LarryT
February 9th 04, 04:51 AM
Hello!
I have been doing sal****er for 16 years and I cannot for the life of me
figure out what is going on...I hope someone can help PLEASE!
About 6 months ago I had an IceCap 660 go out and I had to run just the MH's
for about 2 weeks while it was being serviced. Over that time I began to
have a diatom buildup...which didn't surprise me as the lighting intensity
changed. I placed the 660 back in service and I still continued to get the
diatoms....which was followed by a brown fleshy type algae that coats the
rocks and covers in bubbles by the end of the photocycle (most likely due to
photosynthesis). I have also see a decrease in my refugium's plant growth
rate.
Over the coarse of the past 7 months (I wanted to make the changes slow and
1 at a time to see what was wrong):
1) I replaced the VHO as I was pushing 12 months...didn't help.
2) I switched from 175Wx3 MH to 250Wx3 Iwasaki MH
3) I have done MAJOR water changes to ensure no ionic imbalance or "nasty
stuff" from a condy dieing a month ago.
4) I have blown the rock off with a turkey baster and scrubbed the rock with
a toothbrush dialy for 2 weeks straight to no avail.
5) I spent WAY too much money on red legged reef and blue legged crabs...all
of which pretty much died...most likely to starvation as they did not like
the brown algae.
6) Stopped powerheads to see if I had too much flow to stop feeding the
algae...no change
7) Added powerheads to see if I had too little flow...no change
8) Replaced all filters in my RO/DI (except the RO membrane, which should
last 5+ years according to my calc's and Kent's website)
9) Placed the effluent from the Ca rxr in the the same cup the ETSS 750
skimmer exits into (to ensure CO2 blow off and expose carbonic acid to high
Oxygen water).
10) Replaced the refugium's light.
New Salifert test kits show:
Ca = 380-400 (little below NSW of 425-450)
Alk = 2.8 - 2.9 (NSW level)
PO4 = 0
Nitrate = 0
S.G. = 1.021 (I have run from 1.020 to 1.025 to no avail)
pH = 8.31 at end of photocycle
Tests from 1 month ago:
PO4 = 0
Silicate = 0
Lead = 0
I have been doing sal****er for 16 years and I cannot for the life of me
figure out what is going on...I hope someone can help PLEASE!
About 6 months ago I had an IceCap 660 go out and I had to run just the MH's
for about 2 weeks while it was being serviced. Over that time I began to
have a diatom buildup...which didn't surprise me as the lighting intensity
changed. I placed the 660 back in service and I still continued to get the
diatoms....which was followed by a brown fleshy type algae that coats the
rocks and covers in bubbles by the end of the photocycle (most likely due to
photosynthesis). I have also see a decrease in my refugium's plant growth
rate.
Over the coarse of the past 7 months (I wanted to make the changes slow and
1 at a time to see what was wrong):
1) I replaced the VHO as I was pushing 12 months...didn't help.
2) I switched from 175Wx3 MH to 250Wx3 Iwasaki MH
3) I have done MAJOR water changes to ensure no ionic imbalance or "nasty
stuff" from a condy dieing a month ago.
4) I have blown the rock off with a turkey baster and scrubbed the rock with
a toothbrush dialy for 2 weeks straight to no avail.
5) I spent WAY too much money on red legged reef and blue legged crabs...all
of which pretty much died...most likely to starvation as they did not like
the brown algae.
6) Stopped powerheads to see if I had too much flow to stop feeding the
algae...no change
7) Added powerheads to see if I had too little flow...no change
8) Replaced all filters in my RO/DI (except the RO membrane, which should
last 5+ years according to my calc's and Kent's website)
9) Placed the effluent from the Ca rxr in the the same cup the ETSS 750
skimmer exits into (to ensure CO2 blow off and expose carbonic acid to high
Oxygen water).
10) Replaced the refugium's light.
New Salifert test kits show:
Ca = 380-400 (little below NSW of 425-450)
Alk = 2.8 - 2.9 (NSW level)
PO4 = 0
Nitrate = 0
S.G. = 1.021 (I have run from 1.020 to 1.025 to no avail)
pH = 8.31 at end of photocycle
Tests from 1 month ago:
PO4 = 0
Silicate = 0
Lead = 0