vowelmovements
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2006
- Messages
- 13
So my 29gallon has been going strong for about three months now. I had a nice spurt of coraline algea growth.. mostly red with some purple but now I am overcome with green! This is a light green color algea that has covered live rock and now almost my entire crushed coral substrate.
Early on I added some Codium macro algea which has been sprouting different fingers left and right. Not too much help but makes a great pod playground. I am planning on picking up a phosphate remover pad tomorrow to add to my filter but I think nitrates are most likely my problem.
Nitrate tests on my liquid test kit still show undetectable but I figure this is a false result because it is being consumed so quickly.
Water changes? I make sure to do a 5 gallon change every week with synthetic Instant Ocean salt. This week I am going to try and switch to filtered natural ocean water. Any comments on this?
My real problem, I have determined, is my nitrate factory Bio-Wheel emperor filter. I have been experimenting with it to try and make it as useful as possible until I upgrade to real refugium.
I tried using my own filter floss but that turned into a mess so I am going to pick up some filter pad from the LFS that you cut out yourself and use my media chamber as a stencil. I want to use this so I don't have to run carbon 24/7. I am trying to use carbon only one week a month. I am also going to pick up some LR rubble to put in my HOB. I figure this should establish a better biological filter. I plan on picking up about a pound.
Any other suggestions on modifying my HOB? Filter pad, reef crabon one week a month, life rock rubble. If I adopt this method can I just take off my Bio-Wheel and essentially make a tiny refugium? I assume that this will make a good biological filter without the bio-wheel overkill.
My livestock at the moment is one skunk shrimp, one pink tip BTA, some ricordia, a rock anemone, a midas bleeny and small tomato clown.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
/I am using RO/DI water for water changes and DI water for top off from the grocery store.
//130watt PC lighting
Early on I added some Codium macro algea which has been sprouting different fingers left and right. Not too much help but makes a great pod playground. I am planning on picking up a phosphate remover pad tomorrow to add to my filter but I think nitrates are most likely my problem.
Nitrate tests on my liquid test kit still show undetectable but I figure this is a false result because it is being consumed so quickly.
Water changes? I make sure to do a 5 gallon change every week with synthetic Instant Ocean salt. This week I am going to try and switch to filtered natural ocean water. Any comments on this?
My real problem, I have determined, is my nitrate factory Bio-Wheel emperor filter. I have been experimenting with it to try and make it as useful as possible until I upgrade to real refugium.
I tried using my own filter floss but that turned into a mess so I am going to pick up some filter pad from the LFS that you cut out yourself and use my media chamber as a stencil. I want to use this so I don't have to run carbon 24/7. I am trying to use carbon only one week a month. I am also going to pick up some LR rubble to put in my HOB. I figure this should establish a better biological filter. I plan on picking up about a pound.
Any other suggestions on modifying my HOB? Filter pad, reef crabon one week a month, life rock rubble. If I adopt this method can I just take off my Bio-Wheel and essentially make a tiny refugium? I assume that this will make a good biological filter without the bio-wheel overkill.
My livestock at the moment is one skunk shrimp, one pink tip BTA, some ricordia, a rock anemone, a midas bleeny and small tomato clown.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
/I am using RO/DI water for water changes and DI water for top off from the grocery store.
//130watt PC lighting