Brown algae is back, coral not as happy today

[Princess Hockey]

In the past few days, my tank has gotten less and less happy. Brown algae has returned and some of my corals don't seem thrilled. I tested all of my parameters yesterday and will include those numbers below. The only thing that has really been different for the past week, is that the temperature has gotten a little colder, so I added a heater and have been maintaining with those new heaters a little better. Have had probably half a dozen snail deaths this week.

Temp: 74.5 - I've been maintaining in the mid 74's this week, after dropping to 72 when a cold front came in (didn't have a heater before). So now the temperature is not swinging back and forth, but it is staying a little bit colder than I think it should be. But it has been steady for about a week now.
pH: 8.1 - This reading has been steady 8-8.1 for the life of the tank.
Salinity: 1.025 - Steady, no change here
Magnesium: 1600 - Has always been high since I started testing this.
Alkalinity: 8.8 - Was low 6's until about a month ago, got some advice from my local coral seller. Purchased the 2 part dosing stuff but after 2 doses, its been high and steady, so maybe I overpurchased? Haven't had to dose anything but the sodium ash yet. (BRS)
Calcium: 440 - Steady
Phosphate: 0.1 - Steady
Nitrate: 0 - Steady, haven't had nitrates since the first week or 2 the tank existed. Even with probably occasional overfeeding.
Ammonia: 0 - Never have had a reading.

Including some pictures. I feel like my temperature is the only parameter issue, could my corals be that sensitive to it?

My normally happy clove polyps are half closed today. My normally happy pulsing xenia are doing similar with several of them super closed up.




So what do you guys think? My temperature is the issue? Overfeeding and temperature? Temperature killed the snails so they're losing the battle with algae? No livestock changes in over a week. 9 days ago I added a foxface who is very large and seems to be forever hungry, so I've been feeding more since then. He seems to steal food from everyone so I worry I'm now overfeeding as a result.

 

[dwest]

In the past few days, my tank has gotten less and less happy. Brown algae has returned and some of my corals don't seem thrilled. I tested all of my parameters yesterday and will include those numbers below. The only thing that has really been different for the past week, is that the temperature has gotten a little colder, so I added a heater and have been maintaining with those new heaters a little better. Have had probably half a dozen snail deaths this week.

Temp: 74.5 - I've been maintaining in the mid 74's this week, after dropping to 72 when a cold front came in (didn't have a heater before). So now the temperature is not swinging back and forth, but it is staying a little bit colder than I think it should be. But it has been steady for about a week now.
pH: 8.1 - This reading has been steady 8-8.1 for the life of the tank.
Salinity: 1.025 - Steady, no change here
Magnesium: 1600 - Has always been high since I started testing this.
Alkalinity: 8.8 - Was low 6's until about a month ago, got some advice from my local coral seller. Purchased the 2 part dosing stuff but after 2 doses, its been high and steady, so maybe I overpurchased? Haven't had to dose anything but the sodium ash yet. (BRS)
Calcium: 440 - Steady
Phosphate: 0.1 - Steady
Nitrate: 0 - Steady, haven't had nitrates since the first week or 2 the tank existed. Even with probably occasional overfeeding.
Ammonia: 0 - Never have had a reading.

Including some pictures. I feel like my temperature is the only parameter issue, could my corals be that sensitive to it?

My normally happy clove polyps are half closed today. My normally happy pulsing xenia are doing similar with several of them super closed up.




So what do you guys think? My temperature is the issue? Overfeeding and temperature? Temperature killed the snails so they're losing the battle with algae? No livestock changes in over a week. 9 days ago I added a foxface who is very large and seems to be forever hungry, so I've been feeding more since then. He seems to steal food from everyone so I worry I'm now overfeeding as a result.

I’m wondering if your brown algae are dinos.

 

[cromag27]

are you using rodi 0 tds water? how old is your tank? have you added any new equipment, especially things made from plastic?

 

[Princess Hockey]

I’m wondering if your brown algae are dinos.

I would say 95% of it doesn't have bubbles on it, is it easy to visually identify? I can get my macro lens out and post another picture close up.

 

[Princess Hockey]

are you using rodi 0 tds water? how old is your tank? have you added any new equipment, especially things made from plastic?

Always RO/DI water, 10% water change per week, 115 gallon total system volume (100g display). I added 2 Eheim Jager heaters about 6 days ago since my temp dropped to 72. Tank is about 2 months old now.

I have never tested TDS

 

[cromag27]

Always RO/DI water, 10% water change per week, 115 gallon total system volume (100g display). I added 2 Eheim Jager heaters about 6 days ago since my temp dropped to 72. Tank is about 2 months old now.

I have never tested TDS

rodi water should always be at 0tds. if not you’ll have issues. judging by the photos it looks like maybe diatoms which are caused by silicates in the water. this is why 0tds water is important. excess silicates can be removed by keeping up with water changes.

 

[Princess Hockey]

rodi water should always be at 0tds. if not you’ll have issues. judging by the photos it looks like maybe diatoms which are caused by silicates in the water. this is why 0tds water is important. excess silicates can be removed by keeping up with water changes.

I switched over to using my own RO/DI water maker maybe...2 weeks ago? I think I have a TDS checker, ill go see if I can get that working.

 

[cromag27]

are you making your own rodi water at home or buying it from a store?

 

[dwest]

I would say 95% of it doesn't have bubbles on it, is it easy to visually identify? I can get my macro lens out and post another picture close up.

I don’t know of a way to identify it other than a microscope. There is hydrogen peroxide method that was inconclusive for me. The fact that you have phosphates is a good sign. My amphidinium dinos in the sand did not have many bubbles. Your snail deaths was my biggest cluethat you may have dinos as well as the sand color. I would make sure you are running GAC and read the first page of the big dino thread. I don’t want to worry you but think it’s a possibility.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/

 

[dwest]

I switched over to using my own RO/DI water maker maybe...2 weeks ago? I think I have a TDS checker, ill go see if I can get that working.

You can buy good ones on amazon for about $20.

 

[Princess Hockey]

rodi water should always be at 0tds. if not you’ll have issues. judging by the photos it looks like maybe diatoms which are caused by silicates in the water. this is why 0tds water is important. excess silicates can be removed by keeping up with water changes.

Ok I don't know how accurate it is, but I used one of these guys: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Tester-Quality-Purity-Filter/dp/B007VK4YY0?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6

My RO/DI water initially said 4-5 but the more I swirled it around, it dropped to 0 and stayed there. Tested my tap water (which I do not use), 310. Fridge filtered water, 242, mostly just to see if this TDS checker was accurate. So my best guess is, I think my RO/DI is good. It's a brand new AquaFX barracuda filter, I've made maybe 40 gallons from it so far.

Super glue? I've attempted to glue some frags down this week.

 

[Princess Hockey]

This is what it looks like all over my sand.

 

[Princess Hockey]

I also have this stuff, I believe its red hair algae? I'm going to get some mexican turbo snails today. This appeared about a week or two ago, I thought it was good since it was purple at first. It's only on a single rock that is up very high in my tank, high light and flow area.

 

[dwest]

This is what it looks like all over my sand.

I’m not good at algae id, but I think dinos are still a possibility.

@saltyfilmfolks

 

[dwest]

I also have this stuff, I believe its red hair algae? I'm going to get some mexican turbo snails today. This appeared about a week or two ago, I thought it was good since it was purple at first. It's only on a single rock that is up very high in my tank, high light and flow area.

I’ve had the red stuff. I think it’s fine.

 

[Princess Hockey]

I’m not good at algae id, but I think dinos are still a possibility.

@saltyfilmfolks

Ok thanks, I'll check out that dino thread and see about the ID methods. Do you think dinos would be ticking off my corals?

 

[dwest]

Ok thanks, I'll check out that dino thread and see about the ID methods. Do you think dinos would be ******* off my corals?

They certainly can. They wiped out my sps and snails. Running GAC will help remove toxins. I hope others chime in because I don’t want to alarm you.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I also have this stuff, I believe its red hair algae? I'm going to get some mexican turbo snails today. This appeared about a week or two ago, I thought it was good since it was purple at first. It's only on a single rock that is up very high in my tank, high light and flow area.

Is that one really that purple?
Kinda cool I a way.

Doesn’t all appear to be the same stuff. So my gut says young tank phases and stuff that got introduced with coral.

Yes , I’d say temp is an issue.

 

[Princess Hockey]

Is that one really that purple?
Kinda cool I a way.

Doesn’t all appear to be the same stuff. So my gut says young tank phases and stuff that got introduced with coral.

Yes , I’d say temp is an issue.

Oh yeah, its a beautiful purple. I figured it was coralline or something good because of the pretty color!

I'm going to assume we're just having a diatom bloom of some sort and that things will settle down soon. Gonna keep trying to get my temp up. With my heaters set at 77, seems like they hold the tank around 74.5. Bumping them up to 79 to see where that gets me now. Thank you!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh yeah, its a beautiful purple. I figured it was coralline or something good because of the pretty color!

I'm going to assume we're just having a diatom bloom of some sort and that things will settle down soon. Gonna keep trying to get my temp up. With my heaters set at 77, seems like they hold the tank around 74.5. Bumping them up to 79 to see where that gets me now. Thank you!

I’ve read the instructions on the heaters for years. Still don’t quite get it. But in short , it’s slowly turn it up till you hit the temp you like.
The inexpensive heat controllers drop a separate probe in , and you turn the heater up almost to max.

Hope fully something you have starts eating your pretty algae. Might have to experiment. Tuxedo urchin would be my gut reccomendation.