New here with a wierd question

cyborg

Reefing newb
Hey everyone, my names Jim. I run a tattoo studio and when we built the shop one of my artists insisted on building 75 gallon tank into on of the walls so it allows for view into one of the rooms. Shortly after he set up the tank, he left the shop leaving me in charge of the tank. I've learned to take care of it from trial and error and asking questions at the local salt water pet store.

Currently I have (pardon my gross misuse and spellings of these) 4 chromis, a blue devil, a sail fin tang, 2 black clowns and 2 fire gobies, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimps, an anemone, some kenyan tree corals, a bubble coral, hammer coral, a toadstool and some mushrooms.

When the tank was set up, the guy that did it used expanding foam to adhere all of the live rock together. He had been told that it was non toxic. We haven't had any problems EXCEPT, Ive been fighting hair algae for a while now, and any algae eaters I buy only last a few days and then die off (probably gone through 20-30 snails and 4 nudibrancks). The levels are all fine in the tank. My concern is that the algae eaters, while grazing on the hair algae are eating the expanding foam and thats whats killing them.

Does anyone have any experience with tanks that have used expanding foam and had this problem? or is it just bad luck with these little guys?
 
Welcome to the site! :D

For starters, I think you have the hair algae problems due to an over stocked tank. You should only have, at most, 7, maybe 8 fish in there. Plus the sail fin tang is gonna have to go (they require a tank that's at least 180g). I suggest starting off by getting rid of him. If I had to choose another to get rid of it would be the damsel (blue devil) cuz they're mean a$$holes LOL

Hopefully the expanding foam doesn't have silica in the ingredients -- silica I think ups your phosphates, which algae thrives on. so if it has it, it might be contributing to the algae.

Can you post all your parameters? We need ammonia, nitrites, nitrates for starters, and everything else you can check.
 
I agree with Wonton, remove the sailfin, and post us some parameters. If you have any way of getting in touch with that guy and finding out what type of adhesive foam it was that would be great. We could then find out if it contains toxic materials or silicates.
 
cool, I'll check the parameters hopefully today if its not to busy here at the shop.

I'll try to get the brand of foam he used, but he mostly have forgotten the name (knowing him).

I've been told damels are jerks, when we first put him in the tank, it was chaos, but we've had him and the other guys for about 7 months now, and everyone seems to be getting along.

Hypothetically, if the foam he used is toxic or contains silicates, would I have to pretty much take apart the tank, remove the foam and use something like aquarium putty?
 
ok, he says the brand of foam he used was Do It Best Expanding Foam. I've done some quick searching for it, and not a whole lot comes up about it.
 
Tell him next time he should stick with epoxy to glue rocks together :) I'm sure someone will chime in about that brand.

But you should still get rid of the sailfin, even if he seems to be getting along fine. He will outgrow that tank. Plus like I mentioned, your tank is overstocked, which causes higher nitrates from more waste, causing the algae bloom. Plus when you top off the water, do you use tap or rodi? The nitrates in tap can cause algae issues. And make sure you have plenty of flow in the water.
 
Yea, I'm quickly learning that he didn't know as much as we thought about tanks. :/

We have a RO unit for top off water and waterchanges
 
I didn't know there were salt water algae eaters what are they called?

What kind of clean up crew do you have in there? Maybe you need some more snails and crabs.
 
I don't know about that type of foam but I do know that the Great Stuff expanding foam has been used in reef tanks without causing any issues ( as far as algae and toxic chemicals goes).
 
I don't know about that type of foam but I do know that the Great Stuff expanding foam has been used in reef tanks without causing any issues ( as far as algae and toxic chemicals goes).

I would believe that the Do It Best foam is the generic store brand of Great Stuff. There are a few Do It Best hardware store franchises around my area.
 
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you aboard. How are you acclimating your snails and crabs to your tank? They need to be drip acclimated for at least an hour before you place them in your tank, our else you put them in shock, and cause them to slowly die.
 
Hi and welcome! That foam is reef safe. Many people have used it in their tanks without ill effects.

Since your inverts seem to be dying, I'd guess it's either your water parameters or something in the water -- like copper. You should run a full battery of tests and post the results -- temperature, salinity, pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. And test for copper too.
 
ok, sorry for the delay in getting back to everyone.

So here's the stuff I tested for with an API Reef Master Test Kit:

Calcium: 420 mg/l
carbonate hardness: 6dkl
Phosphate: .25ppm
Nitrate: o ppm

The tank is usually around 78 degrees. Has spiked sometimes, mostly due to our central air breaking.
For the salinity its about 1.025 on the hydrometer.

I have 2 250w metal halides. I have them turn on at 1130 am and off at 8 pm. It does get a lot of sunlight regardless because part of the tank is in the waiting room, and unfortunately I can't keep the shades drawn when we are open.

I have recently cut back on feedings and I'm already seeing that the algae isn't coming back as quickly.

Also I have a phoshorreactor that I have activated charcol and phosguard that I change every 1-1.5 months.
 
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you aboard. How are you acclimating your snails and crabs to your tank? They need to be drip acclimated for at least an hour before you place them in your tank, our else you put them in shock, and cause them to slowly die.


I acclimate them slowly. Usually have them in the bag with a few holes poked in them for about an hour to an hour and a half before putting them in.
 
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