Howsit

Joined
19 Dec 2007
Posts
81
Reaction score
4
Location
Durban
Greetings -- ComPLAINTS for the New Year

First time posting on MASA -- been crazy at work (only place I have access to internet) and I guess my not posting makes me a diligent worker.

My wife tells everyone she hould have married a stamp collector -- she would have more space in teh lounge
My 4 year old daughter and 6month old boxer's fascination with the tank means my wife is outnumbered

While I live near NSW it has not made its way into my tank

Almost all my travel arrangements are dictated to by driving pass Northlands Pets -- I find it reassuring that almost everything I want to buy I am told NOT TO by Chris -- with the reassurance that when my tank and I are ready he will let me know

Have 420litre mainly softy corner tank running for approx 2 years -- upgraded (carried over all rock/fish/gravel) from a previous smaller tank that was running for 2 years
9020 Tunze Skimmer
Aquamedic Kalk Stirrer
2 Tunze Nano Streams and 2 maxijet 100's for internal circ
Eheim 1262 return from Sump
Eheim 1250 supplying Resun 650 chiller
TLF Phosphate reactor -- runs 24/7
Carbon in sock replaced every 2 weeks -- runs 24/7
150 Aquamedic halide
2 white and 2 blue ATi 3foot T5s

Just got a handle on stabilising alkalinity -- at 11dkh
pH sits betweeb 8.2 and 8.4
water temp max 26 -- min 24.8
Calcium just under 300ppm
magnesium 1100ppm
phosphates undetectable -- but I'm sure a larny kit will pick something up

HAVE PROB IN THE LAST MONTH WITH RED MAT OF SLIMY CYNO ON MONTI (mostly from patch on rock that monti touches) AS WELL ON ANOTHER PORTION OF ROCK

could this be beacuse I have slackened off on my weekly 10llitre water changes (after hearing that 2 often is disruptive???)

Or could my daily additions of supplements in their correct dosage be the prob -- Aquamedic iodine/Tropic Marin Pro Coral (powder)/ Tropic marin Strontium (powder)/ Tropic marin Magnesium (powder)/Tropic Marin pro-coral K elements (liquid)/Tropic Marin Calcium (A,B and C liquid) as well as 4 teaspoons fo kalk in kalk stirrer every week ????

Please advise
 
Hi Raveman! a VERY WARM WELCOME to MASA!

Nice setup - we WILL NEED SOME PICS, though ;-)

Regarding your cyano outbreak - it is surely something that's feeding the bacteria. Cyano sometimes comes and goes.... I too had it for about 6 weeks in my 2 metre tank - and now it's gone...

I know that lighting also sometimes help it on (not cause it, though). You will most likely notice it dissapearing for a while if you switch your lighting off for a day or two.

Another possible assistive cause could be that the globes in your lighting unit could be getting old - when last did you change globes?

What's your nitrates level like?

Here's my run-down on your parameters:
pH is perfect
alkalinity is perfect
water temp is perfect
calcium can definitely be increased - perhaps up the usage of your kalkwasser to up this - just keep an eye on your pH while doing this
Magnesium can be upped a little bit - levels of between 1275 and 1350 is suggested to be better for a marines environment


Regarding water changes - some people will say yes - me: I would not specifically say that this is the cause of your problems....

Look at what feeds bacteria - mostly carbon based compounds - you might have some detritus trapped somewhere in your rocks (where you spot the cyano to be the worst) which might be leaching out some crap....

Well - this is my take on this issue.

Let's wait and see what the other have to say as well.... Then after a few answers, make up your own mind! ;-)

Cheers, mate!
 
Welcome to MASA. Nice to have another Durban reefer around. I agree with jacquesb. Cyano is a bacteria and not an algae as most people think. Best thing to kill it is to run carbon siphon out what you can see and just wait it out. Lighting will not make a difference as it is bacterial and really does not get fussed by it. I struggled with a 'red tide' in my tank and it finally just died off. Your setup sounds really good and as the others have mentioned you need pictures. Lots of pictures.
 
:whoohoo: another new member, WELCOME!
 
welcometomasa
pics please,we are addicts :p
 
Welcome to MASA.

Rave on !! :D
 
welcometomasa SA's premier marine site:thumbup:

Oh yes we would love pics:p
 
Welcome to the forum RaveMan.

Tank sounds good, up your calcium to about the 400 mark and load some pics :)
 
welcometomasa
 
sorry -- been meaning to take pics

Have increase water flow with additional seio 820 and replensihed carbon

brushed cyno off but still comes back
 
Remember Raveman - cyano is a bacteria and is fed from carbon sources.... are you dosing Vodka by any chance? If so, stop it for a while - until you see the cyano dissappearing....
 
Back
Top Bottom