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  #1  
Old 01/08/2008, 10:08 AM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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Problem with tank....in trouble

Came home from an extended weekend away to find my tank no where near when I left it. Everything was doing great, as it has been for the last year except for a small hair algea issue. When I came home the entire tank was covered in this brownish yellow algea and all the corals were retracted. I did a test on the water and everything checks out in the ok colume.
Ph 8.2
Am less than 20ppm
Nitrate 0
nitrite 0
phosphat 0

The only thing i dont have a kit for is Alkalinity. Could this have changed and caused the weird change? All the fish seem to be doing fine, eating and acting normal. Tank is a 55 gal with a 13 gal sump.

2 clowns
1 regal
1 scopas tank
1 lawnmower
1 pep srimp
and some crabs and snales

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

One last note the skimmer I have is the worst you can get and way under rated for the tank, but has been used sinse the tank started up almost 2 years ago.
  #2  
Old 01/08/2008, 10:38 AM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Was their any feeeding while you were away?

Was there any power failure?

What does "Am less than 20ppm" mean?
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  #3  
Old 01/08/2008, 10:43 AM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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No there was no feeding while i was gone, there were no power falures because all clocks in the house were fine ( I thought of that too) Am=Ammonia. I use the liquid test kits and it showed slight trace of amonia.
  #4  
Old 01/08/2008, 10:54 AM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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So that is less than 0.2 ppm ammonia?
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  #5  
Old 01/08/2008, 11:07 AM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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sorry yes i believe so, Im at work and trying to remember exactly what it was. i know it's not any differnet than months ago when i tested it. I would think if ammonia was the culprit that i would see it way up on the scale. Thanks for the input so far keep it comming. What i find strange is it was great when i left and came back 3 days later and it looks like a different tank. water temp stayes between 79 and 80 degrees. There is no heater to to go out of whack. House temp set at 68 all the time.
  #6  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:13 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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out of ideas Randy? Any other info i can provide to help?
  #7  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:34 PM
Billybeau1 Billybeau1 is offline
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Did you by any chance change your photoperiod while you were gone ? Maybe left the lights on all night ?
  #8  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:48 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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No, the lights are on timers which they have been for a year now. The night that I got home the lights turned off at there normal time like they always do.
  #9  
Old 01/08/2008, 04:18 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Sorry, I'm fresh out of ideas.
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  #10  
Old 01/08/2008, 04:41 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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Thats ok. If i can remember ill post a pic of what it looks like tonight and maybe it will spark some other possability. When I set up the tank about a year and a half ago I never got the algea bloom that most people say they go through. Could it possably have gone through it later than usual?
  #11  
Old 01/08/2008, 10:01 PM
Swanwillow Swanwillow is offline
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okay, I'm definitely in the wrong forum.

overstocked tank caught up with you. You just have too high of a bioload for the tank's filtration system to keep up with. Thats why your seeing a constant low ammonia reading, your tanks keeping up with it, but now the algae is starting in, helping control and process the nitrites and ammonia.

Upgrade, and it would work out-the bioload you have on your 55 gallon tank should really be in a 125 gallon tank. Yes, seriously. Even the best skimmer in the world can't keep up all the time.
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my advice:walk away. do nothing.
til tomorrow.
if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone
  #12  
Old 01/08/2008, 11:33 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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Thats what I figured. Im looking into a better skimmer at this time. Ive been doing 20% water changes every other day right now to patch the issue and I'm already seeing an improvement. But I need to get a new skimmer soon. (how do you keep your wife from killing you on this one? Thats a new thread in itself) Been searching for a little while now. Dont want to spend a few hundred dollars but afraid I may have to. Unless anyone can recommend a good skimmer for under 200?
  #13  
Old 01/09/2008, 04:55 PM
Swanwillow Swanwillow is offline
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I AM a chick-so I'm no help. Convincing me to upgrade the tank. Can you switch tanks? IOW, whats in the 125?
__________________
my advice:walk away. do nothing.
til tomorrow.
if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone
  #14  
Old 01/10/2008, 01:12 AM
Billybeau1 Billybeau1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Drag Racer
Thats what I figured. Im looking into a better skimmer at this time. Ive been doing 20% water changes every other day right now to patch the issue and I'm already seeing an improvement. But I need to get a new skimmer soon. (how do you keep your wife from killing you on this one? Thats a new thread in itself) Been searching for a little while now. Dont want to spend a few hundred dollars but afraid I may have to. Unless anyone can recommend a good skimmer for under 200?
I'm sure if you post in the Lighting, Filtration and Equipment forum, you will get some ideas on a good reasonably priced skimmer.

Swan, just because you are a "chick" doesn't mean you can't be of help. We have some very knowledgeable "chicks" here on Reef Central. Although I doubt they would appreciate being called "chicks"
  #15  
Old 01/10/2008, 05:36 PM
Swanwillow Swanwillow is offline
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no, I ment I'm no help at giving advice on convincing a wife.

WELL, one thing you CAN do is set up a system dedicated to seahorses, just for her. Out of that 55 gallon aquarium no less! And since your using your 55 for HER tank, that means you need, well, a BIGGER tank.
__________________
my advice:walk away. do nothing.
til tomorrow.
if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone
  #16  
Old 01/10/2008, 05:37 PM
Swanwillow Swanwillow is offline
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PS. if you need pictures of seahorses to help do some convincing, I can point you in the right direction.
__________________
my advice:walk away. do nothing.
til tomorrow.
if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone
  #17  
Old 01/10/2008, 09:41 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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She doesnt like the seahorses. She thinks there boring. In fact she want me to get rid of the corals and do a FOWLR tank so she can have different fish. She really wants a Cow fish. I told her when we get a bigger house we will do a big fish only tank.
  #18  
Old 01/10/2008, 10:05 PM
Swanwillow Swanwillow is offline
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well, that sucks!!!
that was my idea. See? no good
__________________
my advice:walk away. do nothing.
til tomorrow.
if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone
  #19  
Old 01/11/2008, 03:11 PM
Drag Racer Drag Racer is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2007
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hmm how to make her see it as an investment?????
 

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