Help! Totally freaking out and almost ready to quit!!

[JT101]

Sorry for the alarmist title, but I?m really REALLY bummed out about my BRAND-NEW 46 gallon reef tank and I could really use some advice FAST :dead1::
My old tank, a 24G AquaPod, was slowly being taken over by hair algae. It had no refugium and the skimmer (a Sapphire Aquatics model) died very close to the time the HA started, so I think the tank was OK even without a fuge but once the skimmer started working it was too much for the tank to handle.

Over the winter I got a 46 gallon bowfront as a gift and have slowly set it up since then. I changed my RO/DI elements to make sure I was starting with good water ? 0ppm on the calibrated TDS, no nitrates and no phosphates. Put in oolite sand, water and finally Reef Crystals. Down under the stand is an Aqueon ProFlex Model 3 sump (pretty huge for this tank), a Coralife Super Skimmer (65g size) and about 3? of sand in the middle fuge compartment which also holds a bunch of caleurpa.

My return pump is a Deep Blue Triton 4 (1050gph) with 46" head so it's still pushing a ton of water.

A few weeks later I bought 26lbs of live Fiji rock from Aquarium Village in Westbury. Ray said it was cured so I would technically be able to start stocking my tank within a few days but to be safe I waited a little over a week.

Before I started, I checked my tanks's parameters:

SG: 1.026
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 2ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
Phosphates: 0.03ppm
pH: 8.2
Calcium: 450
Magnesium: 1400

I took my lone clownfish from the old tank and after acclimating it, before I put it in the tank I literally ?bathed? it in the fresh seawater from the new tank (yes, I know it sounds a little cruel but I was deathly afraid of transferring any HA from the old tank). Don?t worry, she?s absolutely fine! Anyway, next, I took a beautiful green hammer coral out of the old tank. Before I did I checked the skeleton ? clean. Even still, I scrubbed the skeleton in clean water from the new tank and flushed it thoroughly. Same thing with a pagoda cup coral. Before I put them in the tank, I TRIPLE-CHECKED them for ANY signs of HA ? there was none (at least visible). Everything went in, and as last week everything seemed OK. The corals were happy and so was the fish.

So far I have only fed the clown THREE little food pellets every week. Yes, it's not much but I am trying to keep the nutrients down to an absolute mimimum.

For lighting I bought a CAD Aquarium 36? LED fixture.
About a week ago, I was horrified to see what looked like either cyano or diatoms on the bottom and some of the Fiji rock. I checked more carefully and noticed it was more brown than purple/magenta, so I figured it was diatoms and didn?t worry too much about it because I?ve heard this can happen with some new tanks and it will go away on its own (PS ? it didn?t happen with my old one, though!). I vacuumed the very slight amount off the bottom and did a 5 gallon water change.

Earlier this week, I noticed some diatoms again so this time I did a 10 gallon water change and vacuumed again.

This week I double-checked my RO/DI water for phosphates. Initially I got 0.03ppm but the next day in the daylight I repeated the test and saw 0ppm.
This morning before I went to work I noticed some of the brown stuff is starting to grow on my Fiji rock, but even worse:

:supermad: HAIR ALGAE!!! :supermad:

I saw a few strands growing on the highest spots of my Fiji rock!!!!!

I didn't have any time to do anything about it, so I just grumbled to myself, grabbed my stuff and went to work :supermad:


I really don't know what to do! I tried my best and this is what happens!!!
Is it possible that I infected my new tank with the HA from the old one? Even if I DID, with a nice-sized skimmer (which is working quite well and taking a lot of "gunk" out of the tank, and a super-sized sump/fuge) shouldn't I be way ahead of the game here? And, with only ONE 1-1/2" long clownfish that has barely been fed, and excellent RO/DI water and premium salt mix, where are the excess nutrients coming from anyway?

I'm almost ready to hire someone to come to my home, review my entire setup and tell me what I am doing wrong. I really DO love this hobby, but I am depressed about this new event.

Thanks for any advice.

John

 

[ecvernon]

your tank is pretty new and not established. that is one reason alone why you may be experiencing this. what test kit are you using to measure PO4? PO4 is sometime difficult to measure (accurately)even with the very expensive meters. What salt mix are you using? Although you have been using 0 TDS water there are some salt mixes when after mixed that will contain some PHOSPHATES so that may be a way you are adding it...

Hair algea is not the end of the world. I suggest you get a clean up crew and get some GFO and before you know it the algae would be gone.

 

[JT101]

your tank is pretty new and not established. that is one reason alone why you may be experiencing this. what test kit are you using to measure PO4? PO4 is sometime difficult to measure (accurately)even with the very expensive meters. What salt mix are you using? Although you have been using 0 TDS water there are some salt mixes when after mixed that will contain some PHOSPHATES so that may be a way you are adding it...

Hair algea is not the end of the world. I suggest you get a clean up crew and get some GFO and before you know it the algae would be gone.

Thanks for the quick reply.

PO4 Kit: I have a Salifert kit. These kits seem very expensive, and I researched kits before I bought mine and found that overall most people recommend them. PS - ALL my kits are Saliferts.

Salt mix: Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. This is actually the stuff that Mike @ Tropical Island Aquarium recommends and claims he uses, and ALL of his tanks are 100% pristine so I went with his reccomendation. Do you know if this adds PO4? If so, can you recommend one that doesn't?

GFO: I think you mean some sort of PO4 remover...? I just ordered some RowaPhos - due to be received Monday 5/23. I'll put that in one of the filter socks in the sump.


Additional questions:

1. Just how effective is a phosphate reactor, and for a brand-new tank with hardly any livestock in it, is it necessary or just a "nice to have" item?
2. Should I be running carbon this early?

Any other advice would be truly appreciated (and thank you again :biggrin: )

John

 

[wonderballz]

A clean up crew will decimate GHA. Talk to John Maloney from Reefcleaners.org. He can suggest what you need. You shouldn't neet GFO or carbon right away. Most new tanks will go through a cyano and GHA outbreak in the early stages.

 

[albano]

So far I have only fed the clown THREE little food pellets every week. Yes, it's not much but I am trying to keep the nutrients down to an absolute minimum...


...Any other advice would be truly appreciated

Quit starving the clown!

 

[NYreefNoob]

and the phosban media doesnt go in your filter sock, for you to get the most out of it you need a reactor to run it in,
your rock could be saturated with phosphates as well,
and to be honest that skimmer isnt much better then the little saphire you was using
also are you using carbon ?, any rock that is exposed to air willl have a little die off, and using new sand with still cause a bloom in your tank it still has to cycle itselfs

 

[JT101]

Quit starving the clown!

Yep, I was waiting for that one

I'll start feeding her more tonight.

 

[JT101]

and the phosban media doesnt go in your filter sock, for you to get the most out of it you need a reactor to run it in

I thought the same but wasn't sure - I'm getting a reactor today.

your rock could be saturated with phosphates as well

I have heard about that too, but when I got the rock, it was absolutely pristine so I assumed that if it DID have PO4 in it, it would have had algae on it - since it didn't I assumed it was OK. But that's good info, thanks.

and to be honest that skimmer isnt much better then the little saphire you was using

You know, when I first bought it I heard nothing but good about it but the more I research it the more I find that it's not that great. Can you recommend a better one with a similar "footprint" (it has to go in my sump)?

also are you using carbon?

Nah, I didn't think it was necessary this soon.

any rock that is exposed to air willl have a little die off, and using new sand with still cause a bloom in your tank it still has to cycle itselfs

Well, it sounds like what I'm seeing is just a new tank issue...that makes me feel a little better.

I'll get the reactor for starters and probably get a new skimmer too.

 

[NYreefNoob]

vertex in100
swc extreme bmk 150
and a few others pending what you want to spend

 

[JT101]

vertex in100
swc extreme bmk 150
and a few others pending what you want to spend

Thanks, I'll review those.

 

[Silkyslim]

I have the swc bmk it's a great skimmer.


Sent from my iPhone using Reefs

 

[bogliman]

just my 2 cents but i've been having issues with algae too ever since i've started using reef crystal. i've been doing water changes everyweek ever since but this is the first time i've had issues with algae. Salt brand could be causing the problem that's why i'm changing my salt. i'll see in a few months if there's any difference.

 

[Trainwreck]

Pick up a Sea Hare. The sea hare is a herbivore that will absolutely consume any green hair algae in your tank. Just take a deep breath, relax, and let the sea hare & the rest of your clean up crew do their jobs.

 

[spacenyc]

gfo will solve problems

was having same problems, a cuc and and gfo solved it in a few weeks

 

[ecvernon]

Im not sure a sea hare would be a good fix. Its only a 46 gal tank. He would clean it out good. But if the real cause is not fixed he will starve first then die. Then when he dies it wiill come back

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab

 

[Trainwreck]

Im not sure a sea hare would be a good fix. Its only a 46 gal tank. He would clean it out good. But if the real cause is not fixed he will starve first then die. Then when he dies it wiill come back

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab

A small sea hare can be easily placed in a 46 gallon tank and will eat the GHA down to the root. I agree that it is possible for the sea hare to starve (2-3 weeks without any GHA) but can be fed seaweed to prevent starvation. Of course there is no guarantee that it will be gone forever; but how many problems in a reef tank can be solved permanently?

 

[skene]

ok but what you are also suggesting is acquire livestock to fix (cover up) a problem. Instead of trying to suggest to the OP ways of fixing the root of the problem. You can't solve every problem by sweeping them under a rug...

 

[Trainwreck]

ok but what you are also suggesting is acquire livestock to fix (cover up) a problem. Instead of trying to suggest to the OP ways of fixing the root of the problem. You can't solve every problem by sweeping them under a rug...

Ok so where's your suggestion?

 

[Bryceandmandy]

Use your powerheads to blast the silt out of the rockwork, do waterchanges. 10-15 gallons weekly for as long as it takes to remove the food source for the algae. Algae needs food and light, cut out the excess of either and the problem usually solves itself. I had an outbreak in november of last year, the entire tank was covered. After doing what i reccomended and manually removing what i could see with a toothbrush during waterchanges it went away. Make sure to blow the silt out of the rock and remove it, otherwise everything else is a waste of time. Eliminate the food source.

 

[jdnumis]

Knock on wood I have not had a problem with reef crystals. A phosban reactor and carbon media is CRITICAL in my opinion.

~James