TGunn's First 37g in the Bay Area

[Spoon]

I actually like that bright green algae! My brown diatoms are about 75% gone now, I wonder when the green stuff will hit me?

@tygunn, what's your light cycle? 10, 12hrs?

 

[tygunn]

Hey no problem. You are more than welcome to them whenever you want. hope your back gets better!

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Thanks! Yeah hoping this gets better soon. Kinda put a damper on my whole "bike to work initiaitive". Ah well, such is life.

 

[tygunn]

Gads! The hair algae EXPLODED yesterday:

Over the weeekend I picked up a small starting cleanup crew. 6 Nassarius are now busy sifting through the sand (I'm feeding a bit of reef-chili to keep the microfauna going) for scraps, 10 tiny blue leg hermits are chomping on algae, and another 6 turbos are slowly mowing through this stuff.
I've started manually harvesting the hair algae though, as I figure its best to export these nutrients rather than just have them turn into poop from the snails. Once I cut down the long strands, the snails are quite capable of mowing it down further.

I think I'm going to start putting some thought into building a "reef vacuum". I know siphoning for water changes works, but I always find that I run out of tank water way before I'm done sucking stuff up. I'm thinking I'd like to design something that you can switch between either a little suction brush attachment, or a "scythe" for mowing down hair algae... Okay, more like a flow-bee.

I also ordered a couple 6 gallon "jeep water jugs" from Walmart that should arrive next week. Then I can FINALLY get a good water change in to help with the nutrients here.
The Tunze skimmer is working like I champ. I detached the existing airline and ran a new long one that doesn't sit right by the water level. NO problems with it clogging with salt creep any more, and I'm also able to use a small muffler built from a pill container to keep it silent.

I get a shot in my spine on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll be back on my feet and better able to tend to the tank.

 

[aqua-nut]

First, real bummer about your back. I've had back issues and it is really hard to deal with just about anything when your back is hurting!

LOL at the 'flow-bee' concept! While you are developing that, you could siphon into a filter sock then return the filtered water to the tank. Add a small pump and tubing to the bucket and you could siphon and snip just about forever!!

I've had good luck using a bamboo chopstick or skewer to twirl up the algae and then pull it off the rock. Bamboo seems to have enough 'tooth' to grab it.

 

[tygunn]

First, real bummer about your back. I've had back issues and it is really hard to deal with just about anything when your back is hurting!

LOL at the 'flow-bee' concept! While you are developing that, you could siphon into a filter sock then return the filtered water to the tank. Add a small pump and tubing to the bucket and you could siphon and snip just about forever!!

I've had good luck using a bamboo chopstick or skewer to twirl up the algae and then pull it off the rock. Bamboo seems to have enough 'tooth' to grab it.

Yeah, it's a real bummer. I can pretty much only stand right now. Saw the MRI and it looks like there's a finger hanging into my spinal column. That'd explain the pain.

Yes, a closed filtration system is exactly what I had in mind so I could just pump the water through the filter and back into the tank.

Good idea on the bamboo chopstick or skewer; I hadn't even thought of that, but it would probably work quite well!

 

[tygunn]

My wife seemed SO insistent the tank go on the tiled area... Oh yeah, now I remember why..

Okay, so I forgot to turn off the RO/DI while filling up the new water containers that came in today. They're 5.5g reliance "jeep" water jerry cans. Nice low profile so I can just leave them by the tank.

Now I can FINALLY do water change and try to siphon our some of the hair algae.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

That's why I don't have any tanks in the house!

 

[tygunn]

That's why I don't have any tanks in the house!

Yeah my outdoor tank idea keeps sounding better. Heh

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[aquatic mouse]

My wife seemed SO insistent the tank go on the tiled area... Oh yeah, now I remember why..

Okay, so I forgot to turn off the RO/DI while filling up the new water containers that came in today. They're 5.5g reliance "jeep" water jerry cans. Nice low profile so I can just leave them by the tank.

Now I can FINALLY do water change and try to siphon our some of the hair algae.

Ha! You and I were talking about that recently on my tank thread. I'm glad our kitchen has lanolium. I've already spilled some.

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[tygunn]

Ha! You and I were talking about that recently on my tank thread. I'm glad our kitchen has lanolium. I've already spilled some.

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Hehe yup and thankfully it seems to drain toward the front door so the worse case might not be as bad as I think.

I think Im going to have to figure out a shutoff system for filling my top off bins.


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[aquatic mouse]

I use an annoying kitchen timer.


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[tygunn]

I use an annoying kitchen timer.


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You know that's a good idea. I have one for my test kits already.

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[tygunn]

I hand-harvested a huge pile of hair algae last night. I've got these awesome shoulder length heavy nitrile gloves (see http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PBEJ00/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) with gritty-grip. They're really flexible so I can easily pluck snails off rocks, etc. The grip also holds onto the hair algae quite well.

However, despite my harvesting the crop seemed to have quickly grown again.

The Tunze Nano Doc is skimming like mad. My mod keeps the skimmer air intake silent (see pill container), and the lack of salt creep getting in there keeps the air injection rock solid. HAha, I couldn't find an airline valve in my box of stuff, so I ended up just snapping the flow valve off a drip irrigation fitting and using that. Not easy to fine adjust, so I'll probably order a needle valve (I thought I had one --- gotta hit the box-o parts again)..

However it seems my herniated disc is dictating that I leave the tank alone for the time being -- I suspect standing on a chair to to tank work while on IV morphine would be a bad idea.

 

[aqua-nut]

Let your back heal! The algae is just helping to clean the water. It won't hurt anything to let it go for a while.

Also excellent time to train others in the house to do basic maintenance.

 

[tygunn]

Let your back heal! The algae is just helping to clean the water. It won't hurt anything to let it go for a while.

Also excellent time to train others in the house to do basic maintenance.

Yeah I think I'm finally forced to take it easy.

I think I'll order a cheap canister filter to use as a reef vacuum. Then I'll be able to clean to my hearts content.

Yeah I guess that is the downfall with live ocean rock. oh well I'm loving all the small life it came with.





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[FeliciaLynn]

That is some crazy hair algae! Weirdly my rock from KPA never had any kind of algae outbreak. Every cycle seems to be different.

Btw, thanks for posting the link to those gloves. I'd been looking for a decent pair, so I ordered a pair of those.

Sorry about your back! Take it easy and I hope it gets better soon.

 

[tygunn]

That is some crazy hair algae! Weirdly my rock from KPA never had any kind of algae outbreak. Every cycle seems to be different.

Btw, thanks for posting the link to those gloves. I'd been looking for a decent pair, so I ordered a pair of those.

Sorry about your back! Take it easy and I hope it gets better soon.

I've never had hair algae like this in the past before. It's actually quite nice for hair algae. Not the typical simple strings but each one is almost like whispy feathers.

I was quite happy with the find. I had first thought to get disposable vet gloves but figured they'd rip too easily. These ones are nice and thick, yet still flexible.

Thanks. I get a shot in the spine on Tuesday so hope that cures me up good. Heh

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[rygh]

I've never had hair algae like this in the past before. It's actually quite nice for hair algae. Not the typical simple strings but each one is almost like whispy feathers.
...

Uh-Oh.
I hope it is not Bryopsis.
You might want to look at some internet pictures and check.
If it is, unfortunately it is much harder to get rid of.

 

[tygunn]

Uh-Oh.
I hope it is not Bryopsis.
You might want to look at some internet pictures and check.
If it is, unfortunately it is much harder to get rid of.

Here are some better pics:

Looking over some pics online it _seems_ to me that it could be bryopsis. Its very long with a fine fern-like structure along it..

For now its going to have to wait! Doh!

 

[rygh]

My guess would be Bryposis pennata. But I am no expert.
Other than the usual cleanup, some people have had luck with high magnesium.
So when your back is better, something to consider.