'Colorful' DSB

[tbates]

DSB on my 55 gal FOWLR has been up and running for about 6-7 months now (after converting from CC). DSB is 4-5 inches deep and was built using Pure Carribean Aragonite (about 120 lbs) and 30 lbs of LS from the LFS. Shortly after establishing the DSB, some "interesting" colors showed up against the glass that I figured were algae that would die off as the DSB got up and running. After waiting for several months, no die off and still remained colorful. Didn't see any pods or worm tracks, so I re-seeded the sand with some additional LS - saw a number of worms that crawled off to somewhere, never to be see again. That was about 4 months ago and still no change in the lovely rainbox of colors.

Water chemistry is good (although NO3 is relative high):
NH3 = 0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 10
SG = 1.026
PH = 8.2

Bio load is:
Auriga Butterfly
2 false percula
2 yellow-tail blue damsels
2 firefish gobies
2 emerald crabs (recently lost a third)
2 stars (bristel & sea serpent)
bunches of hermits
bunches of snail (turbo, nassarius, cerith)

Filtering/water movement:
Aqua-C Remora w/maxi 1200 & surface skimmer
Emperor 400 used w/GAC filters only (no bio-wheel)
(used for water polishing - runs a few hours each night)
2 maxi 600 & 1 maxi 900 for flow

I would prefer to see the colors in the fish and coraline growth. Any thoughts about getting back to a pristine white (or at least a pristine off-white)?

Here are a few pics for reference...

http://66.1.231.123/Family/tank2.jpg
http://66.1.231.123/family/tank3.jpg
http://66.1.231.123/family/tank4.jpg

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions.

Tim

 

[snapcrackler]

Ack, that looks like different stages of cyano (black and red) and some green algae and some brown diatoms.

Nutrient/phosphate overload I would guess, are you using tap water or RO/DI water?

 

[tbates]

Water changes (5 gal per week) are tap that gets mixed and stands for 24hrs. Been thinking of getting an RO unit, but $$ and place to set up are a holdup right now.

Assuming it's cyano, what's the best way to get rid of it?

 

[snapcrackler]

Your water probably has a good amount of phosphates and stuff in it that the cyano and algaes are feeding off of. To help battle cyano, you reduce feeding and use RO/DI water. That cyano is having a hayday feeding on the stuff in your water right now.

 

[Electrobes]

Oh man did I have this issue bad. The water in gainesville is filled with phosphates, and when I began as a supernewbie (still a newbie) I used it to fille my tank up. Within 2 weeks my tank was so covered in brown cyano that even my snails, rocks, all of the sand, everything was brown! I then started using RO/DI water form the LFS and in about 2 weeks it pretty much all died off, not sure how it was THAT fast but go figure... my tank and its owner are a bit retaded in our ways Oh yeah at the time of the cyano I had the 45G tall main tank I still use now and a Filstar XP3. I sold the XP3 and now use a 29 gallon refugium.

 

[tbates]

Sounds like it's time to run off and buy a nice RO/DI unit and clear out a space in the basement.

Thanks for the help from another relative newbie. Having gone thru a CC to DSB conversion and a HUGE learning curve, I feel a little dumb at times.

 

[snapcrackler]

Tell me about it.. LOL

I saw someone's signature once that said something like "Nothing like the saltwater aquarium hobby to make you feel stupid"

I had to laugh, it's so true.

If it was something we didn't like doing, it would probably be one heck of a pain in the U know what.

Be sure to ask our sponsors about the RO units they will be happy to help you out, like AquaFX. CHeck the visit our sponsors link on the top of the page.

I still have to get one (RO/DI) too, but our well water is filtered and ozonated so I've been paddling along with no real problems other than some flourescent green algae and hair algae.
I'll be getting one real soon too.