Best approach to fighting these outbreaks?

[Rawsreef]

Lately, I have been dealing with tons of outbreaks in my tank.. I am assuming it is because of all the new rocks and the new tank itself.
I am dealing with a new 220 G display and a 50g sump with a fuge section running chaeto. . Worth mentioning the chaeto has not grown much in the past couple of months since the tank has been up. What does grow is a thick a** layer of turf algae against the walls of the fuge.

I used all the rocks in my previous 90G about 70-80 lb., and placed them in the new tank along with another 90-ish lb. of new unseeded rock.

At first, I noticed lots of diatoms in the sand, and some dinos, mostly on the new rocks that were getting lots of light. I am almost done with that phase, beat it through increasing flow and siphoning/wc's.. I figured there was nothing I can do this was prob just a part of the ugly phase along with some mistakes on my part... (letting nutrients get too low, and some alk/cal swings)


Now I am dealing with a lot of cyano growth. Again, mostly on these new rocks, which spreading onto my coral skeletons... I was thinking same method, scrubbing/siphoning with WCS. Maybe even buying some microbacter7 or some making DIY coral snow? I was gonna buy the stuff today and try that.

Now what I am not sure how to handle is a type of green turf algae that has covered one rock and is starting to kill a zoa frag.



What would be your approach when dealing with all these issues?


(Will get some pics up shortly)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Lately, I have been dealing with tons of outbreaks in my tank.. I am assuming it is because of all the new rocks and the new tank itself.
I am dealing with a new 220 G display and a 50g sump with a fuge section running chaeto. . Worth mentioning the chaeto has not grown much in the past couple of months since the tank has been up. What does grow is a thick a** layer of turf algae against the walls of the fuge.

I used all the rocks in my previous 90G about 70-80 lb., and placed them in the new tank along with another 90-ish lb. of new unseeded rock.

At first, I noticed lots of diatoms in the sand, and some dinos, mostly on the new rocks that were getting lots of light. I am almost done with that phase, beat it through increasing flow and siphoning/wc's.. I figured there was nothing I can do this was prob just a part of the ugly phase along with some mistakes on my part... (letting nutrients get too low, and some alk/cal swings)


Now I am dealing with a lot of cyano growth. Again, mostly on these new rocks, which spreading onto my coral skeletons... I was thinking same method, scrubbing/siphoning with WCS. Maybe even buying some microbacter7 or some making DIY coral snow? I was gonna buy the stuff today and try that.

Now what I am not sure how to handle is a type of green turf algae that has covered one rock and is starting to kill a zoa frag.



What would be your approach when dealing with all these issues?


(Will get some pics up shortly)

I would love to answer but will also like to verify what you currently have. Please post a couple pics under white lighting

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

I've been following BRS on their explanations of a Biome Cycle. I think it is worth a watch.


Not a pro. I believe cyano is caused by a lack of phosphates or an imbalance of phosphates to nitrates.

I also had a growth of GHA that looked like turf algae since my Kole and Tomini were good at keeping them trimmed. I left it alone in my 250 that I rebooted and has gone away on as the tank matured some more.

However, I'm not sure how to fix it immediately. Manual removal and keeping parameters stable is the go-to safest method IMO. I believe in fewer chemicals and changes to a system. Results can be slow but are less stressful to the inhabitants.

 

[Rawsreef]

I would love to answer but will also like to verify what you currently have. Please post a couple pics under white lighting

 

[Rawsreef]

Glass gets loads of nasty looking brown algae on it too.

 

[Rawsreef]

I've been following BRS on their explanations of a Biome Cycle. I think it is worth a watch.


Not a pro. I believe cyano is caused by a lack of phosphates or an imbalance of phosphates to nitrates.

I also had a growth of GHA that looked like turf algae since my Kole and Tomini were good at keeping them trimmed. I left it alone in my 250 that I rebooted and has gone away on as the tank matured some more.

However, I'm not sure how to fix it immediately. Manual removal and keeping parameters stable is the go-to safest method IMO. I believe in fewer chemicals and changes to a system. Results can be slow but are less stressful to the inhabitants.

Thanks my bro! I suspected the cyano was mostly my fault, due to the imbalances or even lack of phosphates like you said.

Watching the video now, I'm sure I'll find the answer to my headaches in there

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

What is the coral you're growing on the top of the branch rock? Some.kind of cyphastrea? I think is going to look awesome encrusting that whole branch.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Reducew light and add bacteria such micro bacter 7 at 1.5ml per 10 gallons to compete with it. A few female emerald crabs and 12 carribean blue leg hermits will be useful as would a pencil urchin and ninja star snails.
Are you using tap water from faucet or RODI water ?
What is current Phosphate and Nitrate level and what test kits are you using ?
Is tank at or near a window ?

 

[Rawsreef]

What is the coral you're growing on the top of the branch rock? Some.kind of cyphastrea? I think is going to look awesome encrusting that whole branch.

Yes it is and that is exactly what I am hoping for, I think its a Bizzaro Cyphastrea. Just picked it up at the LFS for 20 bucks last week

 

[Rawsreef]

Reducew light and add bacteria such micro bacter 7 at 1.5ml per 10 gallons to compete with it. A few female emerald crabs and 12 carribean blue leg hermits will be useful as would a pencil urchin and ninja star snails.
Are you using tap water from faucet or RODI water ?
What is current Phosphate and Nitrate level and what test kits are you using ?
Is tank at or near a window ?

Forgot to add but I don't have a phosphate test kit,
I use red sea test kits and Nitrates just tested under 10 ppm

Usually between 2-5 ppm but I am due a WC.

I use RO water not RODI, maybe thats another issue here..

There is a nearby window but is usually shaded.

May try reducing the time as lights are on from 7:30 to 10 PM. T5's only come on from 12- 8:30. I didnt think the LED's mattered much since they are mostly running blues/UV with very low whites.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Forgot to add but I don't have a phosphate test kit,
I use red sea test kits and Nitrates just tested under 10 ppm

Usually between 2-5 ppm but I am due a WC.

I use RO water not RODI, maybe thats another issue here..

There is a nearby window but is usually shaded.

May try reducing the time as lights are on from 7:30 to 10 PM. T5's only come on from 12- 8:30. I didnt think the LED's mattered much since they are mostly running blues/UV with very low whites.

just a surprising note: I suspected window as UV is very strong and will penetrate shades/blinds/curtains. Try a sheet of black construction paper from Walmart on the side facing window and you will see a quick improvement

 

[Rawsreef]

just a surprising note: I suspected window as UV is very strong and will penetrate shades/blinds/curtains. Try a sheet of black construction paper from Walmart on the side facing window and you will see a quick improvement

This just gave me a reason to dosomething to cover the light coming in from this window. The glare always drove me crazy during the day, makes it hard to look at the tank and even worse to take photos.
so thank you for that lol

As for cuc I made a few additions today,

10 turbo snails
10 blue leg hermits
A small emerald crab
And a long spine sea urchin

Blew off all the cyano and dosed about 50ml of microbacter7

Hopefully this will help

 

[vetteguy53081]

This just gave me a reason to dosomething to cover the light coming in from this window. The glare always drove me crazy during the day, makes it hard to look at the tank and even worse to take photos.
so thank you for that lol

As for cuc I made a few additions today,

10 turbo snails
10 blue leg hermits
A small emerald crab
And a long spine sea urchin

Blew off all the cyano and dosed about 50ml of microbacter7

Hopefully this will help

Both will help greatly

 

[Jedi1199]

Lately, I have been dealing with tons of outbreaks in my tank.. I am assuming it is because of all the new rocks and the new tank itself.
I am dealing with a new 220 G display and a 50g sump with a fuge section running chaeto. . Worth mentioning the chaeto has not grown much in the past couple of months since the tank has been up. What does grow is a thick a** layer of turf algae against the walls of the fuge.

I used all the rocks in my previous 90G about 70-80 lb., and placed them in the new tank along with another 90-ish lb. of new unseeded rock.

At first, I noticed lots of diatoms in the sand, and some dinos, mostly on the new rocks that were getting lots of light. I am almost done with that phase, beat it through increasing flow and siphoning/wc's.. I figured there was nothing I can do this was prob just a part of the ugly phase along with some mistakes on my part... (letting nutrients get too low, and some alk/cal swings)


Now I am dealing with a lot of cyano growth. Again, mostly on these new rocks, which spreading onto my coral skeletons... I was thinking same method, scrubbing/siphoning with WCS. Maybe even buying some microbacter7 or some making DIY coral snow? I was gonna buy the stuff today and try that.

Now what I am not sure how to handle is a type of green turf algae that has covered one rock and is starting to kill a zoa frag.



What would be your approach when dealing with all these issues?


(Will get some pics up shortly)

Sounds pretty much like what I am dealing with on my 135 upgrade build.

Did things pretty much same as you, all old rock and sand, bunch of new rock and sand, yadda yadda.

My Sump/refugium does not grow chaeto very fast either. I suspect based on the last couple tests, that the chaeto is stripping nutrients very quickly. Last test showed zero nitrates! This, with 18 fish and over 100 corals. Before anyone asks, I tested this particular issue 4 times with both Salifert and Hanna. It IS at zero. Not a bad test!!

I actually am considering pulling the chaeto from the refugium for a while or turning off the refugium light for a couple weeks. Let the nitrates build up a bit. Starting to see some of the tough turf algae growing on some of the older rocks. I added a couple more herbivores to the system last week to hopefully help combat that issue.

 

[Rawsreef]

Sounds pretty much like what I am dealing with on my 135 upgrade build.

Did things pretty much same as you, all old rock and sand, bunch of new rock and sand, yadda yadda.

My Sump/refugium does not grow chaeto very fast either. I suspect based on the last couple tests, that the chaeto is stripping nutrients very quickly. Last test showed zero nitrates! This, with 18 fish and over 100 corals. Before anyone asks, I tested this particular issue 4 times with both Salifert and Hanna. It IS at zero. Not a bad test!!

I actually am considering pulling the chaeto from the refugium for a while or turning off the refugium light for a couple weeks. Let the nitrates build up a bit. Starting to see some of the tough turf algae growing on some of the older rocks. I added a couple more herbivores to the system last week to hopefully help combat that issue.

That is pretty wild that your nitrates bottomed out with 18 fish. I got 12 atm but feed them like piggies so that's probably why my nitrates are climbing.

Let's hope we can both get past this ugliness and just have a beautiful reef

 

[Jedi1199]

Also, I had the same brown algae issue on the glass for the frst couple weeks. I faced the flow makers away from the front glass. It helped a lot with that. I still get it, but I only have to clean it every other day instead of 2 or 3 times a day.

 

[Jedi1199]

That is pretty wild that your nitrates bottomed out with 18 fish. I got 12 atm but feed them like piggies so that's probably why my nitrates are climbing.

Let's hope we can both get past this ugliness and just have a beautiful reef

It is still a beautiful reef. My issues are minor right now. The ONLY concern I really have is the turf algae on the old rocks. That is a serious issue in my experience and I really do not want to have to resort to chemicals to control it.

 

[Rawsreef]

Just wanted to post an update, I’ve been blowing rocks off every night and adding a diy coral snow solution mixed with microbacter7.
I feel pretty happy with the results so far, water is clearer than ever and the Cyano is basically all gone.

I feel like even some of the turf algae has gone away already. The hermits/snails and crab probably have something to do with this.

excuse the glare, like I said morning photos are not the best lol

 

[Chee-tomorpha]

Nice!

What is this Coral Snow you're talking about?

 

[Spare time]

I've been following BRS on their explanations of a Biome Cycle. I think it is worth a watch.


Not a pro. I believe cyano is caused by a lack of phosphates or an imbalance of phosphates to nitrates.

I also had a growth of GHA that looked like turf algae since my Kole and Tomini were good at keeping them trimmed. I left it alone in my 250 that I rebooted and has gone away on as the tank matured some more.

However, I'm not sure how to fix it immediately. Manual removal and keeping parameters stable is the go-to safest method IMO. I believe in fewer chemicals and changes to a system. Results can be slow but are less stressful to the inhabitants.

Cyano is more likely related to 0 nitrate as they can get nitrogen fr the atmosphere unlike possible competition.