Help with anenome ID and algae control

purblind

purblind

1 tank, 2 tanks, 3 tanks, 4tanks...
Aug 22, 2005
58
0
0
Toronto
ca.geocities.com
Two question.....In the following pictures can somone ID if this is an aiptasia anenome(glass anenome)?

Second? I've had this brown algae for about 6 weeks now and I can't get rid of it. These are my test results:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: appx. 12.5ppm
Phosphate: <1ppm
Calcium: 450ppm
Ph: 8.2
Salinity: 0.024
Temp: 78F

I added nitrate sponge media to my HOB filter and I added Algone a couple week ago but there is hardly any change....I know crushed coral substrate is most likely my downfall with the nitrates but anyone have any suggestions?

aiptasia_1.jpg
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aiptasia_2.jpg
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brown_algae_sw.jpg
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Thanx for the help!! :)
 
I just picked up some stuff called Prime by Seachem. It's suppossed to detoxify the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites plus some other stuff. Check it out, it may help.
 
Hello,
The anemone is not aiptasia from the pic you took I can't tell you exaclty what it is but, I'd lean to bta with lta as my second choice. I'd remove the crushed coral that would solve your nitrate problems but, you probably knew I'd say that.
;)
Max
 
azzoa said:
I just picked up some stuff called Prime by Seachem. It's suppossed to detoxify the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites plus some other stuff. Check it out, it may help.
Click to expand...

All it does is detoxify... it does not remove... which means the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate still remains available for algae(s). Also, adding this is no excuse for an improperly maintained tank with 150 ppm nitrate, your fish will still suffer from the poor water quality.

How long has this tank been up? Filtration? tank size? How much LR? Fish population?
 
My tank looked alot like yours, since I too have crushed coral (C/C). It took along time to control the nitrates and phosphates. With the crushed coral it holds every little peice of uneaten food as well as fish waste. Do you use a gravel cleaner when you change out some of the water. Max is right about the crushed coral but if you decide not to switch out than you will have to do regular water changes more often. And by changes you just can't get the water from the top or center tank, but you will need to use the gravel cleaner and get it into the crushed coral, you will see the brown water come up. When it starts to come up clean move to another area of the tank, around live rock, get in there mix that C/C up. Adding things to the water to control nitrates/amon/phos/etc. is only a short term fix. Even a water change will only lower the levels for a day or so . The brown junk under the crushed coral will just raise the levels again, you need to get that dirty junk out. So changing the C/C for sand is your choice, but if you do decide to keep the C/C you will need to encrease your water changes.
 
All it does is detoxify... it does not remove... which means the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate still remains available for algae(s). Also, adding this is no excuse for an improperly maintained tank with 150 ppm nitrate, your fish will still suffer from the poor water quality.
Click to expand...

The Nitratates only read 12.5ppm

My tank looked alot like yours, since I too have crushed coral (C/C). It took along time to control the nitrates and phosphates. With the crushed coral it holds every little peice of uneaten food as well as fish waste. Do you use a gravel cleaner when you change out some of the water. Max is right about the crushed coral but if you decide not to switch out than you will have to do regular water changes more often. And by changes you just can't get the water from the top or center tank, but you will need to use the gravel cleaner and get it into the crushed coral, you will see the brown water come up. When it starts to come up clean move to another area of the tank, around live rock, get in there mix that C/C up. Adding things to the water to control nitrates/amon/phos/etc. is only a short term fix. Even a water change will only lower the levels for a day or so . The brown junk under the crushed coral will just raise the levels again, you need to get that dirty junk out. So changing the C/C for sand is your choice, but if you do decide to keep the C/C you will need to encrease your water changes.
Click to expand...

I do 30-40% water changes weekly right now. I use a turkey baster to blow off the algae off the rocks and use the gravel cleaner to wherever I can get into.

No biggie I'm moving to a 150 gallon w/ Refugium soon. I'm currently building a stand and canopy for it.

Check Out my aquariums. Just put the website up...
http://ca.geocities.com/mmoroch@rogers.com/aquariums.htm

The tanks been up and running almost a year.

Stock includes:

Green Chromis

Inverts:
Cleaner Shrimp
Camel Shrimp
Emerald Crab
Scarlet reef Hermit Crabs x3
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs x6
Fighting Conche x2

Corals:
Thin Finger Leather
Blue Xenia
Red Mushrooms
Daisy Polyps

20Lbs Live rock

Penguin HOB Filter for up to 40 gallons
Seaclone Protein Skimmer
Maki-Jet Power head
 
I bought it to see if it would get my nitrates down. I do regular water changes and vacuum the substrate. That works the best but, I never really gets the nitrates to Zero. Most people I speak to have the same issue it seems. And all of them have crushed coral. I wish I had known that when I setup this tank! I agree with Max on that issue. Since I began using this Seachem stuff (almost 2 weeks now) my polyps began opening up again and my feather dusters are back out. Frequent water changes are still a must. Seachem makes really good stuff from what I'm told. Anyone else use this stuff???
 
Max is right about the crushed coral. I started with crushed coral and it didn't take me long to figure out that if I was going to continue with a saltwater tank the crushed coral had to go. I have been battling the brown stuff too but I think I may have it beat or close to it. All my parameters were in almost perfect range so I am not sure what happened or why the algae appeared. I left my lights off for 24 hours. I vaccumed the sand bed and did a 15% water change. I plan on using the lights for a limited time over the next few days before I return to normal lighting hours. I have tried additives in the past for problem algae and none of them have worked so IMO they are useless. Good luck and think seriusly about getting rid of the coral and go with a deep sand bed.
 
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