Aquarium Restart

[Robert247]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I had a lot of problems last time i set up my FOWLR with nitrates and hair algae.
I started with tap water which i now realise was a bad idea and it all went downhill from there.

last time:
rio 125 with t8
fluval 304
red sea prism protein skimmer
new wave powerhead
also had the original internal filter

this time:
same rio 125 but with t5
aqua 1 marisys 240 filter
and the new wave powerhead (1000 i think)

Should i leave the marisys filter as it is or change any of the media? it comes with wool prefilters, carbon, bio-balls and ceramic media. I have some seachem purigen and some fluval clearmax i could add somewhere.

Also what is the best way to cycle? my fish are waiting to return to their new home (they are back at the shop for now) but i don't mind a long cycling process. Last time i used a cycling additive to raise the ammonia levels. I have heard that fish food can be used instead as a more natural approach.

I was also planning to purchase some live rock tomorrow as the aquarium is up and running on salty RO water ONLY this time. How much should I get i was thinking 10kg?


Any advice on avoiding my previous predicament would be great.

ps any more hair algae and i think i will just give up!

 

[fishy55599]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I had a lot of problems last time i set up my FOWLR with nitrates and hair algae.
I started with tap water which i now realise was a bad idea and it all went downhill from there.

last time:
rio 125 with t8
fluval 304
red sea prism protein skimmer
new wave powerhead
also had the original internal filter

this time:
same rio 125 but with t5
aqua 1 marisys 240 filter
and the new wave powerhead (1000 i think)

Should i leave the marisys filter as it is or change any of the media? it comes with wool prefilters, carbon, bio-balls and ceramic media. I have some seachem purigen and some fluval clearmax i could add somewhere.

Also what is the best way to cycle? my fish are waiting to return to their new home (they are back at the shop for now) but i don't mind a long cycling process. Last time i used a cycling additive to raise the ammonia levels. I have heard that fish food can be used instead as a more natural approach.

I was also planning to purchase some live rock tomorrow as the aquarium is up and running on salty RO water ONLY this time. How much should I get i was thinking 10kg? 15kg


Any advice on avoiding my previous predicament would be great.

ps any more hair algae and i think i will just give up! mexican turbos and emerald crab if it comes back

 

[ALW]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I had a lot of problems last time i set up my FOWLR with nitrates and hair algae.
I started with tap water which i now realise was a bad idea and it all went downhill from there.

last time:
rio 125 with t8
fluval 304
red sea prism protein skimmer
new wave powerhead
also had the original internal filter

this time:
same rio 125 but with t5
aqua 1 marisys 240 filter
and the new wave powerhead (1000 i think)

Should i leave the marisys filter as it is or change any of the media? it comes with wool prefilters, carbon, bio-balls and ceramic media. I have some seachem purigen and some fluval clearmax i could add somewhere.

Also what is the best way to cycle? my fish are waiting to return to their new home (they are back at the shop for now) but i don't mind a long cycling process. Last time i used a cycling additive to raise the ammonia levels. I have heard that fish food can be used instead as a more natural approach.

I was also planning to purchase some live rock tomorrow as the aquarium is up and running on salty RO water ONLY this time. How much should I get i was thinking 10kg?


Any advice on avoiding my previous predicament would be great.

ps any more hair algae and i think i will just give up!

Keep the filters just scrap all the media dont need it, the media will be the cause of the nitrates. You could place LR rubble in if you wanted. You are going to need about 15-20kf of LR. If you are buying LR then no need to cycle its all ready done that.

 

[Robert247]

Ok thanks for the advice. i will try and fill my filter with live rubble !

 

[woody88]

Hi mate. If you check out my journel [28G xenia & Zoa nano] in the journel section and look at the beginning. Take a look at how much GHA I had. If you had more than this I'd be suprised.

Anyway, after ripping out all the filter media and adding rowaphos, nitrate remover, carbon and LR rubble as well as a good CUC and hours of scrubbing. I overcame it all.

It took around 6 weeks to shift it completely and my tank has now been algae free for the past 4 months with no sign of it coming back.

GHA needs excess nutrients to grow [Phosphate being the main one] as well as nitrate and long hours of lighting. Reduce these and you reduce the chance of GHA.

Another thing [and probably the most important]is keeping up with regular wc [I do 20% weekly on my nano's without fail]

TBH tho there was no need for you to break your tank down and start again as a bit of elbow grease and patience get's rid of it.

Still, you've done it now so good luck with your setup....................AND RUN PHOSPHATE REMOVER!!!!!!

 

[woody88]

Ok thanks for the advice. i will try and fill my filter with live rubble !

Don't cram it all in and leave gaps in between for the flow to get amongst it as it could end up being a nitrate farm.

It will need rinsing out regularly also so prob best to keep it loosly in a media bag.

 

[Robert247]

Ok thanks for the advice. i will try and fill my filter with live rubble !

Don't cram it all in and leave gaps in between for the flow to get amongst it as it could end up being a nitrate farm.

It will need rinsing out regularly also so prob best to keep it loosly in a media bag.

Ok can i use the baskets that come with the filter or does it need to be more open? does it need access to light? and would it be advisable to use the red sea prism skimmer also?

 

[woody88]

Ok thanks for the advice. i will try and fill my filter with live rubble !

Don't cram it all in and leave gaps in between for the flow to get amongst it as it could end up being a nitrate farm.

It will need rinsing out regularly also so prob best to keep it loosly in a media bag.

Ok can i use the baskets that come with the filter or does it need to be more open? does it need access to light? and would it be advisable to use the red sea prism skimmer also?

You can place it in the baskets so long as it can't get caught in any moving parts hence why I suggested a media bag. As long as it's loose so flow can get in between it will be fine.

No it doesn't need light and yes run your skimmer as it will help keep nutrients down.

 

[Robert247]

Hi mate. If you check out my journel [28G xenia & Zoa nano] in the journel section and look at the beginning. Take a look at how much GHA I had. If you had more than this I'd be suprised.

Anyway, after ripping out all the filter media and adding rowaphos, nitrate remover, carbon and LR rubble as well as a good CUC and hours of scrubbing. I overcame it all.

It took around 6 weeks to shift it completely and my tank has now been algae free for the past 4 months with no sign of it coming back.

GHA needs excess nutrients to grow [Phosphate being the main one] as well as nitrate and long hours of lighting. Reduce these and you reduce the chance of GHA.

Another thing [and probably the most important]is keeping up with regular wc [I do 20% weekly on my nano's without fail]

TBH tho there was no need for you to break your tank down and start again as a bit of elbow grease and patience get's rid of it.

Still, you've done it now so good luck with your setup....................AND RUN PHOSPHATE REMOVER!!!!!!

It was much worse than that and there was little if any phosphate in the tank at all, the phosphate used to be high but i used microbe lift phosphate remover and clearmax to remove it.
I think the problem was the sky high nitrates that i just couldnt get rid of. and maybe a little to much light.

like people have said the fluval just acted like a nitrate factory

My hermits looked like they were wearing capes!

also what nitrate remover did you use? i have tried several all with no effect

 

[woody88]

Hi mate. If you check out my journel [28G xenia & Zoa nano] in the journel section and look at the beginning. Take a look at how much GHA I had. If you had more than this I'd be suprised.

Anyway, after ripping out all the filter media and adding rowaphos, nitrate remover, carbon and LR rubble as well as a good CUC and hours of scrubbing. I overcame it all.

It took around 6 weeks to shift it completely and my tank has now been algae free for the past 4 months with no sign of it coming back.

GHA needs excess nutrients to grow [Phosphate being the main one] as well as nitrate and long hours of lighting. Reduce these and you reduce the chance of GHA.

Another thing [and probably the most important]is keeping up with regular wc [I do 20% weekly on my nano's without fail]

TBH tho there was no need for you to break your tank down and start again as a bit of elbow grease and patience get's rid of it.


Still, you've done it now so good luck with your setup....................AND RUN PHOSPHATE REMOVER!!!!!!

It was much worse than that and there was little if any phosphate in the tank at all, the phosphate used to be high but i used microbe lift phosphate remover and clearmax to remove it.
I think the problem was the sky high nitrates that i just couldnt get rid of. and maybe a little to much light.

like people have said the fluval just acted like a nitrate factory

My hermits looked like they were wearing capes!

LOL it would've still be possible to remove it all.

When you have a vast amount of GHA, phosphate test kits (even the good ones) will not give an accurate reading as GHA soaks up and locks in phosphates ans nitrates.

If you ever get it again then drop in a clump of cheatomorpha algae as this can be held in a media bag and will compete with GHA for phos and nitrate.

This coupled with regular wc and a large CUC will keep phos and trate very low.

 

[Robert247]

Ok so i got just over 15kg of live rock in the tank and about 3 kg of live rubble in the filter, I think some of it might be alphagrog but it should do the same job, shouldn't it?
I have removed the bio balls and the ceramic media but will the prefilter wool and carbon have to be removed will this also act as a nitrate factory?

Also what is this anemone is it a pest and should it be removed?

 

[seffieuk]

Whatever that anemone is, it is very bleached and sick. Does it have any raised type bumps on the underside?

 

[lewiss]

Seffie I hate to say it but that looks like BTA!! Dont you think??

VERY VERY bleached!!

by the way!!!

I can't believe you don't like hair algae!! I love mine!!

 

[seffieuk]

Seffie I hate to say it but that looks like BTA!! Dont you think??

Yep, that is exactly what I was thinking

 

[sorgan]

looks like a BTA to me, savable though it will be hard