Need help restoring 12g nano

HelpingNemo · 02-27-2007, 04:53 PM

Hi guys,

This is my first post and I hate to come in as a newbie asking questions, but I'm desperate here. My roommate left me his 12gallon nano cube and this thing is a wreck. Currently it has 2 clown fish (2.5 inches and 2 inches in size) and a mysterious hitchhiker crab that lives under the coral.

The problem with the tank is an overwhelming amount of hairy algae on everything from the coral to the back wall. I bought 2 mexican turbo snails but all they seem to do is sleep. I've also got the worst case of bristle worms I've ever seen, and am working on trapping them. I checked out the filtration in the back and there is NO carbon bag, the bio-balls aren't underneath the ceramic media, and the sponges are muddy and clogged.

My plan is to thoroughly clean the filtration system, add carbon, and continue trapping bristle worms. I guess what I'm asking is should I remove all the algae from the back wall (Clowns seem to like resting on it at night) and how else can I kill all those bristle worms without dunking the coral? There is quite a bit of growth on the coral and I don't want to kill the live rock.

Also, I don't have a saltwater test kit, only freshwater. I only check the salinity to make sure that is okay. Any other advice to make this thing beautful?

Sorry for my ignorance, my only experience is with South American cichlids. I appreciate any advice!

PreauxPhoto · 02-27-2007, 05:59 PM

As the Hitchhiker's guide says "DONT PANIC" everything is alive so it cant be that bad. first phair alge just dosn't boom overnight. Was the tank in good condition when you got it? Some test kits are universal the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate should work in both fresh and saltwater. it sounds like your sponge could use a good freshwater cleaning. If i had to guess your ceramic media and dirty sponge is producing excess nitrates. It seems to me what could be causing your agle problem. if it is just give your media a rince but not a scrubbing. then be patient and watch how much you feed. a pic of the tank would help also. dont take my word as gold make sure you hear some others ideas here before you act. Most of all "DONT PANIC"

HelpingNemo · 02-27-2007, 06:15 PM

I'll get some pics up tonight or tomorrow. I'm not panicking, the tank has been in this condition for a few months. Just wanna get it back in shape

**CarmieJo** · 02-27-2007, 08:55 PM

Hi HelpingNemo and

to TR.

I don't have a nano-cube type tank so I can't answer questions specific to them. But anytime something looks muddy it sounds like it needs cleaned! I am sure that there is biological filtration going on in the sponges and ceramic media so you can't just pull it all out at once and clean it or you will have a massive nutrient spike. How much live rock do you have? What corals do you have? Are you using tap water to do water changes and top-offs? (Just in case you don't know you replace evaporated water with fresh water.) How long are you burning the lights?Bristleworms are good detrivores and won't hurt anything. However, an over-abundance of them means there is lots of food available for them so you may need to cut back on how much you are feeding.

HelpingNemo · 02-28-2007, 10:02 AM

Thanks for the Welcome CarmieJo, and GO BUCKS!!!

Typically when I clean the sponges I'll squeeze/rinse them in a bucket of siphoned tank water. If I top off the water I use room-temp filtered Brita water, ajd use tap water when doing water changes. Lighting is usually on 12 hours a day, sometimes more.

I'm not sure on the type of coral or actual pounds of live rock, so I'll get pictures up today. Gotta run to class right now but I'll post them up shortly.

***Rob*** · 02-28-2007, 01:12 PM

ok, heres my advice..
1.) throw out all of the filter pads and everything in the filter that is a "consumable". Just get rid of them and buy new ones
2.) manual remove as much of the hair algae as possible, by hand
3.) install new filter media
4.) start water change, and siphon as much "dirt" or detritus as we call it out of the tank. remove about 2-3 gallons, but no more.
5.) replace removed water with freshly mixed saltwater using RO/DI or distilled water, not tap water.

this will get you started, but will not "fix" your issue. only time and continued work will do that. in normal tanks i also recommend removing the bio filters (bio balls, ceramic plates/discs etc) they only lead to more nitrate production

next would be to continue water changes of 1-2 gallons every week (forever)
during this time you should also check your water chemistry and inspect and clean/replace all filters media. failure to clean the media will cause these types of algae issues

and finally for the bristly worms, dont worry about them, as you reduce the excess nutrients in the system there population will be reduced. besides that, they are harmless, they are also some of the best scavengers you can get in your tank..

***Rob*** · 02-28-2007, 01:14 PM

OMG.. im sorry, where are my manners...

to Talkingreef. i hope we can help you out...
and don't every worry about asking newbie questions.. we are here for you and welcome everyone the same..

saxman · 02-28-2007, 07:18 PM

welcome!

you've been given some great advice so far, and since we own on of the "12" gal (they really only hold 8 gals and change) cubes, as well as a 24 gal, let me add toss in my .02.

1) how old are the lamps? PC's that are 10-12 mos old should be replaced. as they age, their spectrum shifts towards the red, which nuisance algae thrives on.

2) shorten your photoperiod till you get a handle on the algae problem.

3) when you say you got mexican turbos, did you mean margarita snails? if so, they will slowly cook in that set up. they're temperate snails, and these systems run HOT...typically around 80*F or more. if you have "true" turbos, remember they get huge and will end up being bulldozers, but they ARE good at eating HA.

4) what are you feeding the tank and how often? if you feed frozen, do you rinse it after thawing before you feed it out? if not, you should, as unrinsed food adds lots of nutrients to the tank.

5) you might consider adding some macro algae to the tank to compete with the HA for nutrients.

6) a skimmer may help...Sapphire Aquatics makes a nice one specifically for that system. don't bother with the Fission skimmer...they don't work well at all.

7) replace the bioballs and ceramic media with LR rubble.

8) clean the sponges once a week...squeeze them out in the SW from your WC.

9) don't panic.

HelpingNemo · 03-09-2007, 12:31 PM

Thanks for all the great tips guys. I would've went about it a totally different way, but I'll heed your advice. I never thought about the lights aging and having a different light spectrum, so I'll have to order new ones since they are about 2 years old. I'll ditch the ceramic/bioball media, but is it okay to use activated carbon?

Can you guys recommend where to purchase new bulbs and the protein skimmer? I usually use Petsolutions.com or Dr's Foster & Smith

HelpingNemo · 03-09-2007, 12:40 PM

Here she is...don't laugh. I know it's bad...It's got potential though.

PSH · 03-09-2007, 11:48 PM

Haha your tank needs a haircut.

I would try to syphon as much of that out every water change. Honestly I would just stick the rock in a bucket in the dark with a heater and power head for a few weeks.

HelpingNemo · 03-10-2007, 12:32 AM

Haha...might not be a bad idea, I rip the stuff off and it grows right back.

keyozoxmfc · 03-10-2007, 01:41 AM

when you rip it off in the take doesnt the spores just spread around more?

HelpingNemo · 03-11-2007, 01:17 AM

^^Not sure about that. I did the initial scrub down, removed the ceramic/bioballs, added some activated carbon. I also bought 2 more turbo snails and hermit crabs, they seem to be making peace. I used distilled water and thoroughly cleansed the sponges. I'll do another water change in a week, and re-clean the sponges. Any other recommendations?

I'll be out of town for a week on Spring Break, and hopefully having someone to feed my 2 clowns during the week. Any other tips?

**CarmieJo** · 03-15-2007, 11:11 PM

When you do water changes save the old water. Then take pieces of the rock out and scrub it in the old water and return it to your tank.

You should package your food in daily size packets to help whoever is feeding avoid the temptation to overfeed.