AquaTricia 40 gal FOWLR

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I'm sorry I'm being such a pain. I don't understand where the nutrients are coming from. I feed the shrimp 3 pellets every other day. I know he poops. There's nothing else in there. And the skimmer has been going full blast. Maybe I should go back to chemistry class. Just to think of it, I never took chemistry.
 
These could be nutrients left over from the original cycle if the water change wasn't large enough. There are many factors that could be in play here that we are missing.
 
Then, I really don't know what to do. Apparently, the chemists don't know either. Well, it can't get any worse, so I'll try one suggestion after another until the stuff starts growing across the floor. At least there are no corals or fish in there. Thanks anyway.
 
well if there is only the shrimp in there, maybe just let it run it's coarse and see what happens?
it may simply die out on it's own.


I know that when it came to diatoms I just let it go and they died out after a while.
 
If only it could be so easy sometimes. I have algae issues in my reef tank that I simply can't solve. I'm switching over from my redneck refugium to a DIY turf scrubber to see if that is any assistance.
But, if I were in your shoes and feel that progress isn't being made I would step back and think about what was going on. What all feeds these things? One thing is light. So turn the lights off. Then I'd siphon the stuff out during a water change through a lengthy period of darkness. Dinos are supposed to be toxic, so there would be lots of carbon run in the tank.
That is my simple start at it. Have we tried rinsing the rock in the tank in old tank water yet to see if anything comes out of it? Might be nutrients leaching in from it?
 
Thanks, PB. Your suggestion is appreciated. That's basicly what I'm going to do.
Sniperhank: Decided to go lights out for 3-5 days. I topped up with ro/di water and will cover the tank. I've also ordered Chemi-Pure Elite. Will put that in the overflow of the skimmer. Already scrubbed the rocks today and the stuff grew back in two hours. Am going to scrub again before lights out and net out all the floating gunk. When I turn the lights back on, I will do a 50% water change and a 4 hour light schedule for 2 weeks. If this doesn't work, then we'll go from there.
I can't take the rocks out as I glued all 40 or so lbs together. Never thought something like this would happen.
 
Yeah, that is understandable. Chemi-pure elite is a great product...I just wish it fit in my reactor better. Either way, a plan in the right direction. Dinos can be frustrating from what I hear.

EDIT: Have we thought about switching up foods too? Flake and pellet are all phosphate sinks when compared to rinsed frozen foods. Just an out of the box thought for 3 pellets for one shrimp.
 
I've been using Chemi-Pure Elite for 2 years with success. We'll see if it will help this problem, whatever it is.
I try not to feed anything but frozen, but he's such a little shrimp. When I feed the reef frozen, sometimes I dribble some in there for him. Thought this would foul the tank worse than 3 pellets.
 
Hello, everyone. The tank has been covered for six days with lights out. I peeked under the blankets tonight with a flashlight and see no Dinos, cyano, or diatoms. I know to continue to hold my breath, as I've heard that this stuff can come back. This is Friday night. I will slowly uncover it with the lights off in the room on Monday. I will not turn the tank lights back on until Tuesday for a short photoperiod. I will keep you all posted on the progress.


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nothing new added to the tank and removed the shrimp before lights out. have not tested the tank at all this week. when I start removing the blankets tomorrow, I will test for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. is this sufficient, or should I also check phosphates? In the reef, I'd check the whole gambit, but not sure what all is necessary with a FOWLR with no critters.
 
I don't worry too much about that stuff in a FOWLR. Nitrates will be a good indicator of what is going on phosphate wise, in a very general way, as it is something like a 10:1 ratio when things decompose.
 
Ok. Started peeling off the blankets tonight and the power went off. Yesterday, when we had a mega storm, I had my generator ready for the tanks. No storm today, so it's stored again. Oh well, that's Florida for you.


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Blankets off and running lights for 3 hours in the evening. Lights in the living room are kept off all day so the tank is still relatively dark for 21 hours a day. Tank looks beautiful. I am very watchful, though. Am topping up the tank tonight, so I will test for nitrates tomorrow.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice
 
I'd want a reading of nitrates as soon as the blankets are off to see where your levels really are. I'd say phosphates too, but don't recall if you have an accurate test or not.
 
Ok. Nitrates 10 ppm
Phosphates .03 ppm

Phosphates could be lower ? but not by much. I know it needs to be 0. Nitrates look good. What do you think?


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The phosphates are on point. You will never get 0. That is where my reef normally runs at for phosphates. I would only want to see if those nitrates can hit 0 so ensure nothing for that garbage to feed on.
 
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