Is Debris in tank normal????

My tank was born in June of 09. I started it out all wrong with show coral instead of live rock "Long story - Bad Teacher" i have since removed most of the coral pieces and replaced with about 90 lbs LR added in the last 4 months. (Have more on order). I am using Spectrapure RO/DI and got my ASM G2 skimmer last night and got it up and running fine. This morning the collection cup was half full of "Ghost Buster looking slime". I feel I have everything in order EXCEPT for the lack of coraline and also there is always noticeable debris always floating around inside my tank???? Is this typical or should the water look invisible or crystle clear? Maybe the four Koralias are too much for my 180G???? I have my LFS dude to check my water every two weeks and he says my Alkalinity and Calcium levels are a Reefers dream and I'm being impatient. I see threads here all the time describing beatiful coraline and the purple back walls in just a few months Heck, Purple Up won't even work......what am i missing??

 

surferdude
IME a tank with Wrasse in often looks cloudy, due to their diving in the sand bed and you also have some serious messy eaters in there

what mechanical filtration do you use in the sump? do you have any pads/sponges that can trap this floating debris, otherwise it gets stirred up and then circulates all the time
or do you use a filter sock on the end of the outlet pipe from DT to sump?

having plenty of water movement to keep the disturbed sediment in motion and then collecting in either sponges/ pads or filter sock, and rinsing these out weekly or so should eventually help keep the water clear of solid particles



Steve

 

SD – I concur with Steve. The circulation is key to get the debris you mentioned free floating and then your mechanical filtration can trap it for weekly cleaning.

I use a micron filter pad as a pre filter on my return pump….works like a dream, but you need to clean it weekly or you will grow a nitrate factory.

Sound like you are well on your way…good for you !

 

My wrass actually sleeps in a piece of show Blue Coral that has cavities and sections for hime to hide along with the triggers.

I don't have a Sock at all because I don't believe in manmade filters. Having said that i may investigate this possible addition if it will clear up my water. Thanks for the advice.

 

Any advise on the lack of Coralline. I think I'll just buy some fake rock to mix in....LOL, just kidding. Really need to bring this tank to life somehow????

 

200 micron filter sock connected to your overflow going to the sump. I too have a crap load of debris that I want out of my system and off of my rocks. I have been trying to siphon it but the way I do my water changes, its just not practical, so I'm going to get a few filter socks and that is said to do the tricks, just keep em clean.

On the coralline topic....what are your alk, cal, and mag levels? Do you have any test kits? I would suggest you start testing your own water vs the fish store testing it. Whats your water change schedule? Do you dose or have a cal reactor?

The main thing with getting coralline to grow is high stable levels. A lot of salt's alk is so low you have to dose to get it up to where it needs to be. All 3, alk, mag, and cal, are related and are dependent on eachother. PH plays a role too.

 

coralline

it can eventually become a pain but I understand why we all wanted it when we 1st had bare rockwork

you need to A maintain your calcium and magnesium levels and B add coralline spores
best way to do this is get a couple of pieces of really pink/ purple rocks and then scrape them in your DT shower the scrapings over the existing rock work etc
then as coralline grows on the plastics ( always the 1st place it grows IME) scrape those of also so the spores drift about and settle on the bare rock

keep phosphates low - as this nutrient interferes with calcification
aslo Coralline grows great on clean/ bare rock, but does not fare well on rockwork that already has green/ brown algae growing on it IME so again keeping PO4 and Nitrates low, will help to ensure the coralline gets the real estate and not the nuisance algaes

Steve

 

Steve, are you saying I should clean the green hair algae off my rocks with maybe a toothbrush so the coralline can grow?

 

yes , that will help a lot

Steve

 

When cleaning your rock of GHA, should one be concerned with removing the hair from the tank? Or just the rock and letting it float throughout the tank. I have a clam on a gha rock that I want to clean a little but I can't take it out of water. Should we be concerned about releasing algae pores when scrubbing?