Algae in newisg tank

Thor2j · Jun 22, 2016

My tank has been setup for just over 6 weeks. Used 140lbs of cycled live rock and "live" sand. Tank never got a cycle. Have a few fish 2 zoas, a mushroom, frag of hammer. 9 days after tank setup got start of diatoms. Been trying to control ever since. Have a reactor running rowaphos. Using only RO/DI water with 0 TDS. Using hanna checker ultra low, seems my phosphates hover around .04. even if i measure out of reactor they are still in that area. Lights are on 12 hours a day ramping up and down. 3 Kessel 360. Only at 55 %. Tank is a reefer 525. (estimated around 115 gallon after live rock and sand). Did have one incident while i was out of town. Wife overfed, skimmer went crazy and overflowed. When I came home PO4 was .12ppm. That was 16 days ago.

Any thoughts on what else to try or is this normal and will eventually subside.

I also have about 9 snails trying to help. Once in a while they leave a nice white trail but it turns green in a couple days.

Thanks

Water parameters.
0 N02
0 NH3
4 NO3
temp 77-78
ph 8.0
dkh 8.0
1.025 SG
PO4 .04

RyanCSGO · Jun 22, 2016

when my diatoms came in I brought my intensity down to 65% and adjust my color to about 50-55%
diatoms were gone very quickly and no algae break out since then. seems to be the more "white light" the easier algae starts. that's not necessarily fact, but since i brought in more blue I haven't had any issues.

twilliard · Jun 22, 2016

Looks like the start of algae to me
The water numbers can all be 0 across the board but it is surviving off of what the rock is providing.

Thor2j · Jun 22, 2016

twilliard said:
Looks like the start of algae to me
The water numbers can all be 0 across the board but it is surviving off of what the rock is providing.

Its been going on for a month. How bad does it look??

Thor2j · Jun 22, 2016

RyanCSGO said:
when my diatoms came in I brought my intensity down to 65% and adjust my color to about 50-55%
diatoms were gone very quickly and no algae break out since then. seems to be the more "white light" the easier algae starts. that's not necessarily fact, but since i brought in more blue I haven't had any issues.

Im running white to 55% in morning , 55% color and intesity during day, and then fade to full blue. Never over 55% intensity. Should I change the white in the A.m.?

brandon429 · Jun 22, 2016

since the tank isn't solid purple (algae excluding coralline) and wall to wall coral flesh (how many algae invasions do we see on actual acan flesh vs exposed acan skeleton, for ex) then nothing is there to exclude those growths, you have the choice to lift them out of your tank and hand guide them until natural conditions does it for you.

certainly don't chase params any further, these depositional plants and animals are taking up vital space not covered in exclusive items, your growths mean the tank is in good standing, not bad. hand guide or get animals to do it for you, ultra simple solution based on good pics that show all we need to see. to have any phase, any time whatsoever that algae exists, is purely optional. we simply have more gardening work until things catch up

full agree on white lighting balance

RyanCSGO · Jun 22, 2016

I agree with Brandon
when I get home later today I'll post you my current, exact lighting numbers/schedule.
it may or may not work for you since each tank is different (size and live stock)
also a big factor will be that im using man made rock and not actual "live rock" so the lighting may not actually have anything to do with it.
I have only 2 or 3 small pieces of live rock in my tank.

I read somewhere that the white light can help contribute to algae growth and that since blues (given the spectrum is correct) is where the most photosynthesis occurs in corals, figured I would change things up and see how it turned out and so far so good.