Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Dear Bob,
I have been an avid reader of your columns in various magazines, web sites etc. for some time now. Have been keeping a reef aquarium for about two years now. I have a six hundred litre aquarium (400 litre display, 200 litre sump). Have eradicated algae problems in the past (mainly hair algae) through various articles found through your site. My tank has been doing really well, until suddenly a rust coloured substance has started appearing. My filter wool (presump filter) turns from white to orange brown in a matter of hours. I change this on a two-day basis. My skimmers produce an almost brown gunk, mud like substance, and wherever my circulation pumps blow in the aquarium, this rust coloured "algae" appears.
For filtration, I use 1/3rd visible volume live rock in the tank. In my sump start off with filter wool, followed by a skimmer which is constructed from PVC, with a 4000 l/hour pump, followed by a continually lit refugium, housing some Caulerpa (mostly racemosa) on a crushed coral bed, followed by a small queen protein skimmer (2000 lph), followed by a 15 watt U.V. sterilizer, followed by ROWAphos in a fluidised filter, then returned to the tank. I change about 25% water every month, using water from our local Aquarium (two oceans in Cape Town) which i run through my U.V. steriliser for a couple of hours before adding to the tank.
Water parameters:
# Ca 400 ppm
# Kh 8
# Nitrate 8 ppm
# Phosphate 0 ppm
# Mg 1350ppm
# SG 1.025
# Temp 25 `C
Recent additions/changes to my system are:
# ROWAphos, changed over from another type phosphate remover
# SeaChem Reef Builder
# My PVC homemade skimmer
Why has this algae suddenly appeared in the aquarium a couple of days after my last water change. The water I use comes from a temperate region, and if this is an algae, have I created the optimum conditions for it to grow in my tropical set up.
If you have ever come across such a strange colour in your aquarium, please let me know how to get rid of it. Any advice would be really appreciated.
Kind regards
Ivan Truter (Cape Town, South Africa)
Hi Ivan,
Thanks for your post, and before we discuss some other possibilities, are you sure the ROWAphos media is not entering the system? If absolutely sure it's not this media leaking into the system, are you very sure this is an algae?
Cheers,
Bob
Hi Bob,
"Thank You" on behalf of my son. He is at present in MaritiusMadagascar, diving for Inverts. An hour after I took the ROWAphos out of circulation the skimmers started producing the normal gung. I phoned him and he expressed the wish that he can meet you in person to thank you. Perhaps one day if you visit South Africa, you can be our guest. Many Thanks again for the immediate response (believe me he is even advertising your name in Mauritius and Madagascar)
John Truter
PS. By the way, my computer's flash disk (128 MB) is almost full of information saved from your website.
HI John,
Happy to see the problem cleared up and things are returning to normal. There are so many aquarists worldwide that I would like to personally meet and chat with about the hobby! But at my age, doubt that will happen.
I should note that I have had many emails over the past few years from aquarists in your area. The last one went on and on about how a dividing line between two oceans could clearly be seen. Anyway, be assured the ROWAphos won't harm anything in the aquarium, as that is an excellent product, but needs to be used properly.
This ferric hydroxide material (iron-based product) would be better used if placed in a canister filter. I suggest a Fluval-type filter with three internal baskets. Fill the lower basket with your choice of activated carbon (I use the ESV brand) in a sack of course, and also cut up a Poly-Filter into small pieces. That fills the first basket. In the middle basket place a layer of filter fluff and spread some of the ferric hydroxide material over the filter fluff. Cover the media with another shallow layer of filter fluff. Do the same in the top basket. Change the media when the first sign of any phosphate appears on your test kit.
And, yes my website is growing as the comments coming back like the vast amount of information and the professional manner in how its presented. And all with no annoying advertisements or pop-up ads.
Say "Hi" to your son for me,
Cheers
Bob
