Brown algae and bubble algae help!

[Jrreef]

Im new to the forum ✌ so I been having this brown algea in my tank for more then a year my tank its 2 years old most of my corals are sps frags I see some growth but my coloration it's not good some of them are getting white I just checked my nitrates and phosphates my no3 its 4ppm but my po4 its 0 or at least that's what my red sea test kit says any suggestions on what can I do?

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

It sounds like you have 3 issues here.
1) Poor coral coloration.
2) Bleaching of coral.
3) Some kind of brown algae blooming.

For the 1st issue, I recommend raising your phosphates to at least 0.1ppm. Many reefers report improved coloration compared to zero. Plus bottoming out phosphates is a good way to get dinos. I highly recommend dosing an inorganic source of phosphate like Spectrocide stump remover (pure KNO3 believe it or not) verses feeding more because food is made up of things other than phosphates such as nitrates which are at a good level currently. Over feeding can also spark a cyanobacteria bloom.

For the bleaching, the added phosphates may help. I usually hear about bleaching when light intensity is turned too high too soon. For the corals that are bleaching, how long ago were each added to the tank? What lights do you have, how long are they on, and what intensity setting are they set at (assuming that is controllable)?

The images of the algae are not very clear. If you can get a clear close up of the algae that would help with an ID and treatment method.

 

[Jrreef]

It sounds like you have 3 issues here.
1) Poor coral coloration.
2) Bleaching of coral.
3) Some kind of brown algae blooming.

For the 1st issue, I recommend raising your phosphates to at least 0.1ppm. Many reefers report improved coloration compared to zero. Plus bottoming out phosphates is a good way to get dinos. I highly recommend dosing an inorganic source of phosphate like Spectrocide stump remover (pure KNO3 believe it or not) verses feeding more because food is made up of things other than phosphates such as nitrates which are at a good level currently. Over feeding can also spark a cyanobacteria bloom.

For the bleaching, the added phosphates may help. I usually hear about bleaching when light intensity is turned too high too soon. For the corals that are bleaching, how long ago were each added to the tank? What lights do you have, how long are they on, and what intensity setting are they set at (assuming that is controllable)?

The images of the algae are not very clear. If you can get a clear close up of the algae that would help with an ID and treatment method.

Thanks for the reply so

My tank it's a 90g plus sump minus rock and equipment I would said its 100g system for lighting I run 3 hydras 26 12" above the water surface they running the brs ab+ program uv 118% violet 101% royal blue 82% blues 65% greens 6% deep red 5% white 10% from 11 to 10 one hour ramp for sunraise and sunset and 2 orphek or2 bars blue plus and I run a refugium whit macro algea dosen't grow that fast

I added 15 frags 3 months ago I been seeing some growth but I noticed 2 of them are turning white and the rest dosen't have the coloration that they supposed to have

I bought a formula of potassium phosphate made by a youtuber but I haven't use it

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Thanks for the reply so

My tank it's a 90g plus sump minus rock and equipment I would said its 100g system for lighting I run 3 hydras 26 12" above the water surface they running the brs ab+ program uv 118% violet 101% royal blue 82% blues 65% greens 6% deep red 5% white 10% from 11 to 10 one hour ramp for sunraise and sunset and 2 orphek or2 bars blue plus and I run a refugium whit macro algea dosen't grow that fast

I added 15 frags 3 months ago I been seeing some growth but I noticed 2 of them are turning white and the rest dosen't have the coloration that they supposed to have

I bought a formula of potassium phosphate made by a youtuber but I haven't use it

Get started on phosphate dosing ASAP. The sooner they get nutrients the easier it will be to regain and improve color.

I bet that is enough PAR to cause bleaching on some coral. I recommend relocating the bleaching ones to a spot with less light and monitoring closely to see how they respond. It may be a good idea to reduce the intensity by about 10% of the current settings until they have had time to bounce back. What kind are the 3 that are bleaching and where are they located in the tank?

The algae pictures look light green to tanish. Is it hard like coraline of can it be blown off the rocks easily?

 

[Jrreef]

I did a dose of 15ml of potassium phosphate yesterday and today I did a test and now I have a reading of 0.02

And should I lower 10% and turn off the orphek bars?

And I don't really know the name but they are acros they are on top off the rock structure

I got them from fish of hex it's a youtuber that sell corals he keeps his corals on a 250 to 500 par

And the brown algea it has some type of slime that comes out easily but under that slime it's hard it doesn't come out I try to removed whit a brush but its hard

The first picture it's a month ago and the second one its recent

 

[Jrreef]

I don't know why the pictures came like that but the one in the top it's the recent one you can see the growth but they losing color

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Glad to hear you are measuring phosphates now. Keep up daily dosing and measuring. I recommend increasing the dose amount everyday until you reach the target. Eventually they will level out and you won't have to dose as much or as often.

I do recommend turning off the Orpheks too. That should help the bleaching ones bounce back. Consider moving them permanently if less light helps them.

As for the algae, I am starting to suspect you have dinos on top of coraline. Does the soft stuff get worse throughout the day and slightly better over night?

 

[Jrreef]

What level of p04 you recommend me ?

I will turn off the orpheks hopefully I didn't waste my money and I can use them again they fill up the tank pretty good lol

Yes sometimes they get worse trough the day and I always take a look at night whit a flashlight and all the rocks look brown

Should I stop running my refugium?
Y turn on the light at night from 10pm to 11am

 

[Jrreef]

Yesterday at night I dosed the same amount oh phosphate but I think I overdosed now my phosphate it's at 0.012 ppm that's too much right?

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Sounds like you have dinos then. Luckily the treatment will also help the coral bleaching. To verify if it is dinos, take a sample of the brown slime and put it in a cup with tank water. Stir it around until it breaks apart and is dissolved. Let it sit for 15 minutes and see if the clump of slime reformed. If it is dinos, then it will reform.

I recommend a target phosphate level of 0.10 ppm. It's okay if you go over, just don't dose again until it comes back down. Right now you are below that amount, so keep dosing.

Keep running your refugium and run GAC for any dino toxins. Use a smaller amount of GAC and change weekly. The refugium will help reduce Fe which will decrease dino growth. Remove larger clumps of the brown slime but avoid water changes because they can add trace amounts of Fe which helps dinos bloom more.

Once the corals recover, the dinos are gone, and nutrients are maintained at the proper levels, you will be able to use the Orpheks again.

 

[Jrreef]

I did the example in the cup and the clump of slime reformed in like 10min I don't have to do anything else besides raising my phosphates?

And what is Fe?

And I'm starting to run another program in my hydras different spectrum that ab+ from brs has to much Uv and violet hopefully that would help my acros too

And thanks for the help so far

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Definitely dinos then. For now raise phosphates to 0.10 ppm and maintain nitrates at 5 ppm. Additionally you should keep your light intensity down regardless of what programming you use. What ever the settings are, cut the percentages in half. This will help with dinos and bleaching coral. Fe is the abbreviation for iron on the periodic table of elements. Fe stands for ferrum which is Latin for iron. Those darn science nerds use Latin to name even the elements. ;Bookworm

 

[Jrreef]

Nerds making things difficult

I dose the abcd coloration program from red sea i see a few changes in coloration in some corals but not all of them should I stop dosing since the C is iron?

And for the lights am starting a new program and I'm starting low and ramping up slowly in the course of a month but since my orpheks are off once I get the intensity that I want in the hydras and one day I start to use my orpheks they are not controllable just off and on you think its going to shock the corals?

I was thinking on keep the orpheks on and start whit the hydras really low and ramping them up slowly so that way when the hydras have the intensity that I want the corals are acclimated to both light you think it's a good idea?

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I do recommend stopping the C. Running the Orpheks and slowly ramping the Hydras sounds like a good idea.

 

[Jrreef]

I been seeing less dinos its getting better

But I haven't had any alk consumption it's that normal?

I dose 2 part and I always had my alk at 9.0 9.3 and I noticed I had a spike since I start all this it was at 11.3 and stopped the doser in Friday it was at 10.5 and today 2 days later its been at 10.3

 

[Jrreef]

And just now I noticed some red cyano

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I have heard of this before. It is normal. Once the dinos are gone completely alkalinity consumption will resume.

Cyano is actually a good sign. It means other things are able to grow again. Let the cyano grow a bit unless it is hurting something. You will probably get a gha bloom too. Also a good safe sign that dinos are getting out competed.

 

[Jrreef]

Good to know I was getting worried

I been keeping my po4 between .08 and .12 I'm trying to keep them more stable and no3 at 4 and I been seeing less dinos every day

Well if I get a gha bloom I have 2 tangs so free food for them as long it doesn't get out of control lol