Inherited 90 gallon

[RhetoricUni]

A little intro - I'm very new to the hobby.. how new you ask? I inherited this 90 gallon tank 3/28/09. No previous experience regarding fish keeping or the infamous "reef keeping". I purchased this tank from a gentleman down on his luck. I've been studying the art of keeping a saltwater eco-system for some time.

When the gentleman contacted me he was in dire. He was losing his home and required to be out by 8 am the next day. I ended up making my very first tank move that night. I completed the set up in my home at 3:40 am. (Special thanks to my laboring friends). When I purchased this tank it had half its lights burnt out. No working power heads in the tank. Tap water had been used for almost 2 year.

I thought quite a bit about posting this under the new to hobby forums. In the end I hate the idea of being profiled into the Noob zone. I hope the mods on RC are understanding and patient. As I promise keep this post updated with my progress into the depths.

This post is to show the struggles of reviving a tank and the start of a new passion.


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/1/217792rs_first_pic_3-31-09.jpg

Here it is! I put a couple power heads in. Also repaired the lighting.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/1/217792rs_sump_3-31-09.jpg

You can see the sad state of the equipment, Note the rusty clamp holding the overflow hose on.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/1/217792rs-wrasse_3-31-09.jpg

A couple stowaways. Note the red on the rocks... and so it begins!

[BLKTANG]

[welcome]

[spleify]

[welcome]

Just be sure to research and read as much as you can. Looks like you are off to a good start.

Nice tank you have there, you can definitely do a lot with it.

Glad to have you on board.

[RhetoricUni]

BLKTANK - Thank you for the warm welcome.

spleify - Also thanks for the warm welcome. Your 60gal thread is most impressive. Your very talented and have a fantastic tank.

So a little update – I’ve had the tank up and running for just about 3 weeks. As you can see I’m currently growing some delicious looking red slime. I’ve been working diligently to get my nitrate down to a functional level. When I tested the water 3 weeks ago it was around 50. I’ve done 4 20 gallon water changes in 3 weeks. I cut feeding down to once a day and very sparingly.

I’ve listed off my current tank specs best to my abilities.
Coralife lights
2 10,000k 65watt
2 Actinic 65watt
Berlin turbo skimmer
Bio-balls in the sump

Been feeding a frozen blend of sea “stuff”

According to my test kits

PO4 = .01
N03 = 4

My LFS guy said I should remove the bio balls. So I will be doing that tonight with a serious water change, trying to scrub off as much of the red algae as possible. Hopefully this will help get the growth under control. We’ll see what happens.


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792rs_tank_4-17-09.jpg
The red slime!!

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792rs_red_slime2_4-17-09.jpg
It's thick and growing everywhere!

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792rs_red_slime3_4-17-09.jpg
Any guesses as to what it is?

[RhetoricUni]

I’m still fighting the fight.

The red algae seem to be on a recession, only to have the green algae marching forward.

I made a few additions. I'll start building my new refuge in a couple weeks. Until then I added ghetto chaeto to the tank to help control the NO3. I also added a Phosban and am running rowaphos. It has dropped the PO4 quite a bit in the last week or so. I just added the Chaeto hope it lives ok in there.

Also a couple questions if anyone is feeling helpful. I’ve got a purple sponge like growth. I’m less concerned about what it is and more concerned if it’s bad.

I’ve got several white cone shape growths that I’m also concerned about... Good or Bad?

Last I know I’ve got a couple aiptasia just haven’t brought myself to "pulling them out" yet.

Ghetto Chaeto
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792May_-_1.jpg

Purple "stuff"
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792May_-_2.jpg

White cones
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792May_-_4.jpg

what I believe are aiptasia
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792May_-_3.jpg

Thanks for tuning in feed back is most welcome.

[RhetoricUni]

Looking for some help here, I’ve been up and down these forums and every other site I know trying to figure out what the purple stuff is. It begun multiplying and growing everywhere.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792May_-_2.jpg

[BrassMonkey]

doing a great job for someone who had to jump into it like this.

thats red slime algae. you normally see it after a tank cycles and goes away as the tank matures.

white growth is probly a sponge.

did you use new sand?

that looks like it was a fish only tank, i wonder if he ever dosed copper.

that rock has been saturated with phosphate, not sure how long it will take for it to leach back out.


id start looking for a clean up crew, you can start with 2 turbo snails and like 30 astrea snails.


good luck

[BeanMachine]

Red Slime = Cyanobacteria

Continue to do what you've been doing... its just going to take time.

Bean

[1DeR9_3Hy]

I did not see anyone mention it, but before removing all the bio balls at once take a second and remember there purpose (to provide surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize).

Now that you have done that, think about what would happen if your removed ALL of them at once? It would be pretty rough on your tank...

Remove only a few at a time, maybe once a week until they are all gone. Then your good to go :)

[Rich D]

be patient with the cyano, it takes a very long time to get rid of. I have had it for many months but it slowly will recede. You could get a few emerald crabs too, they like to much on all sorts of algae in my tank. I would suggest purchasing a polyfilter at your LFS to see if there is any copper in the tank. A copper test kit is unlikely to detect much, if any. Looks like your doing well so far. Keep it up.


ps. remember your water changes!!!

[RhetoricUni]

Brassmonkey - I didn’t put any new sand in the tank. I did stir it up quite a bit on my first couple water changes (siphon the bottom). I also have added some hermit crabs that seem to be clipping some of the green back. I added a few Turbo Snails (4) and only 1 is still living.

1DeR9_3Hy – Thanks for the tip… a bit late though. Makes sense what you are saying; guess I just made a knee jerk reaction. I pulled the bio-balls out the night I posted 4/16/09. The fish are still a live wonder if it has to do with the lost snails.

bubbles129129 – I have no idea what a polyfilter does but I’ll be reading up.

The LFS has me adding Biofuel - Carbon Source everyday. I see some coralline starting to pop up so I assume its helping.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

One final thought, when I purchased the 4 snails they had the foulest Odor you could imagine. Do all snails smell like something decaying? Or did I just buy some already dead snails? I'm a bit shy of buying anymore snails at this point, as I hate to just have them all die again.

[andygb54303]

one sure fire way to kill the red slime is to give the tank a dark out period of like 3 days. This stuff needs light and doing this will pretty much diminish it.

[Ken_wied]

the "cone growths" may be Pineapple sponges. Another good filter feeder in your tank IMO

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/ken_wied/TinyTubiculousTubeworm.jpg

[Rich D]

a polyfilter is just a white cotton looking thing, it will detect even the slightest amount of copper (or certain other metals) and will change color over the course of a week or two. Its like 7 bucks at most LFS's. I JUST HAD A REALIZATION! spongebob squarpants' house actually does have some fact behind it! hahaha ive had pineapple sponges in my tank for years and ive never realized that

[Uncle Salty 05]

Healthy snails should have no smell.
Snails need a long slow acclimation.
You are doing everything right, just keep up with your water changes and try the poly filter.
Try blowing the red slime off with one of the powerheads and removing it with a net, this will get the majority of it.

[RhetoricUni]

Little update - No pics

I dropped a polyfilter in tonight see what happens.

Picked a few cleaning crew over that last couple days, 8 nassarius snails, 6 margarita snails 2 emerald crabs and 3 peppermint shrimp. They all seem to be actively picking some of the build up away.

I still can't find any info on the purple growth. :confused:

[Reef'in Colorado]

You might try some activated carbon too.

Check out these local RC sites...lots of good reefers in the Denver metro area.

good luck!

Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado
http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=81

Denver Area Reef Club
http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=478

[ddinox64]

More water movement helps with the cyano too. As well as Ultra Life red slime remover for me. 2-4 days all gone along with replacing a powerhead that failed.

[Robamus]

Wow.. Very similar to my entrance into this hobby. I was "sold" into this by a guy I would call a "salesman." Just dont ask of what. Good luck and I know how you feel!

[RhetoricUni]

The poly filter doesn't seem to indicate any oddity in the water, just slowly turning a brown color.
Still plugging away trying to get my PO4 down. I've got the sump plans all drawn.
Now to find someone with the right tools to cut it all out.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792sump_phase_1.jpg

On another note I got this in the mail today! Sorry LFS
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792RO-DI.jpg

[ddinox64]

I doubt the LFS could compete at the price. I know, employees, insurance, rent, utilities, it all adds up.

I need to get mine out of the garage and in the house. Deals for parts keep slipping through my fingers. I need a night time job to be free during the day or something.

[RhetoricUni]

Things are shaping up nicely the red algae is almost completely gone. A nice Coraline growth has starting up. The GHA is still there but isn't spreading and MIGHT be on the recline.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792tank5-24-09.jpg

I thought I would make the leap and buy my first fish today. I picked up a Yellow tang and what the fish store had labeled "Gold Rim Tank". I think it looks just like a powder brown tang though. Either way they have already come out from hiding and are picking at some of my GHA :D
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792tangs_5-24-09.jpg

Tomorrow I plan on buying all the MATS for the Refuge build. Might be able to get it all cut down this week

[RhetoricUni]

Been a few months since I posted any kind of update. In June I picked up a good sized GBTA from a local reefer for 25$

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792anen.jpg

It split about 3 weeks ago and now I have 2!


http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/2177922_nems.jpg

[RhetoricUni]

After months of planning to do it I finally finished the Refuge today. I need to do a couple minor tweeks. Lift up the skimmer a little I think its to deep atm.

Also I bought a metal "work" light with a 60w 5500k light bulb. My question is will that be enough light for the Chaeto?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792refuge1.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/217792refuge2.jpg

[IridescentLily]

Wow, nice job with tank comeback! Looks great.
I'll be looking at this thread lots.

Thanks for posting this thread for us.