3 month old tank massive green algea bloom...

[maxpare79]

Hey guys, just want to confirm everything is going to plan...

Since last week I had a major green algea outbreak the rocks have become covered with green hair algea, the glass, even if I clean it, comes back green everyday and at first I thought the lighting was the cause. The glass gets cover with algae with but with the exact shape of the lighting diffusion pattern.

I have 2 Kessil A160we.

I was running them at the défaut setting which peaks at 65 color 70 brightness (or maybe it was the other way around) since then I lowered both at 55.

My tank is a 50 gallon, phosphate and nitrate both read 0 (phosphate I use the salifert, nitrate sadly I only have the API)
My skimmer skims fine, and I do a 15% water change each week.

Will it go away in time? Do I have to do something other then put more snails?

I come from the FW planted tank world, where the ideal solution to battle algea is just add fast growing plants, which I can't in this one

I know I went to a small diatom stage but this is getting intense. Even the snails are growing algea on their back

 

[Jekyl]

All normal. Keep your parameters in check with water changes. While changing use a toothbrush at the end of the siphon to scrub/suck excess. Get some extra CuC. If a snail has coraline on the shell scratch some off into a powerhead to seed the tank.

 

[Twoddler]

More cuc, if your testing is accurate raise phosphate and nitrate, introduce an algae eating fish, cut back on skimming dont think there much need if you have 0 nitrate 0 phosphate

 

[maxpare79]

All normal. Keep your parameters in check with water changes. While changing use a toothbrush at the end of the siphon to scrub/suck excess. Get some extra CuC. If a snail has coraline on the shell scratch some off into a powerhead to seed the tank.

How long will it last approximately? Especially on the glass? I am not even joking, it takes less then 12 hours and my super clean glass are covered again...

 

[Jekyl]

What kind of filtration are you using and where are your parameters? Uglies can last the whole first year.

 

[maxpare79]

More cuc, if your testing is accurate raise phosphate and nitrate, introduce an algae eating fish, cut back on skimming dont think there much need if you have 0 nitrate 0 phosphate

I have 8 nerites, 4 nessarius and 2 turbos. The turbos are the only ones who seem to be effective. I looked around for cerith but can't find it here (Montreal, Canada). Anything else you would recommend adding?

 

[Jekyl]

Does reefcleaners.org mail to you? If so get their 25 gallon package and might as well add their reef pods to the order

 

[maxpare79]

What kind of filtration are you using and where are your parameters? Uglies can last the whole first year.

It's an AIO, with 2 baskets

On one side floss, purigen, and seachem matrix.
On the other side floss, purigen and chemipure elite.

When it started I bought a phosphate test kit (other then the API one I have) and Seachem Phosnet to remove phosphate, but since my readings are at 0 I didn't use the Phosnet

 

[maxpare79]

Does reefcleaners.org mail to you? If so get their 25 gallon package and might as well add their reef pods to the order

Would pods survive without a refugium? There's a company in Canada (copepods.ca) that sells pods online but I always thought they need a refugium to survive which I can't do with this setup (at least not in any easy way)

Edit: Just check and they don't ship outside the US

 

[Jekyl]

Would pods survive without a refugium? There's a company in Canada (copepods.ca) that sells pods online but I always thought they need a refugium to survive which I can't do with this setup (at least not in any easy way)

Edit: Just check and they don't ship outside the US

You don't need a refugium. They will live everywhere. I'd get some salifert test kits so you can see where you're at. Nitrate and phosphate could be making your problem worse. Pods and a CuC will help but not solve your issue

 

[Twoddler]

As Jek

I have 8 nerites, 4 nessarius and 2 turbos. The turbos are the only ones who seem to be effective. I looked around for cerith but can't find it here (Montreal, Canada). Anything else you would recommend adding?

+1 for Jekyl

 

[N.Sreefer]

You can buy cerith snails from candy corals fragbox or algaebarn (in canada)

 

[maxpare79]

You don't need a refugium. They will live everywhere. I'd get some salifert test kits so you can see where you're at. Nitrate and phosphate could be making your problem worse. Pods and a CuC will help but not solve your issue

Just an update, I bought the salifert phosphate and nitrate kit and both are at 0

 

[Shirak]

Just an update, I bought the salifert phosphate and nitrate kit and both are at 0

The algae is sucking up the nutrients as they are produced. How long are you running the lights each day?

What are you doing for feeding? I see a couple fish and a few corals?

50g tank I would be looking at a bunch (ie a dozen) Astrea snails or trochus or something like that.

 

[maxpare79]

The algae is sucking up the nutrients as they are produced. How long are you running the lights each day?

What are you doing for feeding? I see a couple fish and a few corals?

50g tank I would be looking at a bunch (ie a dozen) Astrea snails or trochus or something like that.

Lights are running from 9am to 20pm on a ramp maxing up at 50/50 for about 2h mid-day (2 kessil a160 we). I am using the kessil spectral controller.
I was running it on default settings, but realize it ramped up to 60-70, which I thin is a bit high.


I basically feed Mysis and brine once or twice a day. I mix a bit of pellets in there to get my fish use to it, but really just 5 or 6.

Yeah I have
2 clowns
1x firefish
1 Coral beauty
1 orange back fairy wrasse
1 Royal gramma

I just started adding corals 2 weeks ago, but only a few easy one (torch, hammer, leather, and zoa)

 

[Shirak]

I think things are on track.. It doesn't look too crazy and yes the green film on the glass can come back in a day or two. Just use the glass cleaner and try and syphon that stuff out or catch it in a filter to remove so it doesn't break down and release the nutrients back into the water and fuel more algae growth. I would look into some more CUC that will help with the rocks, like the snails.

You might consider changing your lighting schedule a bit. I get the ramp up and down but 11hours isn't necessary for the corals and will help promote more algae growth. Sounds like a fairly long ramp up and down too? Personally I would go for faster ramp and longer time at peak and then faster ramp down for less hours overall. That will help slow the algae which can use much lower light levels better than the corals.

 

[maxpare79]

I think things are on track.. It doesn't look too crazy and yes the green film on the glass can come back in a day or two. Just use the glass cleaner and try and syphon that stuff out or catch it in a filter to remove so it doesn't break down and release the nutrients back into the water and fuel more algae growth. I would look into some more CUC that will help with the rocks, like the snails.

You might consider changing your lighting schedule a bit. I get the ramp up and down but 11hours isn't necessary for the corals and will help promote more algae growth. Sounds like a fairly long ramp up and down too? Personally I would go for faster ramp and longer time at peak and then faster ramp down for less hours overall. That will help slow the algae which can use much lower light levels better than the corals.

How long do you suggest? 8h? I run 3 fw heavily planted tank on an 8h schedule, but from what I read people run their lights in a reef tank closer to 10h. I will reduce the length tomorrow

 

[Shirak]

I run around 9 hours on my lights. About 6.5hours at peak output and then the rest can play with ramp up and down. I like a longer ramp down at night with faster ramp down in whites/red/green so I can enjoy the colors on the corals as the light go heavy blue/uv as the night progresses. I am currently running AI lights. So I don't have any experience with Kessil