salt water 911

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bonniewoodruff

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
171
I have 2 tanks and 2 refugiums. One is a 93 gallon cube with a sump. I have bio balls, a protein skimmer, and a add on refugium on this tank.(I added it last about 3 months ago). This tank has a niger trigger, koran angel, 4 damsels and a snowflake eel. I do have 2 serpent stars and lots of brittle stars, hermit crabs and snails. I just had a bad case of red slime algea. I was told to add the sand, some rock, pods, macro algea and a light and leave it alone. I did get rid of most of it today. Tested my water is is 0 ammonia 7.8 PH 0 nitrites and 20 nitrates. I am using ro water only. I have had this for a while it never went into my display tank, and I thought the refugium was to grow algae so I never knew it was bad until now. How do I fix it?
The other tank is a 65 gallon with a hang on the back refugium, it has a canister filter. I did the same thing to it. I found white foam on the top of it. I took it off and the next week it was coming back. Today I took it off and all the algea was bad so I cleaned it out. Now it only has the sand in it. I tested the water 0 ammonia 8.0 PH 0 Nitrites and 10 nitrates. Any idea what the foam is? It was kind of hard on top and slimy on the bottom. This tank has 2 small clowns and a fox face. I do have a small cleanup crew.
Thanks for any help I am still kind of new only about a year.
 

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I'm a little confused by your post but il try to help. The last 3 picture, is that an aquarium or a sump? Either way it looks like you have excess nutrients. Nitrates at 20ppm isn't good at all and this could be your source of algae growth. Algae feeds off nitrates, phosphates and light.

Do you make your own water? I test my water frequently for TDS, nitrates and phosphates.
 
The last picture it the hang on the back refugium. I do make my own water and have tested it with the tds meter and the nitrate test. I did have the lights running 24/7 on both of the refugiums.(that is what I was told to do). I have them off now. I do a 10-15% PWC once a week. I have been feeding once a day, now every other day.
 
The last picture it the hang on the back refugium. I do make my own water and have tested it with the tds meter and the nitrate test. I did have the lights running 24/7 on both of the refugiums.(that is what I was told to do). I have them off now. I do a 10-15% PWC once a week. I have been feeding once a day, now every other day.

Your on the right track, I don't have a refugium but from what I know you run the lights opposite cycle of the display tank. Reducing the light and feedings along with regular siphoning of the funk should clear it out. The Cyano feeds on phosphates which could be from excess feeding or new sand or rock. I've never seen the white stuff before. Your parameters look good. I'd check your phosphate level. Your on the right track.
 
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