To the ATS gurus out there
I have a bit of a conundrum.
I run a DIY algal scrubber. Its a 15cm by 15 cm waterfall screen, illuminated on both sides by about 12w (each side) full spectrum LEDs.
This has been my main filtration for some time on my tank.
In general, the ATS (and a bit of algae on the live rock) kept my nutrients always very close to 0 (nitrate below 1 and phosphate around 0.025 or below). This was good as it kept the caulerpa on the live rock from taking off. However, it was also having a negative effect on the corals, which simply would not grow (mainly sps). Plus I was also havig cyano all over the sand. In a bid to solve these problems, I reduced the light intensity and photoperiod on the scrubber around june/july. This solve both the cyano and growth issues. However, caulerpa took off with extra nutrients.
I kept it under control by removing has much as possible at the weekly water changes. However, it was a slowly losing battle as it kept getting to more and more places. So I decided to bring the scrubber back up again (18 photoperiod as before) and increase LED intensity. However, it did not really produce much more algae. Before I would take full thick sheets of algae every week, now its a fairly thin layer of algae. Flow is also similar to before (it runs out of the return line and I clean it regularly).
I assumed it was simply being outcompeted by the caulaerpa, and seeing it getting out of hand, I got a fox face. God, he works well. In less then 2 weeks there was not a single piece of visible caulerpa anywhere. I assume the scrubber would start growing more algae as the nutrients would be available, but unfortunately not. Its been about a month and a half since the caulerpa is gone, nutrients have steadily risen, but still not more algae in the scrubber. Its not the first time I have seen this type of situation with my scrubber, but I never really understood what is going on.
One things which is visible in the screen is that some of the algae growing is not only hair algae, there is also some much thicker green algae (hopefully visible on the pictures). I wonder whether those could be competing with the air algae?
Screen after scrubbing.
I first assumed some type of nutrient deficiency, but by the growth of the caulerpa, its clear that there is plenty of excess nutrients. With the caulerpa gone, there is even more nutrients.
The tank has been setup in its current configuration for about a year and a half, inovative marine sr80, live rock, 10% water change every week or other week with tropic marin pro, dosing aproximately 33ml all for reef daily, tunze 9004 dc skimmer running on low settings.
Parameters have been prety stable (apart from nitrate and phosphate) for the last year.
Alk 8.5
Calcium 430
Mag 1230
Nitrate 15
Phosphate 0.1
Any ideas?
Thank you all
I have a bit of a conundrum.
I run a DIY algal scrubber. Its a 15cm by 15 cm waterfall screen, illuminated on both sides by about 12w (each side) full spectrum LEDs.
This has been my main filtration for some time on my tank.
In general, the ATS (and a bit of algae on the live rock) kept my nutrients always very close to 0 (nitrate below 1 and phosphate around 0.025 or below). This was good as it kept the caulerpa on the live rock from taking off. However, it was also having a negative effect on the corals, which simply would not grow (mainly sps). Plus I was also havig cyano all over the sand. In a bid to solve these problems, I reduced the light intensity and photoperiod on the scrubber around june/july. This solve both the cyano and growth issues. However, caulerpa took off with extra nutrients.
I kept it under control by removing has much as possible at the weekly water changes. However, it was a slowly losing battle as it kept getting to more and more places. So I decided to bring the scrubber back up again (18 photoperiod as before) and increase LED intensity. However, it did not really produce much more algae. Before I would take full thick sheets of algae every week, now its a fairly thin layer of algae. Flow is also similar to before (it runs out of the return line and I clean it regularly).
I assumed it was simply being outcompeted by the caulaerpa, and seeing it getting out of hand, I got a fox face. God, he works well. In less then 2 weeks there was not a single piece of visible caulerpa anywhere. I assume the scrubber would start growing more algae as the nutrients would be available, but unfortunately not. Its been about a month and a half since the caulerpa is gone, nutrients have steadily risen, but still not more algae in the scrubber. Its not the first time I have seen this type of situation with my scrubber, but I never really understood what is going on.
One things which is visible in the screen is that some of the algae growing is not only hair algae, there is also some much thicker green algae (hopefully visible on the pictures). I wonder whether those could be competing with the air algae?
Screen after scrubbing.
I first assumed some type of nutrient deficiency, but by the growth of the caulerpa, its clear that there is plenty of excess nutrients. With the caulerpa gone, there is even more nutrients.
The tank has been setup in its current configuration for about a year and a half, inovative marine sr80, live rock, 10% water change every week or other week with tropic marin pro, dosing aproximately 33ml all for reef daily, tunze 9004 dc skimmer running on low settings.
Parameters have been prety stable (apart from nitrate and phosphate) for the last year.
Alk 8.5
Calcium 430
Mag 1230
Nitrate 15
Phosphate 0.1
Any ideas?
Thank you all
