Is liquid carbon safe for polys?

[elbereth]

Thank you for the info! I already happen to have some liquid carbon left over from a previous purchase so I might as well use it up but good to know it's not worth buying in future.

Incidentally I have been having trouble with black hair algae and cyano in one of my tanks, a grow out tank for two tiny delhezis. I read that cyano can be eradicted using erythromycin or Maracyn but fish medications are virtually impossible to get in Canad without a prescription nowadays. A blackout didn't help much either. I already do 50% water changes once a week to keep nitrates low so I thought perhaps boosting plant growth a bit would help them outcompete the algae.

 

[twentyleagues]

Cyano isn't algae. It's very hard to get rid of. The liquid carbon may help a bit with the blackbeard algae. Phosphates are probably the root cause though. Try getting some of that phosphate pad filter material or something like boyds chemiclean or purigen to help absorb excess phosphate. I was battling cyano in one tank and blackbeard in another without using an antibiotic, flow and phosphate reduction are the next best thing against cyano. The liquid carbon helped with the blackbeard but ultimately phosphate reduction helped the most. P04 pad and purigen helped me, couldn't increase flow in the one tank. The black beard is mostly gone but there is still a little, manual removal keeps it further gone. Increasing flow along with those products got rid of the cyano in the other tank. Sponge filtration and high tds well water is hard to combine.

 

[elbereth]

Thanks for the advice. I thought Purigen was for nitrogenous wastes though, no? Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to reduce nitrates too. I have some PhosBond as well so I'll add both to my filter.

 

[twentyleagues]

Purigen helps with nitrogenous waste true. I found it also absorbs phosphate. I used to do salt and used purigen on my desk top 8g reef. Po4 was undetectable with a hanna meter while it was in use.

 

[elbereth]

Good to know!

An 8g reef - neat! Did you have any fish in it or only corals? I used to have a 12g nano but I had a hard time keeping the parameters stable so I'm in the middle of upgrading to something a bit bigger. I really admire those who can keep up with those beautiful nano tanks though.

 

[twentyleagues]

Good to know!

An 8g reef - neat! Did you have any fish in it or only corals? I used to have a 12g nano but I had a hard time keeping the parameters stable so I'm in the middle of upgrading to something a bit bigger. I really admire those who can keep up with those beautiful nano tanks though.

Purple fire fish and a blood shrimp. Corals were 3 different birds nests and a few different zoa's. Everyother day 1 gallon water changes and purigen helped. Had it set up at work for about a year and then corp came in and made me take it home. Had it for about another year and incorporated into my main set up.

 

[elbereth]

That's too bad. I'm sure having a nice nano tank at work is actually quite good for productivity!

Birdnest is one of the corals I haven't been able to keep alive. I tried twice and both times it peeled and bleached.

 

[twentyleagues]

That's too bad. I'm sure having a nice nano tank at work is actually quite good for productivity!

Birdnest is one of the corals I haven't been able to keep alive. I tried twice and both times it peeled and bleached.

All the employees loved it. They named the shrimp and the fire fish.

We all have that coral that we just absolutely love and can't keep. Mine was red planet acro. It would turn bright pink in my system loose all the green base and would grow so slow, and eventually die.

Birds nests grew like wild fire for me I had ponapai (probably butchered that) pink, and green.

 

[elbereth]

Glad I'm not the only one then.
Thanks again for all your advice. Hopefully I can get this algae under control.

 

[clm08k]

Does anybody have any recommendations for a good planted light for a 180g? can be mounted into a canopy if needed.

The fact that yall can keep corals is laudable. I tried salt for a few years but found mixing the salt with the water too cumbersome each time I did a water change. It seemed easier with a 40g tank than a 6g tank for some reason. I guess cause water quality had more room for error?
twentyleagues , I can't believe you keep an 8g reef. I could barely keep a 6g salt tank sans corals going.