HELP

[LiamFalconer]

I will have had my Biocube 32 for a year as of this coming January. Everything was going swimmingly until about 3 months ago. It started with my heater suddenly not holding steady. I fixed that but I started developing diatoms and some general nitrate rising. Long story short, it snowballed into a completely orange-ish green-ish tank with 150+ nitrates. I cut lighting and feeding a lot as well as starting to use Dr. Tim's Waste-Away. (also been doing weekly 25% water changes)All of these things lowered nitrates to ~40ppm and then my Flame angel developed velvet. It spread to my clarkii clown as well as my yellow watchman goby and blue damsel I set up a QT and treated all. Flame angel and Damsel died but clarkii and goby pulled through. (I used copper meds.) My tank has now been fishless for a month with no food being added and 25% weekly water changes and nitrates are still ~40ppm with rampant algae. Phosphates have always been 0. I don't know what do to now. I thought a month without food would solve nitrate issues but no change at all, only constant scrubbing keeps algae away. Help please.

[banasophia]

Oh no, sounds like things have been rough, sorry to hear. 😞

 

Can you post a pic, and your specific gravity/temp/other parameters, so we can better assist. Also, tell us more about the water and salt you are using. 

[LiamFalconer]

Just left town for Thanksgiving so cant send photo but SG stays around 1.025, temp is at max 1-degree +or- 78, Ammo 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate ~40ppm Phos 0, can't remember Kh and calcium and stuff off top of my head but they are all in the good range.

No other indicators something is wrong. Like no snails have died and Zoas have grown new polyps, Duncan grew a new head, Clarkii and Goby are doing great now. Everything is good except its covered in algae.

[Tamberav]

Do you clean the sand bed regularly? Clean the back chambers? What are in the back chambers?

[LiamFalconer]

I clean sandbed with every change, Just scrubbed back chamber thoroughly two weeks ago.

Rn there is just a filter. More chemi-pure on way via amazon

[Clown79]

Sorry for all the questions but they will lead us to the cause. There is always a cause for nutrient issues.

 

What do you use in the back chambers for filtration(sponges, floss, bioballs, etc etc) and how is it maintained?

 

What do you feed?

 

Do you dose anything?

 

What is your water source? Home made RODI or purchased?

Have you tested it?

 

Do you regularly siphon detritus from the back chambers and clean hoses and pumps?

 

To you Turkey baste your rocks with every waterchange?

 

The tank needs to go fallow for 8 weeks to be safe, longer is better.

 

I'd do a 100% waterchange. That will reduce the nitrates.

 

Testing phos eith a hanna checker is important too.

 

[LiamFalconer]

So back chambers is a filter and some chemi pure, feeding was Formula two pellets and mysis before velvet, only dosing is waste-away, I use store bought water and reef crystals(the store bought water I use I have tested and it has 0 nitrates 0 phosphates), I clean back once every three weeks-ish, roughly same with basting rocks, okay to the rest.

[Tamberav]

What do you mean by a 'filter'?

[cju84]

Hey!  Have you tested your store bought water and does it show 000 ppm?

[LiamFalconer]

'Filter" is a cut to size filter pad and the store water shows 0ppm phos and nitrate

[Tamberav]

1 minute ago, LiamFalconer said:

'Filter" is a cut to size filter pad and the store water shows 0ppm phos and nitrate

Disposible one or sponge?

[LiamFalconer]

Disposable

 

[A Little Blue]

40 minutes ago, LiamFalconer said:

Disposable

 

Hard to pinpoint the source of your problem.  To many variables and unknown. I have only one suggestion, get a UV light. Doesn’t have to be permeant part of your system.  20-40watts should suffice. You can probably get one cheap on used market or upcoming sales.  Once installed, I would try to get your tank in order. Large water changes, fresh media, manual algae removal, clean sandbed, reduce light intensity if possible, feed your fish small amounts but more often. You might also look into algae scrubbers or reactors that might fit your system. Efficient algae reactor should keep nuisance algae in check. 

[LiamFalconer]

Ya. I've been thinking abt a UV light and/or protein skimmer. Unfortunately, I can't reduce light intensity but I have cut light time 50%. Because of the copper and my quarantine tank, much of my stuff is tainted and can't be used in DT so I've had to buy new stuff and biggest WC I can do rn is 25%. I am both manually removing algae and cleaning sand bed every WC. My biggest space that I can use for something like an algae scrubber is ~3x6x2(in) so options are limited. Thanks for the feedback!