Algae Finally Gone: Now how do you keep it away? Easy as ABC?

ABQjoe · May 24, 2020

Get your bacteria colonies in order. I use Microbacter 7, and Dr. Tim's Ecobalance and Waste Away regularly. Healthy bacteria colonies are often overlooked foundation for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

xiholdtruex · May 25, 2020

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

I am dosing vibrant weekly , 10-20% wc weekly or bi weekly, installed a protein skimmer to help remove excess nutrients. Its all about balence once the system is balenced you really never have big issues with algae.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

I have battled a very bad case of gha which I had to to scrub all the rocks to get off.

#305reefclubsquad

Rogued_Reefer · May 25, 2020

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

I try to keep a balanced tank, I have the skimmer pulling nutrients out of the water column, a yellow tang, a lawnmower blenny and CUC to help remove some of the algaes manually. One of the biggest things that helps me is controlling the nutrients I throw in the tank.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

Dinoflagellates followed by Cyano;Dead worst nightmare ever.

#305reefclubsquad

ecexotics · May 25, 2020

i use magnesium to treat algae problems, if the magnesium levels are elevated to a certain point it will inhibit the growth of nuisance algae. i struggled with bryopsis in my first reef tank 10 years ago and have been using magnesium weekly to prevent algae ever since. and the corals grow constantly and colors looks great. proper levels also make it easier to maintain alk and calcium

Rogued_Reefer · May 25, 2020

ecexotics said:
i use magnesium to treat algae problems, if the magnesium levels are elevated to a certain point it will inhibit the growth of nuisance algae. i struggled with bryopsis in my first reef tank 10 years ago and have been using magnesium weekly to prevent algae ever since. and the corals grow constantly and colors looks great. proper levels also make it easier to maintain alk and calcium

What number exactly do you shoot for when you say “elevated levels”?

ahiggins · May 25, 2020

I’ve had all the algaes lol
Most because of a lack of qt for corals in the beginning and then more recently wanting a completely dry start tank as a challenge.
after I’ve beaten it back in all the tanks, I just keep nutrients in check. Nitrates under 10 and phosphates under 30ppb. I don’t run a skimmer in any of the small tanks because it strips all the good stuff out, only filter floss. The bigger tanks only run a skimmer and floss

ecexotics · May 25, 2020

mario4933 said:
What number exactly do you shoot for when you say “elevated levels”?

for a bad algae breakout i might bump it up to 2000

ecexotics · May 25, 2020

ecexotics said:
for a bad algae breakout i might bump it up to 2000

no ill effects on corals reported

ecexotics · May 25, 2020

ecexotics said:
no ill effects on corals reported

watch the alk when increasing mag especially with sensitive sps

seasand23 · May 26, 2020

About 6 months in and working to get ahead of the game. Had diatoms and a little dinos early. Now dealing with a small cyano outbreak. All started when I began reef roids. Done with that. Go my nitrates from 25 ppm to 5 ppm with a 15% water change. Now controlling feeding and finally got skimmer working properly. Just started seachem phosguard and phosphate went from 0.13 to 0.07 in 1 day. Also cut my lights down by 2 hrs. Just started using the feeding ring and huge difference. Fish consume almost everything. Before it was like a snow globe. I'm committed to maintaining these numbers!

Plandauesq · May 26, 2020

ABQjoe said:
Get your bacteria colonies in order. I use Microbacter 7, and Dr. Tim's Ecobalance and Waste Away regularly. Healthy bacteria colonies are often overlooked foundation for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

How often do you add these? And how much as a maintenance dose?

Uncle99 · May 26, 2020

revhtree said:
Vibrant worked so well for me against bubble algae. Have you tried it?

Yup, me as well, took a total of 14 weeks but got the GHA and the dreaded bubble.
Still dosing but half as much, only once per month.
Really happy with this product.

austibella · May 26, 2020

I keep alot of clean up crews on my 180 reef tank never had an algae problem. until about a month ago, noticed empty snail shells, claws from emerald crabs and all my peppermint shrimp are gone and my cleaner shrimp. I have no clean up crew left.so I went out and bought. 300 snails 5 emeralds .again all gone. Turned out my red coris wrass was dining out on them. .doing water changes and Pulling out hair algae. ordered 200.snails but all I'm doing is feeding my wrass.he never did this before.had him for years.he is about 5 inches And now has a taste for shrimp, crabs, snails. Been using Vibrant. Still have algae . I also cant catch my wrass he is quick.. and to get away he goes completely under the crush coral bed. not sure what to do at this point..I never had to deal with algae but with no clean up crew its impossible to get under control.

austibella · May 26, 2020

Plandauesq said:
How often do you add these? And how much as a maintenance dose?

I use microbial culture and or microbe lift special blend 150 ml of microbe lift on a 180 tank day 1 then day 8, 15, 22 and 29th day 110 ml .then you can do maintenance every 2 week after that .it gives directions on box for smaller tanks... for microbial culture I use 35 ml every week when I do a 10 gallon water change.. My corals love it they extend their tenicales .then once a month I do 30 gallon water change

Marc2952 · May 27, 2020

Chrille26 said:
I have considered it but Im really worried about my Chaeto, I have nowhere to store it while dosing Vibrant and I have seeded it alot with pods that I want to keep alive and growing. But I will definatly give it a try when everything else have failed!

Vibrant will definitely kill your chaeto, also in my case it gave me dinos but then again i have a fairly new system so maybe that was part of the problem too.