5 month old tank Algae outbreak & corals suddenly dying

[Ryan1595]

So I have a 29 gallon AIO tank and everything was looking really healthy for about the first 3 months. I do weekly 15% water changes and keep all the normal parameters.

Salinity-1.25
Alk - 8 dkh
Nitrates - 0 ppm
Phosphate - 0 ppm
Calcium - 400 ppm
Temp - 78 f

I started to get an algae outbreak and I began to dose vibrant weekly. The only export I have in my tank is a protein skimmer. Immediately after I began dosing vibrant I was met with a huge cyano outbreak and it covered everything. I have two power heads in a 29 gallon so flow was not the issue. I dosed chemiclean and after two days cleared up and I did a water change. The cyano keeps returning and the algae keeps getting worse. Now all of my corals are dying, hammers, monti cap, Xenia, and even my GSP has started to recede. The hammers are losing polyps which I found out is due to low nutrients (due to the algae). I began directly feeding corals with reef roids and a syringe but the hammer and Xenia continue to wither.

I don’t know what to do because in order to kill the algae I need low nutrients, but low nutrients is killing my softies... please help!!

The video attached is how it looked two months ago. Thanks!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

So stop trying to kill the algae. It’s normal for a tank to have some algae especially newer tanks

 

[fishguy242]

hi,your nutrients are not there,try dumping 1 x skimmate back into tank,try to get phos and nitratesup a little

 

[Ryan1595]

So stop trying to kill the algae. It’s normal for a tank to have some algae especially newer tanks

But what about the cyano and the lack of nutrients that are starving the corals?

 

[hey_hey_heeyyyyyy!]

I bought phyto from algaebarn and haven't had a problem since.

 

[Ryan1595]

I bought phyto from algaebarn and haven't had a problem since.

What would phyto plankton do?

 

[ScottR]

Do you have pics of this algae? With zero nutrients, I’d suspect dinos. Especially since you’re dosing vibrant.

 

[Alchameth]

Pics of now might help, but otherwise. As others have said; Yep, turn off the skimmer for a half the day for a few weeks and or change water changes to every other week. 0 Nitrates and Phos not good. Lessen the lighting hours Cyno eats light up so a day or 3 in the dark can help you. You can run a siphon vac through a filter sock to help clear up the sand and then put the water back in. That's what I do to keep my sand clean.

 

[hey_hey_heeyyyyyy!]

What would phyto plankton do?

sucks up excess nutrients and feeds coral

 

[Ryan1595]

Pics of now might help, but otherwise. As others have said; Yep, turn off the skimmer for a half the day for a few weeks and or change water changes to every other week. 0 Nitrates and Phos not good. Lessen the lighting hours Cyno eats light up so a day or 3 in the dark can help you. You can run a siphon vac through a filter sock to help clear up the sand and then put the water back in. That's what I do to keep my sand clean.

 

[Ryan1595]

Pics of now might help, but otherwise. As others have said; Yep, turn off the skimmer for a half the day for a few weeks and or change water changes to every other week. 0 Nitrates and Phos not good. Lessen the lighting hours Cyno eats light up so a day or 3 in the dark can help you. You can run a siphon vac through a filter sock to help clear up the sand and then put the water back in. That's what I do to keep my sand clean.

 

[Ryan1595]

Do you have pics of this algae? With zero nutrients, I’d suspect dinos. Especially since you’re dosing vibrant.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

So you have any cuc?

 

[Alchameth]

That ilooks like Green Hair Algae (GHA) The vibrant takes a few weeks to help, but should knock it out. I'd also feed a little less and turn your lighting schedule down some. How many hours a day you run and what kind of light? Surprised to see that with 0 nitrates and phos. if you are able pinch off whatever you can and or take out some of the rocks and use a nice brush on it (I use something like Ikea dish brush on my rocks).

 

[fishguy242]

phos is bound in the gha

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is green hair and I question your phos level and TDS if your water.
Are you using RO water or tap water from the faucet?
Also, is tank at or near a window?
My suggestion- pull as much GHA as you can by hand and add some snails such as:
4- turbo
3- nerite
3 nassarius
4 trochus
6 blue leg hermits

Reduce white light intensity or turn them off for a few days. Add chemipure elite to the sump.

 

[CookieRdReef]

I've done a 3 day blackout twice in my current tank with almost all algae gone and corals happier after completion. It's a quick fix not a solution to the root cause, but does kill algae.

 

[scabbedwings616]

Check your rodi water you are mixing as well. Lights schedule and other things will lead to an algae outbreak. It’s normal even with a well established tank. I have issues more in the summer than the winter here with gha. Also, you can pick off the gha and speed that up. Do this with no flow in the tank. You can also do hydrogen peroxide on where you pick off the gha. It will kill it but will affect your orp and dkh for a little bit. Not to bad though.

 

[hey_hey_heeyyyyyy!]

Seriously, my tank started to see an algae bloom a few months ago. After some research, I found @AlgaeBarn and bought pods with phyto. I drop 5-10ML of phyto in daily. My tank is now beautiful. Almost zero algae and what does grow, my snails eat. I just ordered their Ultimate EcoPack. https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/combo-packs/ultimate-ecopack/

They don't pay me or anything, I just believe in the product 100%.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Seriously, my tank started to see an algae bloom a few months ago. After some research, I found @AlgaeBarn and bought pods with phyto. I drop 5-10ML of phyto in daily. My tank is now beautiful. Almost zero algae and what does grow, my snails eat. I just ordered their Ultimate EcoPack. https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/combo-packs/ultimate-ecopack/

They don't pay me or anything, I just believe in the product 100%.

There’s a guy on here and FB “the copepod dude” who sells a lot of the stuff Algae barn does but cheaper and more concentrated. Comparing his pod blend to Algae Barn 5280 pods was night and day for me.