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Algae just won’t go away


tprize

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Update: Well day four of Dino X and UV is promising. I’m now trying to figure out when I should do a water change, and pull the UV. I was thinking at least another week until there are 0 signs of anything.  I will then need to re grow my coal one algae, as the Dino has wiped most of it out.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EXSpSy2BZ7E6ogQN8

 

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Update: https://photos.app.goo.gl/e1KT1fVE1V86SQcQ6

Things are looking better, way better. So how do I balance how much filtration I do, so I don’t end up at zero everything causing another breakout?

What  I’m thinking

Chamber 1L  Nano tech Bio Spheres, for increased biological filtration capacity.

Chamber 2L skimmer

Chamber 1R  Filter floss, Carbon, Purigen

Chamber 2R Refugium Cheato

Edited by tprize
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Looking a lot better T!  Kinda hard to tell with the LED strobing but def looks like you made some headway.  Congrats.  

As far as your chambers go I think that sounds okay.  You just need to measure your nitrates and phosphates now...and once you get all that filtration changes done, measure them weekly for a month or so.  That way you can tell what your feeding habits and filtration do for them.  The bio spheres are a good way to increase bacterial surface area but will take time to build up.  That is why you test weekly so you can see their usefulness.  Keep us posted!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

So did a water test with new kits, I did not realize my old kits were expired, by quite some time.  Here are my parameters

Calcium 300

Phophate 0.25 ppm

DKH=6 or KH 107.4

Nitrate 80 ppm

PH 8.0

Ammonia 0 ppm

Nitrite 0 ppm

So looks like I need to get somethings under control, but I'm confused how Nitrites could be 0 with such a high Nitrate level.  Any suggestions on how to get everything in balance would be appreciated. 

 

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Wow 80 ppm is quite high.  How large is the tank again?  I would look at doing 25% water changes 2x per week with heated water to match your tank.  Will take a couple weeks at that amount but would be safest on corals and livestock.  

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I have a bunch of questions..

1. what test kit are you using. 

2. What salt are you using 

3. What do you have in the tank?

4. What is your salinity as i did not see this. 

These will all help to understand how it is possible to have your parameters so far out of wack. 

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I would consider getting salifert test kits.  A lot more accurate.  Although 80ppm is quite high and imagine water changes are in order...API lots usually have a variable range of accuaracy.  Your nitrates may be 60...they may be 100.  Salifert or Nyos or Giesseman all would be great choices...although I suspect Salifert makes them all anyway.

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I would suggest an entire new test kit and something is seriously wrong with your salt.  Red sea pro mixes at 11 to 12dkh and 450ppm calcium. If your parameters are truly 300cal and 6dkh alk then you have major issues and this will starve coral as well as create problems with algae. But you say you do all these water changes so i would look to your local LFS to double check the testing and replace your salt. Invest in a good and new test kit as this is the only way you can know what is going on and how to correct a problem.  

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I’ll didn’t think of taking it in to have my water tested independently. I’ll do that and report back.

Should I just test the tank water, or also my water change water to ensure it’s not my water source?

Edited by tprize
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When was the last time you cleaned your water mixing container? Do you have a ato? May need to clean that container also if you have one. Sometimes we forget to clean them and nitrates can build up in them. Test the water in those containers before putting it in your tank.

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