1 year in, dealing with persistent algae on sandbed

[LeftyReefer]

Tank has been up for just over a year now. started with dry rock and sand.
Ugly phase didn't really hit, other than a persistent thick algae mat that forms on my sandbed.
It difficult to vacuum since it clumps the sand so much that it just comes up in big clumps that then plugs my vacuum tube.

I'm currently trying less white light, only running blue channel for now. It's been almost a week with only blues, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better yet. I've tried vibrant, which didn't do much. Nightly H2O2 and daily bacteria dosing hasn't done anything other than kill my macro algae. (I think)

params:
1.025
8.6 KH (Hanna)
MG 1500 (Red Sea)
CA 480 (Red Sea)
nitrates 5.5ppm (Hanna HR)
phosphates .04ppm (Hanna ULR)

This algae has been present for months. my DT got ICH, so I pulled all fish and QT'd them. so my DT has been sitting fallow. I figured if it was a nutrient problem, going fallow might help... but the tank has now been fallow for 70 days and the algae on the sand isn't getting any better. (Corals have all been fine, except I did have a cali tort RTN in a couple days, immediately after moving it in the tank. all other corals seem fine. I have no other algae growing anywhere in the tank, no turf or hair algae on the rocks or glass. Only this persistant mat of algae on my sand..... how do I get rid of this?

Pics (taken with only blues on)

 

[brandon429]

Rip cleans do well against that

Algae/Cyano Issue Not Improving, Help Please?

Hi all, I have a Red Sea Reefer 250 that has been up and running for 8 months now. My issue is a strange black algae\cyano growth that has plagued me for the last two months+. I have been treating as follows: cleaning gravel twice weekly 20% water changes twice a week Addition of beneficial...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[LeftyReefer]

Rip cleans do well against that

I knew you would say that! haha

The thought has definitely crossed my mind, but I'm not quite there yet.

 

[Billldg]

Are you seeing any bubble's in the algae? Is the algae more of a brown color vs red?

 

[The0wn4g3]

The first step is identifying what it is. I would guess dinos since the tank has been fallow, however nitrates at 5.5 with no fish is a red flag. Dinos usually don't like nutrient rich systems, and with no fish I wouldn't expect nitrate that high.

Is there any hair algae, bubble algae, etc?

A cheap microscope can ID dinos easily.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Are you seeing any bubble's in the algae? Is the algae more of a brown color vs red?

Only briefly after dosing H202 to the tank, but other than that, NO.

 

[Billldg]

Only briefly after dosing H202 to the tank, but other than that, NO.

HMMM...I asked because I am dealing with Dino's currently, but originally, thought it was Cyano. My algae looks brown under normal lighting, its not always easily blown off, and, kinda looks like snot vs a simple coating.

Not to alarm you, but, it kinda looks like what the photos show.

I would start by raising your N03 and P04 to 15 ppm and .10 ppm. That way you know you are above the margin of error for a Hanna checker.

 

[LeftyReefer]

The first step is identifying what it is. I would guess dinos since the tank has been fallow, however nitrates at 5.5 with no fish is a red flag. Dinos usually don't like nutrient rich systems, and with no fish I wouldn't expect nitrate that high.

Is there any hair algae, bubble algae, etc?

A cheap microscope can ID dinos easily.

The nitrate,s are currently 5.5ppm, which is the highest its ever been... I'm assuming it's due to my macro algae dying off. I have a large clump of macro algae that I think is dying due to the daily H202 dosing... everytime I doses H202 to the system, my macro algae is covered in bubbles and seems to be going clear/translucent as it is dying... I have a feeling that is where the nitrates are coming from. Normally, when I test nitrates, they are under 1 ppm. That was true, even when I had fish in the tank.

phosphates are usually .04, which they are right now... the highest they have ever been was .08 when I had fish in the tank.

FYI, I'm still feeding the tank for my corals, but only items like AB+, acro-power, and live phyto. a couple pellets ever few weeks for the crabs.

A microscope is probably my next purchase.

 

[The0wn4g3]

Why are you dosing h202?

I use a $60 lcd 50-1000x microscope from Amazon to ID dinos. More magnification would be better, but it's cheap and works.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Why are you dosing h202?

I use a $60 lcd 50-1000x microscope from Amazon to ID dinos. More magnification would be better, but it's cheap and works.

Hoping it would get rid of or at least weaken the algae on the sandbed.. but it seems to bubble a little bit around the edges, but that's it.

 

[The0wn4g3]

You should really get a microscopic for a100% ID, but in the mean time this covers a lot :

Red Cyanobacteria (100% removal)

I was supposed to start this thread some time ago, sometimes life gets in the way. I started by taking pictures of certain spots in my tank that were easy to identify the Cyanobacteria mats that are persistently homesteading in my tank. Failing to complete the treatment due to being away from...

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