help!!!

madamekiki · 11-20-2006, 04:54 PM

i had no heat in my house for about a week due to a gas line leak in my house...during that time i did not stay at home because it was cold in ohio...i came home twice a day to make sure the filter, lights, etc were running right and to feed the little guys. since my tank was neglected for a week i now have a cyano and hair algea outbreak...i also lost my purple firefish. where she went i don't know but she is gone. what can i do to fix this problem? i have a 55 gal tank with an emperor 400 filter (working on building my sump). i also am running a protein skimmer sorry i can't tell you what kind it is as it was given to me by a friend. nitrates and nitrites are fine my ph is low at 7.6 and my specific gravity is high at 1.026. i did a top off today with some ro water i got from work. also ammonia is at 0...if there is anything else you need to know to help me please ask me for the data and i will tell you.

thanks,
rachel

mistermikev · 11-20-2006, 05:24 PM

First of all, as far as the firefish... check behind the tank. I have had one recently leap out through a 3" gap in my canopy(nice aim). Next, don't freak out just yet. They can hide for weeks. AFA green hair algea... some say use a brush, I say pick it off with your hands. Using a brush works better but you may loose all the little guys on the rock and in the hair algea. I often find little bug looking guys (amphipods?), mini bristle stars, other four legged stars, and often little guys that look like bubble tip anemonies(not aptasia). If you can pick it off and do your best to not let it get out of your grasp (you don't want to propogate the stuff). AFA ph at 7.6, I only have a ltd experience but I think that would be considered dangerously low. the algae won't kill any fish. It is actually beneficial in some ways. the gravity is probably ok too.
Do you have a heater in there? not sure what effects the water reacting to nat gas would have but it can't be good. I would test, test and test some more! Then do water change. this will help the macroalgea prob, the ph prob, and anything else. good luck.

madamekiki · 11-20-2006, 10:10 PM

thanks...i'm planning on a water change tomorrow morning...and i do have a heater...actually while the heat was off i put another heater in the tank to maintain the temp because it was so cold in my house...and surprisingly with the heat off i had more water evaporation then normal....thanks for your help

rachel

mistermikev · 11-21-2006, 10:07 AM

Believe it or not more evap is common during cold spells as cold air is often dry air. AFA water change, I wouldn't exceed a 25% change. You may or may not know that too much water change is bad. I would also test your water for ph, nitrite, nitrate, salinity, and amonia at the very least. I would guess your going to see at least one of these high. Good luck.

madamekiki · 11-21-2006, 10:12 AM

salinity was high ph was low nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia all at 0...which surprised me greatly...i wasn't surprised by the high salinity with the amount of evaporation i had...actually water change was put on hold until tonight i'll be getting some ro water from work today and doing the water change when i get home tonight.

11-20-2006, 04:54 PM	#1
madamekiki Just Moved In Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: toledo, ohio Posts: 22	help!!! i had no heat in my house for about a week due to a gas line leak in my house...during that time i did not stay at home because it was cold in ohio...i came home twice a day to make sure the filter, lights, etc were running right and to feed the little guys. since my tank was neglected for a week i now have a cyano and hair algea outbreak...i also lost my purple firefish. where she went i don't know but she is gone. what can i do to fix this problem? i have a 55 gal tank with an emperor 400 filter (working on building my sump). i also am running a protein skimmer sorry i can't tell you what kind it is as it was given to me by a friend. nitrates and nitrites are fine my ph is low at 7.6 and my specific gravity is high at 1.026. i did a top off today with some ro water i got from work. also ammonia is at 0...if there is anything else you need to know to help me please ask me for the data and i will tell you. thanks, rachel

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11-20-2006, 05:24 PM	#2
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	First of all, as far as the firefish... check behind the tank. I have had one recently leap out through a 3" gap in my canopy(nice aim). Next, don't freak out just yet. They can hide for weeks. AFA green hair algea... some say use a brush, I say pick it off with your hands. Using a brush works better but you may loose all the little guys on the rock and in the hair algea. I often find little bug looking guys (amphipods?), mini bristle stars, other four legged stars, and often little guys that look like bubble tip anemonies(not aptasia). If you can pick it off and do your best to not let it get out of your grasp (you don't want to propogate the stuff). AFA ph at 7.6, I only have a ltd experience but I think that would be considered dangerously low. the algae won't kill any fish. It is actually beneficial in some ways. the gravity is probably ok too. Do you have a heater in there? not sure what effects the water reacting to nat gas would have but it can't be good. I would test, test and test some more! Then do water change. this will help the macroalgea prob, the ph prob, and anything else. good luck.

11-20-2006, 10:10 PM	#3
madamekiki Just Moved In Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: toledo, ohio Posts: 22	thanks...i'm planning on a water change tomorrow morning...and i do have a heater...actually while the heat was off i put another heater in the tank to maintain the temp because it was so cold in my house...and surprisingly with the heat off i had more water evaporation then normal....thanks for your help rachel

11-21-2006, 10:07 AM	#4
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	Believe it or not more evap is common during cold spells as cold air is often dry air. AFA water change, I wouldn't exceed a 25% change. You may or may not know that too much water change is bad. I would also test your water for ph, nitrite, nitrate, salinity, and amonia at the very least. I would guess your going to see at least one of these high. Good luck.

11-21-2006, 10:12 AM	#5
madamekiki Just Moved In Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: toledo, ohio Posts: 22	salinity was high ph was low nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia all at 0...which surprised me greatly...i wasn't surprised by the high salinity with the amount of evaporation i had...actually water change was put on hold until tonight i'll be getting some ro water from work today and doing the water change when i get home tonight.

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