What would you do?

[royy13]

My tank crashed big time. I had bubble algae, hair algae, and cyano. I pulled all the rocks to bleach, and acid wash them for my new tank that I am upgrading to. I left my old 20 long tank running with my sand, coral, and a marine pure block in the sump. For sh*ts and giggles I started vodka dosing 1 ml a day directly over the marine pure block. Within two weeks my algae is decreasing at an amazing rate. So my question is; When I set up the new tank do I just transfer the marine pure block to the new tank without sterilizing it, or sterilize it to kill off the algae spores? I am afraid of that bubble algae getting in the new tank, but on the other hand, the marine pure block must be housing some effective anaerobic bacteria that is srarting to starve out the algae.

Advice please,
Roy

[mcgyvr]

Well.. you had those issues because you didn't take sufficient care/steps to ensure low nutrient/DOC levels... So if you aren't looking hard at what you did wrong last time then you will likely suffer the same fate.. What you do with the marine pure block is basically irrelevant.. ;)

[Wandering]

I would do a sterile restart.

[royy13]

I am thinking the same way, Wandering. Don’t want that bubble algae coming back. Thanks mcgyvr, your comments are very helpful. Since you brought it up, my nutrient problem had to be my sand. The tank was not overstocked, fed 1/2 a cube a day, and I do 25% weekly water changes. I also have a skimmer and siphon my sump. I have had tanks for over 15 years. The same thing happened to my 90 years ago. I am thinking bare bottom, or a very shallow sand bed for the next tank so it can be cleaned easier.

[Frogmanx82]

Fluconazole worked for me. I had a very bad hair algae situation and after a tank seal failure I set up a new tank. Hair algae was coming right back. One dose and I’m still algae free 3 months later. Now using vinegar and some GFO to keep phosphate under control. I would do this over some harsher sterilization that would reduce the diversity of your tank.

[sde1500]

What were your nutrient levels measuring in the tank pre-crash? I'd say transfer the block. The vodka dosing was a good food source to get the bacteria fired up in the block, and a good combination to lower nutrients. But Mcgyvr is right, just restarting without knowing what caused the crash won't do much. Not sure why the sarcasm directed his way was necessary.

[ReefMaster48]

What were your nutrient levels measuring in the tank pre-crash? I'd say transfer the block. The vodka dosing was a good food source to get the bacteria fired up in the block, and a good combination to lower nutrients. But Mcgyvr is right, just restarting without knowing what caused the crash won't do much. Not sure why the sarcasm directed his way was necessary.

+1

But sarcasm? I either read stuff wayyy differently or just missed it..

[royy13]

My nitrates and phosphates were measuring as undetectable. I’m guessing because the algae was using them up. I’m pretty sure the problem was the sandbed crashing. I never vacuumed it. I always blew detritus out of my rock and siphoned any out of my sump. Never over fed. The sand was so nasty I figure that was the problem.

Roy

[royy13]

Reefmaster, I was surprised by the sarcasm comment too. Wasn’t meant to be sarcastic.

[ReefMaster48]

I would clean the block real good, just to get any more detritus off. Also, I run a bright white lamp in my sump to fuel any algae (dont get much), so that it grows in the sump rather then the DT.

Did you have a DSB? All sand needs to be vacuumed, so going forward, that seems like the "lesson". But DSBs are also know for causing problems, so going BB or just shallow will eliminate that.

What size take where you running and what are you going too?

[sde1500]

My bad, took some if that as sarcasm.

So to be direct, it is less the actual sandbed causing issues as it is lack of care for the sand bed. Regular cleaning of it would prevent issues. BB would as well of course. DSB only seem to cause issues when, again, they aren't cared for. Interesting though that you were reading no nutrients. What was the "crash"? Algae just overrunning everything?

[ReefMaster48]

My bad, took some if that as sarcasm.

So to be direct, it is less the actual sandbed causing issues as it is lack of care for the sand bed. Regular cleaning of it would prevent issues. BB would as well of course. DSB only seem to cause issues when, again, they aren't cared for. Interesting though that you were reading no nutrients. What was the "crash"? Algae just overrunning everything?

+1

Have a feeling it was a "crash", but that gave good reasoning to upgrade. lol Am I right? :thumbsup:

[royy13]

I recently read about vacuuming and cleaning the sand. Back in the old days it was a no-no to disturb the sand, but I see that thinking has changed as I started to research sandbeds crashing. So my latest tank was a 20 long. I’m moving to a 40 breeder. The crash was algae overrunning everything.