Help with a UV filter 100 gallon newish tank

[Ant2323]

Hello all, looking for some advice/help. My son has a 100g corner tank it’s been running empty for well over a month. Had the water checked constantly and it was ready for fish. He added his moray eel(I think that’s what it’s called) and a scopas tang who is a couple years old he bought from our LFS but was the managers old fish so we knew its background. Recently added a powder brown tang and orange shoulder (he died two days later) but the water has been perfect before and after, so I’m not sure why he died.

Anyways he was told about a week ago to turn off the UV sterilizer because it was killing the good bacteria along with the bad and to leave it off for two weeks however, since it’s been off, I’ve noticed a tremendous amount of new algae growing on the rocks on the glass, and then it looks almost like algae or some type of brown all over the bottom sand. Should I continue to leave the UV sterilizer off or if I turn it back on will that help to clear up some of this algae before it gets out of hand? He has the AQUATOP SP13-UV

Being that it’s in our living room and a main focal point, my only requirement for him to get such a huge tank was that it needed to be constantly clean and constantly crystal clear water

 

[FUNGI]

aside from the fish, is he keeping any corals? IF not, IMO, the fish couldn't care less about the bacteria.....and the UV will help to keep the tank free of any "bad" bacteria....

 

[Ant2323]

He hasn’t moved his corals over yet. His plan is to start moving them over from his old 32 gallon bio cube today.

I’m more or less just trying to figure out if it makes sense to turn the UV light back on and not wait for two weeks to hopefully start to clean up some of this algae

 

[FUNGI]

To me, I would figure out why you algae is out of control.....maybe overfeeding and not enough export of nutrients.....
do you test for Nitrate/Phosphates? and results?
Also, since no corals, I would do a a week no lights.....

 

[Ant2323]

I don’t think it’s over feeding…doing nori every other day and half a cube of mysis shrimp Nitrate and phosphate were both at zeros Maybe the lights are two strong? I have 2 nicrew 150 watts running on a slightly modified Pro setting

Idk if I would call it out of control but it’s definitely more than I expected with it being so new

 

[FUNGI]

could be the light....
whats the moray eat?

 

[Ant2323]

could be the light....
whats the moray eat?

He’s eating brine shrimp 2-3 small pieces every couple days

 

[FUNGI]

He’s eating brine shrimp 2-3 small pieces every couple days

Must be a pretty small eel / juvenile?

 

[Ant2323]

Must be a pretty small eel / juvenile?

He’s a little guy for sure Took a SS from a video of him

 

[FUNGI]

I didnt note the tank is only 2~3 months old......
The brown algae on sand will go away soon....you are in "uglies" stage.....all tanks go thru it.
Its part of the course....

 

[FUNGI]

This might help:

A Dinoflagellate Treatment Guide

As the title suggests, this is intended as a short guide on what to do when you suspect dinoflagellates are trying to overtake your system. It is an attempt to boil down the protocols discussed across 11,000 posts in this "Are you Tired" thread...

www.reef2reef.com

I used a UV on my 125G for a month and it never came back.....

 

[Ant2323]

I didnt note the tank is only 2~3 months old......
The brown algae on sand will go away soon....you are in "uglies" stage.....all tanks go thru it.
It’s part of the course....

That’s so funny my so called it the same the “the ugly stage” I told him he needs a goby to start cleaning that sand before it gets worse Do you think putting the uv back on will help slow it and get the ugly stage gone quicker

 

[FUNGI]

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