Need some Motivation!

Hey everyone!

I havent posted in a long time. I was reading the site every day and it was just stressing me out to much about the hobby. Now I hardly ever read the site and I feel like I have started to give up.

My tank has been set up since last november. You can read my sig line to see what I have. Basicly right now I have 2 clowns a few snails a hermit and a pepermint shrimp. All have been doing fine. But my tank seems to constantly be overwelming me on the cyno problem. And a little on the algae. My live rock hasent really spread, but I am not doing much calcium wise. I had a heat problem lost a snail and a hermit, but i got a control center so the fan kicks on a lot and i retop off with RODI. I only feed every other day. I use a turkey baster to kinda direct feed the two clowns and that happy little peppermint shrimp.

What I do wrong:
I dont do water changes enough. I think i have been dooing them only about every 1 1/2 months I generaly do like 5-10 gallons.
I dont test the water much. Other than PH.
I dont have a refugium, and just have a hang on with a sponge.
I dont use any additives or anything.

So tell me fellow reefers. Can I go forward and buy anything new to put in the tank? More snails? More fish? Any Corals?

Or do i need to get my Cyno under control. Do I need to have more stable water conditions. Am I just unfit for the hobby?

My clown fish Oy and Vey and Mr. Shrimp are my good buddies, and they bring me lots of joy. But I still worry I need some hope that there could be a way to keep moving towards the light of a beautiful reef aquarium.

Thanks for reading.

Glen.

 

it does'nt sound like too big of a problem to me.just add more clean up crew.lawnmower blenny,seahare,turbo snails,theres lots of stuff that will eat that algae up.it may be a good idea to put about a cup of carbon in that aqau clear filter two.also if those pc bulbs are older than a yr,they may cause an algae bloom.

 

Thanks Ziggy. Yeah I was wondering if my clean up crew might just be way to small. I only have 3 Astreas and a few of thos tiny narssius snails and the one hermit. I was wondering about the lawnmower bleeny as well. He seemed cool. I was using carbon, stopped because it seemed like it made algae worse? Lights are less than a year old.

Glen.

 

There are MANY posts about this, but some brands of carbon leach phosphorus, which can cause algae blooms. Do a little searching, and you'll find many brand recommendations for brands that don't leach phos. You may want to pick up a test kit and see if that's the problem.

There are also phosphorus sponges that you can put in your filter for a little while to correct the imbalance, but the permenant solution is, of course, not to use the bad carbon in the future.

There are also phos reactors that use small pellets in an upflow system. The water flow causes them to "liquidize" and become very efficient, but as you can guess, this costs more. Phos reactors change color to indicate when to change the medium, and I've read you want a copper, not an aluminum based medium if you can afford it, as the aluminum leeches phos toward the end of its life, whereas copper does not.

As with carbon, if you're willing to put up with the cost of changing the medium every month or so, go for it. A good thing to remember is that there's a balance between time you spend working on the tank, and money you spend on things to do it automatically. You should find a point where you're spending little enough that it's not a burden financially, and only enough of your time so that you can appreciate your creation, not feel like it's a burden. That point is different for everyone, so find the point that best suits you.
Yes, this does dictate tank size, inhabitants, and equipment, but seriously, don't you just get annoyed when people buy high energy dogs, then chain them up in the back yard because they're "too busy" to walk, play with, and generally care for said dog? Aquariums NEED to be perceived in the same way IMO.

 

You suffer from information overload .. LOL simple forget PH test for DKH and Calcium and Magnesium Phosphates can be controlled easily enough and as for water changes ?? I have never changed a drop of water in 40 yrs last one I did was in the mid 70's Don't worry about all the Phosphates carbon what little there is will be picked up by the Phosphate remover.. I'd use Phosguard for a first time simple put it in a filter bag and drop it in under a water flow.. Its does the rest.. Simple and easy to use and it works well for a aluminum based media. Find a source you like and trust and follow that source don't jump for idea to idea you'll find with the net and all the information that you read its mostly posted by reading repeater's telling you what they think they no that they had just read the night before. Use Blackdiamond carbon I have for yrs and its never caused me an issue..

 

I would agree with the information posted above... if that helps.

 

Glipzcom,

Please take time to read, It will help and explain much.
Thanks!

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00

​

 

Thanks everyone. I guess I will start using carbon. Does anyone grow macroalgae in their tank? In Ferners book he mentions growing some macro algaes to combat the nusisance algaes. Anyone do this with success?

Glen.

 

Glen,
You need to take a step backwards and think of the reasons why you got into the hobby in the first place!
The joy, excitement, entertainment and the pride you feel when you are able to look at your tank and say WOW, I am able to keep such and such alive...
Try reading a good book about the saltwater hobby(such as the Reef Aquarium by Delbeek and Sprung! Look at some pictures of other fellow reefers tanks!
Just don't get depressed and upset, as we have all gone through some pitfalls in our journey with saltwater aquariums.
You need to focus you energy on your successes and advances..not your downfalls!!!
Everything will turn out ok...just take little steps towards accomplishing what you ultimately hoped to gain in starting your saltwater tank in the first place!
You can do it...I know you can
If so many of us can do it and be succesful, there is no reason why you can't as you are no different that me or anyone else here on 3reef!!
Now get that negativity out of your head and start having fun again and be successful.
Einstein wasn't successful right from the start either!!!!

 

Do not put macroalgae in your main tank. If it takes hold, it will take over. While they do combat nuisance algaes, they are best confined to a refugium that's plumbed into your main system.