90 Gallon Setup - HELP - Advice Needed -

Hi All,
I just wanted to first say how wonderful the site is. It has been a wonderful resource.

Here is my setup

90 Gallon Glass with built in overflow.
440 Watts VHO (On 8 hours a day)
300 Watt heater
Surge 3500 Return
3 MaxiJet 600 Power Heads
Wet Dry Filter with Bio Ball Media
Excalibur Skimmer with Rio Pump (Produces full cup every 3 to 5 days)
Tsunami Top Off System
120 lbs of LS (about 4 inches)
125 lbs of LR

Tank is 6 weeks old and I have done 1 water change.
Nitrites are 0. Nitrates 20 ppm
PH 8.2
Temp stays at 77 F to 81 F
Lights timed to 10 hours a day. Moon lights at night.
I have just added 2 Crabs, 5 turbos, and 10 hermits.

I have 5 specific issues. Here they are.

1. Algae and Bacteria. I have a ton of brown algae on some of the rock and I have a lot of green algae that I have to clean off the glass every other night. I am also seeing bubble algae colonies starting to bud. Is this normal and what should I do to fix this?

2. Wet Dry Filter. I have got a lot of build up in the wet dry and I was wondering if I should be cleaning this? I think it is causing too much junk to be floating in the water. I see alot of particles.

3. Tons of Copods. I have them everywhere. It is almost out of control. Is this normal.? If not what do I need to do to fix it.

4. Power Head Placement. Sending pics in next posts. Are they in the right place and do I have powerheads that will give me right flow for coral growth. If not, what do you suggest?

What should I be doing now? Do I have the right equipment? - if not, what do you suggest I should be using or doing differently. I have no direction other than this site and some other stuff I have been reading. I do not know whether to trust the LFS yet. So far the have been great but sometimes contradictory to what I have read on this site.

Do I need any other types of equipment to improve water clarity?

Please give me some direction if possible because I keep racking my brains trying to make sure I do not mess up. To much invested to make mistakes.

Sending Pics In just a minute.

 

Pic of tank - week1

 

Pic of Current Tank condition

 

Pic of sump and everything.

 

Powerhead placement

 

do I need to clean this stiff up in the wet dry filter.

 

Doc,
Your Nitrates are a little high and also you should test for phospates. One thing that I saw is that you are still using bio balls in your sump, and bio balls are a nitrate factory. You should remove the bioballs, but do it very slowly like a 1/3 a week until they are gone so you don't promote an ammonia spike. You can replace them with liverock rubble.

Do you use tap water or RO/DI water? Tap water can contain high levels of phospates that can contribute to algae problems. I would highly recommend getting an RO unit if you don't already. You can get them pretty cheap off of Ebay.

Copepods are a sign that your tank is doing good, I wouldn't worry about them. If they get annoying purchase a fish that eats them like wrasses and gobies, there's more, maybe someone else can pitch in.

You can clean your sump if you wish I would siphon out the junk settling at the bottom. I myself don't worry about settling in the sump unless it gets thrown back into the display tank.

Also it is fairly normal to have algae outbreaks in such a young tank, this might be the case, but you should also start noticing Coraline Algae beginning to grow.

Sean

 

Man looks great! 8)

I gotta split for work but here's my rapid run down...


Get a blue pad to put on the egg crate above the bio balls... this will cut down on the debris in the sump. But it won't get rid of it completely, everybody's sump will have some. I do! If it gets really bad you can vac it out but I haven't done that.

(I don't agree about the 'nitrate factory' thing with wet/drys that is a internet tumble weed that won't die! PEOPLE THEY JUST DON't BREAK DOWN NITRATES. THEY DO NOT PRODUCE THEM!! ) That said, with that much rock, you don't need them, but I wouldn't rush in to anything unless you need the room. You are getting oxygen induced there and it won't clog as easy as rubble or crushed coral.

Pods are normal, good sign.

Algae is normal in a new tank. You just have to ride it out.. check out the algae board for more.

Powerheads look pretty good to me. How is the circulation over all? Good circulation may help reduce algae.

 

Matt I agree with you about the bio balls, (Urban myth?)Maybe so?   I still have them in my Wet/Dry with a Blue filter pad in the filter tray and my nitrates are 0, But I do also have a refugium with a lot of Grape Caulerpa Macro Algae in it. I also agree with you that if you  keep as much debris as possible from getting trapped in the bio balls then they will only add to the suffice aria of your bio filter (Did you say that?) JMO then LOL ;D.............. John

 

i would say your tank is still pretty young i would suggest getting sum macro algae and put it in your sump this will help remove nutreints that alot of nuisance algaes use A good macro algae is Chaetomorpha also known as brillo pad or spaggeti algae very good stuff its on e-bay right now for 11.99 + 6.85 shipping and no im not the one selling it or check out the lfs they might be able to help I would also suggest getting alot more snails i have a 50 tall and i have at least 40 snails they do a great job of keeping the glass clean i also have about 35 hermit crabs they are great scavengers your nitrates could be from your filter pads not getting cleaned enugh?? just an idea copepods are great additions to any reef in fact i would say they are a great source of live food for your fish or corals in the future keep up the great work it will get better it just takes time