Nano Questions

slipondajimmy · 07/20/2008, 11:23 AM

Hey everyone,

I am new to the hobby (about a year) and constantly have questions. I have 2 (that I can think of)

First is what would cause green hair algae to start a day after a water change?

And the second has to do with the false wall of the Nano Cube. I have seen people stuffing all sorts of stuff behind there to control one thing or another. Should I be putting anything back there other that the stuff that came with the nano?

drparker · 07/20/2008, 12:20 PM

So do you have plenty of live rock? Do you still use the bio-media or have you gotten rid of it yet, what do you have back there?

If you still have the sponge and bio-media they are producing a lot of nitrates that the green hair is using. If you have enough live rock remove the bio-media. If you plan to still use the sponge it needs to be cleaned every two to three days.

The source of the water for your water change is what? If the water is high in nitrates or phosphates it can trigger an algae bloom. Best source would be RO/DI water from a know good source.

slipondajimmy · 07/20/2008, 12:43 PM

Hey drparker,

There is more than enough live rock in there I would say. Here is a pic.

The sponge is there, but only because I thought it needed to be. That is all thats back there. So I should get rid of it?

Also I currently get my water from a LFS. I hope to be getting a rodi setup for my apartment this week.

drparker · 07/20/2008, 01:03 PM

The sponge can be useful for filtering out larger particle but if not cleaned every few days it would be better to not have it in there. When you do you water change you should also syphon out the back chambers because detritus can build up and it's decay will lead to higher nitrates. Same thing is happening to the sponge if not cleaned regularly.

If the LFS has not replaced their RO/DI filters when they should then you could be getting elevated levels of phosphates from them.

Setting up and RO/DI was the best thing I did for my tanks.

Next best thing I did was to monitor CA, Alk and Mg. I had been monitoring and trying to keep my Ca and Alk in the proper range but always had trouble. Then I read through Randy's articles in the Chemistry forum. I brought my Mg up and switched to using a balanced 2-part additive for CA and Alk. The difference in my tanks was amazing.

As for the nano some people will add special media like Carbon, Chem-pure or Phosban. you could also modify your nano to run a fuge back there. Check-out the nano forum for more ideas.

slipondajimmy · 07/20/2008, 01:10 PM

Thanks for all your help.

07/20/2008, 11:23 AM	#1
slipondajimmy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: orlando Posts: 100	Nano Questions Hey everyone, I am new to the hobby (about a year) and constantly have questions. I have 2 (that I can think of) First is what would cause green hair algae to start a day after a water change? And the second has to do with the false wall of the Nano Cube. I have seen people stuffing all sorts of stuff behind there to control one thing or another. Should I be putting anything back there other that the stuff that came with the nano?

07/20/2008, 12:20 PM	#2
drparker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 2,652	So do you have plenty of live rock? Do you still use the bio-media or have you gotten rid of it yet, what do you have back there? If you still have the sponge and bio-media they are producing a lot of nitrates that the green hair is using. If you have enough live rock remove the bio-media. If you plan to still use the sponge it needs to be cleaned every two to three days. The source of the water for your water change is what? If the water is high in nitrates or phosphates it can trigger an algae bloom. Best source would be RO/DI water from a know good source.

07/20/2008, 12:43 PM	#3
slipondajimmy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: orlando Posts: 100	Hey drparker, There is more than enough live rock in there I would say. Here is a pic. The sponge is there, but only because I thought it needed to be. That is all thats back there. So I should get rid of it? Also I currently get my water from a LFS. I hope to be getting a rodi setup for my apartment this week.

07/20/2008, 01:03 PM	#4
drparker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 2,652	The sponge can be useful for filtering out larger particle but if not cleaned every few days it would be better to not have it in there. When you do you water change you should also syphon out the back chambers because detritus can build up and it's decay will lead to higher nitrates. Same thing is happening to the sponge if not cleaned regularly. If the LFS has not replaced their RO/DI filters when they should then you could be getting elevated levels of phosphates from them. Setting up and RO/DI was the best thing I did for my tanks. Next best thing I did was to monitor CA, Alk and Mg. I had been monitoring and trying to keep my Ca and Alk in the proper range but always had trouble. Then I read through Randy's articles in the Chemistry forum. I brought my Mg up and switched to using a balanced 2-part additive for CA and Alk. The difference in my tanks was amazing. As for the nano some people will add special media like Carbon, Chem-pure or Phosban. you could also modify your nano to run a fuge back there. Check-out the nano forum for more ideas.

07/20/2008, 01:10 PM	#5
slipondajimmy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: orlando Posts: 100	Thanks for all your help.