looking for some help with my sand.....

[lovemyreef]

Hello everyone .. I have had this tank up and running now for almost a year, and I have learned a ton. However there is a ton to go. Anyways I am having the never ending diatom bloom on the sand. Also some hair algea issues. All of the params seem fine.everything reads 0 ppm. The calcium is at 430 and the kalk is high at around 11 but that is using a pool test kit.I know I should buy a new kit for saltwater and will soon. I run the lights 11 hours a day. I have a 30 gallon sump and the tank is a 125. I guess that's a start. Thanks for any input. I will upload some pics in a few minutes

 

[lovemyreef]

 

[Sniperhank]

I don't see diatoms, I see light cyano. This and the hair algae are consuming your nitrates/phosphates, which is why you reading 0 and think the parameters are fine. I had this issue at one time as well.

I'd assume you are using ro/di for water changes and top off, right? My ro/di is down currently and have been stuck using distilled from the store...since just using distilled I've had an increase of algae issues. This might be part of it?

 

[lovemyreef]

I am using ro. The tds is at .04 ppm I also change about 10% a week. O have cut back feeding as well. I now feed every other day and have not used any additives in several months.I also have around 1800 gph flowing on the tank. I know I have cyano. Trying to work on that as well But I thought the light brown stuff was diatoms. I have still slowly been adding rock. Mostly base. Any suggestion for the cyano without creating a sandstorm lol.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, the .04 tds might be feeding this as well. How much do you feed? What is it?

The cyano will be solved along with the algae. Siphoning it out with some airline tubing and solving the phosphate issue, which it is most likely phosphates, will resolve this issue.

 

[lovemyreef]

I feed mysis shrimp nori and ocean nutrition brine shrimp plus flake every other day with the flake and seaweed and the mysis about twice a week. I have also been trying to find a good way to rinse the mysis before feeding it since I don't know what they were frozen in.

 

[Sniperhank]

I'd cut back on all that food and just alternate what you feed. For my frozen foods I thaw it in a cup with a small amount of tank water. Then I just pour the water out. If you don't use much water the cube will hold its shape.

 

[lovemyreef]

Ok sounds good do you think maby two good feedings a week will keep the fishes healthy or is that too few. I'm thinking flake and a small square like 2 by 2 of nori one night and the next time shrimp and nori again. I have two clowns one foxface one blue damsel and a manderin but he only eats pods and that's at least one problem I don't have to worry about thankfully thay are everywhere..there are also crabs a pink cucummber and a sea hair currently in the tank. No snails when I had the outbreak they all died off. I still need to get some more.

 

[Saratj1]

Those frozen foods really feed cyano, I've really cut back how much frozen stuff I feed and haven't had any issue with cyano since.

 

[lovemyreef]

Nice to know.

 

[Sniperhank]

I only feed frozen and feed twice a week.

 

[Schism]

I also have around 1800 gph flowing on the tank.

Besides possibly overfeeding this flow is your second issue. 30x-50x times turnover is recommended for reef tanks 1800gph mean that in a 125g you only have 14.4x turnover. This low flow results in a large number of dead spots or areas of low flow and causes detritus and organic matter to settle and rot. Flow will prevent things from settling so it can be filtered or removed through skimming. Flow is everything in a reef tank and ultimately a major factor in your algae problem.

For comparison i have approx 1800gph total on my 29g standard, yes i said 29g. To have the recommended 30-50x turnover in your 125g you need 3,750-6,250gph flow. Also in most situations this is not including return flows etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[lovemyreef]

That may help out a good bit now I just need to find out how to produce more flow without blowing my sand everywhere it is extremly fine.

 

[Schism]

That may help out a good bit now I just need to find out how to produce more flow without blowing my sand everywhere it is extremly fine.

Shouldnt be that much of a problem. Depends on what powerheads you use and how you position them. Some you may have to lower in the tank and point them just over the sand bed maybe slightly upward. It can take alot of tinkering eapecially with fine sand but you should still have no problem atleast doubling your flow. Some fines from the sand is to be expected, this is normal and will get filtered out.

 

[HovaRockz]

+1 flow rate is definitely a problem

 

[HovaRockz]

Doesn't need to be directed at the sand like all you want is for the flow rate to be increased and it will slowly disappear doesn't mean trying to blow it right away

 

[lovemyreef]

Understood I did some rescaping last night and some adjusting of what I have to help move more flow around near the sand without the storm until I can pick up some better equipment.

 

[HovaRockz]

Hope everything works out keep us posted

 

[FlopNewsom]

I'm reading with interest. I've been having the same problem for almost a year. I'm only feeding 3 times a week. I also have a very fine sieve that I use to rinse my frozen food.

 

[HovaRockz]

Little info on your tank? Parameters, tank size, livestock, filtration, flow rate if possible?