dirty tank

weekendplayer · 05/30/2006, 09:25 PM

Hey All

It's been awile since I've posted, been reading a lot of other posts. When looking at different tanks here on the forum I notice that all of your tanks look so clean. I was wondering how do you all keep you tanks clean. When I look at mine, it looks so dirty. I'm always cleaning algea off the glass, but the lr, returns and overflow always look dirty. I've included pics. I would appreciate any help/advice you guys and gals could give me. My tank params are PH-8.2, salinity 30, trates trites & ammonia all 0, Mg 1320, Ca 390, DKH 12.5, ALK 4.46, Phos 0. Also my DKH and ALK have been running high. Any suggestions on how to lower them?
My tank is a 105 show with 30g sump/fuge. Return is Mag 9.5, 2 Maxijet 1200's, skimmer is ASM G3, 120 lbs lr and 80 lbs ls. 1 yellow tang, 1 mandarin, 1 diamond back goby, 5 yellow tail damsels, 2 sand stars, hermit crabs and astrea and turbo snails. I also have a flower pot and frogspawn. My lighting is actinic white and super actinic 110w VHO and 2 250w 14000k HQI mh.
VHO's on at 1000a off at 830p, mh on at 1200p off at 430p. Also in the last pic what are the spiny things on the rock? I have them all over, are they good or bad? Sorry for the long post but wanted to try and include everything. Thanks in advance.

dppitone · 05/30/2006, 09:36 PM

First, get your salt up to 1.025.

When you say dirty, I presume you are referring to detrius build up on the rocks? You can test this by picking up a rock slightly and shaking it in the water. If particles cloud off it, than it is detrius buildup. If this is what's going on, than you need more water flow AND more random water flow, to put the detrius into suspension.

Also, maybe your live rock isn't so live yet. But with Na at 0, you can't really start with suspecting nutrients and/or water change schedules as being the problem.

JRistau81 · 05/30/2006, 09:46 PM

TRy taking the background off and see how it looks w/o it. A black one can really darken it and make the back panel look dirtier IME. If the tank is glass you can get a razor blade to scrape on the inside occasionally. This will get some of the tougher stuff off and I would get the coralline off of theside panels. Oh one more thing, you can blow the detritus off the rocks w/ a turkey baster. But like dpptone said more flow will fix the problem.

jdieck · 05/30/2006, 09:55 PM

Besides blowing off your rock a bit some snails will help with diatoms in the areas you do not clean and a sand shifting critter will help to keep it looking nice (pistol shrimp, shifting star, cuke etc). Now having say that I think the looks is more of looging plain bare and not dirty. If you are not interested in difficult corals you can add some colorful xooanthids and mushrooms and some softies that will make it look more colorful and interesting but befoere that try re-arranging the rock not to look just like a single pile. Try open more in the center and increase the height towar the back side corners providing more open sand in the middle like a lagoon. and see hou it goes.

weekendplayer · 05/30/2006, 10:07 PM

Hey Guys

thanks for the quick replys. I guess it's the diatoms that I need help with. Is that was is on the return in the first pic? That is also what is on the rocks. I do use a turky baster to blow off the rocks. As for increasing flow what would you guys suggest? I was think of an ocean motions setup. Also what are the spiny things on the rock in the last pic? Are they good or bad?

jdieck · 05/30/2006, 10:25 PM

They look like calcareous bodies of feather dusters or worms, they are good.
For the diatoms, snails will help.

Sk8r · 05/30/2006, 11:44 PM

Your spiky things are sessile tubeworms. Watch your fingers when you pick up rock: they're sharp. But they're fine.

Age will help your tank. We all go through gunky stages. And I keep a little 'dirt' in the corners to satisfy my snails and no-see-ums. If you have a glass and not an acrylic tank, nothing beats a plain old craft razor blade, the sort with one guarded edge. Do not use a razor on acrylic, however, and do not use it on intakes and the like. Only on the flat glass.

05/30/2006, 09:25 PM	#1
weekendplayer Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 74	dirty tank Hey All It's been awile since I've posted, been reading a lot of other posts. When looking at different tanks here on the forum I notice that all of your tanks look so clean. I was wondering how do you all keep you tanks clean. When I look at mine, it looks so dirty. I'm always cleaning algea off the glass, but the lr, returns and overflow always look dirty. I've included pics. I would appreciate any help/advice you guys and gals could give me. My tank params are PH-8.2, salinity 30, trates trites & ammonia all 0, Mg 1320, Ca 390, DKH 12.5, ALK 4.46, Phos 0. Also my DKH and ALK have been running high. Any suggestions on how to lower them? My tank is a 105 show with 30g sump/fuge. Return is Mag 9.5, 2 Maxijet 1200's, skimmer is ASM G3, 120 lbs lr and 80 lbs ls. 1 yellow tang, 1 mandarin, 1 diamond back goby, 5 yellow tail damsels, 2 sand stars, hermit crabs and astrea and turbo snails. I also have a flower pot and frogspawn. My lighting is actinic white and super actinic 110w VHO and 2 250w 14000k HQI mh. VHO's on at 1000a off at 830p, mh on at 1200p off at 430p. Also in the last pic what are the spiny things on the rock? I have them all over, are they good or bad? Sorry for the long post but wanted to try and include everything. Thanks in advance.

05/30/2006, 09:46 PM	#3
JRistau81 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Springfield, Illinois Posts: 264	TRy taking the background off and see how it looks w/o it. A black one can really darken it and make the back panel look dirtier IME. If the tank is glass you can get a razor blade to scrape on the inside occasionally. This will get some of the tougher stuff off and I would get the coralline off of theside panels. Oh one more thing, you can blow the detritus off the rocks w/ a turkey baster. But like dpptone said more flow will fix the problem. __________________ I like pigs. Dogs look up to us; cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals. - Winston Churchill Current Tank Info: 150 gallon, 2 Hamilton 400w 14K Metal halide, Red Sea Berlin Skimmer (Don't scoff, it works well), 150-200 lbs LR, 50 lbs LS, 100 lbs Southdown...anything else?

05/30/2006, 09:55 PM	#4
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	Besides blowing off your rock a bit some snails will help with diatoms in the areas you do not clean and a sand shifting critter will help to keep it looking nice (pistol shrimp, shifting star, cuke etc). Now having say that I think the looks is more of looging plain bare and not dirty. If you are not interested in difficult corals you can add some colorful xooanthids and mushrooms and some softies that will make it look more colorful and interesting but befoere that try re-arranging the rock not to look just like a single pile. Try open more in the center and increase the height towar the back side corners providing more open sand in the middle like a lagoon. and see hou it goes. __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

05/30/2006, 10:25 PM	#6
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	They look like calcareous bodies of feather dusters or worms, they are good. For the diatoms, snails will help. __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

05/30/2006, 11:44 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Your spiky things are sessile tubeworms. Watch your fingers when you pick up rock: they're sharp. But they're fine. Age will help your tank. We all go through gunky stages. And I keep a little 'dirt' in the corners to satisfy my snails and no-see-ums. If you have a glass and not an acrylic tank, nothing beats a plain old craft razor blade, the sort with one guarded edge. Do not use a razor on acrylic, however, and do not use it on intakes and the like. Only on the flat glass. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/30/2006, 09:36 PM	#2
dppitone Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Queen Village, Phila. Posts: 1,697	First, get your salt up to 1.025. When you say dirty, I presume you are referring to detrius build up on the rocks? You can test this by picking up a rock slightly and shaking it in the water. If particles cloud off it, than it is detrius buildup. If this is what's going on, than you need more water flow AND more random water flow, to put the detrius into suspension. Also, maybe your live rock isn't so live yet. But with Na at 0, you can't really start with suspecting nutrients and/or water change schedules as being the problem.

05/30/2006, 10:07 PM	#5
weekendplayer Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 74	Hey Guys thanks for the quick replys. I guess it's the diatoms that I need help with. Is that was is on the return in the first pic? That is also what is on the rocks. I do use a turky baster to blow off the rocks. As for increasing flow what would you guys suggest? I was think of an ocean motions setup. Also what are the spiny things on the rock in the last pic? Are they good or bad?