cA Posts: 156	I bought this Hermit crab that is a little bit larger then a golf ball, I mean we are talking big but he has been the best thing to add. Just over night, he ate up half the algae so I am hoping by the end of the week the algae should be gone.