Miracle Mud And C-Balance Not Balanced 2/16/09 ID Of Critters On Live Rock Hey guys, <Hello Steven> I have a few questions for you and I would also like you to ID something in my tank. Let me give you a tiny bit of background before I get started. I have a 55 gallon reef right now and I would like to upgrade to a 200 gallon reef when I move out :) . I am making some changes in my 55 gallon reef to test out some new things before I implement them on a larger scale. Right now I use the Berlin method of filtration with an AquaC Remora Pro for skimming, RowaPhos to remove the extra phosphates, and C-Balance to keep the calcium and alkalinity in check. In my new tank I would like to try to keep the maintenance cost down so I figured why not try out for Miracle Mud'¦ I figured I could save some money on C-balance and maybe not even use a calcium reactor. Here is the problem: I put the Miracle Mud in the Aquafuge with some Chaeto and reduced the amount of C-balance that I added by around half. The calcium level is going up but the alkalinity is going down. My calcium is around 470 and the alkalinity is around 2.8 mEq/L. I called Ecosystem and they said that the mud won't boost the alkalinity as much as the calcium. I called Two Little Fishes and asked them if I could use more of part B to balance things out and they told me never to do that. They told me to always add equal amounts of part A and B. I have been using some reef buffer by Seachem to keep the alkalinity raised instead. Is this a viable long term solution? Will I end up problems down the line using the combination of C-balance, Miracle Mud, and Reef Buffer? <This is one of the reasons I do not like using Part A/B products. I'm for dosing a la carte, supplement individually when required. Your 2.8meq/L reading is just fine.> Next Question... I am using the Aquafuge medium with a 404 mini pump (for additional flow) and the 24 watt light that it comes with. Even with the extra flow from the 404 mini I am still having problems with algae covering the mud and Chaeto. It is getting so annoying that I am thinking of selling the fuge and going back to using C-balance exclusively. <The mud isn't what is causing the algae problem, it is excessive nutrients in the water. I've used the Ecosystem Fuge and I did not have any algae problems due to the Miracle Mud.> I sent you a picture of the Aquafuge so you can get an idea of my setup. Did I put too much Chaeto in the Aquafuge? <I think so, half of that would be good. You may want to read the FAQ's here on Miracle Mud filtration. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mudfiltrfaqs.htm> Should I add another mini pump to get some more flow? I am not really happy with this setup-up compared to the old method of just adding C-balance. Can you let me know where I went wrong? I don't want to have problems like this in my new setup. <You never mentioned nitrate levels, stocking levels...what are they?> Now I have one more question. I found a website that sells a 3 part Calcium-Alkalinity dosing product that is really really cheap. I could use it in the 200 gallon aquarium without worries that it will get excessively expensive. Can you let me know if it is a reputable brand? I can get 10 gallons of each part for 90 bucks. http://www.tbaquatics.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=100 <I've never heard of it. Try posting this on one of the reef forums. On another note, I'm not a big fan of adding calcium and buffer simultaneously. Is better to dose on separate days.> If this is the same as C-balance then it's a great deal. <Can't help you much here, best to post. I prefer to use products like Seachem, Tropic Marin, etc, and buy in the larger sizes which makes it more economical to use.> Last thing I promise. There are two things in my tank I was hoping you could ID for me. I have some sponge looking things that are growing in low light areas of the tank and also little white circles that are appearing my rocks. I have included pictures. <Pictures are too blurry, but I'm thinking they are a sponge of some type.> Thanks!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Steve

Gray stuff 02/09/09 Hi Guys, <Michael> It's been a while since I wrote to you guys, I guess no news is good news, right? <Possibly... or a dearth of novelty, excitement, challenge...> Well, I do have a problem now, I have this gray fuzzy stuff growing on my rocks, my powerheads and on the walls of my tank. I have searched high and low on the site and the only thing I can find that resembles mine is on this page: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lridfaq11.htm written on 6/28/06. It's a 150G tank with sump wet/dry, Aqua-C 180 skimmer. History of my tank is that it was running perfectly healthy for 3 years, housing a volitans, porcupine puffer and California round spotted stingray. I had a pipe leak in my kitchen that flooded my house. <Yikes!> Long story short is that my house needed to be restored due to the flood water damage. The contractors that restored my home did not cover the tank tops and got paint in the tank. It took a little over a week before the contaminants wiped out the 3 in my tank. I had a gray fuzz infestation that followed. I left the tank uninhabited for 3 years. Last year I decided I wanted to get that tank back up and running and cleaned the tank out and got everything going again. To this day, I have not added any fish, because this gray fuzzy stuff has come back and I don't want it to cause any more deaths in the tank. Since it is fuzzy, my first guess is that it is fungal and not an algae. <Likely a mix... broad... of various small life... including algae, other protists...> I recently ran copper treatment in the tank, and that wiped out the 8 snails I added in the tank as a clean up crew, which I suspected might happen. Do you have any idea what this is or what I can do to eliminate it? <Mmm, I'd either add more, some new live rock on top of it directly... Or bleach what is there presently and add some new LR...> I'm about ready to just nuke the entire tank and system with bleach water and start all over again. <Oh! This is what I would do as well> I'd really hate to do that and waste all that salt water and RO/DI water, <Mmm, don't have to if you want... but I would toss it, rinse a few times with tap...> but if I have to, then that is what will have to happen. Thanks again and keep up the great work on the site! Michael P.S. If the attached picture isn't too clear, I can try to take another one. <Is clear enough... Your system has issues with solubility of the "old" hard materials present, a lack of biodiversity... The best, shortest repair approach... bleach, rinse, rinse, refill, some new gravel and rock. Bob Fenner>