Dealing with algea and cyano maybe?

[SOGavity]

I have an 88 gallon tank which gets about a ten gallon water change every 4-5 days. I was doing it once a week but I upped it trying to get rid of the issues I'm having. Everything is healthy but the red and fuzzy green is ugly and I cant seem to get a handle on it. I have turbo snails and tuxedo urchin, and of course two tangs that don't seem interested in the algea at all. I only feed just enough to keep the fish alive and rarely hand feed the corals.

pH 8.0
Salinity 1.026
Alk 10
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
Phosphates 0.02
Calcium 510
Magnesium 1420

 

[Lavey29]

How old is the tank? What is your light schedule? Cyano is generally related to excess light and lack of flow.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I see no powerheads in the tank, and also see no snails or other algae grazers.

What kind of filtration do you have on the tank?

The fish should be fed as they need regardless of algae, just don't add more food than they can eat in 30 seconds. The filtration system should be able to handle it.

 

[SOGavity]

I see no powerheads in the tank, and also see no snails or other algae grazers.

What kind of filtration do you have on the tank?

The fish should be fed as they need regardless of algae, just don't add more food than they can eat in 30 seconds. The filtration system should be able to handle it.

I have 2 outflows and two powerheads. I have a 10 gallon sump as that's all that can fit in my cabinet. I have 3 Mexican turbo snails, 3 money cowery snails and two of another type of turbo snail I don't know that name of. And no, the snails tend to hide during the day....

I actually have two spectra lights on the tank meant for nano systems and fluval marine 3.0. At the top of the rock work it only gets 100 par. It runs for 10 hours a day.

 

[SOGavity]

How old is the tank? What is your light schedule? Cyano is generally related to excess light and lack of flow.

It's almost a year old.

 

[Lavey29]

It's almost a year old.

In a 88g tank you would want 30 to 40 snails, different types, bunch of hermits and a couple tuxedo urchins to help keep your tank tidy.

If you are only getting 100 par, your corals will probably slowly die off too.

 

[ReefnFG]

Do you use RODI water for top off & mixing salt?
What food do you feed? Frozen? Flake? Pellet?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would increase the number of turbo snails.

What filtration equipment is in the sump, how are you exporting nutrients? Perhaps consider a protein skimmer, this is a great tool that removes dissolved organics from the water, which is what feeds the algae. Running activated carbon also absorbed dissolved organics.

 

[SOGavity]

In a 88g tank you would want 30 to 40 snails, different types, bunch of hermits and a couple tuxedo urchins to help keep your tank tidy.

If you are only getting 100 par, your corals will probably slowly die off too.

Which is why all my corals are medium to low light corals. Some have been in there for quite some time and have grown very well. And that seems excessive amount of snails.

 

[SOGavity]

Do you use RODI water for top off & mixing salt?
What food do you feed? Frozen? Flake? Pellet?

I feed frozen, mysis shrimp, ground up clams and krill, brine shrimp. They don't eat the pellet foods I've tried in the past and haven't tried flake. Just RO water. Unfortunately I rent and my landlord won't let me install one. I buy it from a water place. They're water tests at TDS 4ppm.

 

[SOGavity]

I would increase the number of turbo snails.

What filtration equipment is in the sump, how are you exporting nutrients? Perhaps consider a protein skimmer, this is a great tool that removes dissolved organics from the water, which is what feeds the algae. Running activated carbon also absorbed dissolved organics.

I have a protien skimmer, yes but its too small (55 gallons). My sump is only 10 gallons. I also have a refugium. I use carbon and a small amount of phosphate remover.

I'll get more snails and another urchin. What about crabs?

 

[ReefnFG]

If you want to buy an RO without being permanent, they sell adapters that screw onto garden hoses or also onto a sink. 4 TDS isnt helping but that could be anything from nutrients to minerals.

After thawing the frozen food, do you strain the water through a net? There's a lot of nutrients in that water that build up in the tank. I noticed when algae is growing in the tank you'll get artificially low NO3 & PO4 results

 

[SOGavity]

If you want to buy an RO without being permanent, they sell adapters that screw onto garden hoses or also onto a sink. 4 TDS isnt helping but that could be anything from nutrients to minerals.

After thawing the frozen food, do you strain the water through a net? There's a lot of nutrients in that water that build up in the tank. I noticed when algae is growing in the tank you'll get artificially low NO3 & PO4 results

Yeah, I've researched about that too... how the algea holds on to the nutrients. No, I don't run the food through a net... that never occured to me to do such a thing. I'll do that from now on too. Thanks. I think I have a plan from all the suggests here. More snails, another urchin, rinse the food, and invest in a larger sump and protien skimmer (will have to build a sump probably to get it to fit).

 

[Lavey29]

Which is why all my corals are medium to low light corals. Some have been in there for quite some time and have grown very well. And that seems excessive amount of snails.

Have you even checked your tank with a par meter? If you research some of the vendors that offer cleaner packages you will find my quote is not excessive at all. I have a smaller tank and have at least 40 snails. 3 urchins, 12 hermits, 2 fire shrimp, big serpent star, 2 emerald crabs, 3 peppermint shrimp, etc... as part of my cleaner army.

And no algae issues. But of course your 1 year tank is still developing it's biome so ugly phases are still normal for your system.

 

[Jackalope12]

In a 88g tank you would want 30 to 40 snails, different types, bunch of hermits and a couple tuxedo urchins to help keep your tank tidy.

If you are only getting 100 par, your corals will probably slowly die off too.

Can you have tuxedos in a coral tank? I thought they knocked over corals

Curious because I really want one

 

[Lavey29]

Can you have tuxedos in a coral tank? I thought they knocked over corals

Curious because I really want one

I've had 3 for almost 4 years now with no issues at all and my tank is wall to wall corals. They are great workers. Will grab an empty shell or zoa polyp to wear as a hat but that's it.

 

[SOGavity]

Can you have tuxedos in a coral tank? I thought they knocked over corals

Curious because I really want one

If they're not glued down it can run off with one. But I've never had an issue with tuxedo taking off with any of my corals. He'll climb a skeleton or two but generally stays away from polyps. He's pretty interesting.

Have you even checked your tank with a par meter? If you research some of the vendors that offer cleaner packages you will find my quote is not excessive at all. I have a smaller tank and have at least 40 snails. 3 urchins, 12 hermits, 2 fire shrimp, big serpent star, 2 emerald crabs, 3 peppermint shrimp, etc... as part of my cleaner army.

And no algae issues. But of course your 1 year tank is still developing it's biome so ugly phases are still normal for your system.

Yes I have a par meter. At the top where my hammers are is 106 par.

Ive often wondered if it's because the tank is relatively new. I'm not exactly sure when the "ugly" phase begins or ends. The hair algae and cyano started about 3 months ago. Before that the rocks went from white to yellowish brown to covered in crud. I added the snails just after I noticed the hair algae issues which started at first growing on my Zoas frag plugs. It disappeared off the frags and started growing elsewhere and fast. I can easily get a brittle star and snails, which i will... but I'm hesitant to get emerald crabs (though I've always wanted to) because ive heard they can go after corals.

 

[Lavey29]

If they're not glued down it can run off with one. But I've never had an issue with tuxedo taking off with any of my corals. He'll climb a skeleton or two but generally stays away from polyps. He's pretty interesting.



Yes I have a par meter. At the top where my hammers are is 106 par.

Ive often wondered if it's because the tank is relatively new. I'm not exactly sure when the "ugly" phase begins or ends. The hair algae and cyano started about 3 months ago. Before that the rocks went from white to yellowish brown to covered in crud. I added the snails just after I noticed the hair algae issues which started at first growing on my Zoas frag plugs. It disappeared off the frags and started growing elsewhere and fast. I can easily get a brittle star and snails, which i will... but I'm hesitant to get emerald crabs (though I've always wanted to) because ive heard they can go after corals.

Typically at least a year for tanks to stabilize from ugly phases if you start with fake rock. Real ocean rock just speeds up the biome process. Your tank doesn't look bad just needs some gardening work. Increase your cleaners. Pull off what you can daily with your hands. Crabs are hit and miss. I've had multiple crabs with no issues. Hermits never bothered my corals either. Since you have a nice size tank, I think you would get much better results upgrading your lights so you can have a nice variety of corals. Some of my euphyllia sit in 250 par and thrive. My sandbed is 125 par. Little patch of red cyano on sand is nothing really. Just stir sand during water changes a little and siphon it out.

 

[SonOfaGoat]

You could always lower your lights to increase your par. If you do, do it super slowly. But if corals are growing no real need to change it unless you add some sps or higher demanding LPS.

Also for algea have you thought of adding an extra dose of copepods? Snails are also a great idea, look at different varieties. I have turbos, bumble bees, margaritas, and Hawaiian mini conches. I only rock 1 hermit as he's murdered his brethren and many snails.