After 6 months of fighting it I'm starting over

Here is a picture of the algae...

From what I read it's harmless but I don't like it...



Some people are saying bryopsis can be gotten rid of by cutting the lights for a few days. If I had something to do with my corals I'd try this but I don't see the clams being happy for a week with no light...

 

He has a HOB Remora Aqua C skimmer but that is it.

 

I'll save you the trouble of experimenting. It doesn't work.

 

Good to know amcarrig.

You know I hate to say it but I'm contemplating just tearing this thing down and selling everything off. I think if someone were to make me a reasonable offer I'd start tonight.

 

Nah, you'd be back looking for a replacement tank a short time after you do that so save yourself the trouble

Seriously though, if you're that frustrated, it might be time for a break? If you do need one, I would keep all of the equipment for at least a year in case you change your mind.

 

Somehow I sense you are right amcarrig.

I guess I just need to take a deep breath and do what needs to be done to get this fixed.

After seeing BMShehan's thread on finding algae in the RO water he got off me I'm going to test my RO water again. I really hope this algae came from me syphoning my tank and it was just caught in the tube...


Otty also said he'd let me borrow his TDS meter so I'll check that out as well.

If I can't find anything wrong with the source water I'm starting the nuclear holocaust this week or weekend.

Has anyone ever heard of bleaching sand the same way you would rock? I hate to buy all new sand but I was thinking if I could dispose of what was in the fuge and bleach all the sand in the main tank I could add this bleached sand back into the tank and fuge and just add some aragalive sand when I set it back up...


I'm trying to look on the bright side of things and stay positive. I get to do some more aquascaping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think you need a good dose of Karma buddy! Keep with it, you got too many friends with tanks to let this thing go! Man I hope it's not the RO water, but things are pointing that way. I might have to do a couple large water changes here soon if it is, but Otty said he would let me have some of his water, so things could be worse. Might keep my lights off a little longer than I hoped:-/

 

Just remember what cutting corners got you last time......the reason this thread is started. If you are going to go through all the trouble of cleaning the rock and you have a 55g for a Q-tank then take it all down and bleach the tank and start new. You would have less then $80 in new sand so why risk putting the old stuff back in. Way too much time is getting ready to go into this tank to be right back where you now. But hey...it your tank and your time and your money. :-/

I believe you have spent probably 3x that in trying to fix the problem already not counting 2 dead Tangs.

 

I totally understand what you're saying Otty and trust me if I'd listened to you and nuked this rock in the first place I most likely wouldn't be having this problem but I disagree with thinking that I'm going to get the sand I need to fill a 180 and fuge for $80. Not saying I don't believe you but if I go with a 2 inch sand bed it's going to be 164 pounds of sand in the display alone and that doesn't take into account putting a 3 to 4 inch sand bed in the fuge. I'm pretty sure that took close to 40 pounds right there. So we're talking 200 pounds of sand or roughly that. For that much sand to get it for $80 I'd have to pay $0.40 shipped. Don't think I can get base sand for that much. I think the cheapest I've seen it is about a dollar a pound. Unless.... you know of a place in a dark alley or something where I can pick up some goods....

 

Don't know if Scott has a better hookup, but the cheapest I found per lb. is $7.99 for a 10 lb. bag at the local Petco. For 200 lbs. that would be $159.80 without tax. If you think you wanna go this route I would talk to them ASAP because they don't even carry that much in stock!