Algae Scruber Question: Need Help

kttran_2005 · 02/11/2011, 03:26 PM

Hi All,

After reading many threads related to the ATS, I decided to do one for my tank. Everything is working fine for the first few weeks and something wrong happened. It's been running less than 2 month now. I don't see much green and brown/red stuffs on the screen much. Instead I got many brown/red stuffs all over my display tank. Looking like those stuffs didn't colonize on the turl's screen some how. The worst thing is I start losting my SPS corals. So far my SPS corals almost completely dead. I only have a few frags but I don't think they are going to make it either. I am thinking the nitrate was the main killer. Could someone tell me what next do i have to do or check for? I read many threads but didn't see anybody out there reported this kind of problem that i had. Please let me know. Any comments or suggestions would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Ken

kcress · 02/11/2011, 05:23 PM

ATSs don't kill tanks. If you don't have them running correctly you might have a algae bloom happening.

You need to figure out where your tank is chemically. You need to run nitrate, ammonia, and possibly some other tests.

As for your ATS, you need to review your ATS design. Do you have the right light? Are you running the light correctly? Do you have the needed flow? Is the screen hurt-your-fingers-rough? Are you cleaning the screen once a week regardless of how it looks?

Daniel G · 02/11/2011, 09:39 PM

Did you add any big amount of water? Reason I'm asking is because when I added my ATS I also added my sump and I think was the cause of a mini-cycle. My GSP went down hill after that =( and all my other corals just looked bad for a while. I was very bummed, but luckily nothing else but my GSP in my aquarium died.

widmer · 02/11/2011, 10:00 PM

It sounds like you decided to put one on an established tank? So I'm guessing you were previously running a skimmer? From what I gather, with established tanks, people will only very gradually take their skimmer offline.

Otherwise, ATS units are more safely implemented at the beginning of a tank, and allowed to reach full functional maturity before SPS are cautiously added.

kttran_2005 · 02/11/2011, 10:06 PM

kcress:
I use 2 40wats daylight bulbs running 18 hrs a day. my flow on the turf is a little more then enough (a little bit heavy down). I don't clean my screen once a week. I thought i have to let it goes alway to completely green before cleaning it.

daniel:
yes, i did add a large amount of water to it. i got my turf and new sump running more than about 3 weeks. then i moved my 75 gal tank over to this tank. This new tank got two layer. top layer is 100 gal and second layer is 80 gal. everything was working fine on the top layer. i resealed the second layer and filled up with new water and let it ran for two weeks. then setup a small pump connected with small plastic tube with adjustable valve to mix two tank. it ran for another week without any issue. then i got blackout for about 5 hours during the bad snow days. few days later i saw brown/red algaes spreading around the tanks glasses. about a week, my corals started RTN. Withing 2-5 days, i lost 95% of my SPS. I guess you were right. i got similar issue like yours.

My question is still answered as far as why the brown/red algae spreading so fast on my glasses instead of the screen. i cleaned it on wed's night and now i saw green + brown/red algae forming again. Still looking for some answers from the experts :-)

Thank you so much for all of your responses. I really appreciate that.

Thanks,
Ken

widmer · 02/11/2011, 10:20 PM

What do you mean when you say "two 40 watt daylight bulbs"?

Is this incandescent? CFL that is "40 watt equivalent"?

kttran_2005 · 02/11/2011, 10:25 PM

Yes

widmer · 02/11/2011, 10:42 PM

Well I'm not sure if that was a yes to the incandescent or a yes to the fluorescent. Either way, your lights are grossly undersized for the aquarium. Here's a direct quote from SM on an external site:

"0.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon MINIMUM [0.13 watts per liter].
1.0 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon for HIGH filtering [0.26 watts per liter]."

Incandescent is never recommended, and the minimum 40 actual watts of CFL would be a couple of "100 watt equivalent" bulbs, but preferrably four of these or two "200 watt equivalent" bulbs. And that's assuming that the bottom "layer" you speak of is more along the lines of a sump/refugium, though it's not totally clear.

It is possible that there are other aspects of the design that aren't ideal as well, if the algae would rather grow on the aquarium glass.

Can you post pics?

kttran_2005 · 02/11/2011, 11:46 PM

here are some pics

kcress · 02/12/2011, 12:12 AM

Yes your lighting is way too dim.

kttran_2005 · 02/12/2011, 12:05 PM

Changing to CFL today

srusso · 02/12/2011, 01:02 PM

What did you have for filtration in your tank before you added your ATS?

You should have allowed a month at least before removing old filter/skimmer.

You must always clean the screen every 7 days, no matter what it looks like.

Are you using tap water?

How old is your tank?

What is your tank volume?

What is the size of your screen?

kttran_2005 · 02/12/2011, 01:09 PM

all the filters are still in place (macro algae, skimmers, sand bed in sump).
i am using RO with DI water (0-3) dts
my old tank was establish tank (a little bit over a year)
my tank volume is 180 gal (100 top layer, and 80 second layer)
my screen is 23x12

02/11/2011, 03:26 PM	#1
kttran_2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 117	Algae Scruber Question: Need Help Hi All, After reading many threads related to the ATS, I decided to do one for my tank. Everything is working fine for the first few weeks and something wrong happened. It's been running less than 2 month now. I don't see much green and brown/red stuffs on the screen much. Instead I got many brown/red stuffs all over my display tank. Looking like those stuffs didn't colonize on the turl's screen some how. The worst thing is I start losting my SPS corals. So far my SPS corals almost completely dead. I only have a few frags but I don't think they are going to make it either. I am thinking the nitrate was the main killer. Could someone tell me what next do i have to do or check for? I read many threads but didn't see anybody out there reported this kind of problem that i had. Please let me know. Any comments or suggestions would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Ken

02/12/2011, 01:02 PM	#12
srusso Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bridgeport, CT Posts: 1,869	What did you have for filtration in your tank before you added your ATS? You should have allowed a month at least before removing old filter/skimmer. You must always clean the screen every 7 days, no matter what it looks like. Are you using tap water? How old is your tank? What is your tank volume? What is the size of your screen? __________________ 70 Gallon Oceanic \| Coral Reef \| Apex Controller \| Algae Scrubber \|Started 8/14/2010 General Interest Forums > Advanced Topics > Algae Scrubber Basics Thread Basics Write Up - Post #1 \| Quick Troubleshooting - Post #1902 \| Alternate/Updated Sizing - Post #2723 \| Latest Summary - Post #3251 - #3264

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02/11/2011, 05:23 PM	#2
kcress Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Central California Coast. Posts: 5,383	ATSs don't kill tanks. If you don't have them running correctly you might have a algae bloom happening. You need to figure out where your tank is chemically. You need to run nitrate, ammonia, and possibly some other tests. As for your ATS, you need to review your ATS design. Do you have the right light? Are you running the light correctly? Do you have the needed flow? Is the screen hurt-your-fingers-rough? Are you cleaning the screen once a week regardless of how it looks?

02/11/2011, 09:39 PM	#3
Daniel G Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Modesto Posts: 55	Did you add any big amount of water? Reason I'm asking is because when I added my ATS I also added my sump and I think was the cause of a mini-cycle. My GSP went down hill after that =( and all my other corals just looked bad for a while. I was very bummed, but luckily nothing else but my GSP in my aquarium died.

02/11/2011, 10:00 PM	#4
widmer Drug Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 2,958	It sounds like you decided to put one on an established tank? So I'm guessing you were previously running a skimmer? From what I gather, with established tanks, people will only very gradually take their skimmer offline. Otherwise, ATS units are more safely implemented at the beginning of a tank, and allowed to reach full functional maturity before SPS are cautiously added.

02/11/2011, 10:06 PM	#5
kttran_2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 117	kcress: I use 2 40wats daylight bulbs running 18 hrs a day. my flow on the turf is a little more then enough (a little bit heavy down). I don't clean my screen once a week. I thought i have to let it goes alway to completely green before cleaning it. daniel: yes, i did add a large amount of water to it. i got my turf and new sump running more than about 3 weeks. then i moved my 75 gal tank over to this tank. This new tank got two layer. top layer is 100 gal and second layer is 80 gal. everything was working fine on the top layer. i resealed the second layer and filled up with new water and let it ran for two weeks. then setup a small pump connected with small plastic tube with adjustable valve to mix two tank. it ran for another week without any issue. then i got blackout for about 5 hours during the bad snow days. few days later i saw brown/red algaes spreading around the tanks glasses. about a week, my corals started RTN. Withing 2-5 days, i lost 95% of my SPS. I guess you were right. i got similar issue like yours. My question is still answered as far as why the brown/red algae spreading so fast on my glasses instead of the screen. i cleaned it on wed's night and now i saw green + brown/red algae forming again. Still looking for some answers from the experts :-) Thank you so much for all of your responses. I really appreciate that. Thanks, Ken

02/11/2011, 10:20 PM	#6
widmer Drug Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 2,958	What do you mean when you say "two 40 watt daylight bulbs"? Is this incandescent? CFL that is "40 watt equivalent"?

02/11/2011, 10:25 PM	#7
kttran_2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 117	Yes

02/11/2011, 10:42 PM	#8
widmer Drug Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 2,958	Well I'm not sure if that was a yes to the incandescent or a yes to the fluorescent. Either way, your lights are grossly undersized for the aquarium. Here's a direct quote from SM on an external site: "0.5 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon MINIMUM [0.13 watts per liter]. 1.0 actual (not equivalent) fluorescent watts per gallon for HIGH filtering [0.26 watts per liter]." Incandescent is never recommended, and the minimum 40 actual watts of CFL would be a couple of "100 watt equivalent" bulbs, but preferrably four of these or two "200 watt equivalent" bulbs. And that's assuming that the bottom "layer" you speak of is more along the lines of a sump/refugium, though it's not totally clear. It is possible that there are other aspects of the design that aren't ideal as well, if the algae would rather grow on the aquarium glass. Can you post pics?

02/12/2011, 12:12 AM	#10
kcress Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Central California Coast. Posts: 5,383	Yes your lighting is way too dim.

02/12/2011, 12:05 PM	#11
kttran_2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 117	Changing to CFL today

02/12/2011, 01:09 PM	#13
kttran_2005 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 117	all the filters are still in place (macro algae, skimmers, sand bed in sump). i am using RO with DI water (0-3) dts my old tank was establish tank (a little bit over a year) my tank volume is 180 gal (100 top layer, and 80 second layer) my screen is 23x12