Diggmans's 3g JBJ Pico

[Bonsai]

I was under the impression the black sand did not cause much of a cycle if introduced to an established tank (therefore not really affect your cycle either)

 

I used black sand, and fully cured live rock ... my cycle was pretty short ... in fact, when I was testing every few days, I only saw the ammonia spike a tiny little bit ... but I never caught the nitrite spike - it must have been too fast.

[spanko]

this is by far the nastiest cycle i have ever witnessed...whyyy!!.. is it from the black sand,, being it was dry and not live/seeded?

 

i have a ton of bristle worms in there also.

 

1.Tap water initial fill or top-off?You know what this can do for an algae outbreak.

2.What did you decide on the heater? What is the temp running?Higher temps feed algae growth.

3.Do you have the glass top on?Maybe need some more gas exchange in the water.

4.Doing any water changes yet?Nutrients from die-off would tend to accumulate at an accelerated rate in a small amount of water.

5.What is the light cycle?Seems like you have a lot of light there and maybe you are running too long for the cycle. Maybe cut back a tad until the cycling has settled out and you have the algae under control.

 

Sorry I know you realize all of this but sometimes we get caught up and forget the basics. Algae needs nutrients and light to thrive, you need to find which or if both of these is the cause and fix that.

[Matty1124]

i say run your fuge light 24/7 if your having trouble with algae... running it reverse will keep your pH stable but if your not keeping sps and are having trouble with algae you should keep that macro sucking nutrients out all day and all night... thats how i run my tanks anyway

[diggman08]

SPank

1. i only use Pure RO water

2. still have the 10wtt heater. temps stay 77-79

3.no glass top (may add a small PH though

4.I havent done any waterr changes yet... i bet this is the problem( day 17)

5.lights on from 2-8pm 6hour cycle

 

thanks for laying it out like that.this way we can find the problem eaiser..go down the checkklist..

 

 

and idont think having the chaeto in the back during cycle would hurt anything... this nasty algae is on the glass, intake,rock,sand,everything!! its short little branching type

 

ive heard so many diff takes on fuge cycles... i dunno i may change it...

[spanko]

Sounds like you have not done any testing. "just lettin ride"

maybe time to do some eh? See where ammonia, trates and trites are right now. You could have a bunch of trates in there fueling this whole thing. Remember the old saying "The solution to pollution is dilution." Could be at the point where a good clean up crew could perform amazing feats of---well---clean up.

 

Just sayin!

[diggman08]

yeah i may get a RENT-A-TurboSnail... if they have such..lol.. anyway yeah i may do like a 1gal water change..

ill do some testing this evening and get back with ya

 

thanks

Spanksta

[spanko]

You're welcome! Remember, this too shall pass. Don't go selling this on us now!!!

[divecj5]

Don't go selling this on us now!!!

 

 

Maybe we could start a business with Rent-A-Snails....kind of like the PODs. We'll come and drop off the snail, you let it munch in your pico for a while, and we'll come back in a few to pick it up and store it

[Laura6686]

 

Maybe we could start a business with Rent-A-Snails....kind of like the PODs. We'll come and drop off the snail, you let it munch in your pico for a while, and we'll come back in a few to pick it up and store it

 

 

LOL I have two for rent that are eating me out of house and home. I only ordered one but they sent me two. Man are they pigs.....

[diggman08]

lol lets do it.. Rent-a-Snail... we would make millions upon millions muahhmuahhhaha (not really)

[diggman08]

so i cut out the lights completlely yesterday... and leaving them off for 24hours..

also i have bristle worm nightmares..with the tank being next to my bed.. i have some killer bristles,, and lots of them... how do i rid these discusting creatures.

[spanko]

Ha Ha! Just read a post on another site about a guy that said "removed the bristle worm. actually, my girlfriend went in there with pliers and pulled it out. i was too much of a sally. ugly looking thing. "

 

Maybe while renting snails from Dive you could also rent this guys girlfriend for bristle worm extraction!!!

[diggman08]

lollol.. now that would be awesome she would have to dress up as a french maid though

[spanko]

I'm thinking more Jacqueline Bisset in the movie The Deep.

 

http://www.celebritymoviearchive.com/tour/movie.php/2542

[diggman08]

haha welll shoot... let just put her in a string bikini and call it a day

[evilc66]

 

SHWING!!!!!!

[diggman08]

Duuuuuuuuuuuddeee... (waynesworld)

[diggman08]

Update:

went to the lfs today,, got a box of my Tropic Marine Pro salt( the good) and a 12gallons of my usual RO water... also picked up a new AC70 impellar... the modded one that came on mine was chopped down to much... and just wasnt enought flow... so this one is completely stock,, and when i put it in the flow is perfect now... i have it set at mid blast.. also got a batch of Chemi-pute elite, and purigen.. i mixed half of each unit together and put them in a mesh AC bag dealyo.. did some major scrubbing of the algae,, and had 3days of no light... the tank looks great now.. .. i also added 3 Hermits and a Margarita snail..

 

o forgot ... when i went to do my water change... as i was taking it out.. the smell was so Foul and bad i almost threw up.. i dont know what it was from.. till i took off the top rock.., and that was IT.. i dont know what was up with it...so i just chunked it... blaghh..

 

but everything is going well with both tanks... this is one is nearing the end of it cycle i believe

[taku]

I don't see what the big deal with bristle worms is. I have the same pico and lighting and HOB filter with an additional nano canister filter as well on my 3g, I have a ton of bristle worms and they are excellent scavengers and never hurt anything in the tank. I also have a LOT of them in my display 120g reef as well and they do much more good and in fact, no harm that I've noticed. My display tank has been running since 2000, so you can imagine how many worms I have. They make it entertaining for friends to watch during feeding times because they just pour out of the rocks

 

Why do some people insist on killing them and removing them? They are helping your reef!

 

I've accidentally got some of their bristles in my fingers before and it hurts like little pieces of glass.. otherwise I love them!

[diggman08]

thats what i always thought... im just worried if i get some corals on the sandbed they may eat at them.. especially EXPENSIVE Coral.. im just gonna leave them though... ive heard Arrow crabs will eat them also..

 

on another note,, my AC70 is kinda loud now that i have the new Impellar in... anyone else encounter this prob?

[evilc66]

Make sure all the air is out of the syphon tube. Thats what caused all the noise in mine. Beyond that, make sure there is no grit/sand in the impeller housing.

[diggman08]

i cant get all the air out,, ive tried everything..

[cuboy]

i cant get all the air out,, ive tried everything..

 

try moving from full wait for things to settle, then to low a few times.

 

Try turning off the filter, then back on. Don't forget to take a few cups of water out if you decide to turn off, so you dont spill over the sides.

[divecj5]

Any progress with the cycle and/or algae after you removed that one rock? I'm antsy to see this thing loaded with your palys/zoas.

[spanko]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there has been no picture since 15-Jul-08, and that was just a filter - fuge picture.

 

COME ON DIGG WHAT UP!!!!!!