Beware the Shallows

[jedimasterben]

Eventually your scrubber is going to kick the cyano's @ss, right????

Yep, all things with time. I think it has more to do with the skimmer not, uh, skimming anymore lol. I stopped dosing ascorbate a couple of weeks ago (just kept forgetting and never started back up), so maybe that contributed as well? Not sure.

 

Oreally. When did that stop you from dosing whatever it is you are always dosing to get rid of whatever plagues you. You've dosed every available substance on earth. Chemiclean is a solution to cyano.

If it were a solution to cyanobacteria, then there would be zero instances of it in the hobby. I don't know what it contains, what it does, or how it works, and until I find that out so I can find out what else it does, there is no way I will be putting it into my tank.

 

Also, I don't think that peroxide, a carbon source (vinegar, sugar), and sodium ascorbate count as 'every substance on earth'.

[gena]

Yep, all things with time. I think it has more to do with the skimmer not, uh, skimming anymore lol. I stopped dosing ascorbate a couple of weeks ago (just kept forgetting and never started back up), so maybe that contributed as well? Not sure.

Everyone always says "patience" in this hobby. And it's true...all things with time. You can beat cyano without using chemicals, I've done it. Not sure what thing or combination of things did it, but I beat it without chemicals. Nothing against the chemicals...they obviously work for people.

[metrokat]

you've had Clyde pee in it too. INOIT.

[pineo]

I've beaten cyano without chemicals. For me it was massive water changes and the addition of a large (roughly 1/2 the vol. of DT) refugium. Good luck.

[jedimasterben]

Everyone always says "patience" in this hobby. And it's true...all things with time. You can beat cyano without using chemicals, I've done it. Not sure what thing or combination of things did it, but I beat it without chemicals. Nothing against the chemicals...they obviously work for people.

Yep, using chemicals can possibly work... but its no guarantee. Some people just do a chemiclean treatment once a month because they don't fix the underlying problem!

 

And me and algae are secret friends, I just don't like it in my display

 

you've had Clyde pee in it too. INOIT.

UNONAHSING

 

I've beaten cyano without chemicals. For me it was massive water changes and the addition of a large (roughly 1/2 the vol. of DT) refugium. Good luck.

Largee water changes aren't practical in anything bigger than a 15 or 20 gallon system, and combined with clams, the instability they bring can be deadly. I would love a large refugium again, but combined with the algae scrubber, macroalgal growth would be severely limited, though nutrient export is only a secondary benefit of a refugium and is not what they were designed to do (they were made to be a 'refuge' where pods and other life could thrive without predation).

[jedimasterben]

 

 

 

Red/blue side.

 

Mixed side.

 

 

Moved the rats nest into the stand. Wife is happier lol

[Hexadron]

Oh Lawd, that's a lot of LED's.

[jedimasterben]

Yeah, it's about $225 in the supplies

 

(but I only had to buy the two heatsinks and some of the Rebels, I had the rest so it only cost me a bit over $100)

 

I wish I could make it look less like DIY knobs, but meh, it's whatever.

 

 

Oh, and the old scrubber light for reference:

[pineo]

Largee water changes aren't practical in anything bigger than a 15 or 20 gallon system, and combined with clams, the instability they bring can be deadly. I would love a large refugium again, but combined with the algae scrubber, macroalgal growth would be severely limited, though nutrient export is only a secondary benefit of a refugium and is not what they were designed to do (they were made to be a 'refuge' where pods and other life could thrive without predation).

 

I agree with the first part. My total system is only 40 gallons, I was doing about 25% twice a week, which is fairly easy. I would not want to have to mix up a 30-40 gallon change.

 

That said, I have 2 large crocea clams that did just fine. I think a healthy clam can survive a large water change when care is taken to premix the salt and match the temp. GL vs cyano.

[NirvanaandTool]

My eyes. Dang thats some bright scrubber lights. Hope they grow some nice algae for ya!

 

I feel the same about chemiclean. I feel like it should be a last resort and not the first thing done. If all else fails, chemiclean and hope for the best. Personally I'm trying vinegar dosing before I go with chemiclean for my lyngbya cyano problem.

[jedimasterben]

I agree with the first part. My total system is only 40 gallons, I was doing about 25% twice a week, which is fairly easy. I would not want to have to mix up a 30-40 gallon change.

I've done it before when making water to refill the tank, it sucked. Had two big garbage cans and still needed to fill a spare tank to use it.

 

That said, I have 2 large crocea clams that did just fine. I think a healthy clam can survive a large water change when care is taken to premix the salt and match the temp. GL vs cyano.

I've heard of too many dropping after large water changes - clams that had been in the tank for 5-10 years just gone out of their shell right after the change.

 

My eyes. Dang thats some bright scrubber lights. Hope they grow some nice algae for ya!

I sure hope so!

 

I feel the same about chemiclean. I feel like it should be a last resort and not the first thing done. If all else fails, chemiclean and hope for the best. Personally I'm trying vinegar dosing before I go with chemiclean for my lyngbya cyano problem.

Just be forewarned that carbon dosing will fuel both denitrifying bacteria and cyanobacteria, so for a short while you'll more than likely see the cyano get worse, but will start backing down and out. Running GFO will help, as well (at least, it should - not so much in my case, damn cyano).

[milk]

scrubber!

[jedimasterben]

I really want to get back to this:

 

 

I paid it way less attention then, monitored less, and everything was still better lol.

[jedimasterben]

Well, I found something a bit prettier than a foxface lo to take care of the valonia.

 

[Squared]

that yours?

[jedimasterben]

No, but soon, I hope. Will have to order it from Blue Zoo.

[Deleted User 4]

I really want to get back to this:

 

 

I paid it way less attention then, monitored less, and everything was still better lol.

 

Is that not how your current tank is now?

[jedimasterben]

lol no

[Squared]

No, but soon, I hope. Will have to order it from Blue Zoo.

 

neat

 

how big do they grow?

[Chadf]

No, but soon, I hope. Will have to order it from Blue Zoo.

 

Sweet fish, especially if it'll take care of valonia. Hopefully it doesn't eat coral though, kind of a crap shoot isn't it?

[jedimasterben]

neat

 

how big do they grow?

around 7" for a captive one, in the wild they can get around 9" I think.

 

Sweet fish, especially if it'll take care of valonia. Hopefully it doesn't eat coral though, kind of a crap shoot isn't it?

Pretty much. I don't have too many corals in the tank for it to choose from, so hopefully it likes something I don't have.

[DRLOVEtoreef]

I really dislike valonia ... I recall in one of my early tanks how cool it looked when it first showed up, I couldn't figure out why everyone hated it ... Clogged power heads, pumps, took over the dang tank ... I hate it now

[neuwave]

Yo Jedi. I just came from macna and stopped by the LED group buy booth. They expected you to be there. lol They asked if I knew you if you were coming. So I'm giving you their shout out. Ha ha

[jedimasterben]

lol, nah, decided against going. Woulda been nice to meet Milad finally, though!

 

Got an MP10 blue box, new bearings, and a wireless upgrade on the way. Also may get an MP40 to see how one does on the tank with the larger sand bits.

[gena]

I was at my LFS today. They had a foxface in the store. I thought of you.

 

Did you order the one in the photo above? It's a knock-out! Much prettier than the ones I saw today.