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Help!! Maybe re-scaping will help??

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by corey.nolta, Oct 28, 2016.

  1. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    I have had an ongoing problem for close to a year with elevated nitrates and phosphates. I have tried everything that has been suggested; more frequent water changes, less frequent water changes (was suggested I was maybe doing too many water changes and wasn't giving the bacteria enough time), I upgraded to a larger skimmer, added gfo (tired other phosphate removers as well), reduced feeding (pretty sure the tank is underfeed now, as I've noticed my foxface isn't as plump as he used to be), added more flow to the tank to eliminate dead spots, upgraded from a RO unit to an RO/DO unit. Still nothing has helped. Granted my levels aren't sky high, but enough that I am always battling algae and high enough that most sps just flat out look crappy, if they don't die off that is.

    Typically nitrates are between 15-20 ppm and phosphate is on the higher side of .25. Through trial and error, I've come to the conclusion it's the rock itself. I purchased 90% of my rock from a tank tear down sale. He had his tank set up for a ~5 years. Plus the two years I've had it. So it's going on 7 years. I'm sure it's pretty dirty and full of crap. I try to blow it out with a turkey baster every water change, but that only does so much.

    My questions game plan is this. I've been wanting to re-scape my rock work for a while now (plus i have a dead fish somewhere in the rock work decaying which is just adding to my problem). What I was looking to potentially do during my next water change, is fill a brute can with the water from my tank and remove all the rock piece by piece and give it several good dunks and swishes in the trash can to really deep clean it and remove all that built up crud and then work on putting it all back in and re-scaping my tank.
    Would that create havoc in the tank and cause a new cycle???? Thoughts and opinions?? I'd really like to be able to get into sps and really fill out my tank and not have to battle algae anymore. This is my last shot prior to a full tank tear down, and I don't think I'd be able to get back into it after a tear down.
    (Sorry for the novel)
     
  2. jeremy Acro Addict

    Davenport, IA
    Ratings:
    +836 / 4 / -0
    Have you looked into an algae scrubber?
     
  3. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    I have looked into them, as far as reading up on them and talking to a few people that have had them. The biggest issue I have is space. Under tank is already pretty tight, and not much room to add a scrubber. I've also looked at the in tank DIY versions, but with how my baffles are set up, I wouldn't be able to do one large enough to really make a dent on the total ~120 gallons.
     
  4. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    Is there any room in your sump for a fuge then?
     
  5. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    I currently have a fuge with some chaeto (size of a large cantaloupe)


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  6. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    How fast does it grow? I have a fuge with cheato and I have a heavy bioload. The fuge keeps up with my phosphates and I don't have to use GFO. Mine stick around .02-.04.
     
  7. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    It doesn't grow crazy fast, but there is always a good amount of noticeable growth


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  8. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    It's currently at the point that I have hair algae and cyano growing on the chaeto.


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  9. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    What do you have for a light on your fuge?
     
  10. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    Currently it's a LED light bulb with the metal reflector. Ran opposite tank lights for 10 hours.


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  11. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    I found the best light for my fuge was T12s it grew cheato like no other. I couldn't find the bulbs again after they went bad or they were $40+ a bulb. I have kessil 160 on there right now and does good, but once I find a cheaper 2' T5 fixture I will be going to that.

    I tried one of the led screw in bulbs and didn't have as good of growth. Maybe try a different light. I was trimming back 2 1 gallon bags every 2 weeks with the T12s
     
  12. Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +233 / 1 / -0
    Hi Corey,
    If your rock is that dirty and filled with phosphate, swishing it in a brute can will not solve the tank problems of high NO3 & PO4. How dirty is your sandbed...if you have one? How deep is the sandbed?

    I have a possible suggestion for you for helping. This would be my choice. Pull out 1/2 the rock and give it an acid bath. Then begin and finish a new cycle for that rock. Once that rock is cycled, put it in your tank and remove the other 1/2. Repeat...bath & cycle. Watch your ammonia levels if you go this route since I don't know your system and ammonia could become an issue and quickly. Make sure you have an ammonia detox just in case so you can act quickly:9) If you have a sandbed, when you remove the 1st half of rock, remove the same for the sandbed if it is quite dirty. Either rinse very well or replace it. (Sand doesn't hold the amount of bacteria that rock does.) If you go this route, you might want to add Microbacter7 or Dr. Tim's One and Only. Continue with aggressive WC's while doing 1/2 of your rock. There are many ways to approach your problem so if you have questions, feel free to post them. You can use VVS dosing (but it won't get at the embedded NO3 & PO4, NoPoX, Marine Pure filtration(cycle prior to removing the 1st 1/2 of rock so it takes up what you pull out), LaCL(for PO4 only) and several other ways. BTW, there is a fast method for cycling rock vs waiting weeks(6+) if you are interested in using it. I use it whenever I have needed to cycle rock and have not had any problems:9)

    Good luck!
     
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  13. F.D. Reefer Well-Known ReefKeeper

    506
    Fort dodge
    Ratings:
    +98 / 1 / -0
    [​IMG]
    Drunk bacteria eat more


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  14. hart

    hart Well-Known ReefKeeper

    730
    Ratings:
    +131 / 0 / -0
    I would do a really good scrubbing of the sand bed, if any, and start carbon dosing. Nothing exports like carbon dosing IME.
     
  15. F.D. Reefer Well-Known ReefKeeper

    506
    Fort dodge
    Ratings:
    +98 / 1 / -0
    Simple question?
    Do you have any turbo snails in your tank?




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  16. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    Sorry for the late replies! Been hectic with work this past week. I started carbon dosing this week. Good 'ol Hawkeye vodka for the win!
    @Buku@Buku, I'll have to look into switching out lighting! A gallon baggie every 2 weeks?! That's crazy!
    @Sponge@Sponge, I've thought about pulling out the rock and re-cycling it, but I'd like to use that as an absolute last resort. Rolling into the busy time with work, I'm afraid I'll just let it go and not be able to really focus on doing it right :-/
    @hart@hart, I don't actually have that much sand in the tank. I initially started bare bottom, but didn't end up liking the look so I added sand over the course of a few weeks. Just enough sand to cover the bottom really.
    @F.D. Reefer@F.D. Reefer, I think I have 2 turbos left. I have a mix of a few different snails. Turbo, astrea, nassarius, and some cerith
     
  17. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    [QUOTE="I'll have to look into switching out lighting! A gallon baggie every 2 weeks?! That's crazy![/QUOTE]

    Yeah it was the best growth I had. Leds don't compare to what those T12s did.
     
  18. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    I actually have an extra T12 fixture and bulbs. Too bad it's a a large 4'er and won't fit under my sump ;)
     
  19. Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
  20. corey.nolta

    244
    Waterloo
    Ratings:
    +79 / 0 / -0
    Was cleaning some stuff up last night and came across a 2' T8 fixture and bulb. I think I have enough room to retro fit it under my tank (after buying new bulb - no idea how old the bulb is). Think that will be better?
     

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