roypark05

Right on man, I'd like to see that setup it sounds great.

Right on! So you're an operator? Which plant? A back-up plan is always good, you're right! Thanks so much for the offer!!

Yeah man definitely! Thanks again, I really appreciate it and I really need it!

Thanks man! That would still be worth the $100! Much appreciated!!

I take possession of my new house July 7, and the lease on my current condo is up on June 30. So there's a week there where I'm homeless. No big deal, but my fish will need somewhere to live! If there's anyone who has tank space for them for that week, there's $100 in it for you! I have a 4" Pink Peacock, 4" Orange Peacock, 4" Yellow Lab, 3 x 2.5" Yellow Labs, Breeding Pair Jewels (approx 3" each), the breeding pair's son (1"), the pink guy's mate approx 3", common pleco 9", albino bn 4", lithobate 3" I'm pretty sure that's it. They can all stay together, would need minimum 55 gallons. Thanks.

Besides, anyone who took the 5 seconds to read your sig line knows you're claiming to have at least 8!

double post oops

I think I've seen that type of algae before, but I don't have a name for it other than "pain in the @$$". You should pick up an iron test kit and find out if thats your problem.

Thanks for the post Greg. So I guess it's not just me...Peacocks tend to give each other hell.

Yeah I read that article, but it doesn't really help with my situation as it is. Like you say, there's gotta be an imbalance there and yeah it's anyone's guess how that happened. I'm not going to spend hundreds more on a UV sterilizer which should be unnecessary for a 75 gallon freshwater setup. So in the meantime, getting that balance back....start all over? That's not going to be easy. Last time I moved all my fish into my little 29 gallon for 2 days I lost a few of them as it was far too overcrowded. So that doesn't really leave me with much.

Sorry I forgot to mention about the lights. I've been leaving them off for the majority of the time. After I added the algone filter media I left the lights off for 2 days straight. When I turned them back on it was nothing but cloud, although not really green at all (then again it wasn't green before that either). For the past few weeks I turn the lights on for about 2 hours/day tops. As I mentioned before, I've been doing things the same for 2 years now. I've never had an issue with algae and the lights were always on 8-10 hours per day.

I've been running the same 75 Gallon African Tank in the same spot of my place for a little over 2 years now. Same 2 filters have been in use the entire time; AquaClear110 and Penguin BioWheel350. These filters have always done the job, and there's never really been any significant amount of algae in the tank before (the tank is not really near direct sunlight). So right now the load on the tank is not significant compared to what it used to be, although there's a good number of fish in the tank including plecos. I haven't been doing anything new with the tank, using the same chemicals (Prime, Stress Coat) I was starting to do more regular (weekly) water changes (10-15%) for about 2 months before my problems arose. The water got cloudier than it ever got before. I gave the filter media in the AC a quick rinse and replace the cartridges in the Penguin. Gave it a day and when nothing improved I picked up a water clarifier (coagulant) that I used before (with success). As normal, the water got cloudier but instead of getting better it stayed at that level of turbidity. I tried a biological clarifier and same thing. Eventually the water started turning greenish. I usually use carbon filter media in the AC for lengthy periods of time to ensure the water is crystal clear. I blame my carbon media for adding nutrients into the tank becauase I probably overused it. I figured thats why the water went to hell. I replace the carbon media with brand new. Still nothing. So I still have no apparent signs of algae in the tank, I'm doing water changes like a madman, vacuuming the rocks a little extra, theres no algae on the gravel or the rocks but the water is like pea soup. I do a full cleaning of the filters. I'm careful not to disturb the bio filter but I clean the casing and give everything another rinse, same with the Penguin. I moved all my fish out for a couple days while I did this, and I did an 85% water change and I vaccuumed the rocks like theres no tomorrow. I make sure there tank still handles ammonia and I put the fish back in. Within a couple days the water is white cloudy again...big time! In another day or two its greenish (not extreme green like what I think algae-riddled tanks are usually like, its a paler green). Anyway, I picked up a phosphate removing media, although I never measured the phosphate levels cuz I never had a test kit. Nitrates are reasonable. I've had a few plants in the tank for the last few weeks to hopefully control nitrates and out-compete any algae. So with the water not getting any better for some time, I picked up an extra filter. A big eheim classic. I add some more coagulant and I'm doing water changes every 3 days or so. The water will look betetr for a short time only. 3 filters going on this thing and still no improvement! In fact it steadily gets worse over a span of a few days until it looks like pale pea soup again! I pull the phosphate media and its the only thing int he tank or filters covered in algae, so I'm starting to think its an algae issue. I throw out that media but since then I've been testing phosphates and I have little if any. I pick up some algone filter media and I put one in the AC and one in the Eheim. I also use a chemical that is supposed to readily clear water from algae (although it is a temporary fix, I figure if it clears it up the rest of what I have should handle it from there). I'm still doing water changes this whole time but still nothing. I'm at my wit's end here. I can't even think of what else I can do. All my other tanks have way more nitrates and phosphates on a regular basis but they're crystal clear! What could possibly be going on with this tank??? P.S. The fish seem happy, I had jewels in there that spawned twice over this period. All the mbuna and peacocks have nice colours and are growing. No fish have died during this time other than when I moved them, a couple died in the other tank which was overstocked at the time. Reward to anyone capable of solving this problem!

Things got a little hectic around here, I keep trying to get a chance to run these tests, but it hasn't happened yet. I'll get them done some time soon and will post the results then. For those waiting to see the results, I apologize for the delay.

Like I was saying, we will increase the dose during spring run-off, but it's all based on an end residual of 2.0 mg/L. Like right now we're dosing about 2.85 mg/L but by the time the water is ready to do to the reservoir, we're down to about 1.95 mg/L and we add 0.05 mg/L at the trim. In spring run-off we will dose in some cases in excess of 4 mg/L, and the trim may be as high as 0.5 mg/L but when it leaves the plant it's 2.0 mg/L Anyway I have an ammonia analyzer at my disposal, but it may or may not work correctly for me, which will leave me with nothing more than a little aquarium test kit.

Okay, so I've got everything set up so I can do the tests tomorrow, and I'll post them tomorrow. So here's what I plan on doing: 1. Add Prime to tap water, check for free ammonia right away and for sulfite residual. Check sulfite residual after a few hours. 2. Check my aquarium water for sulfite residual. So if there is anything else you'd like me to test, post it here today and I'll most likely be able to have a look at it tomorrow. Just to clear things up a bit about chloramine residual in Edmonton tap water, it doesn't vary based on season or anything. We increase doses due to higher demands which is impacted seasonally, but by the time it leaves the plant it's roughly 2 mg/L chloramine regardless. We keep that residual constant by adding a trim amount of chloramine (sodium hypochlorite and ammonia added at the same time to be exact) just as the water is en route to the reservoirs.

If all the chlorine or chloramine is neutralized by adding Prime, a sulfite residual will exist. This residual will decrease over time with other reactions that will occur naturally. Any remaining sulfite residual will also be removed by activated carbon in the filter (if thats what you have). I'll do another couple tests to measure how long a sulfite residual can last in a tank by using my own tank water. I'll do it up this weekend and then post the results.

While I was doing the chlorine tests for the plant production water tonight, I took one of the samples and put some PRIME in it, to see how well it works. Here's what I got: Label says 5 mL per 200 L (50 gal) of water. Samples for testing are 200 mL, so I put 1 mL in the sample, gave it a quick mix, then tested it. It tested for 0 parts of total chlorine (chloramine) that quickly. The reaction is instantaneous. I know everyone here on the AA forum already has faith in Prime as a means of removing that pesky Edmonton chloramine, but I just wanted to let any of the would be doubters know that this stuff really works! :thumbs:

Snow White Socolofi would be a good fit if you want to stick with mbuna. A couple Jewels would add to the tank so long as your tank is 45 gallons or more, as there needs to be sufficient room for them to be somewhat separate from the mbuna. I know Jewels have a rep with some people as aggressive cichlids, but in my experience Jewels and Mbuna are on the same level of aggression, and they stay similar in size. I find they don't really fight each other, just the odd staredown (like is my picture).

In my 75 gallon tank I have adult Dayglows with my dominant male at 4" I also have Redfin Piebald juvies, with the largest of the group (a female) at 2". (All fish from Patrick @ gillsnfins). There are 3 rock caves set up, with the biggest of the 3 being the one right in the middle of the tank. For those of you not familiar with Piebalds, they come one of two ways, either white with a lot of black spotting, or orange with trace black speckling. I have 3 orange females, 2 white/bacl females, and a male of each (my males are smaller than the females atm). Anyway, the 2nd biggest orange female has claimed the middle cave! She fends off any intruders, even my dominant male Dayglow! It is absolutely hilarious to see her fight off a fish easily more than double her size! Especially considering my dominant male Dayglow is a bit of a nutcase himself, routinely bullying the other 2 male Dayglows of equal size. Of all fish to be able to hold down such a large cave in that tank...

Yeah same thing as the marble. Both dissolve as CaCO3 (calcium carbonate, the basis of KH)

One solution that can be a very stable and permanent fix, but requires some time, is adding pieces of marble in amongst your gravel. The marble slowly adds calcium/carbonate hardness from gradual dissolving.

lol my favorite was when that big Emperor cichlid threw the turtle about 15 feet. Also, it was cooling looking at the Frontosas in their natural habitat at the very start of that clip.

lol post #666 creepy!

Nice link! Thanks!