Need Help An Emergency 55 Gallon

[golfpro]

Hey Everyone,

So I had a 29gal Oceanic BioCube reef tank for about a year and a half while I was in college, but unfortunately, on my move back home after graduation, the tank cracked and I had to put together an emergency aquarium before my trip to Europe. Luckily, I had a 55gal tank at my house, so I through together an emergency home for my fish and corals. Three days later I left for Europe and hoped for the best (with my little brother watching over my very new tank).

Anyway, I’m back and everything is well, ok, definitely better than expected.

I have around 80lbs of live rock, about 1 inch of live sand, an Eheim Canister Filter, a Bakpak protein skimmer, and a Power Compact lighting system providing just over 4 watts per gallon. I purchased an R/O system, and use a phosphate reducer in my canister filter.

Since I had the Biocube, I didn’t have to do too much, so I’m still relatively inexperienced. I do 20% water changes each month and have a good amount of water circulation in the tank.

Are there any obvious things that I am missing, or anything you guys would recommend?

I have had issues with red slime algae and am trying to fight it off now.

 

[WRASSER]

maybe try doing a 10% water change weekly til the phosphates are down, you might need to change the medium for the phosphate reducer. everything else sounds ok.

 

[WRASSER]

oh and :welcome:

 

[Len]

Seems ok to me. To combat the red slime, I would recommend dripping kalkwasser (bringing up pH and alk) and increasing circulation. Cyanobacteria does not like higher pH or highly oxygenated water (which is actually toxic to their cells).

 

[Anonymous]

sounds to me like you are doing fine.

killing the lights for a few days will kill off the cyano.


my .02

oh yea


welcome

 

[fishinchick]

Cyano is caused by more than just raised ph or phosphates.
Outdated lightning can also be the cause as well.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I have found that with cyano I have had great sucess increasing water flow. I maily use a vortech mp40 for the water circulation in the tank but I also have a couple of koralea pumps. When I get the cyano I aim them right at the outbreak and it seems to move on its way after a couple of days. And yes, increase the water changes also helped for me.