Algea in new tank. Take action?

[Reefahholic]

Quick note. MB7 is not easily (legally) available in Australia.

Closest thing is Continuum Bacter Gen M, which I agree would probably not be useful at this point.

Roger that. I think the Continuum live is what I see used a lot there.

 

[Kial]

Excellent.

No the algae will consume the PO4 mostly and you’ll need to dose it back should it get lower than it currently is. I like .06 ppm in my tank as a safe bottom. I try to keep it there or above. .03 is getting on the low end. Of course this all depends on the system, but being that your tank is 4 months I’m tryin to help you target the most optimal level as my new tank is only 5 months. I’ve seen in several of my new systems the same things repeat themselves in lower nutrient conditions. If you’re tank was 2+ years the conversation would be different.

The phos test I use is salifert. And to be honest it's really hard to tell what colour actually is! Could really do with getting a hannah checker for that.

 

[Reefahholic]

The phos test I use is salifert. And to be honest it's really hard to tell what colour actually is! Could really do with getting a hannah checker for that.

I’d recommend the Hanna Phosphorus ULR as it reads the lowest and has the least margin of error.

Hanna Phosphate High Range HI717
Range: 0.0 to 30.0 ppm

Hanna Phosphate Low Range HI713
Range: 0.00 to 2.50 ppm
Accuracy: ±0.04 ppm (mg/L) ±4% of reading @ 25°C

Hanna Phosphate ULR HI774
Range: 0.00 to 0.90 ppm
Accuracy: ±.02 ppm ±5% of reading

Hanna Phosphorus ULR HI736
Range: 0 to 200 ppb
Accuracy: ±5 ppb ±5% of reading

 

[Kial]

I

I’d recommend the Hanna Phosphorus ULR as it reads the lowest and has the least margin of error.

Hanna Phosphate High Range HI717
Range: 0.0 to 30.0 ppm

Hanna Phosphate Low Range HI713
Range: 0.00 to 2.50 ppm
Accuracy: ±0.04 ppm (mg/L) ±4% of reading @ 25°C

Hanna Phosphate ULR HI774
Range: 0.00 to 0.90 ppm
Accuracy: ±.02 ppm ±5% of reading

Hanna Phosphorus ULR HI736
Range: 0 to 200 ppb
Accuracy: ±5 ppb ±5% of reading

I'll definitely get one at some point. Next on the list though is a other powerhead, ideally another 2!

 

[Reefahholic]

I

I'll definitely get one at some point. Next on the list though is a other powerhead, ideally another 2!

Yeah, need good flow for sure. Try to get the chemistry on point before you go too crazy with flow.

 

[Kial]

Yeah, need good flow for sure. Try to get the chemistry on point before you go too crazy with flow.

Yeah planning on getting things sorted and stable as soon as possible.

 

[Kial]

Little update on the algea issue. Added more snails and hermits (not really touching the algea at all over the last week. Have done some scrubbing to get the hair algea off during water change, some parts loosen off but only in really small patches.

I think the algea is continuing to get worse

Seen a few posts about using flux rx and seems to be some good reviews. Thinking about trying a course of that to knock it back. Dreading it getting to a point where it gets too bad

 

[Lavey29]

Little update on the algea issue. Added more snails and hermits (not really touching the algea at all over the last week. Have done some scrubbing to get the hair algea off during water change, some parts loosen off but only in really small patches.

I think the algea is continuing to get worse

Seen a few posts about using flux rx and seems to be some good reviews. Thinking about trying a course of that to knock it back. Dreading it getting to a point where it gets too bad

In my opinion, the worse thing you can do with a new tank is start dumping harsh chemicals in to bandaid fix a natural occurring evelolution in the tank maturity process. You will kill off biodiversity in your tank and leave the door open for major problems. You need to focus on the basics, manual removal, stable parameters, water changes, cleaner crew, reduced lighting etc... and let your tank go through the ugly phases over the course of the first year during its maturing process. The ugly stages last months and are not remedied overnight.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Little update on the algea issue. Added more snails and hermits (not really touching the algea at all over the last week. Have done some scrubbing to get the hair algea off during water change, some parts loosen off but only in really small patches.

I think the algea is continuing to get worse

Seen a few posts about using flux rx and seems to be some good reviews. Thinking about trying a course of that to knock it back. Dreading it getting to a point where it gets too bad

Sorry to hear that. I would avoid chemicals and let nature take its course. It may take a month or so, but nothing good happens fast in the hobby. Chem's will bite you later

BTW, You cannot legally buy Flux RX in Australia. You could get it by prescription if you can find a vet to prescribe it.

 

[Kial]

In my opinion, the worse thing you can do with a new tank is start dumping harsh chemicals in to bandaid fix a natural occurring evelolution in the tank maturity process. You will kill off biodiversity in your tank and leave the door open for major problems. You need to focus on the basics, manual removal, stable parameters, water changes, cleaner crew, reduced lighting etc... and let your tank go through the ugly phases over the course of the first year during its maturing process. The ugly stages last months and are not remedied overnight.

I'm happy to manually remove it with a brush but majority of it won't release. Reducing phos would in theory weaken it?

Water is pretty stable right now. Nitrates are sticking around 5 each time I test. Phos doesn't seem to change either at 0.03

Ive turned the light intensity down a fair bit also. Would it be worth just turning them off for 2-3 days? I only have some zoas and a devils hand currently.

 

[Kial]

Sorry to hear that. I would avoid chemicals and let nature take its course. It may take a month or so, but nothing good happens fast in the hobby. Chem's will bite you later

BTW, You cannot legally buy Flux RX in Australia. You could get it by prescription if you can find a vet to prescribe it.

Ah didn't realise we couldn't buy it in Australia. They sell it on Amazon.au

I'll keep away from the chemicals for now

 

[gbroadbridge]

Ah didn't realise we couldn't buy it in Australia. They sell it on Amazon.au

I'll keep away from the chemicals for now

You can order from amazon sure but it's an import from US, I lost 2 shipments of MB7 which were stopped by Border force and destroyed.

 

[Lavey29]

I'm happy to manually remove it with a brush but majority of it won't release. Reducing phos would in theory weaken it?

Water is pretty stable right now. Nitrates are sticking around 5 each time I test. Phos doesn't seem to change either at 0.03

Ive turned the light intensity down a fair bit also. Would it be worth just turning them off for 2-3 days? I only have some zoas and a devils hand currently.

No, don't reduce your nutrients numbers because your corals need it. Cut lights to 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. If you can raise magnesium to 1500 it will weaken the GHA for manual removal and let your cleaner crew get on it.

 

[catiebartholomew]

Hey

Starting to get some proper algea in the tank now after about 4 months. Cyano and some short fuzzy GHA over most of the rocks. It's still to short to pluck out though. Before this I only really had diatoms come and go.

Now what is the best action I should take here? Being a new tank, should I just simply let it run its course and keep up with my water changes, hoping it passes?

I'm more concerned about the GHA going crazy. I do have a scopas tang, snails and some hermits.

you’ve noticed diatoms and cyano usually goes away on their own in new tanks. the green stuff doesn’t:/ try sticking a clean up crew (herbivores). i’d reccomend A mexican turbo snail, or some astreas. chemically, if your nitrates and phosphates are higher than you’d like, try running some gfo or carbon dosing (make sure you oxygenate water for that, or better yet run a protein skimmer).

 

[Kial]

you’ve noticed diatoms and cyano usually goes away on their own in new tanks. the green stuff doesn’t:/ try sticking a clean up crew (herbivores). i’d reccomend A mexican turbo snail, or some astreas. chemically, if your nitrates and phosphates are higher than you’d like, try running some gfo or carbon dosing (make sure you oxygenate water for that, or better yet run a protein skimmer).

I've added some more snails and hermits last week. I've not got trochus, nassarius,strombs and turbos.

Protein skimmer is running and nitrates and phosphate is where I want it, but I'm guessing it's actually higher than it should be due to the algea

 

[Kial]

No, don't reduce your nutrients numbers because your corals need it. Cut lights to 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. If you can raise magnesium to 1500 it will weaken the GHA for manual removal and let your cleaner crew get on it.

I've just made a new light schedule with blues and UV for 6 hours. How long do I stick with this before going back to my main schedule?

 

[Lavey29]

I've just made a new light schedule with blues and UV for 6 hours. How long do I stick with this before going back to my main schedule?

Try it for a month but monitor your corals. Try and get magnesium to 1500. This worked well for my GHA battle and really weakens it.

 

[Kial]

Try it for a month but monitor your corals. Try and get magnesium to 1500. This worked well for my GHA battle and really weakens it.

OK sweet. It shouldn't bother the soft corals to much I wouldn't think anyway.

I'll try raise the mag slowly this week

 

[Dan_P]

Hey

Starting to get some proper algea in the tank now after about 4 months. Cyano and some short fuzzy GHA over most of the rocks. It's still to short to pluck out though. Before this I only really had diatoms come and go.

Now what is the best action I should take here? Being a new tank, should I just simply let it run its course and keep up with my water changes, hoping it passes?

I'm more concerned about the GHA going crazy. I do have a scopas tang, snails and some hermits.

The question is why isn’t the clean up crew eating the algae? Are they sick and dying, is the algae growing faster than the CUC can harvest it or do they find the algae not palatable, possibly because cyanobacteria is growing on the algae? What do you think?

 

[Lavey29]

The question is why isn’t the clean up crew eating the algae? Are they sick and dying, is the algae growing faster than the CUC can harvest it or do they find the algae not palatable, possibly because cyanobacteria is growing on the algae? What do you think?

I found a lot of my snails would just munch on low level slime type algae a lot. I had to hand place my turbos and urchins into the thick patches of my GHA and force them to eat their way out. I would do this daily.