Panic.... Overnight Disaster!

[johnd4g]

Need alot of advice on this one.....
I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I looked into my aquarium on my way out the house. My white sand substrate, live rocks, and glass were covered with a thick brown layer of brown algae or diatoms. I went to bed last night with the tank looking great. But in a matter of a few hours during the night.... disaster! I can't imagine what happened. The tank has been up and running for a year now with no major problems. Here's a summary of recent activity:
- Moved tank to my new house on June 3. Saved all water, rock, and livestock. It was torn down only about 4 hours. Checked water parameters every few days to ensure all was okay.
- Did a 10% water change every week with RO/DI water. Most recent water change was 6/29.
- Top off with fresh RO/DI water every couple of days. Most recent top off was 1 gallon on 7/4.
- Installed new Coralife 192 watt Lunar Aqualight with 10K and Actinic. Have been running 10K about 14 hours/day and the Actinic about 11 hours/day.
- Added 1 new clownfish 7/2. Netted fish for transfer, no bag water.
- Added 7 hairy mushrooms on a small rock. Transfered by hand, no bag water.
- Have been checking parameters regularly and all numbers were good and stable.
- Have been feeding normal small amount of flakes every other day. Nothing fed to coral yet.

When I get home this afternoon I'll check water parameters again and I'll post the numbers. Also planning to pick up a bunch of snails and crabs to help cleanup.

Thanks in advance!

[RocketSeason]

please post the parameters when you find out.
If there is that much gunk in your tank that fast, then I am thinking something must have died. Do a head count while you are checking your parameters.

as a future precaution, you will want to build up your clean-up crew quite a bit. I have quite a few blue legged hermits and Nassarius snails in my 37 gallon. they help quite a bit to keep things under conrol.

[ellisz]

A diatom bloom is not unheard of after a tank move. Not sure I would call it a disaster but I don't know how bad it is...

How old are you RO/DI filters? Might just be bad timing?

[MarineFlake]

I get them from time to time, though not on a catstrophic scale. Usually something will die in the rockwork (Large Turbos can make a stench..) and I get various issues. Nothing I can really do but wait it out. Parameter tests are in order, everything showing with in acceptable ranges, I would ride it out. You could consider running some po4/Si remover jic, but otherwise, I would wait it out if all params are good.

[johnd4g]

Thanks for all your comments. Got home from the rock pile about an hour ago and got to work checking parameters. Here's the poop...
SG = 1.021
ph = 8.2 (its usually 7.8 to 8.0)
Alk = Lower end of Normal range (its usually in the middle of Normal)
Amonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 20 (its usually at 0)
Water temp = 79F

I checked inventory and all critters are accounted for. Filters are well within their lifespan.

I picked up a couple dozen snails and 5 dwarf crabs for cleanup.

Do you think my new lights may have contributed to this mess? I had been running them more than usual the last few days.

Thanks again for your help!

[clowninround]

Your sg is a little on the low side. I personally keep mine at 1.025. The ph is good at 8.2, you want to keep it there. If your nitrates were at 0 and they are now 20, I would one of two things happened. Either you are going threw a mini cycle (which is completely normal for a moved tank) or something may have died. If you say that the head count is good, then I would suspect a mini cycle. No worries. I got one when I moved my tank, and I saved almost all the water myself. Just happens...Just keep an eye on the parameters and do w/c's when needed.

[RocketSeason]

do multiple water changes to get your nitrates under control again. replace your carbon in your filter with fresh carbon and remove the bio-wheel. (they are spinning nitrate factories.)

[sdellin]

Definately get your sg and ph up, I keep my sg at 1.024 and my ph at 8.2.
I remember getting on after moving the tank also. Nothing I could do but wait it out. Things settled down after a couple weeks.

[austinsdad]

I would also cut the lights back. The new lighting - stronger than the old, right? And you say on longer than usual. If I got it right, you got stronger lights that you keep on longer.

I'd run the actinic longer than the daylights. One hour before and one after. Wakes the fish up easier and prepares'm for night I think. But maybe limit your daylights to only about 10 or 11 hours.

[mjvincent]

Originally Posted by RocketSeason

do multiple water changes to get your nitrates under control again. replace your carbon in your filter with fresh carbon and remove the bio-wheel. (they are spinning nitrate factories.)

I disagree about the bio-wheel. Can't get nitrates without ammonia. Ammonia converts to nitrites, nitrites to nitrates. Bio-wheels cannot create nitrates. The bio-wheel is however an efficient bio-filter.

More than likely, as said before, your move caused a mini-cycle. Get your pwc done and you should be back on track to 0 nitrates.

[sdellin]

Originally Posted by austinsdad

I'd run the actinic longer than the daylights. One hour before and one after. Wakes the fish up easier and prepares'm for night I think. But maybe limit your daylights to only about 10 or 11 hours.

Sorry, gotta butt in again... this is good advice if you're not already doing it, it works for me. I first had the lights going on and off at the same time, but with the actinics on before and after (an hour) the daylight, the fish get sort of a transition. Mine don't seem to spook now when the lighting changes.

Also, imo cutting down the daylight during the algae bloom helps because algae need light to grow.

[johnd4g]

Thanks for all the advice!
Things have gotten much better. The algae/diatom bloom is under control. After cutting back on my lights, stepping up on water changes, and adding a cleanup crew things are pretty much back to normal.

Thanks again!

[RocketSeason]

anytime!

how big is your cleanup crew now and what does it consist of?

edit: nevermind, I figured it out.