4 months in and this algae is relentless.

[1979fishgeek]

I’m about 4 months into setting this tank up now, but I’ve got what looks like green spot and Ulva species going nuts at the moment.
Im a testing daily to monitor my Alk, Mag and Calc uptake as the Coraline algae is growing brilliantly at the moment but it’s in a turf war with the sea lettuce type. The rocks were from a tank I had several years ago and had been dried out a few years prior to reusing so I’m guessing there must be some sort of nutrient leaching….

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 4
Phos 0.1
Alk 8.5
Mag 1470
Calcium 512
PH 7.9 am and 8.0-8.1pm

Lighting 2 x Orphek Blue Plus and 2 x T5 Super actinic for 10 hours
Metal Halide 150w 20k for 3 hour

420 litre tank volume with sump.

Dosing Reef Zlements pHplus P1 and P2 (8ml a day each) and Magnesium is a whooping 48ml a day….weird I know! Been like that since the Coraline started.

I’ve added a small Goldrush Tomini Tang, 6 Sailfin Mollys, Lawnmower Blenny, 10 turbo/trocus/nassarius snail species.
But they are struggling to keep up with the ***** state and seem to ignore the fleshy looking green macro algae grazing on the film algae’s. What else should I try? More clean up crew? More Tang species? Sea Hare? Emerald crabs? Less light? (6x2x2 aquarium being setup so I can move Tangs over eventually)

Photos under all lighting and then blues off just so you can see the extent of it.

 

[KrisReef]

Dry rock starts- 8 hours of T5, not 10, mh 1.5 until the war is over.

My fox face would help your situation, and/ or a Tominii tang might eat that crappie lettuce, urchins I don’t want and green crabs rarely helped out that I could tell.

Might wake up tomorrow and the Phosphate drops to zero and then the algae will fade

 

[ggNoRe]

I'm dealing with similar issues. Urchins have been my best help so far.

 

[Spare time]

I'm dealing with similar issues. Urchins have been my best help so far.

Urchins will mow that ulva down lol

 

[Tamberav]

Urchins and a foxface. Not tangs They get way too much credit.

 

[V A R I A N T]

I’ve had luck with manual removal combined with Money Cowries for Ulva

 

[Spare time]

I think fluconazole kills ulva too, so that is something to consider.

 

[eyecandi]

I would get 2 Tuxedo Sea urchins and a foxface. With these guys and manual removal frequently the problem should go away.

 

[Hot2na]

I think fluconazole kills ulva too, so that is something to consider.

Just say no...to drugs ..lol .. just hook up a good algae scrubber and in 6 months or so it will all reverse

 

[HomebroodExotics]

looks like ulva. Mexican turbo snail will destroy that in no time.

 

[SamsReef]

Things you could have differently:
1) While starting a tank, it’s always beneficial to start with some live rock from an established tank. Starting out with dry rock (in this case dead rock), will take a long time to establish the micro fauna (pods, copepods, limpets, amphipods) and will happen only when you introduce them through frags. There also, if you quarantine, which you should, time to get to to a good pod population would be long.
2) keep lights off till the water conditions are good and avoid corals meanwhile

what you can do now:
1) get lots of pods/established rock from online or local reefers
2) reduce the photoperiod to 4 hours. 10 hours photoperiod is only helping the algae
3) manually scrub the algae off the rock. No CuC or fish eats large chunks of algae but they will graze small parts once it is under control
4) dose MB7 in 1/2 the amount
5) avoid snails and hermits, they only did and add to bio load
6) other than fishes, urchins are the only clean up crew I have even used.
Reassess in a month for chemical intervention. Good luck.

Sam

 

[1979fishgeek]

Things you could have differently:
1) While starting a tank, it’s always beneficial to start with some live rock from an established tank. Starting out with dry rock (in this case dead rock), will take a long time to establish the micro fauna (pods, copepods, limpets, amphipods) and will happen only when you introduce them through frags. There also, if you quarantine, which you should, time to get to to a good pod population would be long.

Agree totally, I was just determined not to get pests in the system for example Aiptasia….which appeared on the first frag I put in anyway so I failed miserably! Lol

2) keep lights off till the water conditions are good and avoid corals meanwhile

I’ve got a lot of frags already, but I’m reducing photo period and switched off metal halide, the corals are growing so fast with it. It unfortunately so’s the ulva!

what you can do now:
1) get lots of pods/established rock from online or local reefers

I’ve so far dosed pods (various species) every three weeks since the firs diatoms appeared, they munched through the diatom bloom like little lawnmowers. Unfortunately now the population is so huge they started irritating my zoa colonies, to the point where the entire substrate floor looked like a scene from Indiana Jones movie. lol But my sixline is working on them happily now.

2) reduce the photoperiod to 4 hours. 10 hours photoperiod is only helping the algae
Check! Sorted that tonight thanks

3) manually scrub the algae off the rock. No CuC or fish eats large chunks of algae but they will graze small parts once it is under control

My toothbrush and syphon been working overtime. Lol

4) dose MB7 in 1/2 the amount

Im googling MB7, that’s a new product for me. Thanks for the instruction to it.

5) avoid snails and hermits, they only did and add to bio load

I’ve got no hermits, I’m not keep on them killing my snails. I’ll add no more snails as like you say they just eat the micro algaes, films etc

6) other than fishes, urchins are the only clean up crew I have even used.

I have a love hate relationship with uchins, but might have to bite the bullet. I was avoiding them as previous experience proved them frag stealing, Coraline algea destroyers….but they are useful in Ulva control.
Reassess in a month for chemical intervention. Good luck.
I’ve refreshed my GFO in the reactor….time to try bottoming out the po4 Just don’t want to replace Ulva with cyano or the Dinos of doom.

Sam

Really appreciate your reply, awesome advice

 

[1979fishgeek]

I would get 2 Tuxedo Sea urchins and a foxface. With these guys and manual removal frequently the problem should go away.

I like the idea of the foxface, never had one as the venom put me off and I’m so accident prone. But willing to risk a sting for the benefits lol

With the urchins, I’ll start putty/gluing every frag down and then risk it with the bulldozing Kleptomaniac’s! Lol

 

[1979fishgeek]

Just say no...to drugs ..lol .. just hook up a good algae scrubber and in 6 months or so it will all reverse

Agree, but that will be my absolute late resort, had reef tanks since the late 80s and never needed to resort to weapons of mass destruction ….yet! Lol

 

[OfficeReefer]

Wow. I have had luck with blackout and then dim lighting while running UV on high flow. I would ensure you have something to handle the die off, such as macro algae export to refugium or otherwise consider vinegar or carbon dosing with some skimming.

I am generally able to get most algae under control with this method, but patience and monitoring is key. You might need to brush some of it loose.

 

[Reef Alchemy]

I second the Mexican Turbo Snails. They will make short work of it, guaranteed 100%.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Happy to report the Ulva was completely irradiated, combination of clean up crew, GFO, urchins and Tangs, reduced light schedule, increased flow and a very small amount of Reeflowers Remalgae to knock it back. Happily tanks running really well, corals are thriving, just a tiny area of green cyano in the bottom right corner which is also slowly disappearing now it’s hitting the 6 months point….the fun of new reef tanks!. Coralline Algae has now really established itself and outcompeted algae. Really enjoying this tank.

 

[ggNoRe]

Great to hear a success story. Congrats