RTElite12

And what coral should I plan to avoid

So, I think I am going to be doing a BB. What should I stock it with?

That's why I am thinking BB. I just cleaned out the tank with sand and it was a pain in the butt, but I can see both sides of the argument.

I bet this topic pops up a lot, but I was thinking about doing my next tank as a bare bottom tank as it seems easier to maintain and keep clean. I was just wondering what the pros and the cons are and also what I could potentially stock in the tank as it is a 29 biocube and a lot of smaller fish need the sand like gobies and such.

Just to update, my TDS is .002 ppm and before I could even do a single water change or do anything really, the algae broke up. Personally, I think it might have just been part of the tanks growing stage at this point. Thank you to everyone for their help.

Ok I`ll try to siphon it out along with check my TDS.

I have only had the new filters for 5 months

5 was just a guess. I need to get new batteries for my TDS meter so I'll put the results of the test once I get them

Okay, thank you so much for your help, I will take these suggestions into consideration

Ok, I might try a pellet with frozen mix. I'll feed all pellets except for like once or twice a week. I am using a RODI. My tank is a 29 biocube HQi with a HOB overflow to a 10 gallon DIY sump.

My skimmer is pretty touchy. I do maintain a constant water level though. Sometimes it will skim well, others it won't. It's kind of weird. I might try and raise it up a little bit and make sure it's level (it should be but it can't hurt to check)

Sorry, I didn't see your post from a little bit ago. I have a pair of clownfish and a lawnmower Benny in my tank. I got the Benny just for this very reason when I saw the hair algae (he's actually done a decent job). I feed Rods food (very nutritiously dense) in small chunks to about the point where if I cut them again there wouldn't really be much left.

I normally do about 10% water change every week and if I can`t do it one week, I do 20% the next.

I do use low TDS RODI water. Its not 0 anymore but its still around 5. I haven`t cleaned the buckets with vinegar but I do use RODI water and paper towels normally every other time I use them.

So what can I do to fix that. I already am running gfo, carbon, and my skimmer and I am feeding light. I had my lights on for 6 hours a day for a while but that didn`t help either

Its the same thing with the hair algae I have. I just tested my nitrates and and they are fine and it`s not my phosphates because I put in some new gfo about a week and a half ago.

I don't really get it, I don't feed a lot at all and do water changes every 1-2 weeks. It must be the flow and if so, that should now be fixed

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I believe I am starting to get some red slime algae on a part of my sand bed. It started out small and has slowly grown to about the size in the picture. What necessarily causes it and how can it be cured. Ever since I have had it my corals haven`t looked as good as they did before but are still doing

I forgot, I also have a few heads of Duncan's which are doing very well and a monti cap which is tiny and I don't know if it's going to make it or not yet.

My 29 gallon biocube HQi has been running for a little while now. I bought a 4" Reef Octopus skimmer (having a little hard time tuning it even with constant water level. Might be depth of water though) which ended up taking the place of the refugium in the sump. I plan on starting the refugium in the middle compartment in the back (I just need to get some chaeto). I still have the carbon reactor up and running. I am running into some minor problems with hair algae but I plan on running GFO with the carbon when I get the GFO in a few days so that should clear up the phosphates. The refugium should clear up the about 10 ppm of nitrates I have. I believe all of the phosphates and nitrates are coming from a little to much food because I have pretty good flow in the display between two powerheads and two pumps and I use RODI (I am getting another powerhead in a few days also) so I don`t think detritus is settling. I am getting some two part from BRS in a few days so I can start dosing to try to keep the water parameters more stable. Current stocking list: 2 clowns 1 Sally lightfoot crab (clowns and crab from friend taking down tank) 1 lawnmower blenny (not sure if I like him or not yet. Sure is doing a good job on the algae though) 13 astreas 7 Cerith/ nassarius snails 7 Blue leg hermits Coral: Pulsing Xenia (on own isolated rock) GSP (on own isolated rock) Red and Green Favia Trumpet (don`t think this guy is going to make it) Birdsnest (good growth) encrusting sps (not sure what type) (got from a friend who said it was a slow grower but it has grown fairly fast for me.) leather If everything goes according to plan, I would like to add a few more sps in the future. I am really open to suggestions especially on filtration and stocking

Yeah, thats a possibility, but I am going to run GFO with my carbon in my reactor and will probably get a lawnmower blenny and some more snails or something like that.

That's what I thought. I have two turbo snails already so Maybe one or two more might help. It just might all be new tank syndrome or something like that. The tank has only been up for a little less than six months I think.

Do you think it would be smart to get a small tang to put in with the two clowns to help with algae and switch it out for a smaller one when it gets to big?

My tank isn`t big enough for a tang. It`s only a 30 gallon display. Running GFO and possibly dosing some sort of phosphate remover could be done. I only have two clownfish so bio-load isn`t a problem, and like I said, I cut the food amount in half to see the results.