Help!!!!!!!!!!! Die off problem

black_majik · #1 10/21/2007, 05:52 PM

I thought ive have seen everything. Well after finding out that my tap water's silicate levels are 8 mg/l I found out the reason my diatoms were outbreaking. Since i constantly added water the out break got bad and now there is a lot of die off. Well, now m tank looks like this ONLY WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN ON !!!! So can any help me with what I should do. ( I think think it is a single celled algae bloom) I would like all help.

- A look at my trumpet coral

- A look towards the lights

- A seated view of the tank

Yeah

So if it is single celled algae feeding on the diatom die off how long should the tank go without lights to kill it? Or any suggestions please help

192clark · #2 10/21/2007, 06:07 PM

you need a RODI unit. Use the pure water it puts out and those problems will end.

black_majik · #3 10/21/2007, 06:56 PM

Yeah a local grocery store lets you fill up on some r/o for 30 cents. I need to get rid of the green somehow

stuccodude · #4 10/21/2007, 07:05 PM

that blows

demonsp · #5 10/21/2007, 07:06 PM

This is a algea bloom. And its sooooooo upsetting. The tap water issue again. This is why i really dislike people who say tap is fine i alway suse it and never have problems. Well i say keep it to your self. If you have no problems then never mention that you use tap cause other people think its fine and its not. NOT ALL TAP WATER IS THE SAME AND CAUSES MANY PROBLEMS.

OK, this aside how old is this tank and what are your readings from temp to phosphate? And what do you use for flow and i see no skimmer you have a sump?

Percula9 · #6 10/21/2007, 07:20 PM

Start doing 25% water changes weekly with good water. Adding a UV sterilizer will help. Leave the lights off. Set your corals up in a Qt tank until this problem is cleared up. I have never seen such an algal bloom like that before.

black_majik · #7 10/21/2007, 07:21 PM

skimmer yes and I dont use tap anymore. i use r/o i need to get rid of the bloom. So how thats the topic not tap water

demonsp · #8 10/21/2007, 07:42 PM

How long this system been up and running ?

audio101 · #9 10/21/2007, 08:18 PM

I've never heard anyone say tap water is fine for saltwater, you really need to double check everything before you set up a tank.

black_majik · #10 10/21/2007, 08:59 PM

audio101 who was that geared towards?\

PEOPLE LISTEN TAP WATER IS NOT THAT ISSUE IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT GO TO DEMONSP"S THREAD I WANT HELP ON MY ALGAE BLOOM I AM NOW USING R/O thank

demonsp--about 6-7 months i had really high silicate levels in my tap ( which yes can be bad like mine) but i had a full canopy so evaporation wasn't bad but I took a section of the canopy off to add somehthing to the tank and since then I had to add water more frequently thus it was a very bad bloom of diatoms and then that die off fed the singled celled algae.

NOW HOW LONG MUST THE LIGHTS BE TURNED OFF?

demonsp · #11 10/21/2007, 09:07 PM

Calm down. OK OK OK i see why they stopped my thread. :P But i also realize we are off the tap issue.

Now on to the major green algea problem. This is an older more established system. But i dont see much in the stocking.

Cleanup crew, omnivores , ect.. . Green algea or any algea will always be around and the key is control. I suggest less lighting time (atleast half bring up slowly ), more cleanup crew , MB more flow, not sure how your doing there , and some healthy water changes.

black_majik · #12 10/21/2007, 09:13 PM

I like the ideas but the algae is single celled and in the water column. Nothing solid to eat I need to stock up more on my inverts but I have a foxface who has a passionate hatred fro algae. Unfortunately they can't do anything. So what does everyone think about a algaecide to kill it? Dangerous, ok with water changes I need help now.

Plus demon i know how you feel with tap. I know it too, but people sometimes have no other choice. Like me but I found a grocery store who refills R/O so Im lucky.

tmz · #13 10/21/2007, 09:22 PM

A uv sterilizer will clear it up if you can borrow one.
Water changes and light feeding if any..
You need to get some light to your corals.
A few live rotifers would multiply and eat it up. You'd have to filter them out when they crashed though.

demonsp · #14 10/21/2007, 09:33 PM

Hang on filter with carbon ,mb increase the flow and weekly 20% water changes. This wont go away over night but will disappear. This is a problem thats been there awile and whene the conditions became right it expoded. I hate to say, dont freak. MB from the tap water. This is typical , takes time for proper conditions to build for this. Im also suspicious of your nitrite , nitrate and phosphate readings. Be patiant and this will pass.

black_majik · #15 10/21/2007, 09:39 PM

It's not the water quality the die off of diatoms sparked this everything els is perfect.

black_majik · #16 10/21/2007, 09:41 PM

Random question demonsp, how is you rpurple tang doing in the 75 ?

demonsp · #17 10/21/2007, 09:56 PM

Yea i know. We all make mistakes. But i love this guy. Him and my coral beuty rule the tank. He hasnt grown to much and i do have plans off upgrading my tank. Im hooked on this hobby mb to much as you can tell.

There are many reasons for the bloom, im guessing all readings are fine. The diatoms are just getting worse , Cleanup crew with sand sifters , fighting coch snails are great.

Toddrtrex · #18 10/21/2007, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by black_majik
Yeah a local grocery store lets you fill up on some r/o for 30 cents. I need to get rid of the green somehow

Do you know how often they change the filters? Unless you measure the TDS of that water, I wouldn't trust it being the cleanest in the world.

demonsp · #19 10/21/2007, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toddrtrex
Do you know how often they change the filters? Unless you measure the TDS of that water, I wouldn't trust it being the cleanest in the world.

Good point. I use a local vender that showed me there setup. If the do what they say i trust more then any RO/DI unit. They even ozone and uv the water , for $1.00 per 5 gallons and my readings are always 0 then im happy.

But with that said , some water may contain untraceable amounts of harmful things that will only be noticable after time and in many cases after the problem is out of control.

tmz · #20 10/21/2007, 10:31 PM

The green water eats ammonium nitrateProbably as fast as the die of produces it.Try a poly pad or another nitrate removing resin.

black_majik · #21 10/22/2007, 06:02 AM

Ok nitrate sponges

Shagsbeard · #22 10/22/2007, 06:53 AM

One thing... that's pretty much what the ocean looks like off the coast of California. Even though it's unsightly, it's not necessarily dangerous. You've been shouting RO RO RO! You do know that RO and RODI are two different things? Get yourself an RODI filter and give the RO from the supermarket a rest. It will be the best couple hundred bucks you spend on your tank. You tank is nothing without good water.

black_majik · #23 10/22/2007, 02:56 PM

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This pics are about 18 hours after intitial turn off of lights.

Seated view of tank

Same side rock view:

Look new look up towards the lights:

Look towards trumpet coral:

Anway things seem to better, now I am giving the tank an hour a day to give the corals some food and time for the fish to feed tomorrow if things seem better I may bump up to an hour and a half but that is if things are better.

reefergeorge · #24 10/22/2007, 03:09 PM

I've heard diatom filters will clear that right up. If anyone knows for sure please post.

black_majik · #25 10/22/2007, 03:21 PM

Yeah I've heard that too. The not light is working well though.