2 issues- Algae and Dying torch

[Masonjames]

Originally Posted by Kellyscoral

Hmmm - I may have had one too many tequila shots cause this is all clear as mud in my brain!!

Lol. Is this lasts night tequila or this mornings were talking about? Jks.

What needs clarifying? My point is simply this. Decide on the type of critters you wish to keep. Determine the enviromnet where they come from. And build your system around there needs. Some tools (like algae) can aid in creating an enviroment better suited to there needs, and some tools (like algae) can give you a leg down in creating an enviroment better suited to there needs.

[reefwithareefer]

Alright.
So I took the opinion that I had too many nutrients in my tank and tried to figure out from where etc.
I decided my sandbed was probably the culprit. It varies from 1" to 3 inches.I took it all down to about 3/4" deep.

I also took out that sediment filter cloth.

I did a 20% water change after removing eveything.

There is hardly any algae/diatoms growing on the glass after three days.

Another funny thing has happened as well. The one LPS that has been closed for 3 weeks has all of a sudden popped open a lil. All three heads are open. I also have some kind of nuisance "polyp" I am not sure what it is called, but J&L was selling some and said it spreads quickly, needs nutrients and can be a nuisance if allowed to spread. All of it is shrinking and disappearing from my Zoa garden.

The torch is continuing to die. A few strands are left.

A fella came by and got my free sand and confirmed it was not brown jelly and could not see why it was dying. Then again, maybe the nutrients were an issue for it.

So thanks for all the input everyone. Much appreciated.

[reefwithareefer]

Not sure when I first posted this thread, but I figured that I would pass on what happened the other day while at J&L.
I never solved the issue of the reddish brown algae that coakes my glass within a few days, even after buying all sorts of "chemicals", doing water changes more often, cleaning rocks etc etc. The algae always persisted.
I use carbon and Rowa Phos etc and nothing changed. I used the recommended amounts etc.

So here is what experience taught me the other day. I go into J&L looking for some product that I forgot what its name was. Jeff was there and I tried explaining what I wanted, as I forgot the name. He said he never sold anything like that before. I said it was to remove phosphate, came in little white cubes etc etc. Conversation carried on until he remembered the product I was looking for and that it was for removing nitrates, not Phos.

I explained my issue of the algae on my glass and he said that Rowa phos is the product to use. I stated that I had been using it for a year but the amount of algae never changed. Jeff asked how much I was using and I told him that I followed the instructions and he said that I was way off for my 400 gal tank. I should be using 4 times the amount I had been...

$237.00 later, I found my self walking out of there with a bucket "O" Rowa...
Put a liter in my reactor and two days later I have almost zero algae build up on the glass.

So much for following the manufacturers instructions, is the lesson learned. It may not answer why my phosphate levels are so high, as my test kit says none are detected. All I know is that with a fews words from Jeff, I no longer have to scrub my glass every night.

Thanks Jeff