HELP -- my tank is so ugly

[LucyLucy]

Basic tank water parameters are in check, but I've struggled keeping up with the appearance. Its not like my tank has bad water or pests or anything to serious, its just a little dusty. What can I do to make my tank shining like others on this forum.

 

Story behind tank - I've had this particular tank running about a year. I always keep up with my water changes and feed sparingly, I just had so much going on I wasn't able to keep a very close eye on things. Now my tank has good water but is kind of ugly. I want to start looking into corals again soon (I had a crash after I went on vacation in December) but I want to make sure I get everything is in check first. I probably wont even try to add coral until the fall anyways. The only things I can think of doing is physically deep cleaning the tank (taking out all the parts and scrubbing) or adding more inverts, or both? ( I literally have one small hermit for my 20 gallon). I would like to be as gentle as possible for my fish's sake. I kind of fell out of the hobby with school and am just at a loss because I want to get back into it after being so inspired by some of the tanks on this forum. 

 

Please I need your help!!

 

Problems:

- the gravel in my tank is covered in brown stuff like diatoms, but I thought they should be gone by now. Maybe it is because of the tank crash everything had to sort of recycle? IDK, just throwing ideas out there.

- My rock is covered in this grey-ish green looking fuzz, only on the top though near the light. I loved the nice clean purple look of the rock when I got it (it was artificial LifeRock), and I would love to bring that back

- Part of me thinks I just need to wait out these problems, because the tank is relatively new, part of me thinks I need to act before these problems get worse. I used to be super dedicated and knowledgeable about this stuff, but to be honest I forgot a lot of information and neglected my tank for a while.

 

Basically I'm asking what steps should I take to get it looking crisp, and should I get some better equipment (more details on my tank on my profile). I'm not expecting miracles and I know these processes take a while, but I want to get my tank refreshed and looking less sloppy.  Also, if you see any major red flags please let me know. 

 

Hopefully this thread will not only help me, but help other people who are experiencing the same problems. 

 

Images:

[Clown79]

Hello

 

We need a bit more info on the system.

 

What lighting are you running- it looks like a light designed for freshwater/fish only which can encourage algae growth as those are more in the plant growth spectrum.

 

The gravel, what did you use? It looks like standard gravel for freshwater tanks which will trap detritus in it.

It needs regular vacuuming with each waterchange. 

 

What is your filteration set up(media used and maintenance of it.)

 

Your actual parameters would be helpful, "good" can be different from each person's perspective

 

 

What water is used for top up and waterchanges?

 

The algae on the rocks looks like detritus and green hair algae. Lack of cuc, blowing off rocks with Turkey baster, and lack of flow are the common causes. 

[LucyLucy]

6 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Hello

 

We need a bit more info on the system.

 

What lighting are you running- it looks like a light designed for freshwater/fish only which can encourage algae growth as those are more in the plant growth spectrum.

 

The gravel, what did you use? It looks like standard gravel for freshwater tanks which will trap detritus in it.

It needs regular vacuuming with each waterchange. 

 

What is your filteration set up(media used and maintenance of it.)

 

Your actual parameters would be helpful, "good" can be different from each person's perspective

 

 

What water is used for top up and waterchanges?

 

The algae on the rocks looks like detritus and green hair algae. Lack of cuc, blowing off rocks with Turkey baster, and lack of flow are the common causes. 

All my tank information is under my profile, but here's the answers to your questions:

 

When I ordered it I thought I ordered the Current USA ORBIT MARINE LED LIGHT, (but maybe that's not what it actually is??)  but I'm considering saving up for a kessil because this light does kind of suck.

 

I switched from sand to gravel because I like to vacuum and deep clean the bed every water change. (twice a month) I use distilled water for top offs and distilled water when I mix my saltwater, always to 1.026. 

 

Filtration is super simple, I have sea chem matrix rocks in the back and carbon which I change ever 2 weeks, with water changes. 

 

I think you might be right about the flow, it never seems to be as strong as others tanks are in videos i've seen. I'm wondering if i should upgrade the stock pump to a stronger one or get a small wave pump?

 

Before my water change this weekend I'll test all the parameters and update on that. 

 

[roblox84]

24 minutes ago, LucyLucy said:

All my tank information is under my profile, but here's the answers to your questions:

 

When I ordered it I thought I ordered the Current USA ORBIT MARINE LED LIGHT, (but maybe that's not what it actually is??)  but I'm considering saving up for a kessil because this light does kind of suck.

 

I switched from sand to gravel because I like to vacuum and deep clean the bed every water change. (twice a month) I use distilled water for top offs and distilled water when I mix my saltwater, always to 1.026. 

 

Filtration is super simple, I have sea chem matrix rocks in the back and carbon which I change ever 2 weeks, with water changes. 

 

I think you might be right about the flow, it never seems to be as strong as others tanks are in videos i've seen. I'm wondering if i should upgrade the stock pump to a stronger one or get a small wave pump?

 

Before my water change this weekend I'll test all the parameters and update on that. 

 

I'd leave the return pump alone and just get yourself a wave pump. As for the gravel, I always used Tropic Eden sand and I vacuum it every 2 weeks and it stays put provided you move a little quicker with the vac. There are also Tropic Eden Reef Flakes/Mini Flakes which have bigger granules than their sand but still look nice. 

 

BTW, I really like your aquascape.

[teenyreef]

I like your tank - the scape is nice and I agree, you just need to work through this ugly phase. I'm wondering, how long has it been since you changed from sand to gravel? Not many people use gravel. I think that could possible be at least part of your problem, because while it's easier to vacuum, it still tends to form an ideal area for bad bacteria to grow. Just an idea, though.

 

The bacterial film you have reminds me a lot of a very similar problem I fought with for months in my IM10. I finally beat it after doing a combination of removing the rocks, scrubbing them, doing close to a 100% water change, and, after repeating three times, I removed all the sand and went bare bottom. It's possible the just removing the sand was the real fix but I'll never know for sure. I'll see if I can post a link to the part in my tank thread where I was posting about it.

 

I agree with @roblox84, I'd upgrade with a wave pump and not worry about the return pump. Upgrading your light will help when you want to grow more light-loving corals but wouldn't help with your current problem. It would probably just promote algae growth on top of everything else.

 

If you could post your parameters after you check them this weekend that would help us better understand what's going on, too.

[Clown79]

10 hours ago, LucyLucy said:

All my tank information is under my profile, but here's the answers to your questions:

 

When I ordered it I thought I ordered the Current USA ORBIT MARINE LED LIGHT, (but maybe that's not what it actually is??)  but I'm considering saving up for a kessil because this light does kind of suck.

 

I switched from sand to gravel because I like to vacuum and deep clean the bed every water change. (twice a month) I use distilled water for top offs and distilled water when I mix my saltwater, always to 1.026. 

 

Filtration is super simple, I have sea chem matrix rocks in the back and carbon which I change ever 2 weeks, with water changes. 

 

I think you might be right about the flow, it never seems to be as strong as others tanks are in videos i've seen. I'm wondering if i should upgrade the stock pump to a stronger one or get a small wave pump?

 

Before my water change this weekend I'll test all the parameters and update on that. 

 

You can upgrade the return and get RFG nozzles which are great for random flow.

 

I have that set up in my 20g to avoid powerhead use.

 

Or you can add a powerhead or do both. Depends on what your stock return pump is.

 

What tank do you have and what's the stock return pump? 

 

Unfortunately gravel is a much bigger grain than sand(which can be vacuumed) and that large grain will trap more detritus than sand, be harder to keep clean, and offer very little benefit like sand(ph buffering etc.) 

 

You will need to stir it in between waterchanges. 2 times a month vacuuming only of the gravel will allow detritus in between the waterchanges to build up. 

 

Not sure how much help nassaurius and ceriths can help with the clean up of sand bed as they seem to not be able to go deeper into the SB with larger grain or else I normally would recommend them to help. 

 

If the light is a current orbit it should be fine but the light is much smaller than what you need, it has very limited spread. Looks like an 11" light on 24".

 

So the tank doesn't look as bad as you think it does.

 

It just needs a few things to help.

 

I'd do something about flow(can help more with more details of your return pump)

 

I would stir that gravel every few days to get the detritus into the water column

 

I would start Turkey basting rocks to help remove detritus.

 

Add some cuc for that gha(you will need to manually pull it out as well)

 

 

[Spencer7]

Change from gravel to sand, brush rock with toothbrush in separate bucket of saltwater, buy a tiger conch if you can (one of my fav algae eaters)...

 

Scape is nice BUT you need added flow blowing into that opening to get away with it. (e.g. pair of Koralia nano's: one front lower area of left panel, other back higher area of right panel).

 

Change away from that light when possible. Awful trap for new hobbyists imo. Kessil or AI Prime would work. I would just make sure Kessil is high enough to get decent coverage.

 

A pack of Seachem Purigen is great if you ever want to get your water extra clear.

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

1 hour ago, Spencer7 said:

Change away from that light when possible. Awful trap for new hobbyists imo. Kessil or AI Prime would work. I would just make sure Kessil is high enough to get decent coverage.

 

What's wrong with the light? 

[Spencer7]

22 minutes ago, IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut said:

What's wrong with the light? 

*Rabble rabble rabble*  to be fair, I initially thought they were Marineland lights

Regardless, we're still looking at low-quality LED's and a mediocre output spectrum (which can grow nuisance algae). I've just never seen a beautiful tank grown with these lights, however a lot of new hobbyists ask about them because of their price point. 

 

I've had great results with CurrentUSA Sat+'s when it comes to freshwater (you can see tanks in my sig)...don't really trust a "marine" version for proper coral care. 

 

I would much sooner advocate for a Reefbreeders Photon, couple Reef Brite strips or a AI/Radion/NanoBox fixture. Just my opinion.

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

6 minutes ago, Spencer7 said:

*Rabble rabble rabble*  to be fair, I initially thought they were Marineland lights

Regardless, we're still looking at low-quality LED's and a mediocre output spectrum (which can grow nuisance algae). I've just never seen a beautiful tank grown with these lights, however a lot of new hobbyists ask about them because of their price point. 

 

I've had great results with CurrentUSA Sat+'s when it comes to freshwater (you can see tanks in my sig)...don't really trust a "marine" version for proper coral care. 

 

I would much sooner advocate for a Reefbreeders Photon, couple Reef Brite strips or a AI/Radion/NanoBox fixture. Just my opinion.

fair enough. I like it because of its ability to lay directly on the tank and price tag honestly, so I'm biased. 

But it all depends what you wanna achieve with your tank!

[Spencer7]

23 minutes ago, IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut said:

fair enough. I like it because of its ability to lay directly on the tank and price tag honestly, so I'm biased. 

But it all depends what you wanna achieve with your tank!

Could mount two of these lumen bars across the tank for low profile. (but generally want higher for better spread)

[kimberbee]

I think the tank looks pretty good for having sustained a crash in December. 

 

Substrate: baste the gravel a few times a week to stir up detritus. Or consider going back to sand, but still stir up often. It definitely needs to be cleaned more than twice a month with water changes. 

 

Rocks: baste the rocks a few times a week too, use a toothbrush on the really bad spots. 

 

Depending on parameters, it may be a good idea to be doing weekly water changes for a while to help. Changing media more often may help a bit too. 

 

But, it doesn't look like you're off to a bad start!!

[LucyLucy]

I'm thinking on holding off on upgrading the light, at least for little but I will definitely add a wave pump ass soon as possible. I was looking online and the prices range from $20-300. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the cheaper pumps? I don't really want to spend over $100 on a pump. Any suggestions? I have the innovative Marine AIO 20 gallon by the way.

[kimberbee]

16 minutes ago, LucyLucy said:

Any suggestions? I have the innovative Marine AIO 20 gallon by the way.

I use an rw-4 in my IM20. They can usually be found on amazon for about $50, though you may have issues getting one soon due to the pandemic. 

 

Cheaper ones usually don't last very long. If you're unlucky, you might get 6mo use from it. I've gotten 4 years out of mine. Koralia is another not too expensive but good quality brand.

[Spencer7]

Tunze or Koralia nano circulators.

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, LucyLucy said:

I'm thinking on holding off on upgrading the light, at least for little but I will definitely add a wave pump ass soon as possible. I was looking online and the prices range from $20-300. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the cheaper pumps? I don't really want to spend over $100 on a pump. Any suggestions? I have the innovative Marine AIO 20 gallon by the way.

There are a lot of options.

 

Like @kimberbee mentioned, cheaper brands can be hit or miss. Some get long uses out of theirs while others end up replacing within months.

Lack of warranty and replacement parts are an issue as well.

 

So you may save now to end up paying more to replace- this is the same thing with lighting. 

Better off paying for good stuff once than paying more replacing cheaper products.

 

 

Hydor koralia are affordable, easy to get replacement parts, they have warranty, and are reliable.

 

Definitely go through reviews of products and consider pros and cons 

[Reefkid88]

1- I would switch the gravel out for sand like everyone said or go bare bottom. 

 

2- get a RW4 or SW2 for a wave maker or swap the return pump for a Sicce 1.0 and a VCA return nozzle. 

 

3- Take the rock out and scrub it. 

 

4- Swap the light for maybe 2 ABI Tuna Blue Par38's or find even a single bulb T5 fixture from BRS. 

 

 ONE think I HAVE learned is cheaping out on important equipment at the beginning will only cause you to spend MORE money down the road. Getting the right equipment will save you time,money,crashes,coral deaths,frustration ect ect. 

 

Maybe even try the ReefBrite LumiLite Duo or regular versions. They comes in 3 flavors. Royal Blue,White and 50/50 and are cheap. 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/reef-brite-lumi-lite-duo-50-50-white-blue-24-inch

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/reef-brite-lumilite-pro-blue-white-50-50-led-light-fixture

 

T5's:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/supra-slim-line-single-t5-retrofit-fixture-reef-brite.html

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/supra-dual-t5-retrofit-fixture-reef-brite.html

 

These fixtures are not top of the line,but will be suffice. Only problem is not so efficent ballasts and mediocre reflectors but do the job. But very budget friendly:

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Fluorescent-Fixture-Indoor-Plants/dp/B07RTVD1HJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=2ft+t5+light+fixture&qid=1588374544&sprefix=2ft+t5+&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUURRTDBNUUo5QkVCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzE4NDUwM0ZVRVJOUEk3UjUzSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDI2NDk4U1cxUFQ0MTFRM1FOJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

Wavemakers:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jebao-Propeller-Water-Controller-Magnet/dp/B01MS8782D/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jebao+sw2&qid=1588374389&sr=8-1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jebao-Propeller-Water-Controller-Magnet/dp/B01MS7XCT7/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jebao+sw4&qid=1588374440&sprefix=jebao+&sr=8-1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jebao-OW-40-Wavemaker-317-3963-Controller/dp/B076FK8G1P/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=jebao%2Brw4&qid=1588374471&sprefix=jebao%2Brw&sr=8-11&th=1&psc=1

[Clown79]

What pump is being used for the return?

[FISHnChix]

If you want "sand" you can vacuum try this. I like it

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, FISHnChix said:

If you want "sand" you can vacuum try this. I like it

I liked it too. Nice sand.

[teenyreef]

1 minute ago, Clown79 said:

I liked it too. Nice sand.

I agree - that the kind I used.

 

I found some links from my IM10 thread that might be helpful. This one is a video of the bacterial film that took over my tank - you can compare to see if you have something similar (it's hard to tell from your pictures). Click on "teenyreef replied to a topic" to go straight to the post.

 

This link is where I started the process of doing a soft reboot of the tank including going bare bottom. I sincerely hope you don't have to do this 

 

But I think things turned out pretty nice afterwards 🙂

[Ratvan]

I ran a crushed coral substrate for a while, I came to the conclusion that you really need either a under gravel or reverse undergravel filtration system for it to function properly. I eventually had a Powerhead that was aimed directly at the middle of the tank and I still had to baste the waste out on a regular basis so it would reach the floss in my HOB. 

 

I have both a jebao and a Tunze on my red sea reefer, my favourite hands down is the Tunze. It's quieter, consistent and easy to take apart and clean. It's decently priced and comes with a good warranty and still cheap enough if you break it to replace. 

 

With the algae that you have I would be looking into bulking up the clean up crew with some herbivore snails. Manual removal via plucking and scrubbing still needs to be done to get it short enough for the snails to graze on. 

[Nathans_Reef]

Try a algae blenny

[LucyLucy]

Here are the test results:

 

PH - between 8 and 8.2

Ammonia - I'm guessing < .25 ( I think its more like 0 to be honest, this test kid is pretty old) because it looks kind of weird idk. 

Nitrate - between 5 and 0 ppm (haven't done water change yet)

Phosphate - 0ppm

KH - 80ish 

(yes my kh test is probably not super accurate  but it the only test i have on hand. I wanted to test calcium but I lost one of the bottles.)

from these results, I'm starting to think the problems might be my light/my light settings are promoting algae growth, and there is not enough flow, and the gravel. I ordered a power head and the sand you guys suggested( probably wont be here for a while  given the circumstances.) Also should I be testing for something else? My LFS only really suggested these API test kits way back when I started my 5 gallon. Any other ideas what it might be after seeing these results?

[LucyLucy]

On 5/1/2020 at 4:07 PM, Clown79 said:

What pump is being used for the return?

Innovative Marine MightyJet DC Return Pump 326 GPH - AUQA Gadget Desktop