Algae advice wanted please

[Marcus Rogers]

Hi all,

I have been battling with nuisance algae for about 2 months now. I noticed it start to build up when I started to dose Red Sea Reef Energy Plus. I stopped dosing Red Sea Reef Energy Plus and began to dose Microbacter clean. I am on about 2 weeks of dosing MB clean. The past 3 days I have also began to dose MB razor. I dont think the tank has improved much- maybe minimally since I started dosing MB clean.

I have a ton of bubble algae and a brown stringy algae on the rocks where bubbles are sometimes trapped under the film. I have purchased several emerald crabs but they don't seem to be making that big of a dent.

Tank parameters:
po4: 0.02
no3: 0

I have tried to feed more and even dose neo nitro to increase my nitrate but I am worried it just gets immediately consumed by the algae.

I have considered taking the coral off the rock, throwing almost all of the rock away and getting new rock that isnt infested with bubble algae.

Tank history:
I have had the tank and rock for over two years but had to recently move- so the current setup has been running 'continuously' for about 6 months now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Marcus Rogers]

Here are some pics, can grab more pics without the lights on if needed!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Photos under white lights?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it is probably dinos. Especially with your phosphates and nitrates being the numbers that they are. I would start trying to increase your nitrate levels, either feed more, reduce carbon dosing (if you are doing that), or use a Nitrate supplement (neo nitrate is one example). Try and manually remove as much of it as you can.
UV sterilizers will work on some form of dinos only way to truly tell which ones you have is with a microscope test.
I would start by looking at this thread. It is loaded with good information.

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[SaltyTwigs]

I would get in there with a toothbrush and clean the rocks off. I would do a water change into a bucket, remove a rock, brush the rock off in the bucket, and try to get as much off as possible and then put it back in the tank. Personally, I feel that adding critters to a tank is better for situations where you are trying to avoid issues with algae and such instead of trying to fix a problem after it has started( besides, nothing likes that slimy crap anyway; bubble algae usually can be kept in check or eradicated with emerald crabs however they are not going to want to climb around that nasty slime). An army of snails in a month can't do what you can do with a bucket of saltwater, and a toothbrush can do in a couple of minutes' time. When I started out, it took me a while to come to grips with. Sucks, but sometimes there is not an easy button. ;) (if you find an easy button, let me know ;)) You will probably have to do this a couple of times, but eventually, this should start to work in your favor.

 

[Marcus Rogers]

Photos under white lights?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it is probably dinos. Especially with your phosphates and nitrates being the numbers that they are. I would start trying to increase your nitrate levels, either feed more, reduce carbon dosing (if you are doing that), or use a Nitrate supplement (neo nitrate is one example). Try and manually remove as much of it as you can.
UV sterilizers will work on some form of dinos only way to truly tell which ones you have is with a microscope test.
I would start by looking at this thread. It is loaded with good information.

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

here are some photos under white lights.

 

[Marcus Rogers]

Just an update:

With only the white lights on, it very much so looks like cyano. I tested my nutrients again and they were:
N03- 4.6
P04- 0.03

I dosed chemiclean and waited 48 hours but did not notice that much of a difference. I just completed a 20% water change and tried to siphon as much of it out as possible.

I am going to continue dosing MB clean and scrubbing the rocks/using a turkey baster as much as possible. I have also turned off all my white lights for the time being.