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  #1  
Old 01/07/2008, 05:08 PM
beantown beantown is offline
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 7
How do you keep your tank clean?

I've had my 90 gallon FOWLR tank going on 7 years now.

I use a Euroreef RS100 for skimming and it does pull some good junk out.

Other than that I rely on the live rock for filtration.

My problem is...
I just can't keep the tank clean.
I use RO/DI for top off. TDS are 2.
25% water changes monthly.

I am constantly battling brown and/or green film algae growing all over the glass and rock.

At this point I only have the rock and cleanup crew.
Donated all fish 3 months ago due to cleaning frustration.

I want to keep the tank, but I am doing something wrong.

What do you guys do to keep your tanks so pristine?

Thanks!
  #2  
Old 01/07/2008, 05:36 PM
RayAllen RayAllen is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Antonio, Tx
Posts: 122
How long has the tank been running? What are you water parems? How long do you run your lights? How much flow in the tank? Answer these questions and we can give you much better advice.
  #3  
Old 01/07/2008, 07:39 PM
limitedslip limitedslip is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Albuquerque
Posts: 160
I am running a proclear wet/dry and a coralife skimmer rated for a 125 gallon. And thats it. I do water changes once ever 2 weeks, 10 to 20 percent per change. Keeps the water very clean. I only have about 20lbs of liverock in the tank as well (very very minimal)

What was your stocklist? You might have been overstocked, Also, Do you happen to have any coralline growth on your liverock?
  #4  
Old 01/07/2008, 10:34 PM
reefergeorge reefergeorge is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Louis MO
Posts: 766
I heavily wet skim, lots of flow, 20% wcs a week. I still have problems with algae every once in a while.
I just learned to live with it. Everyone else thinks the tank is beautiful.
  #5  
Old 01/08/2008, 12:20 AM
justinpsmith justinpsmith is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 717
I have mine set up with a BIG skimmer, BIG refugium, Ozone (really helps) and lots and lots of macro algae in the display. I use RO water but found the macro was growing too slow for my liking, so have started adding a bit of tap water in with it. I now get much better macro growth and no bad algae really. I think macro and ozone are the key to less bad algae.

My FOWLR is set up the exact same as how I would set up a reef that needed pristine water quality for corals. I think if you take that approach, you will also have better success. I see a lot of people who don't care as much about water conditions because there are only fish and no corals. I think this is really bad because it leads to bad algae problems, disease and just because fish can handle nitrate at 40 ppm, doesnt mean they should. Sorry a bit off topic but water quality does effect algae growth more than anything else and it gets a little overlooked in FOWLRs in favor or a heavily stocked tank.

As someone else said, maybe you were overstocked???
  #6  
Old 01/08/2008, 01:38 AM
beantown beantown is offline
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 7
Thanks for the guidance all.

More info:
900gph single return pump from 55 gallon sump.
about 75lbs live rock with corraline algae
1.020 salinty
8.4 ph
0 nitrates
0 nitrates
.02 phosphates

4x100 VHO lights on 9 hours a day

Had no problems for 5 years, but the last couple of years has been a battle. The ditrius buildup in back of tank under the rock work is about and inch thick. Perhaps I should suck that out?

I use to have nice macro algae, but the nuisance algae covered it and killed it off.

Although, the hitchiker mushrooms I got seem to love life. They are covering at least 50% of the rock now.

I've always had to clean the glass, but dang, every day?
Use to once a week or so.

Things just look dreary, like the water isn't clear.

Maybe it's time for a 50% water change, now that only the shrooms and 30 or so hermits/snails are around.

I previously had a purple tang and clown trigger. That's it.

Maybe it's time for new test drops. These seem to be telling lies.

Thanks!
  #7  
Old 01/08/2008, 02:27 AM
limitedslip limitedslip is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Albuquerque
Posts: 160
If it just started to dip off, kinda sounds like old tank syndrome, but you said you were dilligent with your water changes, so Its probably not that.
  #8  
Old 01/08/2008, 04:02 AM
scatty25 scatty25 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Modesto, CA
Posts: 49
I had a problem with various algae's and found a fish that would eat just about anything. A green scat.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=963

This fish when older spawns in saltwater. You'll need to get a larger one, about 4" or so. My tank was covered in hair algae. I had a 120 at the time. I dded one and 2 days later the tank was spotless and he was fat! I wil add one of these to any large tank I ever put up again.
  #9  
Old 01/08/2008, 04:16 AM
justinpsmith justinpsmith is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 717
I used to keep a small school of Green Scats and they will indeed eat algae like crazy. Just make sure that if you (or anyone) wanted to add one to a marine tank that it is an adult (as mentioned above). They do not do so well in marine conditions when young. Ideally they need high end brackish their whole lives. Beautiful fish IMO.
  #10  
Old 01/11/2008, 02:06 PM
Sharkbait74 Sharkbait74 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 35
Hmm, ever tried using a Wife Goby? They do an excellent job of cleaning tanks....

(that was my funny for the day and I wholeheartedly apologize to any females... I share the housework 50/50 with my wife and believe that's the only way it should be).

Anyhow, it sounds alright, but I know what you mean... I battled nuisance algae for 3yrs but finally seem to have things under control.

I have a 90gallon with a 30gallon sump. I have a small Coralife 18 watt lamp on some chaeto in my sump. I use a fantastic Aqua-C RemoraPro Skimmer (the best on the market in my opinion for this size tank). I have about 90lbs of liverock in tank and 25lbs liverock in sump with the display tank water splashing directly over the sump liverock. I have been using a Tunze Wavebox in one corner to get total water flow side to side. I do 5gallons of RO/DI/week water changes. I do get a bit of nuisance algae on the front of the tank but my Kole Tang does a wonderful job of cleaning everything but the front. For the first time in years, I haven't had cyano... and i think it's because of the total waterflow from the wavebox.

I haven't had my Kole Tang long, 4months, but I must say I have never seen a fish eat algae like it!
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