Ocianic Salt?

[Louie3]

I was reading and just trying to waste time when i came up on somthing on KentMarine.com it was about hair algea and how to get rid of it. and this is what it kind caught my attention :blink
Recommended salts are Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals, and of course, Kent Sea Salt
Some sea salt mixtures have more phosphates than others, so read up on these and use one with the lowest phosphates possible

is this true is this why im loosing my battle with hair algea! i know my nitrates are 80 and i feed every 2 days with only 2 frozen fish cubes. and siphon every week. and use only R/O water.

[Flobex]

look at the oceanic salt, and see if it has any posphates in it.

[alton]

When I used Oceanic, one thing I did not have problems with was hair algae. I haven't seen my nitrates at 80ppm since I had a trigger only tank back in th early 90's. What size tank and filter system do you have? I feed around 4 cubes a day in my 200 and my nitrates are below ten.

[Louie3]

my aquarium is a 55g with 2 peguin 350 filters, 10g fuge (6"sand bed) 25lbs of lr in system, and 100lbs of live sand in show.

[demodiki]

That's a small amount of LR in a 55.

[alton]

I try to keep 1 to 2 lbs of LR per gallon. I keep sand in my tanks but i don't consider them a good place to keep bio loads(My opinion). What do you have (Animals) in your sand to keep it stirred up?

[GaryP]

I feed twice a day and my nitrates were .4 ppm when I tested them this weekend. Its not how often you feed, but how the system is set up and managed to handle nutrients.

Even if it the salt does have a trace of phosphate, again, its probably a lot less then what you put in the tank in the form of food. Remember this conversation we had about your source water a couple of weeks ago? The same thing applies. The problem is rarely what is going in the tank, but rather what is coming out.

[hammondegge]

louie, what do you have in those penguin filters? any floss, filters, or other media?

[GaryP]

You might want to consider taking one of your old penguin cartridge filters and filling it with a phosphate absorber. I've done that before with the carbon. A bag of carbon is a lot cheaper then constantly replacing the cartridges. There's not much carbon in them to start with so they are exhausted pretty quickly. I just took a razor blade on split the black part of the cartridge down the middle, oured out the carbon and then replaced it. The plastic will spring back into place and hold the new carbon. Just wash out the filter floss on the other side real well between uses.

[hammondegge]

thats a good idea. i was going to suggest removing the media alltogether and replacing with a bag of carbon.

[GaryP]

I've used a media bag with the units that have a horizonatal filter, like an eclipse. With the vertical filter cartridges, I have used the replacement media technique. I don't know that I have ever ran a Penguin, but I seem to recall it has vertical filters. I could be wrong. In either case, the solution to the problem is a sump where he can put a powered media filter. I think he has that in the works. IMO, HOB filters are pretty worthless for anything larger than a 20 gal. The only time I have ever used one is on a 10 gal. quarantine tank.

[loans_n_fishes]

I just got a leg from a pair of pantyhose and poured a combination of phosphate absorber and carbon in it. I stuck it in my skimmer. Does this sound reasonable?

[Louie3]

That's a small amount of LR in a 55.

I know im saving up for more. (lfs 6.99lbs) saving up to by a crapload off this site

[GaryP]

I just got a leg from a pair of pantyhose and poured a combination of phosphate absorber and carbon in it. I stuck it in my skimmer. Does this sound reasonable?

In your skimmer????

[Louie3]

I try to keep 1 to 2 lbs of LR per gallon. I keep sand in my tanks but i don't consider them a good place to keep bio loads(My opinion). What do you have (Animals) in your sand to keep it stirred up?

about 10 medium sized hermits 15 mex snails, 4 astrea snails, 8 snails i forgot the name off they are a small cone shape, 2 blue legs, 1 huge snail i dont know the name of.

[Louie3]

Remember this conversation we had about your source water a couple of weeks ago? The same thing applies. The problem is rarely what is going in the tank, but rather what is coming out.

Yeah I forgot to post the results from the water works, i dont have the paper at the moment but all i know it is way worse the SA water.

[GaryP]

SA actually has really good water.

[Louie3]

louie, what do you have in those penguin filters? any floss, filters, or other media?

I have 4 carbon bags in each one ( total 8) on friday im going to switch to 2 phospate remover in the first 350 and 2 nitrate sponges and keep 4 carbons on the other, i also have these 4 cartiges that can be rinsed and reused, they are for catchin large debris

[Louie3]

SA actually has really good water.

sorry gary i didnt mean it was bad, i meant it was like 3 times the readings of SA

[loans_n_fishes]

I just got a leg from a pair of pantyhose and poured a combination of phosphate absorber and carbon in it. I stuck it in my skimmer. Does this sound reasonable?

In your skimmer????

Yeppers. Its a CPR bak pak RR skimmer so it has a space that filter media can be placed (under the cup). I figured the water flow would work...just filter everything through there.

Am I nuts? Ok...don't answer that! Let me re-phrase: Is the IDEA nuts? :wacko

[GaryP]

Are you talking about the area next to the skimmer where there are normally blue plastic strips for bio-media?

[GaryP]

sorry gary i didnt mean it was bad, i meant it was like 3 times the readings of SA
What I meant was that SA water is not necessarily a good standard to compare against. I'm sure all the levels are below the EPA standards for what is considered acceptable for drinking water.

[loans_n_fishes]

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fs earch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcpr%2Bskimmer%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t376%26b%3D21&w=250&h=250&imgurl=www.marinedepot.c om%2FIMD%2F150%2FCR1113.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. marinedepot.com%2Fmd_viewItem.asp%3Fidproduct%3DCR 1113&size=4.6kB&name=CR1113.jpg&p=cpr+skimmer&type =jpeg&no=23&tt=154&ei=UTF-8

I have it under the collection cup ...but I think I need to put it in the other side?? :unsure

[GaryP]

Well, if it is in the skimmer chamber its taking up space that the water should be in. This cuts down the retention time of the water a bunch. These small skimmers don't have a lot of retention time to start with. In addition its interfering with the flow pattern of the water and bubbles and the development of a skimmate layer. To put it gently, I don't think it's a good idea. Move it to the bio media compartment or get a powered media filter.

[cpreefguy]

That's a small amount of LR in a 55.

I know im saving up for more. (lfs 6.99lbs) saving up to by a crapload off this site

I would either:
A) buy from members here breaking down thier tanks
or
B) buy box lots off of Ebay, theyre pretty cheap for 45lb boxes, way less than $6.99lb

[Louie3]

1. dont live near SA good 4-5 hour drive, 2. mum and dad dont like ebay to many scammers

thanks for the options tho

[loans_n_fishes]

Just check the person's feedback first. I absolutely LOVE buying off ebay. I almost always get what I want for half or less of what I would pay otherwise. I've only run into 2 losers, but it was my own fault for not checking feedback first.

I actually bought 60 pounds of live rock off ebay. It was a great deal...less than $2/pound (including shipping). I had to pick it up at the airport to get the cheapest shipping, but it was well worth it. Great rock!

Ebay can be great. You just have to check out the individual first.


Angela

[Bill S]

I just have a hard time, after the experiences I've had online WITH LIVESTOCK. I'd MUCH rather support our LFSs, or local guys selling from their personal tanks like Ace and Scuba Steve.

[alton]

I like these guys, see if you can get your local store to order you some?

The Nassarius snail is a small scavenger with an oval spiral shell that resembles an olive pit, with a long tube-like siphon that protrudes from the end of the shell. One of the most ideal scavengers and detritus eaters, these snails are perfect for the reef aquarium, quickly consuming detritus, uneaten food, decaying organics, and fish waste. Nassarius Snails like to bury themselves in the sand, which will help maintain adequate oxygen levels in the substrate.
The Nassarius Snail prefers an established aquarium with live rock and a deep sand bed. These snails are sensitive to high nitrate levels and copper-based medications.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1133