Friend in need.

[FishyBiz]

My buddie has a 12 gallon DX nano cube that is in desperate need of help. He left town for a week and I want to clean it up before he gets back. I plan on doing a big water change (maybe 70%) and cleaning the glass. What else should I do? The green alga is getting really bad. I also plan to add a coral or two.
Here's a pic. Hopfully I can get an after shot when it's clean.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v699/FishyBiz/DSC00759.jpg

[Gawain1974]

I wouldn't change 70% of the water--that could really disrupt things, especially in a 12 gallon system. Personally, I'd only change 25% max after I cleaned/scraped all the algae off the glass, etc, so you can siphon it out during the water change.

Before you add any corals, etc., I'd run some water tests to make sure the parameters are ok to introduce any corals.

[sulp]

Maybe run some fresh carbon and maybe some type of phosphate remover. I would also do a full range of testing to see what you are dealing with before adding any corals. This includes: SG, pH, Temp, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphates, Alk, & Calcium. Do these before anything else. You'll save yourself a lot of time by knowing all these results first.

[Gawain1974]

Also, how long has this tank been set up? Is your friend still cycling this tank?

[sulp]

I also disagree with Gawain. I think you should be ok with changing 70% of the water. The bigger, the better as long as the change water very closely matches the existing tank water. You can change this much water with no problem even with a fully stocked tank. Even if it was bad, (which it is not) there is really nothing to disrupt in that tank.

[FishyBiz]

The tank has been set up for about 3 months. I cycled the LR for a month in a bucket and did all the water changes on it before he put it in his tank.

I also think his lights are on way to long. (About 12 hours a day)
I kicked it down to 8 hours.

What if I took all the rock out and scrubbed the alga (sp) off?

[Gawain1974]

Cool...oh I should clarify...a big w/c is probably ok...I was just worried about how much work on the tank you're friend would want you to do. I came home from school one day, and my significant other was doing me a "favor" and cleaning my substrate by pulling some out, rinsing it off, putting it back in. LOL. Sounds like you know what you're doing, so have at it!

What type of lights? I run my PC about 12 hours a day, but decreasing the photoperiod should help with the algae outbreak.

[DizziDezi2]

get him some shrooms- easy to keep and inexpensive but beautiful- get some real big ones.

[FishyBiz]

He has some shrooms already. I wish I could frag my hammer coral. It would look sweet.

[FishyBiz]

This is a better pic
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v699/FishyBiz/DSC00758.jpg

[FishyBiz]

Turns out he has a flat worm infestation.
What should I do?

[Aquaman]

whats in the tank besides the shrooms?

There is a couple of products that seem to work good on ridding a tank of flatworms, do a quick search you should find them, Be prepared to do a good waterchange after dosing to get rid of flatworms.

[fishinchick]

You can use flatworm exit or you can get a velvet sea slug.

Doing a 70% water change on a small system shouldnt disrupt anything. All of your bacteria is in the live rock and sand. I have had a nano of some type for well over 6 years now and have done 90% water changes on them quite often.