In light of my continued issues with nitrates (~40ppm) and the resulting algae, I've decided to make a few changes to the filtration mediums used in the filter. Up until now I've been running two bags of carbon along with some live rock rubble. Carbon is great for polishing the water, but it isn't actively helping with an accumulation of organics. The live rock has proven a good breeding ground for micro fauna (I regularly find abundant copepods and sponges), but there isn't enough volume to consider it an effective biological filter.
First, I reintroduced the zeolite media I had experimented with last summer. The highly porous nature of zeolite absorbs impurities and serves as a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria that reduce organics. I started low with the volume of zeolite, and hope to increase it based on how the corals react.
Secondly, I added 100ml of Seachem Purigen. This is a porous chemical filtration medium that works as a sponge for organic matter in the water. By removing this material from the water column, it never has a chance to complete the nitrogen cycle and become nitrate. Thanks to the abundant volume of the Aquaclear filter, I am also able to continue running a bag of carbon and the live rock rubble.
The last change to my maintenance routine is a little more controversial, at least in my mind. I am generally very conservative about introducing any form of additives, and especially opposed to chemical treatment of algae. That said, after reading a long thread about the effectiveness of API's Algaefix, I had to try it. The experiences of many aquarists confirmed the claim that this product will not harm anything within the tank, from fish to invertebrates, but will eliminate most forms of algae within weeks. An $8 bottled solution is very tempting after spending a few months scraping algae and performing multiple water changes each week.
First, I reintroduced the zeolite media I had experimented with last summer. The highly porous nature of zeolite absorbs impurities and serves as a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria that reduce organics. I started low with the volume of zeolite, and hope to increase it based on how the corals react.
Secondly, I added 100ml of Seachem Purigen. This is a porous chemical filtration medium that works as a sponge for organic matter in the water. By removing this material from the water column, it never has a chance to complete the nitrogen cycle and become nitrate. Thanks to the abundant volume of the Aquaclear filter, I am also able to continue running a bag of carbon and the live rock rubble.
The last change to my maintenance routine is a little more controversial, at least in my mind. I am generally very conservative about introducing any form of additives, and especially opposed to chemical treatment of algae. That said, after reading a long thread about the effectiveness of API's Algaefix, I had to try it. The experiences of many aquarists confirmed the claim that this product will not harm anything within the tank, from fish to invertebrates, but will eliminate most forms of algae within weeks. An $8 bottled solution is very tempting after spending a few months scraping algae and performing multiple water changes each week.
The current dosing schedule is 3ml of Algaefix every three days, to be reduced when algae shows signs of dying off. I will update with progress.
Labels: Algae, Maintenance, Parameters, Reef Aquarium
