Last Ditch effort before remodel!

I got my lights at home depot...didn't see those lights ...mine are by same manufacture ...only 5500 k and only using 27 watts...I have to think about this one now ......If i used two of them there lights ......that would be 130 watts total....and you are indicating that this light for yours appears to be just ok ? I wonder how two of them would be ?? and your actual water depth to the top of your sand is ??

 

Ok not to dump on anyones parade but I think the whole lighting thing is going in the wrond direction. I don't know about cheato but calupra I have tons of it. I really could be a farmer of calupra if someone would buy it. But here are the things that I have noticed in my setup and calupra. 1. my 36 yes it does have a halide light but in the dark tunnels that are made by pvc it still grows. 2. I have a 29 long for a fuge with walmart florecent bulb 5,500k temp. and I also only use one bulb on a reverse setup. The calupra has choked out the surface and the stuff under still grows like wild fire. This would lead me to belive that the problem that you are having is something other then light. I seen you paramiters and everything looks ok. maybe stop running your phosphate reactor as calupra and cheato will take care of this natrualy. you may be starving them out. But this is a very strange problem I hope all goes well with what ever you do I will be watching.

 

I kinda had the same issue, except I have the red slime I can't seem to get rid of. I put a Korilla circulator pump in the fuge and has been helping. The need for more water circulation in the sump without up-ing the gph to the DT was the issue.
If you want a stronger light, I got mine also from home depot, it wasn't enough, so I ordered one online from here:

Light Bulbs - Buy Light Bulbs Online at BuyLighting.com

Bought an extra just in case too. Keep us informed on how is going. We all learn from situations like this.

 

Not sure how you have this set up I see ball valve in the rear and it looks to be supplying tee in the bull headed posistion in the tank . Is that a HOB overflow on the fuge the black box looking thing on the left side ? How old is this tank ? and waht size was the tank and fuge again ?

 

It isn't exactly centered and the it's growing strongest on one side. I never had much nitrates and PO$ was always undetectable before the fuge. So I really don't know how much algae my nutrient load can sustain. Who knows if I will end up with a full fuge or not.

I'm not pulling any out until I can tell. I am pulling some sickly looking stuff out today just cause. I'll take a pic.

 

Tang,

Main Tank 90 Gallons : 100 lbs LR / 2" sand bed

Tank is a little over 2 months old, was started with well water that tests 0 for phosphates ( converted to DI water only about 3 weeks ago with ATO ) ....I had a very light Diatom outbreak at about 8 days after start up and the CUC took care of it very fast. Since the start up I had approx 1 Week over very low salinity 1.016 that i was unaware of ( 3 weeks ago ) lost some snails, but thats all. I have a small out break of I'm assuming Cyno in the DT...nothing major....small red spots here and there and I have increased the circulation in these area and seen improvement. The Main has been running great , I did have a time where I was getting high PO4, thats when I installed the PO4 reactor ( 3 weeks ago ) I did dose the tank with a PO4 reducer product as the levels were almost .15 ( this was during the low salinity period ) since then the Main tank has been great...clean...clear ...and fish are happy.

Refugium: approx 25 gallon acrylic HEX shaped

started it up about 4-5 weeks ago.....used same well water ( didn't have DI at that time ) used new sand and added a few LR from the main tank....its gravity flow teed off the return line from the DT w/ check valve to control flow. The inside of the Fuge I built a black box out of egg crate and surrounded it with screen to create a filter for the water leaving the tank....so nothing can float or crawl into the return ( thats the blk box ) I installed a MJ 1200 with a DIY spray bar to allow circulation within the tank. The intake for t he MJ 1200 in routed inside the black box to keep anything from clogging the intake for the pump...the spray bar was created from a adjustable tube that I can shorten / lengthen as I need. I adjust the check valve on the MJ according to how much circulation needed.

I estimated the flow coming into the fuge to 40-50 GPH by collecting the amount of water exiting into the sump ( time a gallon of water exiting then adjust the flow )
On 3 seperate occations I added a fresh bag of each macro ...the first with the smaller lights..... it all died ......the second I added the single home depoe 27 watt light with cone reflector.....died, but looked like it was doing better then the first attempt...I also noticed that 24/7 was the best results ( 2 days on reverse and i saw a noticable downward trend in color and brown tips ). 3rd attempt I added the second light ( same brand ) and added the 2 macos you see in the photo. 2 days later...Diatoms spreading into DT as well, added a sock to help stop the spread. CUC in the DT is happy i'm sure as they were running out of stuff to eat. But it was all over the glass daily in the DT, sock has slowed it down in DT

The diatoms in the Fuge are doubling daily with the amount on the sand and glass covered. My water tests are good and the DT was looking great.....I do have the avilability to shut the fuge off from water flow, but I just got a great start on pods in the fuge going.....I have little knowledge in saltwater, and has been a crash course since late december ...but My theory is lighting.....the depth is just to far down .....the plants keep dying releasing an undesireable amount of crap into the water system. I credit the total volume to the water quality thus far, but its catching up with itself.....

When my tank first cycled..I used 2 damsels and the LR....it was over in less then 2 wks ...I was surprised, but the LFS said it was due to the good rock ( just removed from the same tank 2 days prior I bought it used ) I was totally expecting a month wait and lots of diatoms...but all I got was a very lite dusting of brown, Half of what I have in the Fuge now.

Now you have the history....I was hoping you were gonna throw your 2 cents in Tangster. Lights just came on in the DT...sock not helping to much....brown is infiltrating into the DT....

This is by no means an Emergency ....just a learning curve I think I missed !! and possibly design flaw with the deeper fuge....I really don't wanna go Halide on the fuge if can avoid it !

Thanks

 

Got and idea while driving to work.... and this should help even if lighting is not the main problem

Paint about 6 inches of the exterior of the top of the tank ...or a decorative piece of trim.....lower the water level by 6" for better light penetration?? would also have to lower the bulkheads...that would give me about 12" to penetrate to the sand bed? And would I have to also lower the lights themselves..or just by removing the water would that be sufficient ??

or cut 6" off the top of the tank ..and replace the top ...that way the lights will be positioned closer ?

 

Powerman,

Is that light a 65 watt true...or does it say 65 watt replacement..actual wattage is something different ??

 

65w equivalent.

 

That could be your issue also Powerman...if it says equivalent then your like me, except that you have a flood stlye so maybe its more focused / direct ??

I decided to shut my down and wait until I can afford a better tank and then start it over. I am still working on the 125 gallon set up and this little fuge issue is getting the best of me, especially when I know that the design is flawed and all I'm doing is adding "bandaids "