120 Display Tank Algae problems

Tombones · Nov 5, 2018

Currently dosing 26ml of Triton. My parameters are stable and macro algae in sump is growing gang busters. My sps corals have been somewhat pale so I have been dosing nitrate and phosphate for several months, PO4 reads 0- 0.02 and nitrates 2-5 ppm. All seems to be doing very well except for algae in the DT. I have had an explosion of red mat algae, ulva, bubble algae and some thick dark green type of hair algae. I have about 30 blue leg crabs, a hand full of Astraea snails, 1 sea urchin and I just added 3 Brazilian snails and a small fox face rabbit fish.

I realize by adding nitrate and phosphate it will also help grow algae but my sps corals are now coloring up. I was running my sump lights 16 hours but I decided 24 hours for the time being and reduce my DT lights from 10 hours to 8.

If any of you all have any insights on what I have done or what else I should do please comment.

Thanks

Want2BS8ed · Nov 5, 2018

Foxface/Rabbit Fish...

I have a Magnificent Foxface in my 120 DT. He's fat, happy and a gigantic scardy-cat, but he obliterated a rampant outbreak of bubble algae and Ulva in my tank. Took him a couple of weeks to clear it out but it hasn't returned in almost a year-and-a-half.

He happily eats pellets and the occasional piece of Nori now and then. Very well mannered and has been a great addition to my reef.

M

DesertReefBoy · Nov 12, 2018

How is the flow in your tank? Is the red mat algae cyno?

If you are trying to increase your nutrients then running your sump light longer will have the opposite effect as you are encouraging the algae to grow. I run my h380 12 on 12 off opposite of my DT. I also
Don’t rinse my food to help keep po4 in my tank.

Tombones · Nov 12, 2018

Thanks for your response. I understand (running your sump light longer will have the opposite effect as you are encouraging the algae to grow.) My thought was trying to out compete the DT algae. If I just added nutrients both refuge algae and DT algae would grow more. By increasing sump lighting and adding herbivores to DT I could reduce DT algae and increase the nutrients. The Fox Face Rabbit Fish is doing a fine job and the algae is disappearing. I think my mistake was a few months ago I added two sea urchins to reduce heavy coralline algae that was eating up my expensive Triton chemicals and then my Yellow Tang died. The red turf algae (and other types of algae) moved in those spaces unabated.
Things seem to be under control now and soon I will reduce the sump lighting back down.
Question: You run your sump light 12 hours on and 12 off and I would assume opposite your DT . Does that give you a period of time with no light in sump and no light in DT and do you have a PH drop during that time?

Marie7 · Nov 12, 2018

Tombones said:
Currently dosing 26ml of Triton. My parameters are stable and macro algae in sump is growing gang busters. My sps corals have been somewhat pale so I have been dosing nitrate and phosphate for several months, PO4 reads 0- 0.02 and nitrates 2-5 ppm. All seems to be doing very well except for algae in the DT. I have had an explosion of red mat algae, ulva, bubble algae and some thick dark green type of hair algae. I have about 30 blue leg crabs, a hand full of Astraea snails, 1 sea urchin and I just added 3 Brazilian snails and a small fox face rabbit fish.

I realize by adding nitrate and phosphate it will also help grow algae but my sps corals are now coloring up. I was running my sump lights 16 hours but I decided 24 hours for the time being and reduce my DT lights from 10 hours to 8.

If any of you all have any insights on what I have done or what else I should do please comment.

Thanks

U are dossing ur tank with or against nitrates and phosphate? I though that this will cause a bloom of algae as u are having right now... .

Tombones · Nov 12, 2018

Marie, I am using the Triton method consisting of a refugium of macro algae which along with my sps corals uses up all my nutrients. 0 NO3 and 0 PO4. Without these additions my corals will lighten and even die if I go long periods without them. If I had very high NO3 and PO4 I would not add nutrients but do something to lower them. The nutrients that grow corals are the same to grow algae. I think my mistake was not replacing my herbivore (Yellow Tang) when he died and the DT algae took off.

Marie7 · Nov 12, 2018

Tombones said:
Marie, I am using the Triton method consisting of a refugium of macro algae which along with my sps corals uses up all my nutrients. 0 NO3 and 0 PO4. Without these additions my corals will lighten and even die if I go long periods without them. If I had very high NO3 and PO4 I would not add nutrients but do something to lower them. The nutrients that grow corals are the same to grow algae. I think my mistake was not replacing my herbivore (Yellow Tang) when he died and the DT algae took off.

Ohhh OK I was so confused, lol sorry. Well hope u get it on control, cause right now I have an issue of brown sand which I been told is high phosphates, I add a bag of phosphate remover and dose it with the PO4 thing or whatever is it but is lighter now and been Bette but still have the issue I'm just playing now with the light and see if it dissapear