- Joined
- Aug 25, 2017
- Messages
- 199
- Reaction score
- 35
Tank is 10 months old. Never went through different algae blooms. However started dealing with some gross brown gold algae and still am. Thought to be crysophytes. Tested nitrates and found I had 0. This has been the case for quite some time. I started with all dry rock and had a long cycle (likely cause I had little to no nutrients in the tank). Didn't have phosphate test so just assumed high phosphates (not the case).
Research said I need to increase Nitrate (live in Canada so can't get potassium Nitrate or sodium Nitrate easily) so feeding was my only option. Research indicated I would need to manually remove crysophytes and I would start to see different algae out compete the brown stuff.
Saw some cyano. Has died down lately.
Seeing green hair now but brown stuff still going strong. Coral coloration did start improving when I fed heavier but is now getting worse.
I could deal with the algae but the problem is I'm seeing negative results in corals: little to no polyp extension on various sps, no growth, receding heads on some hammers but torches are okay, birdsnest and digi have gotten covered in algae or slime and dying off.
Current parameters
1.024 (did some maintanence and likely too much top off usually 1.025)
Phosphorus ulr 0
Nitrate 3
Alk 8.7
Cal 410
Ph 8.18
Temp 79.1
Flow from return is not substantial. Gyre XF230 for flow (tried in different spots and different %) currently running lunar tide cycle 70-100%. Display is 40 x 20 x 20 approx 70 gal. Alk and cal are dosed with brs dosers so no swings to note. Vertex is set to pull dark Skim. Reefbreeder photon v2
How do I move forward with minimal coral losses and limited frustration.
Research said I need to increase Nitrate (live in Canada so can't get potassium Nitrate or sodium Nitrate easily) so feeding was my only option. Research indicated I would need to manually remove crysophytes and I would start to see different algae out compete the brown stuff.
Saw some cyano. Has died down lately.
Seeing green hair now but brown stuff still going strong. Coral coloration did start improving when I fed heavier but is now getting worse.
I could deal with the algae but the problem is I'm seeing negative results in corals: little to no polyp extension on various sps, no growth, receding heads on some hammers but torches are okay, birdsnest and digi have gotten covered in algae or slime and dying off.
Current parameters
1.024 (did some maintanence and likely too much top off usually 1.025)
Phosphorus ulr 0
Nitrate 3
Alk 8.7
Cal 410
Ph 8.18
Temp 79.1
Flow from return is not substantial. Gyre XF230 for flow (tried in different spots and different %) currently running lunar tide cycle 70-100%. Display is 40 x 20 x 20 approx 70 gal. Alk and cal are dosed with brs dosers so no swings to note. Vertex is set to pull dark Skim. Reefbreeder photon v2
How do I move forward with minimal coral losses and limited frustration.