Problems :(

[dibbleyuk]

Hello everyone its been a while since ive been on here so hope everyone is ok.

Back in may a brought a new aquarium as i had more space its a large cleair hold 500litres its lovely i will post pics soon i desided to go marine with this one so done some research and set it up not relising i hadnt done enough research! big mistake. After battling serious problem with hair algae and losing a few fish i relised something wasnt right so i found that the phosphate was seriously high and the salt levels where abit high everything else seemed to be at the right levels. I got some rowaphos and that seemed to be working the hair algae starting to go away but i didnt relise that i should have been using RO water for top ups so another problem phosphate apeared again over the last six months things had got very green and lots of different types of algae had started to appear.

So i have spent hours and hours on the net reading and brought a few books and reading them and now believe i have some idea on what i should be doing finaly!

So I have now brough myself a Ro water system for my top ups.
Im also on a new batch of rowaphos so hopefull now using Ro water and rowaphos im hoping that algae should start droping to a very small amount only problem is my rocks are cover in the stuff and i seem to have tons of brisstle worms so i was thinking about removing all the rock some of it was live but its just full of so much rubbish now, Can i boil it? and dry it out once everything is killed and slowly put it back in. I took once peice out last nite and stuck it in boiling water and a massive bristle worm came out! i have not put that peice back in incase its really not the right thing to be doing!

It been getting me down and costing me a forture ive been trying so hard and i dont want to give up i want a lovely clean aquarium so any advice would be great

Thanks

Duane

Some pictures

 

[seffieuk]

Oh no, don't boil your lr - get your phosphates under control, buy yourself an emerald crab (they do knock over rock when they get bigger but he will do a good job on the algae you have - don't think he will eat hair algae though). What sort of CUC have you got?

What is your lighting cycle like - might be a good idea to decrease it for a while as you have no corals if I am wrong and you do have corals you can still decrease the lighting to about eight hours a day (just checked your photos, can see you have a few corals and the bloody Aptaisia, me too) - others on here have done this

Be patient, it will come right in the end and you will have learned loads and you can then pass on your experience to us all

Welcome back

Seffie x

 

[Colin_T]

A lot of the alga look like macro algae (Caulerpa). If so these are good to have in the tank because they use up nitrates and phosphates and if you harvest the alga and remove them from the tank, you will be removing the nutrients and keeping the water cleaner.
And definitely do not remove the rock to boil. That will only make the problem worse.

If you don't want algae to grow then keep the water clean and reduce the lightin period. The fish don't need much light and you can have the lights on for a couple of hours in the evening. That will reduce the algal growth.

Alternatively get a small surgeon fish, rabbitfish or angelfish. They eat algae

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks like classic byropsis. If I were you, I'd get a Tang of some kind for the tank. It doesn't really solve the problem but it does treat the symptom very effectively

 

[jeasko]

bryopsis is a royal pita IMO there is no good reason for it occuring and it goes as sudden as it comes! all you can do is stay on top of the water quality make sure your running rowaphos (or equivalent), my rabbit fish does go a long way to helping remove it but less light will help but wont cure it, also ease back on the amount you feed as this can aid the nutrients in the water which will increase the problem.

good luck

 

[dibbleyuk]

Thanks for the replys I will stick with it and see how it goes

Can anyone tell me what this is in the picture it looks like an Aptaisia but arnt they normally white!? I have found 4 in my tank and i have managed to remove them i wasnt sure with these incase they where a type of anenome that was harmless they look quite nice but if they are a problem i will pull them out

 

[Alex Brown]

That is called a Majano Anenome, its a pest just like Aptasia. See this link, http/www.wetwebmedia.com/anemoniafaqs.htm

I treat any in my tank with Aptasia X, you use a shringe to squirt some juice all over it. The anemome shrinks and disintergrates in minutes! They can grow out of control and take over your tank. They are nice looking, but pack bad string and would harm any corals you put in.

This is what I have learnt about them in the few months of keeping a tank, if somebody wants to correct me please feel free to do so!

Alex.

 

[summat fishy]

hey

Well, with such a vast amount of algae i would personnally buy two Sea hares, tjhey thrive off the stuff and will put a seriously large dent in the amount of algae you have in there, anyone else agree? just make sure water quality stays at its optimum.

what CUC do you have btw?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah agree with all of the above. There are many fish and critters that could have by grazing on the algae and bring your water under control will eventually solve the problem (though it will take time so dont be disheartend).

I would also recommend doing some fairly large water changes every other day for a week or two with salt water made with RO to take a big chunck of your phosphates/nitrates away.

Edit: By the way I actually really like the look of your tank

 

[dibbleyuk]

I ordered some Joes juice today to get rid of them nasty majano's.

CUC im gessing is Clean up crew? if so i have 2 cleaner shimps an algae blenny and not really part of that group but also have a lovely brisstle tooth (kole) tang. Only had him a couple weeks and he is constantly grazing and does seem to be having some effect.

I believe i may need to upgrade my skimmer also as its such a large tank and when i first set up my uncle gave me his, that did say it was for up to 100gallons which i am now starting to think after doing some research today that its far far to small! Its a red sea prizm which according to there website is only for 45gallons so that may be a big problem! Im learning so much every day at the moment and acturlly really enjoying it atm strange hey.

I will try and get another tub of salt tomorrow as i have ran out and keep doing my water changes and hopefully over the next few weeks things should start to look better, anymore advice would be much appriciated as everything you guys are saying is helping me out alot

One more thing please

anyone know what this thick grass like stuff is called?? its been growing very slowly but looks nasty i take it is some sort of algae aswell.

xxbarneyxx Edit: By the way I actually really like the look of your tank

thanks when i get things under control i will post up some nicer pictures for everyone

 

[Trod]

Hi I had lots of the Grass stuff (sorry don't know what its called either )

I put my emerald crab in, and he has eaten the lot and it didn't take him long, he was at it night and day, and didn't appear to ever stop munching

But a word a caution, he does like to move things around, so he might cause you some aqua scaping problems, but it might be worth it to get rid of the algae

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks like classic byropsis. If I were you, I'd get a Tang of some kind for the tank. It doesn't really solve the problem but it does treat the symptom very effectively

I'll just quote and bold myself

 

[dibbleyuk]

Looks like classic byropsis. If I were you, I'd get a Tang of some kind for the tank. It doesn't really solve the problem but it does treat the symptom very effectively

I'll just quote and bold myself

Arr ok thanks i wasnt sure what was byropsis. Im going to try the magnesium trick and see if that helps is that recommended?

 

[seffieuk]

Like Barney, I like the look of your tank - I have the 'byropsis' but I like it, it was already om my lr and it really hasn't grown much, I like the splash of green it gives

Be a good idea to think of expanding your cuc, some hermits and snails. Snails to turn over your sand, and snails to eat algae - the hermits will help clean up food and keep the sand clean

Seffie x

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd try the magnesium trick with Byropsis. It's much more of a PITA than hair algae and fewer animals eat byropsis, so I'd reccomend the chemical means. I'd still reccomend a Tang or Rabbitfish to control nuisance algae in general