please help wits end!!!

mrwhipels · 05-01-2005, 08:41 PM

I am about to shoot my tank. I don't undertstand where I am going wrong. I will tell tell you my setup and what I do and maybe sombody can help me.

I have a 10gall tank 10 lbs live rock
crushed coral gravel
coral life pc w/30 watts
rio 180 ph
whisper 10 power filter
50watt heater

1 clarkii clown

4 blue leg hermits
1 scarlet hemit
1 sally light foot
1 pepermint shrimp
1 trouchuss snail ( not shure on the spelling)
1 astrea snail

brown polyps
3 ricodea mushrooms
4 green mushrooms
1 mumps leather (that is what the lfs called it)

I have had this tank running for 4 months the corals have been in there for 3 months. The have not grown or done anything for that matter. I use ro water and can't stop a hair alage out break and can't get rid of the redslime no matter how aggressive my water change is . Last week I told my lfs all this stuff and the told me to use b ionc clacium system becuase my calcium levels were low. I have been doosing for a week following the instructions on the bottle. My corals look worse now the mumps leather looks like it is falling off the rock two of my mushrooms are shriveld up. ALso I changed my salt from instant ocean to reef crystals and have been feeding my corals cyclo-peeze . What can I do to see some growth and get rid of the alage. need help I have already invested soo much for nothing. I want to see some coral growth

mrwhipels · 05-01-2005, 08:55 PM

here is a full tank pic

Loverotties · 05-01-2005, 08:56 PM

What is your water parimeters?

mrwhipels · 05-01-2005, 09:03 PM

I don't have a test for every thing but I just bought a calcium test kit. I am not shure how to use it is the red sea kit I think I come up with a number like 400 ppm. I took my water into the lfs 3 days ago and said every thing looked good except cal was low and alkalinty. Would a protein skimmer help alot?

yardboy · 05-02-2005, 06:14 AM

Maybe you should think about another hobby, like motorcycle racing! You are being too impatient and likely overfeeding your tank. The only thing in that tank that needs feeding is your clown. Everyone else in there is a scavenger. I'd suggest limiting your feeding to a tiny pinch of food every two days until the algae dies back. Also, the light you have on the tank, while maybe sufficient for the mushrooms, will not make them grow like crazy. Ricordeas grow very slowly under the best of conditions.
A skimmer might help some, but with a 10 gallon tank water changes are just as good. If you want to buy something, buy some more lights.
Sorry to sound so harsh but I believe your problems are rooted in your wanting to get too much, too fast.

Loverotties · 05-02-2005, 07:04 AM

you need to check them all to see whats wrong.Specialy Nitrates and Phoshate.

wharyat · 05-02-2005, 01:23 PM

My guess is phosphate.

Take it slow! Tanks can go downhill very quickly especially when they are young; they are hard to bring back up. Increase or continue water changes @ 10% weekly. Add a skimmer, you can build one or buy one; there are some good ones in the DIY forum.

Bottled phyto is practically bottled phosphate, and honestly, no matter what the companies say, your corals do not need it; unless they are filter dependant. Cut down your feeding for the clown also, you can drop it to 1/4-1/8 cube of frozen, or a few flakes every 2 days, 3 days would also be fine.

Increase lighting, 1xquad 96 watt pc, or add another 32 watt.

HTH

mrwhipels · 05-02-2005, 01:36 PM

thanks for the advice. I will slow down the feeding and not put any more cyclopeeze in there and see what happens. Thank you all

Jeremy1973 · 05-02-2005, 02:53 PM

Also, since you are using crushed coral, you may want to be sure that when you do water changes that you occasionally siphon a small area of your crushed coral. It can be a big detritus trap. (not always) But it can aide to the algae and such.