green water - Page 3

Acro-Phobia · #51 12/16/2007, 09:20 PM

One other thing Heather. Depending on what kind of algae it is, the Protien Skimmer may not be able to take it out of the water. It may be that you need to go a killing spree with a UV system. May only need it for a short time, just enough to break the algae bloom cycle.

Just remember, when you do break the cycle, that's lots of dead stuff in the tank. Several water changes may be needed to get the bad chems down to a respectable level.

JaredWaites · #52 12/16/2007, 09:28 PM

Sounds about right

I don't think the lights are going to pose an issue as big as limiting the amount of food that contain a form of Phosphate, which in this case, Phosphorus that is introduced.

You can prevent liverock leeching by having a high flow rate of speed to kill all the dead spots in a tank. So a say 20x turnover rate would definitely help reduce the leeching by keeping the water moving.

drauka99 · #53 12/16/2007, 09:35 PM

i would say double the live rock after doing a kill off with a UV. I would also do a food change. the oceans nutrition stuff i gave you heather seemed to work well for me.

jadeguppy · #54 12/16/2007, 09:39 PM

Yea, I'm going to give her a bunch of it. I'm thinking more rock and possible uv as suggested. Hopefully we can get something set up in the next few days. Wish us luck!

DrHank · #55 12/16/2007, 09:57 PM

Once you get the proper level (provided it's live rock) you may not need to kill anything. http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...nstalling.html
If you use dry rock(base rock) it will take time to colonize first.

Acro-Phobia · #56 12/16/2007, 10:11 PM

I think you're on the right track Heather.

Our tanks are definitely an interesting biological experiment. It's just that sometimes the wrong biology gets a foot hold. All biological entities work on a life cycle. Once you break the cycle, you can get the upper hand. My limited experience has also shown me that when I break a biological life cycle in a closed system, that may create conditions which might allow another undesirable to get a foot hold. If you kill all the algae in short order, watch out for other bad guys trying to get a foot hold. If a system goes thru to rapid a change, cyno can raise it's ugly head. Watch for it. Try to keep your parameters as stable as possible and maybe move up your water change frequency a little.

One more thing. Your RO/DI methods. Do you always have the water in a tub or large container. If so, reach down to the bottom and see if there is slime growing in the container. You may be making good water, but contaminating it before it gets to the tank. I learned that one the hard way. Now I dry out my big tubes every two weeks to keep them sqeaky clean.

jadeguppy · #57 12/16/2007, 10:34 PM

Doc, I like the info on the gorgon, but was there something else I should have noticed? I'm too lazy to keep water around, but I'll mention it to her.

DrHank · #58 12/16/2007, 11:34 PM

If you go down a number of posts you'll find the difference that the proper amount of LR makes. There is a shot of before and after LR is added.

JaredWaites · #59 12/17/2007, 10:49 AM

I do agree with Hank now that I see how many lbs of liverock she has. There isn't enough places for Aerobic bacteria to colonize on, which means she can't have a high bioload in the tank...in return her bacteria aren't able to process all of the ammonia and nitrites fast enough because its overloaded with fish compared to liverock.

Add more rock

Redfish · #60 12/17/2007, 06:01 PM

I think I posted all of this before, but here goes again.

Everyone is right, the green water requires nutrients and light. Eliminating the source of either free or bound nitrates or phosphates in the system is the ideal long term answer.

The immediate problem is dealing with the green water. Phyto and diatoms are extremely hardy in the normal tank, just because the environement is so conducive to their propagation and/or reproduction. The 'stuff'' that would normally stop them is not present because the system is more or less working. Both plagues can feed on their own cycles and they both quickly incorporate any new nuitrients.

No matter what anyone says, we all have nutrients in our tank. If nothing else there is a substantial amount of nutrients bound up in the recesses of our rock and sand. Every piece of food you introduce into the aquarium has some phosphate included and has the potential to become nitrates. You can only hope to export what you put in.

All that stuff aside, the quickest way to resolve the green water issue is to turn off the lights and break the cycle. Try two days first and see if that works. You can also help the situation by raising the alkalinity and pH.

There are two ways to cheat. If it really is phyto and you have lots of circulation and adequate skimming you can also cheat and use one of the water clarifiers such as Seachems clarity. Use it with the lights on at the end of a lighting cycle. Once the cycle is broken, you will have incredibly clear water for a couple of days. You can also add a carbon source to drive competeing bacteria or to ramp up the exhaustion of nutrients. This will also give you incredibly clear water for a couple of days.

KADLETZ · #61 12/17/2007, 06:14 PM

I was wrong Doc is right, not enough rock I didnt have all the pieces to the puzzle. my bad!!!

DrHank · #62 12/17/2007, 07:58 PM

No biggie. I have an unfair advantage. I diagnose problems every day. This one just happened to be about tanks instead of backs or necks. Either way, you need to know everything before you make the call.

Sorry Chris I must have been having a bad day. I just hate to knock someone else's equipment because it makes them feel bad. Doesn't matter who talked them into it. I once owned a Fiat so I know how it feels. Yes it was a car (almost as good as a Yugo).

AnOldSalt · #63 12/18/2007, 09:52 AM

Well, I guess that's that.

Here's a goofy question, though:

Isn't there a fullblown red tide currently in effect?
Aren't many of you pretty close to the beach?

I used to have all sorts of extra algae problems during the red tides at the Gulfarium, although I never quite pinned down exactly why. I have theories, of course.

lobstergrabber · #64 12/18/2007, 12:50 PM

Has the problem started to clear up yet? Have not posted to this thread yet mostly due to have not had this problem myself. Was reading some other posts today and came accross this thread.
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1269215

Maybe the UV is the way to go to get out of your cycle then just watch out for future addition of too many nutrients. I would not run the uv forever just enough to help with problem. I am personally not a big fan of them but they definitely have their place.

Rich

DrHank · #65 12/18/2007, 02:10 PM

Got bucks? Get Rock!

lobstergrabber · #66 12/18/2007, 02:51 PM

The more rock you can cram in is always going to be a good thing and will help with this situation in the long run as far as I can tell from some of the reading I have done. However in the meantime to break the cycle she already has instead of having to wait for the rock to do its work the UV should illiminate the current problem much quicker. Then the rock can help keep the problem solved in the long term. I am definitely not saying she should run right out and blow money on one but if she knows someone to borrow one from in the short term it can be a viable solution to the current outbreak. I know I am no way an expert on anything much less phyto blooms in reef tanks(or anything with marine tanks for that matter) I was just offering an option on others experience and my own readings.

Rich