Starting to get a fungus

NitrITE levels are in the toxic side. It's a liquid test and its VIOLET

The sump is a 30 gallon pictured. IT has a single 36" "coral growin light" floresent in it. As posted above. The "best light" by zoo meds or whomever...

Lighting over the main aquarium is a 48" single "grow light" ment mostly for fresh water plant grawth, through a glass lid.

Calurpa was promised to me a while ago, but still not here. Where is the best place to get some?

I live about 1/2 a mile away from the meeting area. I'm on 3900 and 2000 east.

272-3117

Mark Peterson wrote: Well, since we've talked before over the phone, I'll just write some things that you need to do and call you tomorrow. The best way to reduce high nitrates is a water change. 25-50% would be advisable in this case, but by the look of your tank pics, I cannot understand why nitrates are that high. I don't see much that could have caused it. How much of that rock is LR, how much was added and when? There is maybe 30%or less that is live rock (that stuff is spendy) I have been slowly introducing it over the last few weeks. I keep hoping that the next peice will make the nitrites (nitrites turn to nitrates) go down, but not yet... How many and what type of fish do you have? I have two gobies, three damsels, and two mollies? there the black fish  so, not to many How long has the tank been going? I got it for x-mas and have been building it ever since, but the nitrites have been high for a long time, I started with live sand from the LFS, one bag, I thought i was getting more from here, never happened. So I bought another bag. Started checking levels and they were high, So i bought a few small LR samples and threw them in. Still high. Then I get some of that dredded utah sand and throw it in to deepen the sand bed, then add one more bag of LS from the LFS. and some rocks to my sump. Change my lighting a little. It now has a deep blue tint to the sump light, and generic white grow light for the tank. The algae in the sump seem to LOVE the new light. I swear it doubles in quantity overnight. I have added the utah rock from this board just a week ago(ish) and some more LR peices. It looks like your sand bed is not deep enough to deal with nitrates. So how deep do I need it? There are many opinions on this here You do not have enough light in the tank or the sump to keep coral. And a glass lid further restricts the light that can enter the tank. The sump should not have a "coral growin light". It should have bright white light or Plant Growth Fluorescent tubes to grow algae. The light under the tank on the sump is a zoo med , coral sun 36" The main aquarium needs three more 4 ft. fluorescent lights in order to effectively keep the easiest coral. Got a ballast? I am surprised that with all the people here on the message board offering free Caulerpa, that you haven't hooked up with someone to get some. I have plenty. All you have to do is call me and come get it. Mark 296-1563

I am definetly interested in some Caulerpa, I'll call you....

I decided to go test the nitrites this morning while typing and they are almost baby blue like they are saposed to be.   But is the algae (that I am assuming helped) going to spread to my main tank?? Will those cool purple slugs eat this algae if so? What should I put in my sump to slow the proccess down? I will now run my sump light on a timer with my main light, It was 24-7

Maybe my probs are all that utah rock and sand???

Skyetone, (pardon the intrusion on your advise column Mark, you're doing great as usual)

LS and LR are two of the very basic fundamentals of a successful system. Something to keep in mind is, if you take LS and add it to suitable NLS (not live sand) over a very short time you will have a complete batch of LS. So, if you take some additional substrate which does not need to be "live", you can add substrate and create a DSB with what you have. Also, if you want sand from other established systems, just say so. I will bring a bag and I am sure that there are dozens that will bring you a bit if you want some. It really doesn't take much. And YES, there are many opinions on a substrate depth, but MOST will agree with a 2-4" theory. I say the deeper the better.

Also, IMO after a set amount of time (who knows exactly how long) ALL of the rock in your system will be or already is "live rock". I will guarantee that there are a variety of organisms that are growing on the rock including bacteria, algae, who knows what else. I disagree that it has to have sporradic coral popping up for it to be LR.

As for the lighting, I know (we ALL know) how expensive proper lighting can be. However, it is the Achilles Heel of a successful system. Can you survive on what you have, maybe but you propably won't have the healthies system in the world. Also, growth in your system will be rather stagnant. Take Mark up on his offer and possibly post to see if anyone else has some odds & ends that they can spare or sell cheap.

Good luck!

jglover wrote: ...IMO forget the Deep Sand Bed it will get rid of nitrates yes but at a cost first and formost it is very ugly when the sand turns green and stank.  second and probably more important it is an anerobic chemical process it doesn't use oxygen it converts nitrates into harmless N2 but some biproducs are axcidic and toxic to all life.  that is why some tanks with DSB crash after a while if you stock up with Plant life it will convert nitrates into plant material with no chemical toxins a refugium is an ideal substitute for a Deep Sand Bed.  Fish Aquariums were kept for years using an undergravel filter which prevented anerobic activities and they have always worked fine while I don't endorse an undergravel filter Don't get a deep sand bed.  unless you are willing to make frequent water changes and hide the bottom half of your tank.  IMO don't get any more animal life and just wait it out until you get you cyano bacteria starting to take over your tank.  and buy some more snails.

IMO, strictly YO. People have also bee using deep sand beds (DSB) for years without "crashes". Also, I would disagree that a plenum or undergravel filter type setup prevents anerobic "activities" unless it is actually pulling through the substrate. Using macro algae for denitrification IS proven to be a good idea and using a cleanup crew is always good, but your opinion seems rather strong regarding DSB.

But that is just MO.

I doubt that you'll find anyone using a UGF. It is generally not effective with the  substrate most use. You WILL find some with a plenum which is basically a UGF without the F. It creates a real nice anaerobic area for all sorts of great stuff. But, I get the feeling that you don't care for that kind of thing.

Suzy, love your DSB. It will love you back. Could you imagine what would happen if the DSB in nature ever got stirred up by anything? Along a reef I would guess that those millions of years of organice built up would just make it all nasty. Good thing that there aren't any hurricanes or currents or people around to stir things up or all those toxins might get released. Oh, wait.