Ripping out the dsb?

[Jolieve]

My dsb is nearly 3 years old and I am truly fed up with the algae problems in my tank. It has been suggested to me that my dsb might be part of the problem. My biggest problem in the tank is feather caulerpa, but I also have problems with snot algae showing up whenever the weather gets warmer and can't seem to keep the halimeda from coming back, no matter how much I remove.

While I know that re-curing the live rock is probably the best long term solution for my problem, some of my corals have grown onto the rock, and I can't detatch them without losing a large portion of the colony so I only want to re-cure the live rock as a last resort.

What do you guys think? Will ripping out my sand bed, and replacing it with a thin layer of sand help me deal with my algae problems?

Thanks!
J.

 

[Anonymous]

It may. You might want to consider recuring any rock you can get out. Do you have the normal gear Skimmer, RO/DI filter etc?

 

[Anonymous]

Siphon off the surface a bit at a time; that is where the detritus is. If you disturb it more than that, you run the risk of a hydrogen sulfide release and associated fish kill

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I do not think that it would only be the DSB if it is at all. Any algae problems are with nutrients in the water. Any nutrients in the water will feed the existing algae. Pull some or all of the algae by hand, wet skim, and do some water changes.

 

[Jolieve]

Dan, I appreciate that you are trying to help, but I've been there and done that.

I have been battling this algae problem in this tank for three years, and I'm doing everything that is supposed to be the right thing to do. I use RO water for water changes, I skim wet, I did weekly water changes for two years and had to cut back to monthly water changes this past fall due to my college schedule. My husband and I take turns pruning the tank on a weekly basis. I run phosban in the tank continuously and change carbon in the tank whenever we prune macros. I am sure that there are nutrients in the water column, but if there are, they don't make a test kit for what's in my tank because every time I test it... I get results that say that I shouldn't have hair algae or snot algae or anything else that might be considered "a pest" growing in my tank.. and yet.. there it sits. Currently, I just have problems with feather caulerpa, halimeda, snot algae and aiptasia. The algae problems have been a lot worse in the past. At least with these varieties, I can keep them pruned away from my corals and actually keep corals in my tank. The tank isn't overstocked and never has been. The most fishload in the tank was a yellow tang, a lamarck's angel and two ocellaris. I recently lost my yellow tang in a powerhead accident that has me convinced that I need a closed loop. The tank is 75 gallons (48x15x24), with a 15 gallon sump. I have a euro-reef es5-3 skimmer, and I have 2x 250w DE MH lamps over the tank that run on a ten hour light cycle.

Since the tank was initially started with tap water, I believe that either my rock or my sand or both have become nutrient sinks as a result of that mistake. My hope, is that by removing the dsb, some of the nutrient problems in the tank will abate so that I will have a healthier system that will be a bit more forgiving when I hit finals week in the fall.

J.

 

[Anonymous]

You can 'cure' the rock in tank. I would run the system with no sand for a while because the rock should shed lots and lots of stuff, and no sand will make it easier to siphon.

 

[Anonymous]

When I removed my DSB in an old tank I syphoned from the bottom and only did a small section at a time during my weekly water changes.

 

[bleedingthought]

Dan, I appreciate that you are trying to help, but I've been there and done that.

I have been battling this algae problem in this tank for three years, and I'm doing everything that is supposed to be the right thing to do. I use RO water for water changes, I skim wet, I did weekly water changes for two years and had to cut back to monthly water changes this past fall due to my college schedule. My husband and I take turns pruning the tank on a weekly basis. I run phosban in the tank continuously and change carbon in the tank whenever we prune macros. I am sure that there are nutrients in the water column, but if there are, they don't make a test kit for what's in my tank because every time I test it... I get results that say that I shouldn't have hair algae or snot algae or anything else that might be considered "a pest" growing in my tank.. and yet.. there it sits. Currently, I just have problems with feather caulerpa, halimeda, snot algae and aiptasia. The algae problems have been a lot worse in the past. At least with these varieties, I can keep them pruned away from my corals and actually keep corals in my tank. The tank isn't overstocked and never has been. The most fishload in the tank was a yellow tang, a lamarck's angel and two ocellaris. I recently lost my yellow tang in a powerhead accident that has me convinced that I need a closed loop. The tank is 75 gallons (48x15x24), with a 15 gallon sump. I have a euro-reef es5-3 skimmer, and I have 2x 250w DE MH lamps over the tank that run on a ten hour light cycle.

Since the tank was initially started with tap water, I believe that either my rock or my sand or both have become nutrient sinks as a result of that mistake. My hope, is that by removing the dsb, some of the nutrient problems in the tank will abate so that I will have a healthier system that will be a bit more forgiving when I hit finals week in the fall.

J.

Did you try cutting back on your lights? You could probably get away with a third of that period and could have your actinics stay on longer.

Quick question though, you seem to be sure that it has to do with the DSB. Say you pull it out and you still have your algae problems? :? I'd double check everything else first/again before doing a big move like this.

With that said, good luck! :wink:

 

[Jolieve]

I don't have actinics at all, but I could try reducing the photoperiod, just not sure what effect this would have on my corals.

I agree, and I am not 100% positive that it's the dsb, but I have tried everything else I can think of short of cooking the rock and removing the sand bed... so I'm running low on options.

J.

 

[bleedingthought]

Recent thread about how long to light:

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=87972

By all means, try cutting down on your lights first. I would go with 4 hours/day and see what that does. If you notice your corals looking down (I don't think it'll happen) just go up a little with the time. See how your algae reacts.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

I had a 120 with a dsb; and the tank was nice but had continual low grade algae problems. I removed the sand when I moved inot a 150(and was then able to increase flow) and now have next to no algae problems. Personally, I like BB better. The bottom is already all encrusted with polyps etc, and looks cool.

 

[Jolieve]

Great thread! Thanks for the link.

J.

 

[Jolieve]

I plan for my next tank to be either bare bottom, some kind of reef safe board that looks like sand, or very shallow sand. I really like the beach look in a tank, so starboard would be ideal I think. I may still rip out the dsb from this tank, but I will try reducing the photoperiod first. It has the least potential to shock the animals.. and it might work!

J.

 

[Anonymous]

If you want to yank your sandbed in a hurry might I suggest draining all the water into containers, along with whatever critters- as the water level goes down catching them will be easier too! Most corals can survive for a while out of water. Also have enough water to adjust for the missing sand, then just yank the old one up with gross abandon removing all water/sand etc so you don't need to worry about hydrodohitz stuff going into your water, once you removed all the or most of it pump the water back into the tank, don't forget the fish! And you'll be set with your almost sandless tank, you can get the rest of the sand with a water change and a siphon hose whenever you wish.