Heavy detritus build up.......I think

Toledofishguy · 04/29/2008, 08:29 PM

Over the last few months I have watched this gunk slowly start to cover a majority of my live rock. I do not know what it is. I assume it is detritus. I can turkey baste some off or rub a tooth brush over the rock and most comes off. Its not algae, but goop build up. My overflows were pretty bad. So I drained them and shop vacummed them out. I thought it was a flow issue so I added a koralia 4.

120 gallon tank, 40 gallon sump
Turbofloater skimmer, biggest one sump can hold
Carbon
Koralia 4, koralia 2 and a tunze nanostream provide extra flow
t-5 lighting, bulbs are about 8 months old, running 12 hours per day. I changed out my filters in my RO/DI around Christmas.

Typically I do bi-monthly 10 gallon water changes. Recently, I have stepped this up to 10 weekly and have done a 25 gallon change.

Our LFS store told me to increase flow over rockwork. Problem, I have many large soft corals that cant be moved. Too much flow not good.

My clean up crew is small, need to add more.

Kinda funny, typing this out I see the issues. Bulbs are probably due, more water changes, more clean up crew. Any other suggestions.

MyMonkey · 04/29/2008, 09:38 PM

Refugium?

seapug · 04/29/2008, 09:55 PM

sounds like cyano or dinoflagellinates. Increasing flow can help but if nutrient levels are too high it'll show up somwhere else. In addition to stepping up the water change routine I'd suggest dripping Kalk at night and setting up a PhosBan reactor.

04/29/2008, 08:29 PM	#1
Toledofishguy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 884	Heavy detritus build up.......I think Over the last few months I have watched this gunk slowly start to cover a majority of my live rock. I do not know what it is. I assume it is detritus. I can turkey baste some off or rub a tooth brush over the rock and most comes off. Its not algae, but goop build up. My overflows were pretty bad. So I drained them and shop vacummed them out. I thought it was a flow issue so I added a koralia 4. 120 gallon tank, 40 gallon sump Turbofloater skimmer, biggest one sump can hold Carbon Koralia 4, koralia 2 and a tunze nanostream provide extra flow t-5 lighting, bulbs are about 8 months old, running 12 hours per day. I changed out my filters in my RO/DI around Christmas. Typically I do bi-monthly 10 gallon water changes. Recently, I have stepped this up to 10 weekly and have done a 25 gallon change. Our LFS store told me to increase flow over rockwork. Problem, I have many large soft corals that cant be moved. Too much flow not good. My clean up crew is small, need to add more. Kinda funny, typing this out I see the issues. Bulbs are probably due, more water changes, more clean up crew. Any other suggestions. __________________ Mike - Columbus Current Tank Info: 120 under t-5 lighting

04/29/2008, 09:38 PM	#2
MyMonkey Persona Non Grata Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 2,106	Refugium? __________________ The worst thing about an unwritten law is that you don't know where to go to erase it. Current Tank Info: 20 Long.10 months to my 240 In wall with Fish Room.

04/29/2008, 09:55 PM	#3
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	sounds like cyano or dinoflagellinates. Increasing flow can help but if nutrient levels are too high it'll show up somwhere else. In addition to stepping up the water change routine I'd suggest dripping Kalk at night and setting up a PhosBan reactor. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.