Nutrient bombed my tank

[wjm6449]

I was on vacation (suprise! And going on vacation again next week) I came back to my reef tank being fed pellets (2x daily). I had an algae explosion, and now almost like a sour milk smell emanating through my house (wife is NOT happy). I put in new filter socks last night scraped the glass and they’re gunked up. Put new socks in again. My skimmer is new and wasn’t producing foam but suddenly during the water changes it started. (Water level too high in sump??) I’ve changed through the day almost 40 gallons of water in my 125 gallon tank…. The smell is going down a bit…

Any other advice? Thoughts? More water changes? My tank is about 2 1// months old. Carbon sheet on top of the skimmer.

Also, am I over feeding my stock?
I’m feeding 1/2 sheet of nori daily and 1 cube of frozen mysis for
3 tangs
3 anthias
2 clowns
1 6 line wrasse
Exsquisite wrasse
1 (very fat and happy lawnmower blenny)
1 velvet devil damsel. They’re all 2” or less in size.

This coming vacation I plan on having the feeder run out after like day 2/3 so the fish can trudge on for 3 more days without.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

If you can, I suggest adding a carbon reactor. That should help with the smell.

 

[Ziggy17]

I keep about a pound of activated carbon in a mesh media bag in the return chamber.

In terms of feeding, can you calibrate the feeder to put out less twice a day?

Do you have a apex controller?

 

[wjm6449]

I keep about a pound of activated carbon in a mesh media bag in the return chamber.

In terms of feeding, can you calibrate the feeder to put out less twice a day?

Do you have an apex controller?

No, no controller as of yet. Eventually. Money is tight as I’ve obviously dropped some big coin to get this sucker off the ground. The feeder I’ve removed for now until next vacation. Doing a cube a day and 1/2 nori sheet.

As for carbon, don’t I need to worry about hlle?

 

[Bruttall]

I have 7 tangs, from 13 inches to 4 inches, large skat, large rabbit fish, and about 13 smaller fish like chromis, wrasses, goby's etc and I give them 2 sheets of nori a day 1 red, 1 green, and about a tablespoon of ground up flake. frozen is a treat on weekends and then only about 2 cubes worth in a 300g tank. This has been my feed amount for right on 9 months now.

I am starting to wonder if I am not over feeding a bit. I do go thru a 100g can of flake about every 90 days. The blonde naso is around 12 to 13 inches long I am estimating. I took the pic then edited comment to add it.

 

[wjm6449]

I have 7 tangs, from 13 inches to 4 inches, large skat, large rabbit fish, and about 13 smaller fish like chromis, wrasses, goby's etc and I give them 2 sheets of nori a day 1 red, 1 green, and about a tablespoon of ground up flake. frozen is a treat on weekends and then only about 2 cubes worth in a 300g tank. This has been my feed amount for right on 9 months now.

I am starting to wonder if I am not over feeding a bit. I do go thru a 100g can of flake about every 90 days. The blonde naso is around 12 to 13 inches long I am estimating. I took the pic then edited comment to add it.

I can’t comment…. But I know that when I first had just clowns I was told give 1/2 a cube of frozen every other day to them. Now I do a the full cube daily… (lots more fish and competition) each 1/2 is gone within 2-3 minutes. I will eventually give more nori to my tangs but they’re all 2 inches. I think you need to just play with what works for you and your tank….

However if food is still floating around after a while then yeah. I’d dial it back.

 

[Ziggy17]

No, no controller as of yet. Eventually. Money is tight as I’ve obviously dropped some big coin to get this sucker off the ground. The feeder I’ve removed for now until next vacation. Doing a cube a day and 1/2 nori sheet.

As for carbon, don’t I need to worry about hlle?

I think if you chuck the carbon in for a few days you’re fine, just use ROX carbon and give it a good rinse in RO prior to going in to ensure the fines don’t make their way into the system. I wrap mine in floss in the bag as well to be sure. I put the carbon in a bag. Rinse. Then wrap in floss and into a second bag then into the sump.