[Valleye]

Does anyone have an UV Sterilizer that they would be interested in renting out for a month?

Or know of an LFS that would?

 

[hjmtv]

Just curious why you only want it a month? Also, not knowing why you want it, if you use rodi water, uv is basiclly redundant (from my reading.) Good luck.

 

[Valleye]

I do use RODI however my tank is completely green. I have tried water changes I have just added another 50lbs of rock. I have tried AZ-NO3 (that worked but it greened up again.)

I initially filled it with tap water but after 800g of RO/DI water changes I cannot get caught up!

 

[hjmtv]

Maybe we can help if we know what's in the tank. If you don't want to fool around with trying, a uv should work. Have you tried a phosphate eliminator?

 

[wingsfan]

here is a chance you could bid on one and maybe just buy one , then you would have one later on down the road , http//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2344249761&category=20756&rd=1

 

[Valleye]

I have run through a complete bottle of Kent phosphate sponge.

Here is the history.

I put in the tank 400lbs of southdown. I added 100 lbs of live southdown from 1 year old prop tank. I then added 100lbs of dead rock. In about the same couple weeks I added 50lbs of partially cured fiji. That was three months ago. Five weeks ago I added 1 lbs of calerpa that promptly died and released all of its stored energy into the tank. BOOM green water. Four weeks ago I have added a Kent Nautalus (sp?) TE Protein skimmer. (It is finally tuned.) Three weeks ago I have added 6lbs of chaetamorpha to my refugium (27 gal with 6in DSB). I participated in the last cleenup crew order and lost half(of 100) the nasarius snails and 25 astrea. That was about four weeks ago. So as far as livestock in the tank today that is alive. I have two Reef Devil Damsels a pencil urchin, 50-75 astrea snails, 30-50 nassarius snails, 80 hermit crabs. What has died and not been found. Blue Tang, brittle star, four TR Percs, two RD damsels. So lets just say I have lost of nutrients in the tank. (

All the fish that died died after the calerpa incident. I was perfectly cycled before then. I was checking water params weekly. Now I am doing nothing. I am just sitting back watching I have added nothing to the tank in a month. I top up the tank with RO/DI and do a 20g water change everyother week.

I do not want to drain the tank completly, I just might though. I am out of salt however and refilling a 220g tanks takes alot of time and salt.

 

[hjmtv]

Wow! Sorry to hear your tale. I would start with the following.
1. Run no lights, your livestock doesn't need it and your feeding the algae.
2. Crank up the skimmer.
3. Run the water on the cool side of 70ish.
4. Get as much water flow/movement as you can.
5. How new/old is your ro unit? Last filter change? Can you test for TDS?
6. Run carbon and a polyfilter.
7. Check phosphate levels and act accordingly. Another bottle, filter, whatever....

All of these things should help the algae go away. What else do you use for filtration?

 

[Valleye]

Thanks for the tips!

I have been running no light for 5 days and the tank is clearing I can see all of my rock again. The RO/DI is new and still get a TDS of 1. I changed the polyfilter and have to get anothr bottle of phosphate sponge. I need to buy a phosphate test kit.

I also added 50lbs of rock about a week ago. Things are looking up. I picked up some salt from Atlantis so I can do a relatively large water change as well. I will post my result in anothe week.

 

[hjmtv]

Sounds like your headed in the right direction!![D] Definately check your phosphate levels, its like miracle grow for algae!! Keep us informed.

 

[Rook]

But, do you still have high nutrients? If you do, when you turn the lights on and go back to your normal regime, you may have the same problem. IMO, turn the lights on, make sure your alk/cal/ph are all good. Keep the skimmer/rodi/fuge/chemicals running as you plan to long term. Try to grow a good deal of algae in the fuge, and try to keep you alk/cal levels high as to grow lots of coraline algae (the good purple stuff) which actually is said to grow best under medium, and not high, light. The coraline and fuge algae should take off and rid your tank of most of the nutrients.

Also, give it time. the liverock/sand/fuge/coraline/skimmer are all just getting started. Some times it can take a few months to get stablized. Definately to not get discouraged, because when you beat this problem (and you will) it will be an awesome accomplishment.

BTW, IMO you do not need all those cure all chemical and sponges.

 

[Valleye]

Rook you are absolutely correct. I did in fact follow the adive you give and the tank is nearly clear. My Phosphate is down to .1 and my Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate are all 0/0/0.

 

[hjmtv]

Glad everything worked out.[D]

 

[Rook]

Very cool. I always get a huge rush out of solving some unknown problem with my tank. Glad everything worked out.

 

[Valleye]

Well the tank has not cleared any more and infact after just increasing the photoperiod from 4 to 5 hours all the algae bloom and bacteria bloom has come back. In fustration last week I bought a 9w UV sterilizer and BOOM! My tank is perfectly clear! It is a bout time. It has only take 5 months.