New tank syndrome! Argh!

mrhasan · #1 02-20-2016, 01:19 AM

Third week in and I can see hair algae (the brown version). Doing 5 gallon WC (volume around 20 gallon) every 3 days and also dosing prodibio. Got two clowns, 1 lawnmower blenny and a cleaner in there right now. Skimmer seems to have broken in but still not pulling out nasty stuffs apart from suspended things. I did overfeed the tank while trying to get the clowns to eat but have been doing water change ever since. Nitrate reads below 1 and phosphate reads below 0.1. Not really sure how this got in (probably through the LR) and how it is feeding on nutrient (got a pretty powerful skimmer and the skimmer isin't pulling much out so there's not a whole lot of organic floating around the tank). I have never got hair algae (got almost every other algae but not hair) in previous tank. Oh well, I will just have to let it run out of its course. Pretty upset since I started of with all the precautions (LRs were cured for almost 3 weeks) but still, the hair algae somehow found its way in. BTW these are brown hair algae right? There no bubbles coming out so pretty sure they are not dinos.

AquaAddict · #2 02-20-2016, 03:55 AM

could be a water flow problem - most critical
could reduce light levels

often water tests are not accurate because only the water column is tested. Nitrates esp. like to hang out in nooks and crannies, raise big families and grow even bigger gardens -hence need for high water flow in the right directions so you may need to experiment a little.

You are also taking things too fast. This is a very patient hobby. Three weeks is too soon to have a completely cycled and balanced tank.

AquaAddict

iamfrontosa · #3 02-20-2016, 04:08 AM

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep doing water change and it will go away. Maybe get more snails in there.

mrhasan · #4 02-20-2016, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AquaAddict

could be a water flow problem - most critical
could reduce light levels

often water tests are not accurate because only the water column is tested. Nitrates esp. like to hang out in nooks and crannies, raise big families and grow even bigger gardens -hence need for high water flow in the right directions so you may need to experiment a little.

You are also taking things too fast. This is a very patient hobby. Three weeks is too soon to have a completely cycled and balanced tank.

AquaAddict

I am gradually increasing the flow since an RW04 seems to blow everything around in the tank.

Thanks for the info on nitrate, didn't know about that. Someone should manufacture a nitrate probe to poke around the rocks to get reading for the nitrate

Tank is cycled that is for sure (LR from the ocean, barely half a day out of the water, three weeks cycled before going into the tank) unless I dump in fishes (which I won't) but it is definitely far from finding its balance. Plus I am a bit of an impatient guy and won't argue with that

mrhasan · #5 02-20-2016, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamfrontosa

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep doing water change and it will go away. Maybe get more snails in there.

Not worried, just irritated

Apparently, Calgary is running dry in terms of livestocks now-a-days. Even finding some CUCs are like digging up diamond in a coal mine.

iamfrontosa · #6 02-20-2016, 05:57 AM

maybe low Canadian dollars.

soapy · #7 02-20-2016, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhasan

Not worried, just irritated

Apparently, Calgary is running dry in terms of livestocks now-a-days. Even finding some CUCs are like digging up diamond in a coal mine.

You could join in the J&L invert order.

mrhasan · #8 02-20-2016, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soapy

You could join in the J&L invert order.

Thought about it but then went hunting around the city and found what I was looking for