My New Journey To Reef Aquarium

[meso81]

This is my 55gal Aquarium, I had started this tank over a year now and maintained it pretty well. For some reason over the past couple months with the move and everything I kinda let things go to the point where I had Hair algae litteraly covering the whole bottom of my tank. I finally took action and did a massive water change, bought an R.O Filter to kick phosphates in the ass and scooped at most of the gravel considering I want to put live sand in there for a reef tank.

I am using a penn plax canister filter, Sea clone protien skimmer, crappy lights that came with the tank and all the other essentials which include heater and stuff.
I plan on getting a UV Sterilizer..

If any of you have an suggestions please respond... My mind is a sea sponge...



Here is my disrupted tank full of crappy hair algae right after I siphoned alot of water for my water change.

My Spotted Mandarin took things very personal..

 

[rhysiboy]

ok some suggestions or questions

1 get corals but upgrade your lighting will be rewrding
2 what filter media are you running in that HOB?
3 What are you feeding that mandarin?
4 are you using live rock and if so how much do you have in there?
5 change to just plain aragonite sand it will become 'live' from live rock
6 What are you stocking so far other than an occealris clown and the madarin?
7 Do you hve a stable pod culture to give the mandarin its propper nutrition
8 to get rid of phosphate use rowphos or phos guard in the filter, will stop the algae
and finaly
9 can you post us the stats of your tank please

Its a nice sized tank

 

[meso81]

*My Tank Stats are 4ft by 1ft by about 18inches


* I have a little live rock in there, about 5-6 pounds I plan on ordering alot more about 50 pounds.

* My mandarin has been eating the copepods for months now..

* All I have as far a fish go ar my clowns and mandarin.

*And Media.. umm What are your suggestions? I have charcoal, bio floss and phosorb bag in there that needs disposal..


I need to get the hair algae off my live rock, My lfs suggested using a toothbrush is this something you guys would suggest? or other?

 

[Mr Miagi]

The media your using sounds alright, id be more inclined to ditch the floss, or if your keen on it, replace it every week. It wont harm your biological filtration when removed, but it will trap detritus and pollute your water (ie. the production of nitrates) very quick.

Getting more LR sounds gold. As your probably aware, 5-6 pounds aint much, and your mandarin would have already consumed the pod life on it. Great if its eating frozen pods, but are you referring to live pods found in your tank? Or ones you add?

Another housing tank for your critters might be necessary unless the rock you purchase is fully cured, to prevent a re-cycle. But if it is, all the better! Cant wait for new aquascaping pics, its one of the hardest parts of setting up!

Shame about the hair algae. Maybe some hermits and snails will complement all the work you've been doing to remove the stuff.

 

[meso81]

The media your using sounds alright, id be more inclined to ditch the floss, or if your keen on it, replace it every week. It wont harm your biological filtration when removed, but it will trap detritus and pollute your water (ie. the production of nitrates) very quick.

Getting more LR sounds gold. As your probably aware, 5-6 pounds aint much, and your mandarin would have already consumed the pod life on it. Great if its eating frozen pods, but are you referring to live pods found in your tank? Or ones you add?

Another housing tank for your critters might be necessary unless the rock you purchase is fully cured, to prevent a re-cycle. But if it is, all the better! Cant wait for new aquascaping pics, its one of the hardest parts of setting up!

Shame about the hair algae. Maybe some hermits and snails will complement all the work you've been doing to remove the stuff.

I appreciate that, except your scaring me on the scaping deal..is it really hard?

And my mandarin has been eating live copes unless he is eating the food ive been feeding my clowns.. he has lasted a long time compared to most that have vanished during my early intial SW tank learning stage..

 

[Mr Miagi]

I appreciate that, except your scaring me on the scaping deal..is it really hard?

Hahaha, sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that. It is hard, butI really meant just hard to get something you like and enjoy, and then have to leave it alone for good.

And my mandarin has been eating live copes unless he is eating the food ive been feeding my clowns.. he has lasted a long time compared to most that have vanished during my early intial SW tank learning stage..

Well if he has been eating pods off 6 pounds of LR, youve been really lucky. I dought this though, as id imagine 5-6 pounds worth or pods would be exhausted pretty quickly, he must be eating other foods. Cool none-the less though. I love them gorgeous fish.

Any pics of the whole tank now maintenance is over?

 

[meso81]

I appreciate that, except your scaring me on the scaping deal..is it really hard?

Hahaha, sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that. It is hard, butI really meant just hard to get something you like and enjoy, and then have to leave it alone for good.

And my mandarin has been eating live copes unless he is eating the food ive been feeding my clowns.. he has lasted a long time compared to most that have vanished during my early intial SW tank learning stage..

Well if he has been eating pods off 6 pounds of LR, youve been really lucky. I dought this though, as id imagine 5-6 pounds worth or pods would be exhausted pretty quickly, he must be eating other foods. Cool none-the less though. I love them gorgeous fish.

Any pics of the whole tank now maintenance is over?

I will have pics soon..Im gonna spend most of the day getiing it in order.. I still have to order the Argonite and LR So.. nothing specataculer for now... I will post pics one I get all the crap out..

 

[meso81]

oh crap//During last nights cleaning I forgot to plug my heater back in... The tempature dropped 8 degrees overnite ..willl everything be ok now that I turned my heater back on..

 

[SkiFletch]

oh crap//During last nights cleaning I forgot to plug my heater back in... The tempature dropped 8 degrees overnite ..willl everything be ok now that I turned my heater back on..

Dunno , but the mistake has been made so now you just plug it back in and cross your fingers

 

[meso81]

Ok guys, I have cleaned out as much hair algae as possible, went to my lfs and got a phoszorb bag to collect what ever was left of the abundance of phosphates that this algae thrived.. Here are the pics thus far.. This day no foward I will only use R.O. Filtered water

Here I removed all the hair algae ridden gravel, got it bare so I can get it ready for the argonite for my reef setup..

My clowns are very mad at me for disturbing them.. they wont eat...

 

[Mr.September15]

The tank looks 210% better but I would have re-homed the inhabitants before adding water. Maybe asking the LFS to look after them while your tank settles will be a good plan.

 

[rhysiboy]

i agree with mr sept

also its just like seeeing a new tank be set up should be interesting . alls i say is buy mucho more live rock will help the sytem 600000%

 

[meso81]

Im thinking about getting this lighting system for my reef setup.. what are your guys opinions on this

http/a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/2005...106_27696VS.jpg

 

[Ter]

Don't u have a lot more 2 worry about before a lighting upgrade? take things slowly
Ter

 

[rhysiboy]

i agree with ter get the tank suitable for the fish to live in and then start spending on stuff like lighintg