Algae Help

[Ober_Reef]

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to see if anyone could provide me with advice here. In the last few months I have beat chrysophytes and since have been having issues with other nuisance algae. I believe what I am dealing with is cyano or cyano and another form of nuisance. On the left side of my tank the algae is the more traditional red slime cyano but on the right side and the back wall I’m getting more reddish brown hair algae. I’m going to post my most resent test results from last weekend as well. Currently I’m dosing vibrant and microbacter 7. I took a break from vibrant and it looked like the chrysophytes started coming back so I started up again. My nutrients have been running higher since I was battling chrysophytes because I initially thought it was Dinos. I have been workingthem down gradually since.

I do maintenance weekly and the only other issue I have is my skimmer consitantly overfills since the chrysophyte issue. I ordered an adjustable skimmer stand and it comes in today so I’m hoping this will help. The other tools I ordered from BRS should come in today as well including an inline pump set up to help me vacuum out detritus from my sump.

Sorry if the blues are a little heavy, I have not looked into turning on just whites temporarily for pictures on my AI Hydras yet.

Side note, I would love any advice on preventing the substrate mountains that have been growing ever since I increased the flow on my opposing mp40s!

As always thanks for any input and advice !

 

[SlugSnorter]

You could be overfeeding, also if your tank is newer this is normal, in new tanks they go through an ugly stage where those things bloom as they eat away the stuff that came in the sand/rocks

 

[Ober_Reef]

You could be overfeeding, also if your tank is newer this is normal, in new tanks they go through an ugly stage where those things bloom as they eat away the stuff that came in the sand/rocks

I can appreciate that but I figured that already happened since I’m coming up on a year up and running. Is it normal for the ugly stage to start later ?

 

[SlugSnorter]

I can appreciate that but I figured that already happened since I’m coming up on a year up and running. Is it normal for the ugly stage to start later ?

huh... not really, so maybe your overfeeding. You use RODI water right? no tap

 

[Ober_Reef]

huh... not really, so maybe your overfeeding. You use RODI water right? no tap

Yes I run a five stage from BRS and checked it today, my TDS is still at zero. I really don’t think I am over feeding either, I’m pretty good about it and sometimes miss a day. That’s why I am so curious, I’m on top of my maintenance and change out filter floss media in my cup every couple days. I’m hoping cleaning out any detritus in my sump will help.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Yes I run a five stage from BRS and checked it today, my TDS is still at zero. I really don’t think I am over feeding either, I’m pretty good about it and sometimes miss a day. That’s why I am so curious, I’m on top of my maintenance and change out filter floss media in my cup every couple days. I’m hoping cleaning out any detritus in my sump will help.

if you run carbon did it run out? anything new or changed? if nothing, breakouts can happen, cleaning, making sure CUC is of a good size etc can help

 

[Jekyl]

I can appreciate that but I figured that already happened since I’m coming up on a year up and running. Is it normal for the ugly stage to start later ?

Mine didn't kick in until 7 months and lasted until over a year.

 

[ProxyAquarist]

... I believe what I am dealing with is cyano or cyano and another form of nuisance. ... My nutrients have been running higher since I was battling chrysophytes because I initially thought it was Dinos. I have been workingthem down gradually since.

I do maintenance weekly ... As always thanks for any input and advice !

Welcome to R2R !

As for your tank, what happened on or near the September 21st to raise your phosphate and nitrate? Both can go up due to overfeeding, inhabitant death, ... etc.

I look forward to the solution to your problem. This is a great community for insight, knowledge, and wisdom.

Best wishes for a cyano, algae, and pest free 2022,
Jim

 

[tharbin]

The uglies can happen at any time even in an old well-established tank. It's just not as likely. The "baddies" are always in our tanks just waiting for the opportunity to reproduce wildly.

The phosphate spike you had in August/September seems rather impressive. Did something die or did you use an additive? Something sure changed.

Even though the spike has receded and your nitrates are coming back down it still could have given whatever you have in the tank (very hard to even guess at from those photos) a chance to take hold. They should recede if you continue on course. I can't comment on using Vibrant or Microbacter 7 as I haven't used either of them. I do believe that dosing good bacteria can help, especially in a younger tank.

From your tank parameters it does not look to me like you are overfeeding. It looks like you had a problem back a few months ago and now you are suffering through the recovery. As things start to stabilize you may get all sorts of mini-blooms as each nuisance specie tries to vie for tank space.

 

[Ober_Reef]

Welcome to R2R !

As for your tank, what happened on or near the September 21st to raise your phosphate and nitrate? Both can go up due to overfeeding, inhabitant death, ... etc.

I look forward to the solution to your problem. This is a great community for insight, knowledge, and wisdom.

Best wishes for a cyano, algae, and pest free 2022,
Jim

The uglies can happen at any time even in an old well-established tank. It's just not as likely. The "baddies" are always in our tanks just waiting for the opportunity to reproduce wildly.

The phosphate spike you had in August/September seems rather impressive. Did something die or did you use an additive? Something sure changed.

Even though the spike has receded and your nitrates are coming back down it still could have given whatever you have in the tank (very hard to even guess at from those photos) a chance to take hold. They should recede if you continue on course. I can't comment on using Vibrant or Microbacter 7 as I haven't used either of them. I do believe that dosing good bacteria can help, especially in a younger tank.

From your tank parameters it does not look to me like you are overfeeding. It looks like you had a problem back a few months ago and now you are suffering through the recovery. As things start to stabilize you may get all sorts of mini-blooms as each nuisance specie tries to vie for tank space.

Thanks for the responses here. So I initially thought I was battling Dinos and started dirtying up my tank and even dosing nitrate and phosphate to bring up my nutrients for a while because I could not get them to increase. After more research I discovered it was chrysophytes and went back to working my nutrients down. I would assume the August mark was probably the pinnacle of the “tank dirtying” I was doing. I have had no major events such as losing inhabitants or anything like that.

 

[Ober_Reef]

if you run carbon did it run out? anything new or changed? if nothing, breakouts can happen, cleaning, making sure CUC is of a good size etc can help

Honestly my clean up crew is pretty weak. I have a little over a handful of nassarius, a handful of Astrea, some hermits, and an emerald crab. I was actually thinking about ordering a package from reef cleaners now that the holiday shipping delays are over.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Honestly my clean up crew is pretty weak. I have a little over a handful of nassarius, a handful of Astrea, some hermits, and an emerald crab. I was actually thinking about ordering a package from reef cleaners now that the holiday shipping delays are over.

I feel you, 2 hermits and a naccarius snail

 

[Ober_Reef]

Anyone in the Midwest order a CUC in the winter? Orders would ship January 10th with 2-3 day shipping

 

[SlugSnorter]

Anyone in the Midwest order a CUC in the winter? Orders would ship January 10th with 2-3 day shipping

not in midwest but im ordering cuc

 

[Jekyl]

Anyone in the Midwest order a CUC in the winter? Orders would ship January 10th with 2-3 day shipping

I would watch the weather. Try to at least find some days where it's not so cold.

 

[Ober_Reef]

I would watch the weather. Try to at least find some days where it's not so cold.

CUC from reef cleaners ordered, according to the site as long as temps are above 20 degrees during the day they can ship UPS. I’m actually pretty excited as I have been looking for some hermits that had color to them locally since I started my tank but every LFS nearby has only had standard brown hermits.

 

[Jekyl]

CUC from reef cleaners ordered, according to the site as long as temps are above 20 degrees during the day they can ship UPS. I’m actually pretty excited as I have been looking for some hermits that had color to them locally since I started my tank but every LFS nearby has only had standard brown hermits.

I've gotten 2 or 3 orders from them now. Always more than I ordered and barely any dead loss ever if any at all.

 

[Lavey29]

Since our tanks are about the same age, I have experienced similar problems. I went lights off the first 3 months so had a later ugly stage albeit relatively mild.

You alk is a little low. You nitrates are almost bottomed out and you phosphate is a little low also. When I got my nitrates to 10 and phosphate to .08 my tank started thriving and the ugliest began to disappear. Everything is not pristine yet and I dont mind minimal algae preferably in the fuge area but once I got those parameters in check, the tank moved on in the maturing process.