3 year old tank, Old Tank Syndrome 4/24/08
I have a 120G soft coral reef tank with 4 tangs, flame angel, goby, 6 line wrasse, 2 clarkii clowns, a few damsels, and 2 cleaner shrimp. I change 5-10G twice a month, with a large water change every few months. I have a sump and skimmer. Filters are cleaned at least once a month. All parameters are normal, fish and corals are doing very well. I've had this tank for 21/2 years now.
I've been a little worried lately because I've always read or heard of tanks crashing after 2-3 years of running smoothly. Do you know what some causes are, and what signs I should be looking for?
<Lack of maintenance is almost always the reason, along with fish outgrowing the tank, which then die and overload the filters. "Old tank Syndrome" is almost always self-inflicted.>
Also, I read about a year ago the sand should be replaced after a couple of years because it looses the buffering capacity. Is that true?
<If enough dissolves it can be topped off, and replacing some of the live rock to give microfauna populations a chance to rebound, otherwise I would not do anything drastic.>
I never read that again. When I clean I siphon the sand down to the glass bottom, except in one corner where there's too much rock. One person told me his tank crashed from sulfur build up in the sand. (I can't keep sand shifters and blennies. I have a crab that came with the live rock that I cannot catch. And I saw him grab a small damsel and a blenny last year.)
<Almost always due to too much nutrients being allowed to build up, water changes, proper maintenance, and proper setup will prevent this.>
Another question. I have 2 small pieces of dead-live rock in my freshwater tank. I bought live plants at the same time. I have the usual freshwater snails, but it looks like I have Cerith snails too. Did those survive in the live rock, or are they a type of freshwater snail?
<Fresh water, probably came in on the plants, very common.>
I got those rocks from someone who got rid of her seahorses, so those rocks were in a dried out tank for about a month before I got them, so I can't see how they survived.
<Did not.>
I appreciate any info about why tanks crash. I like my tank now. The fish are mostly grown, corals are growing and splitting. I'm not spending money anymore LOL. I'm not planning on starting over if something happens to my tank.
<After 2 or 3 years the newness of the hobby wears off, many people become bored, lazy and allow maintenance to slack, then blame the following crash on some mysterious force, human nature at its best.>
<Chris>

Re: Good intentions, but now I'm stuck... reef maint...? 4/24/08
Scott,
I wanted to sincerely thank you for your response - I've at least calmed down to the point that I don't feel like dumping all my gear on
Craigslist!
<Great! Thank you.>
I was hoping I could get a bit of clarification regarding the response you sent me. Should I replace all or some of my water?
<All eventually in time with smaller, perhaps 4-5 gallon water changes every few days for the time being. Not urgent with no livestock, but will be necessary before adding anything.>
I realize things are pretty bad in my tank right now, but from my readings on WWM, a 100% water change has rarely been advised by your knowledgeable crew. With regards to cleaning the sand, are we talking a 'sift through a siphon' rinse, or a 'bring it all out and put it through coffee filters and the works' rinse?
<Again, with no livestock to worry about saving, just stirring the sand to get all the dead crud out just before your water change will put you in decent shape after a few go rounds.>
LFS guy figured $100 for new RO/DI saltwater, all new sand (indicated that mine was beyond hope - infested with phosphates, and that I could never be problem-free with this batch),
<Not true in my opinion.>
and live rock for cycling.
<Live rock is a beneficial addition to consider, check out this link: http://wetwebmedia.com/liverock1.htm >
Besides the dubious value of merchandise at this LFS (we're talking $65 for a Yellow Tang), I'm also leery of the aiptasia I noticed that was growing in several tanks/sumps. Problem is, he's the only game in town, unless I turn to PetSmart - while they do have live rock, it's a bit pricey and looks like it cured in a septic tank.
<Often the case, resulting in a fairly devoid rock. Consider some of the online vendors. Even with shipping you can do ok.>
Since it looks a lot like I'm going to have to redo my cycling process, I had one question that I couldn't quite extrapolate the answer to when
reading your FAQ (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm),
specifically, what type of water conditions I should aim to have when I plunk my first piece of live rock in a tank.
<Ideally zero on your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Fact of it is the live rock will facilitate the lowering of the first two (and to a fairly negligible extent the third). Do a water change and go for it. The conditions in the “curing” vats at many the LFS are far worse. The rock will only benefit your system.>
Bob kind of makes it sound like all I have to do is drop it in there and everything will be fine,
<Within reason, this is the procedure.>
but I feel like there might be a few caveats that an experienced marine aquarist might be able to share –
<Experience says to me: Don’t get a tank, they are too expensive!!>
I've already been burned once by my live sand experiment, and would like to avoid another smelly dead tank!
<You will be fine, realize you will have this type of smell as the rock cures. The absence of the smell is one sign the curing is done.>
Additionally, you had asked what type of filter I'm using, and currently, I've got one of those standard over-the-side filters - I believe it's an
AquaClear 20 or something along those lines. Claims to be a mechanical and biological all in one, and it has a little reservoir with a carbon filter, and then another one with a bunch of little protrusions that 'beneficial gunk' is apparently supposed to grow on, but I've not seen any yet.
<These can work, just be careful not to rinse or clean the biofilter section in anything but tank water. This will be a moot point if you get live rock.>
Thanks again for your assistance so far!
-DS
<Welcome, best of luck, Scott V.>

Re: Good intentions, but now I'm stuck... reef op.  4/24/08
Scott,
<Hello again!>
My ammonia/nitrites have already decreased significantly in the last two days, and a 40% water change this morning should help out my very high nitrates to the point that I can put some LR in it this weekend!
<Oh yes.>
Thanks so much again, couldn't have done it without your advice!
DS
<Welcome and thank you, Scott V.>

Montipora with Algae... Uhh, huge gaps in ones pertinent education, practices, but plenty of spending. Reef, poor maint. f'    4/17/08
Hi Crew!
<Heather>
I have a 120 Gallon reef with softies. I recently purchased a Montipora and added him to the opposite side of the tank away from the Leather, Colt, Xenia, Mushrooms, Anemone,
<Mmm... these can all "reach out and touch someone" chemically... to varying degrees/effects>
but he is above a couple of polyps of zoos. About 6 inches above. I have been reading up on these for a long time, and I have the same lighting that the store I bought it from uses (I bought it from them) t5's x 6 in the same spectrum of light they suggested. They told me this fellow is adapted to the strong lighting, so i went ahead and put him at the very top of my tank, maybe 2 inches below water surface. He was doing wonderfully for a few weeks, but now I notice that the vibrant purple has faded to a duller shade, not bleached really, just not as vibrant and I have an algae type covering growing over the coral.
<Very bad>
I get the same substance on my glass daily, and I brush it away with my magnetized glass cleaner. I directed a power head at the coral more but it doesn't remove the brown/orange coloured algae that seems to be stuck on. I am wondering if there is anything I can do to get rid of that stuff.
<Mmm, lots...>
The only other thing I can think of, is I was told by a friend that Kalkwasser was needed,
<...? What do your alkalinity and biomineral tests show?>
so I followed the directions on the jar and have used it twice now. I do not have a way to measure my ca/Alk levels,
<!?>
so I just hoped that the instructions would be right.
<No my young friend>
I do have a lot of evaporation in my tank, I need to top up with about a 1/4 depth of my sump daily, and I run a dehumidifier in the room as my walls were soaked, curtains soaked, and black mold formed behind them!
<Yuck!>
So, I wondered if it is potentially the continued added water.
<"It" being the algal proliferation?>
I use ro/di but I have always ALWAYS had difficulties with nitrates, off the scale nitrates,
<... trouble>
but my softies seemed unaffected, and "healthier" actually than when they were in the store, more vibrant in colouration, and growing rapidly. I have a refugium with Chaetomorpha, mangrove, and Caulerpa (my Foxface loves the stuff) and a DSB. I do weekly vacuuming and water changes. I was told that it is possible that the silicone my husband used to construct the sump could be the nitrate culprit,
<No>
and we originally had used play sand before we got the oolite sand (live and learn) but we have never been able to get every last speck of it out, and get more of it each time we vacuum. We've had the play sand out for about a year now. I am wondering which of these "mistakes" is the biggest one, and how can I fix it?
<Reading>
I am concerned about this algae. It is see through, and it is not like Cyanobacteria (of which I became quite accustomed to/of until I stopped feeding so very much). My protein skimmer is a problem for me, because of the very much top off needed, the protein skimmer only functions a portion of the day, because while I am at work, and the water level moves itself, the effectiveness of the skimmer fluctuates. When I used to have it in the display tank (which isn't possible anymore) it worked fantastic. Sorry for the length of this, but I see the fish store has no trouble keeping a Monti with the rest being softies, I just wanted one too! It's the plating variety. Help?
Heather Allan
<... you have a few issues to address. Less spending of money on livestock, more using the equivalent time studying, learning the basics of water chemistry (and test kit use), system maintenance and the husbandry and compatibility of the disparate life you list. Please look up these issues... the indices, search tool, on WWM... and begin educating yourself. Bob Fenner>

Tank Questions, reef maint./op.  04/11/2008
Hey Crew,
<<G'Morning, Andrew today>>
I had a few questions about my 50 gallon reef tank. It has been up and running for 5 weeks, and everything is fine. I just wondered about how much I should be feeding my flame angel, my ocellaris clown, my pink skunk clown, my royal Gramma, my 3 skunk cleaner shrimp, and my 5 inch snowflake eel.
<<All fish, once per day, or even one every other day is fine, provide all they can eat within a 3 - 4 minute timescale. >>
I have been feeding my fish every other day, except my eel is eating on Tuesday and Friday. I feed my fish a mixture of vitamin-enriched frozen brine and mysis shrimp, and I feed my eel just plain frozen squid. Is this a good diet for all of them? Should I be feeding my shrimp anything else?
<<Sounds a good diet. maybe rotate the eel diet so it does not get bored of the same food. Rotate with chunks of fish>>
Also, I have a problem with red slime algae. It is covering a small rock and most of my 1 inch deep sand bed. How should I fix this problem? Would a sand-sifter starfish help control the red slime algae on my sand?
<<Cyano can be caused by a few issues really, mainly lack of flow, bad lighting, over feeding or high nutrient levels in the tank. Please do read more here, including linked articles and FAQ's http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm >>
What should I feed a sand-sifter starfish?
<<Depends on the SP. Do search our site / net tools for sand sifting Seastar, match your SP. and check their diet>>
Last Question, I got an electric blue hermit crab from a friend who said it has stayed small for about a year. After putting it in my tank it has started molting. It is now about 2 inches long (including shell). Should I remove this?
<<Some people have reported them to be aggressive, personally, i have never experienced ANY aggression from either blue or red leg hermit. I would leave it in there if its not causing a problem>>
My LFS said it might get aggressive. Thanks for all your help and I hope you have a great April!
-Pryce
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

A few questions for the real experts! Reef maint. 04/05/2008
Just wanted to again, thank you guys for always being there to answer questions. I wish everything in life had an advice network like yours.
<<Andrew today>>
Anyway, My 40gl reef has been running for about 4 months now, it was a well established FO before converting to reef. Here's a rundown of the system: 4-65 watt mixed blue white power compacts, 15 gal. sump w/ live rock Fluval bio media (bagged), refugium and ASM skimmer. I only run Carbon after water changes for a max of one day to help polish the water (still up in the air on the carbon, some say yes others say no, some say minimal usage)?
<<I personally don't use it at all>>
Anyway, everything else is going good, I use DI water and do water changes once a week 10-15% so far it's been needing it or my algae gets a little crazy. Don't feed to much, small amounts 1-2 times a day<<Once per day is more than enough>>. Fish and polyps are doing well, coralline algae growth is good, no luck w/ anemones had one die but for the most part if I keep up on water changes the inhabitants thrive. One of the first corals I got was a Kenya tree coral (mainly because of the hardiness).
<<Sounds good>>
At first he was doing great and opening up really big, frags were breaking off faster than I could keep up with them. This went on for a month, then all the sudden the main coral stopped growing and shrunk quite a bit, so did all the frags. Now all of them are not growing and just not doing well at all, they never open fully and look like they are basically surviving and that's it. The only thing I can tie it to is Kalkwasser, I wonder if they don't like high calcium and alkalinity levels (mine are that of natural seawater). When I started dosing Kalk is around the time he stopped doing well.
<<Simple solution is to stop dosing, monitor the reaction>>
Other than that, I am at a loss to explain it. Temp hovers around 80, and I dose Iodine and Strontium & Molybdenum a few times weekly.
<<I would stop using these additives, there should not be a need with your current stock. These trace elements will be provided by your salt when you do water changes>>
The tank is overall fairly clean and I always thought that tree corals could thrive in a dirty tank anyway so I don't think that is the prob. Water quality is good too......Every so often my Bi-color angel likes to take a nip, but it's not very regular, so I kinda wrote that off.
<<Would not say its the Angel at fault>>
Any suggestions would be great...sorry for the long explanation but I wanted you to know the details.
<<Stop dripping the Kalk, stop all additives and monitor for changes>>
Thanks....Nick
<<Thanks for the questions Nick, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Falling pH and Alkalinity in an Older Reef System – 03/26/08
Hello Crew,
<<Greetings, Steve>>
I've spent many an hour on your site getting information and use it often.
<<Hey…me too!>>
I have a 180 gal reef, 5 yrs old, 4 fish all been around 2+ years everything very healthy.
<<Good to know>>
My tank is heavily stocked with corals, LPS, SPS and softies, I do major pruning each month.
<<Cool>>
I have a euro <<Euro-Reef?>> skimmer and I run a calcium reactor, I recently purchased a controller and the software to monitor my tank.
<<Though not a “necessity,” electronic controllers/testing devices sure do simplify monitoring of our systems…and usually with greater accuracy over the more common (conventional?) methods>>
I was running my calcium reactor around 20 hrs a day keeping 8-10 dKH; adjusting the time as needed to maintain. I tested my pH with a color test kit and thought all was well. The first surprise I got with the new controller was the pH in my tank was running 8.05 in the evening and 7.6 by early am.
<<Mmm…quite a wide swing>>
With the software you can see it follow the lighting cycle almost to the minute and continue to drop during the night and start back up at 10am when the first lights come on.
<<Hee-hee! Aren’t “toys” great!>>
I checked the probes and calibration (even bought a second one) and it appears to be right.
<<Ah, good…always best to “test the tester” before making any drastic changes>>
I haven't done anything yet other than tried the Kalk slurry and buffer my top off water. The Kalk didn't do much, it just settled back down to the same reading.
<<Mmm, yes…is a temporary/short-lived/daily solution. It “will” help…perhaps a larger dose for your “heavily stocked” system? Though best not to make increases of more than 2-tenths on the pH scale at a time>>
I have a fully automated top-off and RO/DI system and really don't want to start having to add daily or weekly supplements.
<<Understood… I’m not a fan of this and try to automate all I can, myself>
I took a sample this AM outside and ran an air pump in the water it went from 7.65 to 7.85 in about 2 hrs.
<<Hmm…>>
I understand about excess Co2 from your site. I have a second chamber on order for my calcium reactor as a first step.
<<Very good>>
My question is about aeration, if it works with the sample can I not do it to the tank to solve this, I've read not to aerate the sump, could you explain why?
<<Salt creep, mate… The spray from the bubbles as they burst at the water’s surface make a horrible mess of things>>
My tank is next to a window so I could pump in fresh air, could I run it in the tank at night after the lights go off and if so how would you suggest, air stone down towards the bottom?
<<Just pumping some fresh air in to the cabinet where the sump resides may help a bit…but rather than using an airstone, I would add a powerhead to move the water about (maybe even agitate the surface slightly) to facilitate better gas exchange. You can do this in both the display and the sump. Also, if you have covers on the tank, removing them will also improve gas exchange>>
My only concern in addressing this at all is my ORP and Ozone. I had bought an Ozone generator but did not hook it up after reading about being able to monitor it. My controller came with an ORP probe so I added the ozone. At first the reading was 290-300. I slowly adjusted it up with the ozone over a 2 week period and the controller is set to maintain 350-385. After another week the ORP started to follow the pH swing.
<<Yes>>
As the pH falls the ORP rises, now it stays at 400 at the pH low point and only falls to 380 at the pH high point so now the ozone does not come on at all.
<<But these ORP readings are quite good…why worry that the Ozone generator is not running? It will be there when/if needed>>
When I tried the Kalk and raised the pH in the evening to 8.2 the ORP immediately fell back to 350.
The only adjustment I've made was the time on the calcium reactor, I thought that might help, it did not, my Alk just fell and I have to add a buffer to get it back up to 8 dKH.
<<Mmm, best to keep the Calcium reactor running to maintain bio-mineral content. The second chamber you have coming will probably help some as it will allow an increase of the affluent pH. Adding a small vegetable refugium to receive this affluent, rather than having it run directly to the sump, may also help some. You also stated the system is 5yrs old…likely the buffering capacity of the live rock is exhausted. Exchanging some rock and/or Aragonite sand may also help. Look also to your salt mix…perhaps a change is needed. And do start/continue to buffer makeup water. I find on “automated” systems that this is often easily and effectively achieved with the use of a Kalkwasser reactor plumbed in-line to the sump. You can also simply place a portion/bag of calcareous material (crushed coral/live rock/Aragonite sand) in the holding tank. You didn’t mention water changes…perhaps these need to be increased to keep up with the demands on the tank. I doubt any “one” solution is the answer here…likely it will take a combination of these to achieve your desired result>>
Thanks,
Steve
<<Hope this helps. EricR>>

Nighttime Reef Conditions – 03/18/08
Good morning.
<<Late afternoon now/here>>
Howzit?
<<Not so bad, thanks>>
I just have a quick question concerning night time on the reef.
<<Uh-huh…heard that before [grin]>>
I've tried locating any guidelines, rules, do's and don'ts on what the conditions should be for the reef at night.
<<Mmm…is likely not “spelled out” somewhere, but would/does require a bit of researching/keyword searches on the NET in general re>>
By conditions I mean water flow mainly...and also lunar light.
<<Okay>>
Here's what I got for flow during the day....AquaClear 110, Remora Pro with Rio 1400, and the Koralia # 4 (1200gph).
<<I see>>
I mainly will have SPS (only one little guy right now). The Koralia does wonders for water movement. The polyps on my Acropora show a very intermittent and random flow on them. Very pleased.
<<Excellent>>
Anyways...back to the question.....obviously the filter and the skimmer stay on at night. But should the Koralia be turned off at night?
<<Depends… A coral’s ability to feed on a wild reef is governed by the volume of water that flows past it. This may be a moot point in many hobbyists’ systems due to the lack of available planktors for the corals to feed upon, but if you have a mature plankton-generating refugium plumbed in-line with the display this is likely more of a factor as the corals in your system are probably actively feeding after lights-out (I know mine do). Another consideration is the fact oxygen levels drop and CO2 accumulation increases when photosynthesis stops after lights-out. I do think “some” periods of low flow are natural and restful…but not “too low” and not for “too long” (e.g. – A trickle of flow overnight…especially if you are not running a “tropical” lighting cycle of at least 12hrs. with the lights on). My dive time on tropical reefs has admittedly been limited…but I do know there are times when you can quite leisurely putt along with little effort…and other times when you can kick your butt off and get nowhere…even at night>>
Are conditions on the reef at night a LOT calmer??
<<Not as a “rule.” Though this seems as “natural” to us (being mostly diurnal creatures…as are many/most of the fishes we keep), but there are a host of nocturnal creatures that “come alive” when the sun goes down, and depend much on the currents to carry food/oxygen/et al>>
With the Koralia turned off...I get low-med flow but there is a big difference.
<<Indeed>>
The Koralia really makes the 72g tank move. So, if you guys could help me out on how to have the proper flow for night...that would be great.
<<It is my opinion that a good option is to have the flow devices on timers (excluding filter/return pumps, skimmers, and the like)…and have the timers programmed to produce short periods of low flow (say, a couple hours at a time) by reducing the number of flow devices in operation but keeping enough flow for adequate gas exchange (possibly provided by the fore mentioned filter/return pumps). The more flow devices you employ, the more possibilities for variation you have at your disposal>>
Thanks for all the help in past and present.
<<A pleasure to share>>
PS. Lunar lights are purely aesthetic correct?
<<The lunar cycle (including associated changes in moon lighting) do play a role in spawning and migration in the wild…but for the more practical purposes of the aquarium; yes, is primarily an aesthetic touch. Though in the absence of Actinic or some type of dim fluorescent lighting provided after the main lights go out, the presence of “moon lights” can provide a visual cue to fishes that it is “time to seek out a place to sleep”…as well as a bit of illumination by which to find their way there. Regards, EricR>>

Large Reef Tank Going “Downhill” – 02/29/08
Hi,
<<Hello>>
I have a 220 saltwater. I love it but have been hindered with trouble from the beginning.
<<Oh?>>
When cycling 1 1/2 years ago, I got a major case of Cyano. Got bad info from my vendor. I turned to your website and ended up physically removing, turning lights off, and increasing water flow. Worked!!!
<<Yay!>>
Once cycled, I was told NOT to worry about the ich present in my 40 gal and dump EVERYTHING into my 220.
<<What the…!!!>>
UGH!!!
<<Indeed>>
I battled ich, lost fish. Again turned to you...removed my corals, and dropped the salinity for weeks. Worked.
<<Mmm…not entirely…not if this is “all” you did>>
Thank you.
<<We’re pleased you are happy>>
Everything has been fine up until recently, and I need an opinion.
<<Ooh, I have lots of those…>><Heeeeee! RMF, me too>
My lighting is metal halide 250W 10000K w/super actinic, (changed within the last month) I run a skimmer in the sump.
<<Okay>>
I am probably pushing the limit on fish, 2 tangs, 3 clowns, 2 cardinals, Foxface, Gramma, 3-4 blennies, and 2 little gobies,
<<Hmm, is difficult for me to help/comment without knowing species…but you may well be “okay” here>>
but I change my water every 5 days.
<<…but…how much?>>
I also have corals, but they are suffering. I used Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt exclusively up until a few months ago,
<<One of the best…though quite pricey>>
I started mixing Red Sea Reef Crystals
<<Mmm…not “Reef Crystals” as this is an Aquarium Systems, not Red Sea, label. There are also better choices available, in my opinion (Seachem)>>
to try and save a buck.
<<Understandable… I actually do something similar for my 375g reef. I use a blend of three different salt mixes (Tropic Marin, Seachem, and Aquarium Systems Reef Crystals). I do this not only for economy, but also to “get the best” out of the three, and to help with preventing problems associated from the occasional “bad lot” when using any one brand exclusively. I used to use Instant Ocean exclusively (for three decades), but switched after constant issues with quality that seem (to me) to be a result of changes with/within the company>>
I also went without power for 18- 24 hours.
<<I see… This is a problem most every aquarist will face sooner or later…some more than others. Have a look here for some tips/insights re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/poweroutagefaqs.htm >>
This has all happened in the last month, except the salt mixing. That's been for maybe 2 months. I have lost every snail, shrimp, starfish, and cucumber in the tank.
<<Yikes! Something has indeed upset the balance of (poisoned) your system>>
My rocks are getting covered with a green-black algae, and my Cyano is coming back. My zoos are suffering. My calcium was off, and I adjusted that. Everything else was fine.
<<I need real/actual values>>
I tested for copper, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, pH, Alk.
<<Always good to check water parameters…but this doesn’t always “give the answer.” What is malaffecting your system may well be something that we can’t, or even know, to test>>
Everything except magnesium.
<<This last seems to be an oft overlooked, yet essential element, to the “balance” of every marine system. I do suggest you check and adjust if necessary>>
I have been making aggressive water changes with only the Pro Reef salt, but don't dare to go too far overboard in fear of starting my tank to cycle.
<<Mmm…wish I knew what you mean by “aggressive,” but I think this is of little concern>>
Any suggestions? Questions? HELP!
Sincerely,
Karen
<<Well Karen, I really need more “detail” of your system/testing results/maintenance practices to do much more than provide some “generalized” advice but…I would suggest a large (40% - 50%) water change to dilute any possible problem elements…add some purposeful chemical filtration (carbon and/or Poly-Filter in a canister filter)…adjust the skimmer to produce a “wetter” skimmate…and probably, add more flow/water movement within the display. And do feel free to write me back with more detailed information if you wish to discuss further… Regards, Eric Russell>>

Water conditioners in a reef tank  2/21/08
I have a question regarding water conditioners. I add Prime to my tap water when I perform water changes/top offs and I was recently told that water conditioners such as this will kill the pods in my tank. Is this true?
<That statement is a bit extreme, but generally speaking, tap water is bad for marine inverts.>
Would water conditioners have a negative impact on coral?
<If not the Prime, then the other things in the tap water, yes.>
So far I haven't observed anything bad happening. My usual top off method is to put a couple of drops in the bucket I'm using then filling it with water and adding it either directly to the tank or to the sump/refugium. Of course when I do water changes
I let the water sit for a few days to settle. Is it significantly better to use RO/DI water and avoid the water conditioners?
<The benefits of using RO/DI water go far beyond just avoiding water conditioners. Unless you live in rural Montana (or some other such odd place where the tap water is nearly pure), your tap water is loaded with stuff you don't want in your reef aquarium. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/watrqualmar.htm
And do a search on WWM for RO/DI and tap water filtration.>
Thanks, you guys are always a big help.
<De nada,
Sara M.>

450 Gallon “Office” Reef Tank, maint./op.  – 02/14/08
Hello.
<<Greetings>>
I know you've heard it before but this is a great site.
<<Ah but we never tire of it [grin]…many thanks>>
About a year ago I took over the maintenance of a 450 gallon reef tank where I work.
<<Mmm…I think I know where this is going…>>
It was installed about a year before I got here and from the beginning it has been a constant mess of algae (red slime and green hair).
<<Not atypical with these “office” tanks. I don’t know just how many such queries we receive/have received…but the handful I have dealt with over the past three years have all been pretty much the same as this one…long ongoing issues with dead/dying fish and “big” nuisance algae problems. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not grousing at you. I’m sure you have been placed in charge of this tank with little to no background for it and are simply trying to “get a handle” on things, so to speak. My beef is with the companies that set up such systems but aren’t willing to pay for a professional service to maintain it…even if only part-time to get things back on track and to help keep them there. Now, it’s possible you/this tank are located in an area where a professional aquarium service is not available, in which case this should have been taken under consideration. Bottom line…Unless there happens to already be an experienced hobbyist available on staff with the time/inclination to care for such a tank…such end results as mentioned are inevitable. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now…>>
We will have a month or 2 periodically when it cleans up but it always goes downhill.
<<Do you have a regular maintenance routine (for water changes, filter cleaning, feeding, et al)? Are feedings of this tank “restricted” to keep just anyone passing the tank from tossing in food to the “ever hungry” fishes?>>
Here is the setup, 2 Little Giant pumps rated for 700gph,
<<Is this all the flow/water movement available to this tank? If so…not nearly enough>>
a 40 gallon sump with bio-balls,
<<A reef system requires lower Nitrate levels than these bio-balls will likely let you attain. Best to replace these with live rock or better yet…chemical media (Poly-Filter and Carbon)>>
A ProClear Aquatic 150 Aquarium Protein Skimmer,
<<Mmm, this skimmer is rated by the manufacturer for a 150g system… Looking at it/its size, I doubt it is efficient enough for even half that. I VERY MUCH suggest a larger and better skimmer for your tank. A “quality” unit sized for your system won’t be cheap… My first choice would be a skimmer from Euro-Reef, but do also have a look at the offerings from AquaC, H&S, Tunze, and ASM>>
2 Blue Line Electronic Metal Halide Ballast with 400 watt lights,
<<What are the dimensions of this 450 gallon display? My guess is this reef tank needs at least three, and likely four (maybe more) such lighting fixtures>>
and about 150-200 lbs. of live rock. Now it has 3 three striped damsels,
<<Even in a large tank as this, these fish can make future additions difficult…can be real terrors>>
a lawnmower blenny, flame hawk, 2 maroon clowns, 3 orange tailed damsels, about 15 blue legged/scarlet hermit crabs, 10-15 turbo snails, and a large coral banded shrimp.
<<I doesn’t appear that overcrowding is an issue here…at least not now>>
Any tangs or other fish we introduce don't last more than a couple months.
<<Any clues as to why? Disease? Starvation? Aggression?>>
It has a plate, brain and mushroom coral and some polyps. Sorry I don't know the scientific names, but I have no prior aquarium experience and had to learn everything as I went (much from this site).
<<Ah, much as I suspected then…please do keep reading researching. If you haven’t come across it yet, let me point you toward this article on maintenance (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/marineMaint.htm). Be sure to follow/read among the links in blue at the top of the page, as well as doing some keywords searches re “livestock selection,” “marine feeding,” etc.>>
The parameters are Ammonia =0, Alk=2.5,
<<What about Calcium?>>
pH=8.4, NO2=0, NO3=10, Salinity 1.021,
<<The Salinity is much too low…please adjust to NSW levels (1.025/1.026)>>
PO4= .4
<<Likely the source of your nuisance alga…should be 0.02 or less. You need to locate the source of the Phosphate and eliminate it. Two major areas for investigation are your source water (used for evaporation top-up and saltwater make-up), and over feeding>>
From my research I understand that this is not a very good setup for this size tank.
<<Addition of a large vegetable refugium and a properly sized quality skimmer jump to mind…as well as some purposeful chemical filtration gear>>
Our goal is to have a clean tank that will support some bigger fish that live more than 2 months, and a lot less maintenance.
<<Mmm…>>
My question is would you recommend us converting to a FO or FOWLR tank?
<<Yes… Though hardly “maintenance free” themselves, I think a FOWLR system is a better choice here. Such a switch will allow you to keep with the existing lighting (no need for the additional fixtures), thus allowing you to put that money toward that new skimmer and chemical filtration media>>
From your site I understand they are much easier to keep.
<<A matter of opinion/perspective…not necessarily “easier” (though careful species selection will play a large role), but possibly less “involved/complex.” Don’t get the impression that not going reef will let you “ignore” the tank. It will still require some daily attention/observation…and routine maintenance (partial water changes, timely attention to filter media, etc.) is still paramount>>
If so, what pumps and skimmer would you recommend?
<<The return pumps you have are fine for now, but regardless if you stay REEF or go FOWLR you need more water movement. You can buy/add simple powerheads for this, but in a tank of this size the Tunze Stream pump will yield much better results and require fewer individual units. A pair of 6101s with controller would suffice if you have the money for it, else maybe 3-4 of the 6060s. If money is really tight (would hope the company would “put out” for good of this tank), or if it comes down to the Tunze Streams vs. a good skimmer, you can turn to the Koralia line of circulation powerheads for the “extra” flow needed here>>
Is the sump big enough and do you have any other recommendations?
<<Bigger would be better. What are your limitations here (money…space)? Do feel free to write me back with more detail/info on the possibilities for/companies’ stance on this system and we can chat further>>
Thanks,
Steve
<<Happy to help Steve…please let me know if I can assist further. Eric Russell>>

 

Re: 450 Gallon Office Reef Tank- 02/15/08
Hello, thanks again for all the advice.
<<Hey Steve…hope it was of some value>>
Here is some more information.
<<Excellent>>
We did have a professional aquarium service come out for the first year and a half (the one that installed it) but it was very expensive and the tank was still filled with algae and fish didn't last very long so we decided to cancel it.
<<Mmm, okay… We could go in to “looking before you leap,” “referrals,” and “ultimate responsibility”…but let’s not belabor the point now>>
Here is what I do to maintain the tank. A 10%-15% water change every 2 weeks, chemical testing every week, replace R/O filters every 3 months (prefilter, carbon filter, deionization filter), feed 4-5 times a week 1 cube emerald entrée (no one else feeds fish)
<<Yikes! Not near enough, mate! Please don’t starve your livestock…a couple small feedings per day, please!>>
Clean skimmer as needed (every 2 or 3 days).
<<Very good…but I am “certain” you need a bigger/better skimmer>>
The tank dimensions are 4 ft deep, 44" wide, and 5 ft. long, and it has a bowed front.
<<Sounds like a very striking display…and I would suggest a third 400w light fixture if you stay with the reef>>
I don't know why the fish die, except a powder blue tang had ich.
<<Very common with this fish, and goes back to researching/selecting proper livestock…and proper quarantine/hospital procedures>>
We will usually introduce some new fish over time and they look good for awhile (2-3 months) but then one would die and pretty soon all but the hardiest are gone.
<<Something terribly wrong here…and not evident re your previous water chemistry values. Barring protozoan and/or viral infection, I suspect that trio of Dascyllus aruanus>>
We have been communicating with another aquarium service company and my company is more than willing to do what is necessary, I just think we had some bad advice before and are a little hesitant.
<<Indeed…and I “do” understand how this can happen…>>
We have a quote to upgrade our tank from this new company that is around $6000.00 and we are willing to do it, but the debate is whether to keep it reef or go FO.
<<Is up to you…though my vote is for FOWLR. Is much more natural/beneficial, in my opinion>>
We are actually having a different company come out today that is giving us an estimate for converting it to FO. Once it is upgraded we will have it maintained at least once a month by a professional, and I will do the rest.
<<Very good>>
What are the benefits for having a FOWLR over a FO?
<<The FOWLR system provides a “real” and natural environment for the fishes. The live rock provides sanctuary (hiding/sleeping places), along with needed browsing/food sources for many fish species>>
Again thanks a lot and hopefully we can save some fish lives.
Steve
<<I am pleased you/your company are taking proper steps to reconcile this tank. I wish you luck with choosing a new service, and please do let me know if I can be of further assistance. Regards, Eric Russell>>

Re: water flow, temperature and placement inquiries, reef op. f'  02/09/2008
hi, much thanks for the reply.
<<Hello, Andrew again...No problem at all>>
I'll try your suggestion regarding the shrimp asap. but I have another set of questions in my mind so I hope you wont mind if I shoot away
<<Ask as many as you like>>
I'm planning to have my lighting and canopy prepared for the weekend. I bought 4 compact fluorescent lamps (14 watts, 760 lumens each) and I'm planning to buy one or two 10-W actinic blues in the LFS. My setup is 20g with 24lbs live rock with 4-5 inches sand bed. 800LPH (roughly 200 gph) powerhead, no filters, no skimmer, 24" x 12" x 20" length, width and height.
How many of each lamp should I use? I know that more lamps will produce better results but I would like to keep my electricity bill to a practical minimum. My initial plan is to use three switches, one for the actinics and one each for a pair of CF's. Thoughts?
<<Really, the amount of lighting you have on the tank is mainly dictated by what corals your wanting to house in there, as each coral will have its own lighting requirements>>
I plan my canopy open on the sides so I can blow some air with an electric fan should the temperature go haywire during summer break. am planning to put a pair of exhaust fans similar to those in computer on top of the canopy. Should the air blowing away from the water or to the water? Or should I have the two blowing different directions?
<<You will need the air blowing across the water surface to aid in cooling>>
How far away from the top of my tank can I place my lamps? I would like to give as much room as I can for my fan for summer.
<<With this kind of lighting, you want to aim for about 3 - 5 inches with your tank depth...If it was metal halides, then you would be looking at around 8 inches>>
It has been a week and my ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are constant at 0.75, 0.15 and 15ppm. I think I really need to add the shrimp asap hehe. The live rocks I have been using has been on the refugium of the LFS for more than a month already. Is this nitrogen pattern common for my setup being almost constant for a span of a week or am I just too excited to think cycling is over?
<<Patience is the key here. Yes, get the shrimp in there until Ammonia reaches about 4 - 5ppm and then remove it>>
I read that water from evaporation should be changed with freshwater since only water evaporates leaving salt behind. I just want to confirm this is true from your team.
<<Yes, regular top-off will be needed with fresh water, and not saltwater>>
Regarding my temperature problem, I managed to lower temperature down by 1 degree after I scraped some algae fro the glass. I cannot think of a reason how this is possible. Do you think its just coincidence?
<<I would say it was just a coincidence there>>
thanks and more power.
<<Thanks for the follow up and more questions. Hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Green water! -02/08/08
Dear Folks at WetWebMedia,
I hope you can help me! For the last few weeks I have been experiencing green water in my reef tank. A few clues have led me to the conclusion that this is a phytoplankton bloom. First, the problem worsens when the lights are left on, and gets better when the lights are left off. Second, upon 40X magnification, I can see very small unicellular spheres.
<Ooo, you have a microscope. Cool!>
My reef tank is a 90 gallon system and is about 4 months old. I have a typhoon skimmer running in the sump. The fish population includes two clowns, two firefish, 6 green chromis, and 1 canary wrasse. The corals include a fox coral, pulsing Xenia, Montipora capricornis, a blue acropora, a leather mushroom, some zooanthids, a small frogspawn, and yellow polyps (which have already created babies on the other side of the tank...very cool!).
<very cool indeed!>
I should note that the Xenia has previously been pulsing like mad, but in the last few days the pulsing has decreased. Please read on.
<This happens. We still don't know exactly how or why.>
We have cycled through the usual algae blooms associated with new tanks, and for 2 months the tank has been perfect except for low calcium and rather high alkalinity. After testing freshly prepared salt water (Instant Ocean), I found that the these issues (the low calcium and high alk) are stemming from the salt brand I was using. So, upon consultation with LFS, I switched to a "better" brand (Tropic Marin). And friends, this is when the trouble began! So all parameters are now testing great, but the water is green, green, green!! Today I could not see the back of the tank! I have performed two 5% water changes over the last month, so in theory the tank is now 10% Tropic Marin Salt, 90% IO. I tested phosphate expecting high levels, but no, the levels are low (between 0 and 0.1 ppm).
<The problem with testing these things when you have an algal bloom is that the algae is most likely consuming them to the point that they don't show up in tests.>
Alkalinity is 3.5 meq/L, pH is 8.2, calcium is 380 mg/L, Nitrites and Nitrates are 0, and I keep the SG at 1.025. One last note, I did overfeed the tank in an attempt to save a starving coral goby (failed attempt). The over-feeding occurred just before I switched salt brands.
<This could explain the algae.>
I have placed a phosphate absorbing filter in the sump stream. Other than leaving the lights off every other day, I cannot think of any other solutions. Please help! I could not find much on phytoplankton blooms on the media site.
<In my experience, nothing clears up phytoplankton like diatom filtration. If you have a magnum or some other canister filter with which you can use diatom powder, I would highly suggest you do this. Seriously, a diatom filter can make your water crystal clear again in just hours. But don't leave it on for days on end. It will have to be cleaned out after a day or so.>
With Sincere Thanks,
Tina Henry
<De nada,
Sara M.>

I'll take potpourri for $200, Alex! (a variety of questions), reef maint., using WWM    2/6/08
Hi Crew and greetings from Michigan where we are expecting 10" of snow tomorrow!
<No thanks>
It's been awhile since I had questions worthy of your attention, thanks in no small part to the ridiculously good info on your site, but I do have a few.
First my set-up:
Standard size 90 G tank with Coral Sea 220 Skimmer, 4 G HOB 'fuge with live rock/sand and oodles of pods, Emperor 280 filter with ceramic beads in one media basket and a carbon filter cartridge in the other basket. We have 2 Seio 820's,1 Seio 620 and a Koralia 4 powerhead. Not counting the skimmer, the water is turned~40x an hour. There is about 90# coral gravel and about 200# of LR as well. It has been set up and running since October of '06 here, but we purchased it used and it had been running for a couple years at the previous owner's home. We tore down, moved, and restarted same loooong day, lol.
Our fish consist of a Kole Tang, Coral Beauty Angel, soon to be (I think) mated pair of Sebae clownfish,3 Pajama Cardinals, a Royal Gramma, a six line wrasse and a lawnmower blenny
Our inverts are a serpent star, pair of cleaner shrimp, 25 or so of those tiny zebra hermit crabs, a variety of snails, 4 sabellid fan worms and a bunch of LR hitchhiking fan worms
Our corals are 2 silver dollar sized Fungia's, several small Ricordea, an umbrella mushroom, 20 brown mystery polyps hitched on LR) and about 35 Parazoanthus polyps, an basketball sized anthelia (grown from a quarter sized frag, and a Pachyclavularia.
We have just upgraded our lighting from a worthless (IMHO) Perfecto hood with 3 32watt T-8's( 1 5000K, 2 6500K) to a 6 x 54 watt T-5 Nova extreme pro saltwater with 3 10K bulbs, 2 460nm bulbs and one 420nm bulb. We transitioned over a period of 4 weeks lowering the new unit from 14" above the tank. Tomorrow it rests on the tank for the first time. No apparent trauma to any of the critters!
<Good>
The chemistry is great Ammonia, Nitrite are 0, Nitrate>5ppm, pH is 8.0, SG 1.025, CA is 400-420, Alk is 3.5 dKH, Phosphate is zero.
We also have a 29G QT where all new arrivals spend a month before joining the display. Now for the questions:
1) As the light have been moved closer to the water, I've noticed that the tufts of hair algae on the rocks seem to grower more quickly than can be consumed by my algae eaters. Would a Zebrasoma (yellow) Tang be a good idea?
<Mmm, maybe. Will get along with the Ctenochaetus (am diving with both out here in HI), but may not eat the "kind" of algae here... Better to look into other means of control. Posted>
Is there a different critter you could recommend?
<Mmm, posted as well>
We plan on  adding Tridacna clams and Zoanthus in the future. Perhaps some LPS coral as well.
<I'd be reading re what you have, what you'd like compatibility...>
2) Regarding the clams, we plan to start with a derasa and a squamosa clam (have read they are least demanding) and have quiet rocky places for both about 15" below the water surface. I have read on some sites that derasa's need to be in the sand. Is that true and if so, how best to protect from bristleworms? Or will it be okay on a rock?
<Posted...>
3) We are adding a red sea WaveMaster pro to alternate between the 4 PH's. Since they vary so much in output 620-1200 GPH, can I just take the total output (3460GPH) and divide by 4 to give me an approximation(~860 GPH) of turnover per hour? Will this be slow enough to have a Euphyllia ancora and/or a bubble coral?
<Ditto... but yes>
4) All I've read about sweeper tentacles of the above species relates to other corals. Is the nematocyst such that it only affects other corals?
<Mainly yes>
Or should I take a directive like " no corals within 6" " to mean no sessile inverts within 6" (ie fanworms)
<A good idea to allow all to "grow up separated">
5) We have decided to add an undertank sump/ refugium built in a standard 20L aquarium to the reef. The fuge portion will be used primarily as an amphipod breeder, but will have some macro algae for nutrient export as well. When it is brought on line, is there a break in period (like with a brand new tank)? Will I need to wait ala a new tank and gradually introduce detritivores etc? Or is it gonna be okay add a pod breeding kit from IPSF right away?
<This latter>
Thanks again for all your support over the years
Sincerely
Ed Borus
<Ed, please learn to/use the indices, search tool on WWM. Bob Fenner>

Questions, Cyano trouble -01/31/08
Dear Sirs,
<Madam here>
I was searching for bristle worm information and came across your helpful article. Thank you for that one. I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. I keep getting red and bubbly algae floating on the top of my aquarium. Any suggestions?
<Sounds like Cyanobacteria. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>
My return to the lower tank flushes when the flow is on high, but I think I need this amount of turn over. (1250/gph in my 75 gallon tank lifted 5 feet or so.) Any suggestions of stopping the flushing so my wife won't keep turning it back down? And now the for big one. I bought a piece of rock that had some sort of anemone attached to it. Please reference the attached photo. I really liked it, had it for a year or two. It grew to almost a foot in diameter, but alas, died finally. Then I saw some attached to a boat in the Florida Keys. Gathered several (ok, many) and brought them home, quarantined them for awhile then added some to my tank. I wound up putting maybe 6 or so. Well, now I have 30, and that's after killing another 30. I can't kill them all, because there is too many. They are on almost every rock. Please help!
<Did you put purposely Aiptasia in your tank?!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm
What are you doing to kill them? Do a search for different methods for controlling Aiptasia. Even if they're not Aiptasia, you should be able to use some of the same methods for controlling any pest anemone.>
Thanks,
Tommy
<Good luck,
Sara M.>

Re: Moving a 120 Gallon Mixed Reef - 1/24/08
Bob,
I have decided to not replace the DSB in the main tank due to issues with moving the tank. I have finished one basement wall and ran electric just so that the tank can be placed downstairs and stay there.
<Good>
Avoiding any issues with moving everything once again. My question now is: Since I am going to take the top 2" of the sand, avoiding any anaerobic zones, (The sand is CaribSea Special Grade Reef Sand or is this too coarse for a shallow bed?)
<Not IMO>
and place it back into the display tank after the move, I was thinking of using a Remote DSB. That way If problems arose from it I could always get rid of it without tearing down the Display.
<I favor this approach as well>
Would placing a 4 - 6" DSB this into the sump be a good idea? or would it be better to place a DSB into the Refugium?
<The sump>
What are your thoughts on Mineral Mud?
<Can be a very useful adjunct... posted>
I wanted to place Gracilaria and Green Ulva into my refugium but wondered whether the DSB, the mineral mud or nothing at all would be better?
<The mud is best here>
My plans for the refugium are for the normal nutrient export but I am avoiding Chaeto in hopes of supplying the tangs and lawnmower blenny a constant supply of fresh algae. Will Gracilaria and Ulva provide a breeding ground for amphipods and copepods as Chaeto does?
<Yes>
It would be nice to knock out 3 birds with one stone! The refugium is approx. 15 - 20 gallons (it is a custom hang on sump model done by an acrylic guy in the area) and will have a 24 inch 10K PC providing light to it? Flow can be adjusted by power head size... it uses the power head to provide water flow and then drains back into the sump via a 1" bulkhead so no overflow issue would be present.
<Mmm, okay... I do like redundancy in this plumbing...>
Sorry for bombarding you with questions, but I no longer trust the SOLE saltwater store here. Too much bad advice given to my friends as well as myself.
Adam
<A pleasure to share, co-conspire with you. BobF>

Everything going bad, SW  1/23/08
Hey all,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I just started a marine aquarium about 6 weeks ago and had the problem of not researching it enough before I got started along with some bad initial advice from the local aquarium store. I also probably stocked too quickly and now I'm dealing with too many problems at once and would like some advice.
<<Ok, we shall walk through it one step at a time with you>>
I have a 55 gallon tank, with maybe 50 lbs of live rock, a small sump with a ASM G1-x skimmer, a power head and just a cheap-o single bar 48inch PetCo light (can't remember the name or brand of pump, but it was rated for a tank my size and doesn't seem to be having any problems). So here's my problem(s). I originally stocked two yellow-tailed damsels, 1 blue damsel and 3 turbo snails. I'm also pretty sure I didn't cycle the tank long enough because I didn't realize I was supposed to "feed" the tank with organic material to provide ammonia for the bacteria (although the die-off from the live rock should have provided something?).
<<Depends on how cured the live rock was. Even with uncured live rock, I still prefer to add a extra ammonia source>>
After a few weeks I never saw any noticeable rise in ammonia/nitrites so I put the above fish in. I also used tap water to fill the tank originally which I now realize was a bad idea.
<<Yes, RO or RO/DI water will be your new best friend>>
Within about a week the blue damsel got ich I think (small-salt looking specs), so I got him out of there as soon as he started breathing hard and I noticed the spots. The yellow tails are still alive and well. A couple of weeks later I added two fire tailed gobies and a cleaner shrimp (I also bought a better book that told me about all the mistakes I was making). There are also at least 3 small hermit crabs that hitched on my live rock along with a bunch of tiny Brittlestars and some fireworms.
<<Yes, stocking the tank too quickly "always" has a negative effect on the tank>>
I was told the two gobies would be fine in the tank, but one of them disappeared within a few days (I pulled all the rock and never did find him and I'm not sure if it was the other goby harassing him or the damsels), and the 2nd seemed to be doing fine until yesterday when I found him laying on the ground with his fins in tatters and breathing rapidly) I pulled him out of the tank as well.
<<I would suggest ammonia poisoning is your problem with the fish as the tank has not been cycled. Cycling can take anywhere from 4 - 6 weeks, then a few weeks to settle down>>
On top of that I have an Aiptasia problem that I can't seem to control (I've used an eye dropper of Kalkwasser a couple of times, but they keep coming back in greater numbers), and a red bacteria in the sand that I can't get rid of through vacuuming that seems to be getting worse even after I added the power head for more current.
<<Squirting a syringe full of boiling water directly on to the glass anemone is a good immediate way to remove them from your aquarium>>
<<The red algae is going to be Cyano bacteria. The usual cause for this is excess nutrients and poor flow. Adding the extra powerhead and syphoning out is a good start>>
I apologize for getting over-anxious and not knowing what I was doing before getting into this hobby, but things have gone so poorly that I'm getting frustrated and need help to keep the tank from going completely south.
<<Research and patience are the two best things to have. Both will help towards a successful aquarium>>
I've never had bad readings on ammonia or nitrites throughout all of this and do 10% water changes with RO water about once every two weeks.
<<Change your water changing routine to 10% per week, this will also help with dealing with the Cyano bacteria bloom mentioned above>>
<<NitrATES??? >>
My PH was a little low at first but seems to be leveling out now. At first there were probably big differences in my temperature and specific gravity when doing my water changes which I realize now was probably harder on the fish than whatever might be in the tank.
<<Yes. The water you use for water changes should be made up and aerated for 24 - 48 hours before use and always ensure that water parameters are correct before adding to the aquarium>>
At this point I'm considering that I'm cycling the tank and I'm just hoping to sit on it for a couple of months with regular (and hopefully better) water changes. The two yellow tails, shrimp and snails all seem to be doing very well at this point.
<<If the damsels survive the cycling, which they probably will, I would ask that you consider removing them and maybe take them to a store for store credit as these can be a quite aggressive fish and "may" lead to problems when introducing new fish>>
What do you think I should do to improve the tank over the next couple of months?
<<Take on board whats been said here, read read read, relax and have patience. Buy a good book like Robert Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists ". Excellent books such as this will give you a great understanding of marine aquaria and what we house in them>>
Should I keep treating the Aiptasia with Kalkwasser or is there something else I can do?
(I don't want to risk killing a copper banded angel).
<<See comments above and read more here - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/aiptasia/aiptasia.htm >>
Any thoughts on getting rid of the red bacteria in the sand or should I just learn to deal with it?
<<See comments above and read more here - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm >>
If there was ich in the tank and the other damsels aren't showing any signs, if I don't add any more fish for 2 months should that clear out the parasite, or can they live on the damsels without harming them?
<<First thoughts are Cryptocaryoniasis (Marine ich) - Read more here - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm >>
Should I be doing larger water changes?
<<10% per week will suffice>>
Are the fire worms something to be concerned about? Can I just tweezer them off the rocks as I see them or should I get some traps?
<<These are best being removed from the tank, and yes, use tweezers to remove them. DO NOT TOUCH THEM, THEY HURT - Read more here - http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaetes.htm >>
How long do you recommend before considering adding more fish?
<<I would wait until all problems above have been resolved and the tank has settled down. Maybe wait for a couple of months>>
Finally, if I end up getting things in order I'd eventually like to get to a much more peaceful tank and possibly some polyps or soft corals. I'd love to have a clown and a copper banded angel. Are the damsels too aggressive for this type of tank? What can I do with them if so?
<<See above regarding the damsels. Clowns are fine and are actually related to the damsels. I presume you mean "Chelmon rostratus" common name Copperband Butterfly, rather than angel. Would not consider this a safe bet in a reef>>
I'm very glad I found your site. It can be tough for a beginner to find good information on the web for starting out.
Chad
<<We are all here to help. Hope this clears up your questions. A Nixon>>

Attn Andrew Re: Thinking of upgrading 01/16/2008
Hi Andrew,
<<Hello again Colin>>
Thank you for your prompt response. I've thought about it a lot and one a bit of research and have more questions.
> Everything is running along just tickety boo - nobody seems sick, chemical levels are mostly good. My problem is that I have red slime algae.
> <<Read up here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>>
> Not a lot of it, and it's not that hard to control, but it does mean that I have to clean the tank with maybe higher frequency than I'd like. I usually do a 4 gallon water change about once a week. I also vacuum the substrate when I do this.
> <<If this is happening, then there is an apparent issue that needs resolving, rather than controlling>>
So I have read that page a few times before and I have cut back on feeding a lot and replaced my CF bulbs which were getting old. Both those things helped quite a lot and took me from a slime algae problem to a slime algae mild nuisance. I suspect that my tank may be suffering from not enough flow. I added a new power head last night and I hope that helps, although it looks like the temperature of the tank may have gone up a degree or so as a result. I will see how that is panning out tonight when I get home from work. Maybe a fan blowing over the tank will help the temperature increase from the new powerhead....
<<<<I can understand the temp rising a degree or so when more devices are added to the tank, only natural. Upping your flow, lowering nutrient will all help to remove the Cyano bacteria. A simple little clip-on fan will help this heat issue yes, aim it to blow across the water surface>>>>
> <<As a suggestion, I would spend the money on upsizing the display tank, as some of the current stock is not suited to your tank size>>
Are you talking about the tang? Or is there other stuff that is
unsuited to that size tank that I don't know about? How much bigger are we talking here?
<<<<Yes, the tang was my main point in reference there with upgrading the display tank size. Tang's require a long length of swimming room, I would recommend for a yellow is 75, all other tangs should in minimum 100+ gallons>>>>
The main reason I am sort of loathe to increase my tank size is that I live in a rented apartment on the 2nd floor.
Some day I will have to move out of it. My state of life right now is such that I will probably have to move a couple of more times before settling in. Obviously the more water I have, the harder that whole moving process is. Although I suppose the counter argument to that is that the more water there is the easier the process will be on the stock. The other problem with upgrading is the stuff that will go with it - new stand and new lights mainly.
My tank right now is a 30 gallon Hagen 36x12x15. I built the light canopy which houses the two 96W CFs myself.
Right now, my favourite option is to get a bigger tank with the same footprint. That way I can reuse the stand and lights. At my LFS I can get a 38 gallon or a 45 gallon which are both 36x12x -20 and -24 respectively.
<<See comment above ref tank sizes for tangs>>
The stand I have should be able to house my current tank underneath which I could then use as a sump. I would drill the new tank before moving everyone over to accommodate this. One thing I might be concerned with, given this set up, would be needing to add lights. The real question, though, is whether that's enough. If upgrading by only 15 gallons isn't going to improve anything then there's really no point.
<<I don't see the point in upgrading the display tank by that amount of gallons>>
So, I guess then, the question really boils down to: 38 or 45 gallon display tank with 30 gallon-ish sump/fuge or 65/75/90 gallon tank with no sump, at least for a few years.
<<Thinking about the health and well being of the current stock, I would go for the 90 gallon with no sump>>
Thanks, Colin
<<Thanks for the questions. A Nixon>>

Seeking Any Comments on Reef Tank 01/14/2008
Hi
<<Hello Larry, Andrew here>>
Doing research on my new found love, a marine reef tank!
I've got the following setup: 30 gallon bow front acrylic tank, Penguin 200 bio-wheel power filter, Red Sea Prizm Deluxe Protein Skimmer, 24" Coralife PC 65wt actinic light, 10 led moon light, 1"-2" live Fiji fine substrate, 25 lb live Fiji cured rock and I utilize a reputable LFS' ROH2O & salt H2O for top off and water changes. Stats: Temp 76-77 (digital thermometer checked twice daily), Salinity 1.024 (measured with ATC refractometer daily), pH 8.3 (tested weekly and supplemented weekly with SeaChem Reef pH to 8.3 Buffer also), Alkalinity 10dKH (tested weekly and supplemented weekly with SeaChem Reef Carbonate) NH3/NO2 0(tested weekly), NO3 0.2 ppm (tested weekly), Calcium400-420 ppm (tested weekly and supplemented weekly with SeaChem Reef Complete). Additionally I supplement weekly with SeaChem Reef Plus and Kent Marine Essential Elements. The tank gets indirect daylight and the lights are timed controlled for morning moonlight for 2 hours switching to actinic light for 13 hours and finishing with 3 hours of moonlight and 6 hours of darkness. The tank has been operational for several months and has always had very consistent water test results.
<<That's good to hear>>
It contains (as best I have been able to research and determine) one 4" Pinktip Anemone from Haiti, a 4" frag with Green Mushrooms, one 4" Hawaiian Feather Duster, some worm-type polyp with short color-tipped tentacles<<maybe a photo of this can help us to ID>>, one 2" Kaudern's Cardinalfish, one 1" Yellowtail Damselfish,
two Nerite snails, two Margarita snails, two Astrea Conehead snails, three Nassarius snails, one 1" Emerald Mithrax crab, two 1/2" Halloween Hermit crabs, one 1" Electric Blue Hermit crab, two 1/4" Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit crabs, two 1/2" Scarlet Reef Hermit crabs, one small Banded Coral Shrimp, one medium Scarlet Skunk Cleaner shrimp, one 1.5" Six Line Wrasse, one 1.25" Green Clown Goby, one 2" Clarkii Clownfish (who appears to be hosting in the anemone). I feed Sera Granumarin dry once each morning and a frozen variation of Squid, Brine Shrimp, Krill, Mysis Shrimp, Spirulina Algae, Plankton and Menhaden Oil once each evening.
<<A nice variety of diet there. An observation at this point if I may. The anemone, which I would say is a Condylactis SP can be aggressive and does require a high amount of lighting. I would suggest you should consider upgrading to either a T5 or metal halide fixture to provide a better lit environment for the anemone>>
They get multiple, small feedings for about 2-3 minutes or until they begin to allow some to reach the shrimp waiting on the bottom. All appear to be healthy and active relative to what I have researched on each with no unusual interactions or aggressiveness demonstrated. The anemone moved from the open front of the rock with direct light exposure to the back corner which is partially beneath a rock ledge and has remained in place for about a month. It's tentacles typically maintain their white color and stay swelled and I have witnessed the clownfish feeding it, but don't know exactly how regularly this happens (LFS said if the clown hosted the anemone would be fine)
<<Not the usual host for clowns>>.
Once it turned somewhat grayish and half way retracted it's long tentacles, but that lasted less than half a day. Everything else appears to be doing entirely as I have researched, and as I mentioned eat and look healthy.
I do have an outbreak of some dark reddish algae on the live rock that slowly has covered about 20% of the rock. When I vacuum the bottom during 30% water changes monthly the algae easily vacuums from the rock as well, so it's not over-growing but must be maintained in check.
<<The red algae sounds a little like Cyano bacteria to me, read here for more info on this plague algae. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm >>
What's your reaction ? Does my tank seem stable or does anything I have noted cause concerns I should be aware of?
<<Some concerns / points noted above>>
I'm thinking that the lighting is not adequate as I would like to add several additional corals throughout the next year and possibly a star and a tang.
<<As already mentioned, yes, you do need a lighting upgrade to support your current stock. I am afraid the tang is no go for you with your tank size as these need tanks more in the region of 100 gallons>>
Do I need an additional powerhead ? Water flow seems reasonably strong as the worm type polyp, the feather duster and the partially hidden anemone's tentacles all sway gracefully in the current. But this is all a first and there doesn't seem to be always be consistent information regarding what's good/bad or right/wrong.
<<Flow wise, the filter and the skimmer do not really add much to overall tank flow as the outlet of water is not really forced back into the tank. For a reef tank, I would suggest about 25 times your tank volume in water circulation. So, you need to have about 500GPH. Currently, I would suggest your way under that, and I would suggest you look towards purchasing something like a Hydor Koralia #1 to bolster the flow. These are a good powerhead as they have a nice wide dispersed flow from them, rather than the conventional jet of water. I would suggest a look to upgrade the skimmer in the near future as the Prizm skimmer does not produce much skimmate at best>>
Your comments would be most appreciated and well received (my wife seems to think that
the whatever the LFS says is absolute regardless of what I have researched) so I'm seeking this additional authoritative evaluation.
Thanks ! LarryH
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>

Star Polyps, fdg...  & Others... reef maint.  -01/05/08
Hello,
Everyone here has always been great help to me. I've got a couple of questions. One is with my star polyp. I've had it for about 4 months and in the last 3 weeks, the tentacles are not popping out at long as they normally would. They normally look like a flowing carpet of strands but now its about half that at best where I can see the purplish part of its body. All the parameters look good. 37 gallon reef tank established for a year with a clown, royal Gramma, yellow goby, neon goby, Firefish, yellow tail damsel, snake polyp, 4 small/medium frogspawn, colt coral and some mushrooms. There are also a couple of snails and about 6 blue leg hermits, tiger sea cucumber. 25lbs of live rock with 3" DSB. Eheim Ecco filter, SeaClone Protein Skimmer , 190watts of Compact Flo....half 10k, half actinic, temp....82 degrees F, ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate=6, ph 8.4, salinity 1.025 with 15% water changes (RO water changes for the past couple of weeks). I also include about a caps worth (5ml) of marine snow
<a pretty much useless product (IMO)>
and phytoplankton a week for added consumption.
<Ok, but these corals don't eat phytoplankton...>
The star polyp is about 4-5 inches from the top of tank where the lights are and its an area of medium flow. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
<It sounds like the coral is adjusting to it's new habitat (perhaps a less than ideal one). I would suggest putting more water flow over it.>
One last question. Is it possible I may have a mantis shrimp in my tank?
<It's possible, but this wouldn't explain anything you are describing.>
While I've not seen anything, or heard any popping noises, I've had a couple of my hermit crabs die in the past 3 months where I've seen their dead bodies for a day then disappeared (possibly getting picked up from filtration),
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hermitdisfaqs.htm>
but I did also had a medium size sand-sifting star that was fine for about 7months, then last month had a part of one leg missing and 3 days later had all of them missing where just the middle part of the body was present.
<These stars are pretty much doomed the moment they are collected. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sndsftstrfaqs.htm>
later that was missing. Is it possible any of the current inhabitants could have done this?
<I don't think so.>
My tiger tail sea cucumber has never been attacked in the 11months I've had him, and I would think he would have been a meal for a mantis shrimp if one was present. Also I introduced another clown fish last week from a smaller tank of mine and after 6 days he went missing in a 3 hour period that I was gone at the store. While I have not completely done a thorough search behind the tank, there aren't too many hiding places in the LR and didn't see him initially behind or around outside the tank.
<Hmm... my guess is that he jumped and you just haven't found the body (unfortunately).>
He was completely healthy and swimming about last time I saw him? What do you think?
<See above. I could be wrong, but this would be my guess. Sorry to say... has happened to me a couple times too. :-(>
Thank you always for your assistance.
Frank X Meadors
<De nada,
Sara M.>

Removing Xenia from Acrylic Tank Wall 1/2/08
Hi friends,
<Hello.>
I have quite a bit of Xenia. Most of the ones on rock are not any problem per se, but several colonies started climbing the side and front walls of my
80gallon Hex tank.
<That’s Xenia for you!>
Unfortunately, I thought this was cool a few months ago, but of course I procrastinated doing anything about it and now need to address the problem. In the past I've placed rock next to colonies in order to trade w/friends, but the ones on the wall are not exactly close to anything they could adhere to.. and since the tank is acrylic, anything that scrapes the acrylic would do more harm than good. Can you make any suggested approaches to try?
<Many times Xenia is easy enough to just pick off the sides of a tank. If that fails you can gently scrape it off with a credit card or acrylic safe scraper, again gently.>
My last resort will be to buy lots of magnetic bars used to clean tanks and wait for them to hop on.
<This could work; I would try simply pulling them off first. You will be surprised how easy Xenia (usually) comes off. Best regards, Scott V.>

Filtration question, SW... Reef maint.  12/30/07
Howdy, Crew!
<Hello!!>
I have my 125 display tank in the living room, and 100 stock tank sump in the basement. I currently run an Iwaki MD-100 from the basement to pump +/- 2000 gph upstairs. The tank upstairs has about 150 lbs of live rock, a heater, and my livestock. There was no filtration physically in the tank until I started this project. The sump downstairs has one of the two system heaters in it, about 40 lbs of live rock, and the protein skimmer.
I am now turning off my MD-100 at 9pm at night, from the sump to the display, turning on a Rio 2500 in the tank, and the skimmer in the sump. I go from about 2000 gph to about 800 gph. Would the lighter circulation be all right for the fish at night?
<Should be.>
I have a 1"-2" crushed coral bed. Flow is still decent with the small pump running. I aimed it at the front glass, so the flow splits and goes both ways. Even my anemone still has movement.
Candy canes have feeding tentacles out further than I've ever seen them before. When the MD-100 is off, the sump in the basement catches all the overflow water (as during a power outage.) That being said, since the water level rises in the sump at night, I turn on the skimmer at night. If I left it on during the day, the water level is low enough, it doesn't skim at all anyway. I turn the main pump back on at 9am, and the skimmer back off.
What I have considered so far:
-Water temperatures being different, so I have heaters in tank and sump.
<Good.>
-Aeration, so I have the display tank pump aimed toward the surface to facilitate good gas exchange, and the sump has the protein skimmer to move water and aerate.
<This will help.>
I haven't checked the pH upstairs and downstairs to see if it differs much.
<I bet it will.>
Can you foresee see any ill effects of me doing this? I don't see any problem so far. It's been 3 days, and everyone appears happy. Even my hippo tang shows no signs of stress or ich. Some guys from my club said I would lose filtration, but I know some people don't even use a sump The water still moves, just not up-down.
<The real downside hear is stability. You are creating two systems every twelve hours, then recombining them. I have personally seen systems that do exactly this with good success, mainly for the power savings. I personally wouldn’t, just for stability sake.>
Any insight would be appreciated!
<I would at least try to get the skimmer running during the day. You may need to add a little sump next to your big sump (such as a 20 gal tank) to get the water height to run your skimmer in. Skimming with the setup now is only skimming less than half the water half the time.>
Thanks and have a safe and happy New Year!
Eric Z.
<Sure will Eric, same to you and yours. Good luck and happy reefing, Scott V.>

Newbie, Bought established tank, suggestions, reef maint.  11/5/07
Hi,
<Hello>
I am VERY new to the wonderful world of Marine Aquariums. I bought a fully established set-up 2 months ago, and I am hooked! Here is what I have: 55 gallon glass aquarium, fluorescent Daylight lamps, Marineland Emperor 400 w/ 2 bio-wheels (I use Purigen in the inserts and regular filter inserts (carbon removed)), 2 power heads (I don't know the brand name or gph because whatever identifying markers that were on them are gone), 1 Aquamaster 250 Skilter,
<I would think about upgrading this.>
1 heater (again unsure of wattage as nothing is written or visible on the item), 30 lbs of crushed coral,
<Can be a maintenance nightmare.>
and 25 of live rock most of which is covered in coralline algae. Livestock includes 1 Regal Tang, 1 Yellow Tang,
<Both tangs will need a new larger home soon to survive long term>
2 Blue Green Chromis, 1 Tomato Clown, 1 Dwarf Wrasse,
<Doronotonatus megalepis?>
1 Cleaner Shrimp, and
1 Condylactis.
<Very sensitive animals.>
There are also some small bristle worms present in the crushed coral.
<Probably due to trapped detritus.>
My salinity is 1.022.
<Want to slowly bump this up to more natural levels of 1.026.>
I have ordered a new light (260w PC fixture with 2 daylight and 2 actinic), and a Hydor Koralia 1200 gph power head, just waiting for them to arrive in the mail. My question is: what other equipment would you recommend?
<Upgraded skimmer, and maybe switch out the crushed coral for sand which traps much less detritus.>
All of my water testing is great except for the nitrates, they are always high (20 ppm). The tank was established for 5 years before I purchased it. I have been doing 20% water changes every week, but to no avail.
<Lowering your stocking levels by removing the tangs, getting a better skimmer and removing the crushed coral will go a long way to resolving this.>
I can't get the nitrates down. I would like to add some corals in the future (after I rehome the Condylactis),
<Good>
and I know they can't tolerate a nitrate problem.
<Neither can the anemone really.>
So what would you recommend (equipment, accessories, additives, etc) to achieve optimal health and balance in my aquarium?
<Posted above.>
Thanks so much in advance :o)
Kelly
<Welcome>
<Chris>

A few tank issues... reef maint. I guess   10/11/07
Hi Crew!
<Flameo>
I think I've got some problems and I've only just realized it.
<Ok>
I noticed recently that my Pulsing Xenia was withdrawn a little, so I began to watch it closely to see if it would rebound. After a couple days it has only become more withdrawn. After reading the Xeniid disease FAQ on your wonderful site, I discovered that my pH (8.0-8.2 at day with full light) is probably too low at night for the coral. And probably worse, the calcium levels are 520 ppm.
<Yeeikes!>
I knew that calcium could precipitate in high concentration, but I was not aware that this could cause major issues as noted in the aforementioned FAQ. I wonder what those issues are and how they are caused. By the way, I have never supplemented my tank with any mineral but iodine, and I only administer the suggested weekly dose about once a month, so I also wonder how my calcium level rose so high.
<Perhaps it is not so high... I would check your test kit...>
Can a high evaporation/freshwater-replacement rate have anything to do with rising mineral concentrations?
<Yes>
I will note that other water parameters including ALK, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, phosphate, carbonate hardness, were all within normal limits yesterday. I plan to do fairly large water changes tomorrow and for the next few days. Are there other ways to combat my pH and calcium problems?
<All sorts>
Your always-helpful advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thank You
<Welcome. BobF>

Marine Systems...The Need To Read – 10/11/07
Hi all,
<<Hello Mickey>>
Thanks for all your past help what a wicked site!
<<We’re glad to be here/be of use>>
I am running a 280 litre tank with 1-inch to inch-and-a-half of crushed coral sand, 9 good size pieces of live rock, Fluval 405 external filter, Aquaclear 30 powerhead with quick filter attachment, 300 watt Visi-Therm heater, Arcadia Overtank Luminaire with white and blue tubes, 2 juvenile percula clowns, 1 fire lobster,
<<Hmm, I don’t know what this might be...but even a small lobster is a potential problem/fish-eater>>
1 fire shrimp, 4 turbo snails and 2 dwarf red-legged hermit crabs. I have a couple of questions first being this cloudy "slick" on top of tank?
<<Ah yes, the bio-film/organic sludge that accumulates at the water-air interface>>
I first thought it was dust but my friend who has a hood on his tank has same problem?
<<Indeed...this “slick” is generated from “within” the tank and is why “surface” skimmers are employed with many/most marine systems to keep the tanks water surface clear for efficient gas exchange. Since it appears you are not employing some type of external filtration/surface skimming, you can “clean” the film by simply laying a few sheets of newspaper on the surface for a few moments and then lift the paper away and discard...much of the film will stick to/be carried away with the paper>>
The water from the powerheads which disturbs the surface is crystal but all around is this cloudy stuff?
<<Yes, as stated the mostly organic film is attracted to the air-water interface. This characteristic is what lets protein skimmers “do what they do”>>
Secondly I have managed to control the hairy green algae that was starting to invade my rocks by leaving the lights off for approx a week but this has not changed the coral sand that keeps turning brown? ( I did the lights off thing before I stocked with fish and inverts ).
<<The “brown” on your sand is probably diatoms...and likely a result of using unfiltered tap water in your tank...and/or a result of insufficient water movement within the tank>>
Lastly I have heard that blue tubes should be placed at the rear of the tank? Is this true?
<<Nope...can be anywhere over the tank>>
Any help or comments will be greatly received.
<<I suggest you do some reading on our site re marine systems. Here’s a link to get you started, and do continue reading among the links at the top of the pages: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/marineMaint.htm >>
Thanks, Micky
<<Regards, EricR>>