cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
Tank Issues
A couple months ago I finally got my tank connected back up to the basement sump but just before that I was fighting an issue with hair algae. After hooking up the 100 gal sump, skimmer and bio tower the algae all but disappeared in about a week. Well over the last 2 weeks teh hair algae has come back..Part of the problem I know is that my TDS has spiked and is running up near 300. That should be fixed in the a few days with the new RO unit on it's way and should arrive on Monday.
However I don't think it is the whole issue. I've noticed that the algae is even growing in patches on the substrate. After some exploration I found that my sandbed just doesn't have anywhere near the population of worms and pods that it once did and because of that there are lots and lots of dead spots. Since I near replaced the sand when the tank crashed it seems to be loaded with detrius from everything that died in there at the time. So I have decided to siphon out most of the sand and replace it with fresh substrate. I'm going to remove most of the sand on one side of the tank put in the new stuff and wait a couple weeks, then do the same on the other side. I've already removed a bunch of it during 2 large water changes but there is lots more to go.
|
CableGuy
- Total Posts : 167
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 286
- Joined:
- Status: offline
Hum... very interesting. I'll be following along with this... I would think if you seeded the tnak, the worms and pods would go crazy with all the gunk in the sand.
-Adam Learning more everyday!
|
Fishtal
The Prez
- Total Posts : 2529
- Scores: 10
- Reward points : 2772
- Joined:
- Location: Waterford, MI
- Status: offline
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
Actually the pods are doing pretty well in the tank overall. There are swarms of a calanoid copepods behind the back plates in the tank and you can see other copepods and amphipods on the glass and rocks. Every now and then you see a bristle worm here or there. I used to have lots of sand dwelling worms that just never came back when I reseeded the tank. My sandbed used to be just loaded with critters, I mean loaded.
I got to thinking the other day that the reason for that may have at least in some part been the result of a buy of seagrass a couple years ago. When I bought the seagrass it came with a bunch of mud which was just loaded with microfauna. I'm wondering if another seagrass buy is in my future!
|
Fishtal
The Prez
- Total Posts : 2529
- Scores: 10
- Reward points : 2772
- Joined:
- Location: Waterford, MI
- Status: offline
I have a ton of bristle worms if you want some.
|
CableGuy
- Total Posts : 167
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 286
- Joined:
- Status: offline
Yeah... Tal is not kidding either. A TON!
-Adam Learning more everyday!
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
I do have bristle worms it's actually the burrowing and medusa type worms that I need.
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
I wonder if Arc Katana is still willing to ship stuff here. A nice shipment of seagrass bed mud might be just want the Dr ordered here.
|
Fishtal
The Prez
- Total Posts : 2529
- Scores: 10
- Reward points : 2772
- Joined:
- Location: Waterford, MI
- Status: offline
He's shipping fish to Mike this week.
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
He already got back with me and is going to ship me some mud. I'm still going to proceed with my plan though and remove as much of the old sandbed as I can to export as much of the nutrients locked in there as I can.
|
mhowe9
Treasurer
- Total Posts : 1170
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 2467
- Joined:
- Location: Auburn Hills, MI
- Status: offline
I have had a similar issue. I didn't take the sand bed out but I reaquascape and added flow which I don't helps or not. I have same issue with the lack of pods and microfauna. I need get some live rock to reseed it. Could you reseed you system with some new rock. Were able to save any rock from when you tank crashed?
Is Arc sending the mud to me or directly to you?
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
The pods population is actually OK. I don't see any mysids in my system like I used to but I do have a good population of amphipods and copepods in my tank. It's just those worms which I'm probably not going to get from LR isince it's the sand dwelling worms that I want. The ones that make littel tunnels through the sandbed. Actually I don't know. He didn't say  I guess i just assumed that he was going to ship at a later date and I'd get him the details. If he ships to you first it isn't going to be much use to me as it will have lost all the good stuff by the time I could get it from you. I guess I should touch base with him and find out shouldn't I!
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
Sent Arc a PM to find out what the plan is.
I did get the RO unit in today and hooked it up. Now I'm getting 1TDS out of the new unit so that should help with part of my problems. I have done almost 100 gallons of water changes in the last two weeks and it hasn't hardly impacted the algae. That leads me to believe that I'm not diluting nutrients.
I am going to need to pick me up some more substrate too. This last weekend I bought 30lbs of Sea Floor special grade but I know that isn't going to be nearly enough to do the whole tank. I figure that I'm probably going to need at least 120-150 lbs.
|
AJ
- Total Posts : 1046
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 1554
- Joined:
- Location: Hillsdale, MI
- Status: offline
Is there actually less worms and such or is it possible that you just don't see them as much? Due to the agrocrete psuedosand border you installed?
|
CableGuy
- Total Posts : 167
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 286
- Joined:
- Status: offline
The algae will take a couple weeks to die off once you get the nutrients under control.
Give it time.
-Adam Learning more everyday!
|
mhowe9
Treasurer
- Total Posts : 1170
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 2467
- Joined:
- Location: Auburn Hills, MI
- Status: offline
Got my order from Arc.... no mud to be found
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
Actually with the size water changes I'm doing the change should be pretty quick. When I got the extra the 100 gallons hooked up in the basement the stuff nearly gone in a week. I've done (2) 45 gallon water changes in the past 2 weeks or so and it hasn't made much of an impact at all. AJ, The rock panels aren't in place yet. I didn't like the way they turned out and need to do some work on them to get them so they have the right color and look darn near seamless when in the tank. So far that isn't the case 
|
cmpenney
The Prez
- Total Posts : 3835
- Scores: 4
- Reward points : 1737
- Joined:
- Location: Reading, MI
- Status: offline
mhowe9
Got my order from Arc.... no mud to be found
Too bad..I'm sure it would have been a good help to kick start your system. I haven't heard back from Arc myself with how or when he was going to ship. But I'll keep you posted.
|
Rook
MASM Secretary
- Total Posts : 922
- Scores: 0
- Reward points : 1818
- Joined:
- Location: Grosse Pointe Park, MI
- Status: offline
If you remove the old sand be very careful. You could cause a melt down when you stir the sand up. IMO, I'm still 100% in favor of deep sand beds. In fact with a setup like you have I'd put in a 100 gallon tub that was 10" of sand and a huge growth of caulera prolifera. My old setup when I had a basement sump was virtually indestructable from nutrients.
|