Advices need it on my coverted 30 gals tank

[minireefer]

Brown ditoms(algae)are common in new tank setups.You can take a turkey baster and spray down you rocks.Most of it should come and be sucked into your fliter or skimmer.The sand you can use the baster on aswell just becareful or you will get a sand storm.Another option is to just stir the sand lightly with a finger.The skimmer you got is a bad skimmer just watch the pump wic really s the only differance from a CPR.If it decides not to pull enough brown sludge once your system matures than justr change the pump for a higher quality one.

 

[kkw30806]

Okay Jasen, I will try your advise on the rock and sand. See if it helps. As for the pump for the skimmer, what pump do you recommend? Do I a stronger pump to make more bubbles? THanks...

 

[minireefer]

I would just leave the pump be for now if it is pull good.CPR make a bubble trap that works well I believe it might work on this skimmer aswell.

 

[kkw30806]

You might be right. I don't know if I am not calibrating the air hole right, I only have a little bit of the brown/black stuff came out from the skimmer 2 days ago. Since then, I haven't seen any stuff come out yet. Any suggestion? Because of my tank is still new, do you think that why it's not working right? Or might be just I am not calibrating right. Currently I have the air setting all the way to the max. :|

 

[minireefer]

Just give the skimmer some time.When they are new they have to brake in before they give the best collection.You are corect with your idea that your tank is new,and also you are not feeding any livestock so the skimmer will not collect as much dark skimmate.

 

[jhnrb]

You have provided light, and food/nutrients to the system. so algae is what you get when there is nothing to control it. at this point I would add a couple snails. astea type to start. add a couple and see if they go to work on the algae. if so and it continues to get out of hand add a few more, and maybe several different types. this is the start of the clean up crew.

 

[kkw30806]

Ok... sounds good. I will start on my clean crew this weekend. I am also planning to do a 10% water change on my tank. Should I do the water change first before I get the snail or it doesn't matter?

 

[jhnrb]

Water change = GOOD. remember even snails need to be aclimated.

 

[kkw30806]

Got my snails on saturday. Currently waiting patiently. Algae problem got a little better I say. Snails are on the top of the rocks slowly moving around and the trails that they left seems like it got cleaner. I don't know if they actually ate the algae of what...???

 

[jhnrb]

Sounds like you are on your way. just watch and test. your system will tell you when you need to add more cleanup crew and when it is ready for larger additions. slowly and patiently will reward you long term.

 

[kkw30806]

Thanks John for the advise. I have 2 more questions though.

1.) My ProPack skimmer (Bak Pak look alike) seems to be working and I read some of the articles from the this site and other sites that the kind of skimmer that I am using, many people have the same difficulty on adjusting (fine tuning) on the air intake. Currently, the skimmer's air intake is all the way out and making lots and lots of bubbles (big and small). It's collecting some water yellow color like water. Am I suppose to get small bubbles all the time and what's the best way to gauge it? Any common on that?

2) Snails & hermit crabs are doing fine but I think the algae is catching up. Should I or should I not live the light on for more than 5 hours (for now). Also, do you guys think it's a good time to add a Cleaner shrimp in the tank? Readings are normal at this point...

THanks for reading....

 

[minireefer]

I would consider a bak pak bubble trap they are about 15-17 dollars.Here is a page from the bak paks trouble shooting pdf.Small air bubbles returning to the tank The surface tension of the water has been increased by the addition of additives,
medications, or conditioners. Disable the protein skimmer by submerging the airline
into the water (remove muffler first) or shutting off the air valve for 24 hours. Many
products contain chemicals which will still be present in the aquarium after 24 hours.
Running the protein skimmer as well as the use of activated carbon will help to remove
compounds which may be affecting surface tension.
The salinity is too high. Lower the salinity to 1.023.
The aquarium has just been cleaned or water has been changed. Synthetic salt mixes
often contain conditioners which increase the surface tension of the water. Bubbles
should disappear within 24 hours.
The air line is clogged with detritus or salt creep. This will increase the water flow rate
and possibly sweep the bubbles from the skimmer chamber back into the tank before
they can dissipate. The airline should be cleaned every two weeks.
The Bio-Bale has been removed. The Bak-Pak 2 is designed so that a small amount of
air escapes into the Bio-Bale chamber to support the bacteria. If you decide to use the
Berlin method of filtration and remove the Bio-Bale you may purchase the Bak-Pak
Bubble Trap (BPBT) which slides into the chamber, or the NBT Bubble Eliminator,
which slides over the outlet of the Bak-Pak 2.
The bubble trap is plastic with a sponges inside to help with output volosity.
My coralife skimmer has on that help plenty.Also you might be able to run the ouput in to a fitted sponge.(1 thick sponges and cut out hole the size of the output tube but not all the way trough and insert)This might help for now.

 

[kkw30806]

THanks Jasen, I will try that. Currently I have my airline val close up a little bit, so not too much air will goes in. Skimmer still working. Just checked. Will try your method too...... btw, how do you lower the salinity? I have been adding R/O fresh water back into the tank to cover the evaporated water. It's still measure as 1.024... any suggestion?

 

[minireefer]

As the water evaporates the salinity will rise.When you add fresh ro to replace the evaporated water it will balance back out.Anyway in my opinion 1.024 is a good reading for a reef.That what mine is at.Seawater is usually around 1.025 I know the above page from back pack states 1.023 this just a general setting.What tempature is the water? Tempature increase decrease will change salinity as well.Maybe others will post there salinity readings

 

[jhnrb]

As with other things there will be seveal opinions out there on salinity and all. I run my systems at 35ppt or 1.025. natural sea water is 1.025 except around outlets of rivers and such. If you have animals from locations near river outlets or high fresh water run off then 1.023 will problably be just fine, if you try your hand at some of the more difficult corals you will want to try and maintain full strength sea water. If you keep a lower salinity, you must adjust your other parameters as well. salinity will read different at different temperatures, alkalinity, carbonate hardness, ph, and others must be adjusted if you do not keep full strength sea water. inclosing dont worry, pick the person who you want to follow and go with it. you will find the spot eventually that works best for you. hope this didnt muddy the waters. happy fishin.

 

[kkw30806]

Minor algae problem

Hey guys... since my last post on the brown algae outbreak, it has been controlled somewhat by hermit crabs and snails. Still, I have some black hair like algae growing on my rocks which the crabs and snails won't eat it. I read couple of the articles which suggested to put in a Lawnmower blenny to clean out the algae. Is it too soon for me to do it or is there anyway to get rid of it? Please advice.

p.s. btw the tank is about 3 weeks old. All tests came out normal so far...

Oh... sorry, one more question, since the tank (rocks & sand) are pretty clean now, there's not much things (algae) for them to eat. What should I feed them?

THanks guys...
Jack

 

[jhnrb]

If your clean up crew has cleaned up the system well enough that food source is now a problem you have too many clean up members and need to take a few back to the lfs for credit. if the crabs do not have food they will canibalize each other to survive and also attact the snails. only keep things in your system that contribute to the system and not just take from it. if the crabs are not contributing any longer reduce them drastically or remove them.

Salarias Fasciatus (Bloch, 1786)
Jeweled Rockskipper (Jeweled Blenny, Lawnmower Blenny)

-max. length 5.1 in.
-range Indo Pacific
-Min. Aquarium size; 55 gal
-Foods & Feeding; Vegetable matter, including frozen and dried foods containing marine algae and the blue green alga spirulina. Does best if a crop of microalgae (its natural source of food) is present in the aquarium.
-Aquarium Suitability 4 out of 5.
-Reef Aquarium Compatibility; May nip at stony corals and clam mantles. Its feeding activity stirs up sediment, putting detritus into syspension where it can be removed by mechanical filters.
-Captive care; This is a utility fish acquired by many aquarists to help control filamentous and film algae. (it will leave curious, full lipped kiss marks on the walls of the aquarium where it rasps away algal growth.) May starve in tanks that are not well established or that have insufficient algae. large individuals will attack fish tankmates, including other blenny species, especially in smaller aquariums. Keep singly, unless in a large system or if a male/female pair is obtained. Never keep with seahorses or pipefishes, which it will harass. Keep us posted. hope this helps.

 

[kkw30806]

Thanks for the info John. I will get one probably this weekend. I did my first 10% water change over the weekend. So far so good. Will keep monitoring the tank.

 

[kkw30806]

Hi everyone,
I bought a Lawnmower blenny 2 days ago and I got home from work yesterday and found it was dead in the bottom of the tank. :( Does anyone know why? I checked the water and everything seem to be fine. It was moving around yesterday morning before I went to work. Any idea why or did I do something wrong? Please advice!
THanks,
Jack

 

[jhnrb]

Any new additon needs to be watched very carefully the 1st week. if your other fish are stressing it then could be the problem, however, i suspect something else is wrong. not enough information to make a reasonable guess as to what your problem might be. sorry. suggest you do a complete water parameter check. post all findings here. check temperabure, any other items that do not seem right, are the fish breathing fast, have you had copper in the tank at any time, have you added anything to the system that is not of marine origin, what are you presently adding to the system on a regular basis if anything. if you read any ammonia or nitrites you should not add anything to the system. for now let your system mature and just sit tight for the next couple months if all is still well you might try another addition.