After almost two years of stability sudden brown algea bloom everywhere and I can't explain it

NowGlazeIT

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Seriously? I thought it was the goal to have both at 0? (it's my first tank)

I run an algea scrubber and dose vinegar, should I stop all of it?
Lower the vinegar dose. It looks to me like you have a elevated carbon source drawing down your po4 and no3.
 
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maxpare79

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Have you tested your RODI? Cartridges don't always last for as long as they say they should. Did you add anything before this started showing up where it might've hitchhiked in (like on a coral frag)?
How can I test a RODI cartdridge? And no my tank has been pretty much the same for a while, I had a bit of bubble algae popping up so I started dosing vibrant to get rid of it, but it's pretty much gone.
Cyanobacteria would be my guess, if you not sure if your parameters are true zeros then is probably best to raise the nutrients to numbers that your test kit can detect properly, having detectable phosphates and increase nitrates with o inorganic form would be quite import in my opinion.
Calcium nitrate would be ideal
So to raise the nutrients all I can do is overfeed?
The color says dinos, but the form says cyano to me. Do you siphon your sand bed during water changes? Or just pump out water and put clean water in? Do you blow off rocks periodically?

have you changed anything in the past month or two?

I don’t subscribe to the idea that Dino’s are directly caused by bottoming out nutrients. I think it’s a symptom of them winning the battle over the “good stuff” and once they take hold they’re efficient at stripping the water of what we can test for. Typically the test comes after seeing something go wrong in an old-ish reef. Do you have numbers from a date prior to this slime taking hold?

Micro Bacter7 and Aqua Forest Lifesource have treated me well in the past and currently. If you can get your hands on some clean live rubble/rock that’s never a bad idea as well (have a buddy with a tank throw some rock/spheres in their sump or corner of their display for a while).

Either way, removing organics from the tank by vacuuming the sand and blowing off rock for your mechanical filtration to take care of is a good first step. If you’ve never siphoned your sand, start by picking a corner of the tank that things settle. Split your tank into 4-6 slices and do one slice per bi-weekly water change. On the in between weeks focus on rockwork. If you do vacuum your sand regularly do the whole thing if you can.

This was the fix for a long-standing reef the LFS I worked at maintained at a childrens hospital. Took about a month and a half of looking bad to get to the other side but no one prior to me joining vacuumed the sand bed. I just had another card made for the kids to look at for dinos to stick to the stand and educate them on what the heck the brown stuff was in the tank.

Wishing you and your tank the best of luck!!
Yes I vaccum the sand but can't say I ever blew off the rocks... The problem with vaccuming my sand is that I have tough spot to reach and my Python vaccuum is too big to reach these spots (I also have sand inside a cave I can't access).


So what's my plan of attack here?? Turn off the lights? Overfeed???
 
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maxpare79

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Curious to see a pic of your algae scrubber. Most folks run them and they do little but run up the leccy bill.
It's a Santa Monica Drop 1.4 (since I have an AIO), I need to harvest the algea out of it every 3-4 days.
 

BrotatoSalad

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How can I test a RODI cartdridge? And no my tank has been pretty much the same for a while, I had a bit of bubble algae popping up so I started dosing vibrant to get rid of it, but it's pretty much gone.

So to raise the nutrients all I can do is overfeed?

Yes I vaccum the sand but can't say I ever blew off the rocks... The problem with vaccuming my sand is that I have tough spot to reach and my Python vaccuum is too big to reach these spots (I also have sand inside a cave I can't access).


So what's my plan of attack here?? Turn off the lights? Overfeed???
I wouldn’t do anything to increase nutrients myself. Working through the rockwork in sections certainly can’t hurt.

Microbacter 7 or clean live rock gets my vote. If things are looking too dire though cutting the lights for a few days and blacking out the tank with cardboard or something is an option available. Haven’t tried a blackout myself though.
 

Tamberav

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Seriously? I thought it was the goal to have both at 0? (it's my first tank)

I run an algea scrubber and dose vinegar, should I stop all of it?

goal is not 0... I know you find posts that say this but those are OLD posts with old real live rock probably...

It looks kinda cyano-ish but that can also pop up in low nutrients and nopox feeds it (cyanobacteria...carbon dosing feed bacteria).

Debris also feeds it.. such as a filthy aging sand bed
 

Karen00

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How can I test a RODI cartdridge? And no my tank has been pretty much the same for a while, I had a bit of bubble algae popping up so I started dosing vibrant to get rid of it, but it's pretty much gone.
I meant test your RODI water to make sure everything is showing as 0. Phosphate and Nitrate are probably the only two you would have to test given these are algae (and other such nasty) contributors. Having said that you mentioned dosing Vibrant. I have heard people say dosing Vibrant (because it's an algaecide) opened the door for other things starting up other things like cyano and dinos. I haven't read the comments previous to this but you definitely don't want to let your phosphate and nitrate getting to 0. You want it 0 in your RODI water but not your tank. Natural processes will keep them up like feeding. Algaecides can cause those to bottom out and the other nasties start up.
 

gbroadbridge

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Hey guys,

My tank has been running almost two years without problems, but in the past three weeks this started to happen
20220701_165946.jpg

Every single parameter I test turn out ok.. I can't figure out what's going on!

I search the forum a bit and some people point out that maybe my Rodi filter has reach its limit, but the RO cartridge was changed in January and its supposed to be good 1-2 years if I read on the label (Aquatic Life 4 cartridge system)

I really don't know what to do and how to get rid of it... It's slowly creeping up everywhere even after water changes and siphoning as much as I can't.

The only thing I noticed is that my Cerith population was now a bit on the low side due to blue hermits wrecking havoc on them, but I just bought another batch of 10 and 3 turbos (I have a 50 gallon).

Help me Obiwan Kenobi your my only hope!

20220701_165946.jpg
What's your water change schedule?
 

gbroadbridge

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I mean I used the salifert phos kit couple of times and never used it again.. it's a scam says 0.03 definition and then you can only detect values once its at least 0.1..
So you could have anything.
For the nitrates one I use it from the side (not from the top) and I am loving it
The salifert phosphate is fine as long as you put two test tubes next each other - one with plain tank water.
You can easily read 0.03
 

KonradTO

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The salifert phosphate is fine as long as you put two test tubes next each other - one with plain tank water.
You can easily read 0.03
You can tell that is more blue-ish compared to nothing.. but 0.03, 0.06, 0.1? Maybe its me but I wouldn't tell.
Also 0.03 definition means you should be able to read the sample in 0.03 increments, which is obviously not true.
Its a pity they did not manage to do the same they did with nitrates where you can read from the side and divide by 10.
 

gbroadbridge

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You can tell that is more blue-ish compared to nothing.. but 0.03, 0.06, 0.1? Maybe its me but I wouldn't tell.
Also 0.03 definition means you should be able to read the sample in 0.03 increments, which is obviously not true.
Its a pity they did not manage to do the same they did with nitrates where you can read from the side and divide by 10.
Well honestly, all you need is a slightish blueish tinge and your phosphates are okay :).

Transparent no color not okay, blue not okay :)

Was doing that for years before the Hanna checker, and even now I use that most times because it's quicker than fiddling with the Hanna.
 
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maxpare79

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I meant test your RODI water to make sure everything is showing as 0. Phosphate and Nitrate are probably the only two you would have to test given these are algae (and other such nasty) contributors. Having said that you mentioned dosing Vibrant. I have heard people say dosing Vibrant (because it's an algaecide) opened the door for other things starting up other things like cyano and dinos. I haven't read the comments previous to this but you definitely don't want to let your phosphate and nitrate getting to 0. You want it 0 in your RODI water but not your tank. Natural processes will keep them up like feeding. Algaecides can cause those to bottom out and the other nasties start up.
Alright, I will stop with the Vibrant as well... Like I said I had a small bubble algea problem that I didn't want to get out of hands, that's why I started it
What's your water change schedule?
Every Saturday
 

tnw50cal

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I had a bit of bubble algae popping up so I started dosing vibrant to get rid of it, but it's pretty much gone.
And the answer to your problem comes out.
Alright, I will stop with the Vibrant as well... Like I said I had a small bubble algea problem that I didn't want to get out of hands, that's why I started it
Your small little bubble algae problem caused your current problem because you used Vibrant. There are many many many threads on this forum of what you have now being caused by Vibrant. There is a good thread on this forum proving that Vibrant doesn't contain any bacteria. Stop using Vibrant, never use it again. It's going to take awhile to fix what has happened to your tank because of Vibrant. It sucks that you had a smooth running tank and now this. Been there done that because I used Vibrant. I used the rip clean method to reset my tank but it sure took awhile for things to get back to normal. I will never ever ever ever ever use Vibrant again.
 

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