Hello! 10 gal reef newbie to this forum

Hello! I have been posting in another site very similar to this one for the last several months. The other site frequently has interruptions in service, so, although I like it and the hobbyists there, I decided to switch to this site in hope that it won't be down when I need to know or share something.

I started in SW with a 1 gal nano in June of 2005. I ran that (some LR, one yellowtailed damsel, some hitchiker inverts) for a month before I upgraded to an old 10 gallon tank I had from FW days. I started with FW equipment and slowly built up my tank with about 15 lb. LR and sand, some shells and snails, the same yellowtailed damsel and new hitchikers (from the old and the new rock. I then decided to upgrade lighting and keep a few corals. For water quality purposes I beefed up my cleanup crew and added a planted section in the tank. Here is my tank today; I call it a "dirty" reef because I have had to accept green hair algae as part of the tank's flora until very recently, having lost all my battles with it.



I recently decided to mount a major offensive against the hair algae by adding more circulation and some protein skimming to reduce the deposited detritus and waterborne nutrients that feed it. To do this I ordered (please don't scream) a Skilter 250 ( not in the photo) because it doubled my water movement volume and covered a larger percentage of my tanks' surface with it's wider return weir. It also has a clear sump, large enough for some macro-algae (with the retrofitting of a light source), and, of course, the venturi skimmer! Needless to say, once I saw/heard it in action I immediately searched the web for cures for the noise and the bubbles. I closed the venturi valve, fed tubing from an air pump through the bottom of the skimmer stack to a wooden air block through the drilled bottom of a 35mm plastc film canister. This eliminated the noise and the bubbles completely. The skimmer has been running two days now, and it's foaming. The foam is a bit wet and white, but the liquid it condenses into is greenish. I also drilled an overflow hole above the water return weir of the power filter section, which I may pipe into the power filter as a precaution this weekend. I haven't had enough liquid for an overflow, but I guess it could go out of whack and do it one of these days. As I develop a better touch I hope to be able to get dryer skimmate, but at least I know it's working. I may extend the skimmer column and loose the collection tray lid if I need to, to get better foam...

I will try list my tank contents as my signature after I post this. I water change and test weekly, and my parameters are within good ranges in Temp, Salinity, Alkalinity, Ph, KH, NO2, NO3, Ca, PO4, Iodide Iodine and Fe.

I will continue to report on progress with the hair algae. I also appreciate any advice/comments on improving the Skilter (please no 'throw it in the garbage' advice - I've heard that one already) or on defeating green hair algae.



ragc ;D

 

Welcome to 3Reef!

Tank looks nice

 

Yes, welcome to our little world! I like the plants, rare for a saltwater tank.
If your skimmer is making foam, then it's working. Don't worry about it.
I'm battling hair algae myself, and find that manually removing it seems to work the best. Watch your nitrates (get them below 20ppm) and check your phosphates. If you are using conditioned tap water (instead of Reverse Osmosis purified water), that can be a source of both!

 

Thanks! I like the plants because they make the tank seem more natural. They help with water quality by depriving algae of nutrients (but not enough to defeat the hair algae) and provide daytime hiding places for my urchin and crab. I have to trim them frequently though, because they want to take over and shade the coral. That is probably why they are rare... (and heck, as a SW newbie I thought they were the thing to do, like in my FW tanks! ).

I "make" my R/O water with a Kent Barebones unit.

 

What is that caleurpa? Nice, although the plant is taking about 25% of the tank space.

 

12% is closer to reality...(there is space in front and behind it) I don't know what it is called, but I thought caleurpa was the curly spaghetti-like stuff, but I could be wrong. I got it at a local LFS and forgot the name they told me!

 

Nice looking little tank!!!!I have the same kind of Caulerpa. It is very hardy and grows fast.
Welcome to 3reef!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!enjoy

 

Thank you. I find the caleurpa (if that is what it is) is pretty hardy considering that I cut it down severely and otherwise mistreat it to keep it from taking over. I also keep my iron down to close to zero to discourage the green hair and it doesn't seem to mind. On the other hand, with the strong circulation I have in the tank, the leaves are always moving and not collecting detritus or algae, so it's nice and fresh looking, and adds movement. Overall, while admiring and respecting those hobbyists that are much more serious than I and keep plantless tanks for the benefit of their expensive (and beautiful) corals, I do not regret at all the decision to have my tank planted (long sentence meaning I like it!). ;D

 

Welcome! You might want to consider a bicolor blennie or a small emerald crab to help with the hair algae. Also, chaetomorpha is the algae that looks like curly spaghetti.

Nice tank!, I like the look of macro algae in a tank too. I used to do the same until I added a Tang to my reef tank.

 

Thanks, RAVEN. For some reason my signature does not apear in all posts...been fiddlin' with it. It lists my tank occupants, including my emerald. He was great with bubble algae, but tends to leave the hair alone, in spite of him apparently messing with it in this photo.