Maddevil1 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 In less than two days, my tank has been overrun by a massive algae bloom. I had a little bit of algae last weekend so I added 5 snails and a hermit. Today I woke up and pretty much every inch of my live rock is covered with it. I've been doing 3 gallon water change every 5 days or so, and my params still look good, so I have no clue what's going on. I am running with Chemipure and Purigen now with the filter floss. Today I added 2 nassarius snails and 3 more astreas. Nobody is eating though I'm trying hard not to panic, but my tank went from looking great to looking awful in 2 days. Is it like hair algae or just diatom on the liverocks? None-the-less, its the normal process and all new tanks go through this is the beginning. As long as your tank parameters are in check, this will pass and the algae will vanish, just keep on top of it. If you look at my post #112 in my thread, this was the start of mine. I actually took the rocks out and scrubbed the algae off because no CUC will eat algae this long. You can also reduce your light cycle some as well to help in the fight. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 The algae is starting to dissipate, so I decided to get a couple of frags (from Maddevil's personal stock). They're both beginning to open up nicely. GSP - I just noticed the little piece hanging off. Perhaps I should move him back before it gets too settled in. Haha @ little snail poops under the monti shelf. Birdsnest - when I take it off of the frag plug, it'll be moved higher up on the scape. The pink crown, so to speak. After a couple of days I tested the water again, und alles gut! Friday is payday, so a fish might join them. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 The Birdsnest has algae on the tips. I'm thinking about gently scrubbing it off with a soft bristled toothbrush, but I want to find the cause instead of just "band-aiding" it. Any thoughts? Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 what are your phosphates running? Anything die in the tank lately? what phosphate remover are you using? Just a few things off the top of my head. I know you had an algae issue in the past but didnt run through the thread. How long has the tank been up? Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 I had a nerite die last night, but I pulled him out of the tank when i confirmed him dead. So less than 12 hours. I haven't tested for phosphates, but considering the recent algae outbreak, there's probably an issue there. I think my "RO" water from Kroger is suspect. Perhaps a RO/DI unit is in order this weekend. The tank's 1 month birthday will be this weekend. Link to comment
Maddevil1 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 The Birdsnest has algae on the tips. I'm thinking about gently scrubbing it off with a soft bristled toothbrush, but I want to find the cause instead of just "band-aiding" it. Any thoughts? If the tips have algae on them it means the tissue is dead....just clip them off and they will grow back. Also, make sure it has good flow on it, medium flow - not directly in front of the powerhead. Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Ahhh well test your water from kroger and see if it has phosphates. I hope you find out whats causing it. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 So I went to the LFS to pick up a phosphate test this afternoon. I left with the test and a Royal Gramma. It was one of the three fish I planned on putting in this tank, and they had a particularly lively healthy looking one for only $17.00. I couldn't pass it up. Probably not the wisest move -- adding fish in such a young tank, but my params still look great, so why not? Btw, I probably won't be adding anything else for a while. I just want to let everything get cozy before I add any more livestock. Must....fight...the temptation....... Link to comment
spiderjeru Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 So I went to the LFS to pick up a phosphate test this afternoon. I left with the test and a Royal Gramma. It was one of the three fish I planned on putting in this tank, and they had a particularly lively healthy looking one for only $17.00. I couldn't pass it up. Probably not the wisest move -- adding fish in such a young tank, but my params still look great, so why not? Btw, I probably won't be adding anything else for a while. I just want to let everything get cozy before I add any more livestock. Must....fight...the temptation....... As long as your fish species isn't relying on foraging food from the tank itself I don't see why it would be a problem to add it. That's assuming of course that your cycle is over, which seems to be the case. Link to comment
Maddevil1 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 So I went to the LFS to pick up a phosphate test this afternoon. I left with the test and a Royal Gramma. It was one of the three fish I planned on putting in this tank, and they had a particularly lively healthy looking one for only $17.00. I couldn't pass it up. Probably not the wisest move -- adding fish in such a young tank, but my params still look great, so why not? Btw, I probably won't be adding anything else for a while. I just want to let everything get cozy before I add any more livestock. Must....fight...the temptation....... What brand of phosphate test did you get? I hope ELOS. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 What brand of phosphate test did you get? I hope ELOS. The LFS only had API phosphate kits, unfortunately. I tested and it showed 0. I'm going to retest it tonight just to be sure I'm not crazy. Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I use API and it works fine for me. I have matched it with my LFS and they come out the same. Dont remember which one they test with though. Link to comment
Maddevil1 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The LFS only had API phosphate kits, unfortunately. I tested and it showed 0. I'm going to retest it tonight just to be sure I'm not crazy. I cant really comment on API's phosphate test kit. I bought the ELOS one cause I heard it was pretty good. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 It took a couple of days, but the Royal Gramma (hereafter called Ferdinand), has come out from his hiding place under the dead monti. I've been feeding him brine shrimp once a day, but I'm worried that might be too much. He seems to be hungry all the time though. He's a beautful fish that really added some color to my tank. I'm still taking pics with the iPhone, so apologies for the quality. FTS 1/29/2011 Astrea hitching a "hermit-back" ride. This hermit is probably the most inactive thing in my tank. Even the algae is more exciting to watch. GSP under actinics. I trimmed the tips of the Birdsnest to stop the algae, and it seems to be doing okay. I plan to affix it to the rock at somepoint this week. Can you get the two-part puddy at Lowe's/HomeDepot? Next hopeful additions will be Florida Ric and some Zoas. I saw some Pulsing Xenia at the LFS that was kinda cool to watch, even though they're a dingy color. Link to comment
rO.oster Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 your tank is looking great man, that GSP will eventually spread everywhere unless you get it isolated on an island of some sorts. not overnight or anything, but it does take off. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 your tank is looking great man, that GSP will eventually spread everywhere unless you get it isolated on an island of some sorts. not overnight or anything, but it does take off. Thanks! Yeah I put the GSP on the dead monti shelf in hopes that it will take over. It's raised about 3 inches from the sandbed, and there's a decent gap up to the next bit of LR holding it down. Even so, it will be easy to trim because of it's little "plateau". Link to comment
oncorhynchus Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hey rb. It looks like we started our fourteeners about the same time. Looks like a nice divot of gsp on the monti shelf. Funny, I also have a monti shelf in my cube. Mine had a crystal shaped bright red spike in the center. After about a month in the light it started to grow. It has flattened out and made a second shelf and gets bigger each day. Not sure if this is coral or not as I can't see any polyps. Time will tell I guess. Great sea trout in your avatar, but I like that slob of a redfish in your profile pics even more....I trust they were fly caught! Dave Link to comment
rb1685 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hey rb. It looks like we started our fourteeners about the same time. Looks like a nice divot of gsp on the monti shelf. Funny, I also have a monti shelf in my cube. Mine had a crystal shaped bright red spike in the center. After about a month in the light it started to grow. It has flattened out and made a second shelf and gets bigger each day. Not sure if this is coral or not as I can't see any polyps. Time will tell I guess. Great sea trout in your avatar, but I like that slob of a redfish in your profile pics even more....I trust they were fly caught! Dave Thanks! I love my BC14 so far. It's just the perfect size for my cozy little apartment. Haha it does look like a divot! My monti shelf started to grow this neon green stuff, but I figured it to just be coralline or something. This piece seems to have been dead a looong time. Yeah it's a wee sand trout I caught in Matagorda. The red in my profile was caught in the same great trip. Altogether I had 6 reds over 35 inches, one little blacktip, and the sand trout. Unfortunately, neither the water nor the wind here on the mid coast allow for much fly fishing, but I would really like to try it sometime! Here's one of my Facebook albums with more fishing pics. Link to comment
oncorhynchus Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I like the "wee black tip". Those guys were thick on a coral flat I fished on Christmas Island. It is hard to get used to 5 foot black tips swimming up to you in knee deep water. They are a very visual animal and will swim within a few feet to check you out. They will take a fly too! Those 30+ reds sure can pull can't they? What are you going to put in your tank next? I'm thinking aout a purple tip hammer and maybe palau nepthea. Also spending a lot of time thinking about and LED upgrade... Dave Link to comment
rb1685 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 What are you going to put in your tank next? I'm thinking aout a purple tip hammer and maybe palau nepthea. Also spending a lot of time thinking about and LED upgrade... Dave I'm not quite sure yet. I have a couple of weeks before the next paycheck, so I'm letting everything in the tank get settled whilst I monitor the water params. I tested everything last night, and everything is still good. I'm looking at a Florida Ricordea or some colorful Zoas. My next fish will likely be a goby/blenny. My LR has lots of little caves and crevasses on the sandbed which would be ideal for a rock dwelling fish. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 So I lost two Nerites this weekend. It happened really suddenly, and they showed no signs of slowing down or flipping upside down. That makes three that have died in 2 weeks. I got home Thursday night and the first one was being eaten. Truly disturbing watching a snail prey on another. Any ideas as to what could cause the rapid death of three Nerites? The Astreas and Nassarius snails, though larger in size, seem to be doing well. All the params still look good as of Saturday. Link to comment
Maddevil1 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 So I lost two Nerites this weekend. It happened really suddenly, and they showed no signs of slowing down or flipping upside down. That makes three that have died in 2 weeks. I got home Thursday night and the first one was being eaten. Truly disturbing watching a snail prey on another. Any ideas as to what could cause the rapid death of three Nerites? The Astreas and Nassarius snails, though larger in size, seem to be doing well. All the params still look good as of Saturday. Starvation? Are you feeding them/tank? Or maybe it was their time. Link to comment
rb1685 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Starvation? Are you feeding them/tank? Or maybe it was their time. I considered that, but it seems they had plenty of algae to eat. The Astreas are still munching away, so it seems there was plenty to eat. Perhaps there's a different type of algae the Nerites prefer, which my tank lacked. I feed the tank daily a little bit of brine shrimp, with alternation of some flake food every couple of days. The food is mostly for the Royal G., but the Nassarius have some lunch out of it too. Link to comment
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