Enough light for coral = lots of algae

[pseudorand]

In a mature tank full of coral, the coral should take most of the space/light and nutrients, generally out-competing algae. But how do you get there?

My 120g is almost 5 months old and I'm about ready to expand beyond the green zoas that came with my rock. I'm running 4 x Lumia 5.2. That should be sufficient at least for some coral species, but at present I have them hitting a max of 50% at mid-day, and I'm starting to fight some algae. I know there's lots of ways to deal with algae, but #1 is generally less light. As I start to add frags though, I'll have to turn the lights up, not down. I have no algae under my zoa colonies of course, but new frags will need more light and take months to years before they shade much of the rock work.

* Yes, I've got snails and urchins in my CUC (with a few more on order).
* Yes, I'm cutting back on feeding to limit nutrients (algae first started to spike when I doubled food input to appease my bully Clarkii clowns after adding some new fish).
* Yes, I have a refugium (not yet well stocked, but Algae Barn finally has chaeto, and I ordered some before they sell out again).
* Yes, I use RO/DI so I'm not adding nutrients from the tap.
* No, I don't yet have a skimmer, but I've reserved a place for one. (Nitrates are consistently at ~1ppm per Nyos, phosphates are at 0.3-0.5 [also Nyos]. I want to see what Chaeto can do for me on that front before skimming.)
* Yes, I do regular....okay, I could be better about my water changes, which you probably guessed from my phosphate level. But I plan to do more regular water changes.
* Yes, I've watched all the BRS videos. Well, most of them. Or at least the algae ones. I gotta turn off youtube so I have time for water changes.

Is nutrient control really the best / only strategy? Is the idea that corals do well with low nitrate/phosphate so long as I maintain Alk/Ca/Mg but nitrate and phosphate will be a limiting factor for algae growth even in high light?

Or is there some bit of magic I'm missing that will let me properly light my corals without super-charging the algae?

 

[EmdeReef]

Your tank is only 5mos old. That’s still early and it’s going through the “ugly phase” which can go on for a while. Many tanks don’t stabilize until a year. The best / safest long term way to control algae is to have fish that eat it + cuc crew (but you’ll need a lot, which can often cause issues).

you can read on limiting nutrients but it’s not an easy task (often impossible) without starving the rest of your tank - even then you may end up with cyano, dinos etc.

 

[splitting_lanes]

The refugium is going to change things for the better. Chaeto will reduce the PO4

 

[Albertan22]

When your tank natures algae should be less of an issue. Five months is still pretty young for an algae free tank. In the meantime, get some coral in there to compete for nutrients. Try to find a way to seed coraline algae. Keep your Alk and calcium stable. I always found the tip over point when I didn’t have to worry about algae anymore was when the coraline came in strong and covered up all the bare rock. Algae doesn’t really on coraline that well. The exception is if you let your Alkalinity get out of whack and the coraline starts to die off, the algae will grow on dead coral one like nobody’s business.

 

[Crustaceon]

I think we need to ask what you consider is an algae issue. Many of us with established, coral-filled tanks still have to clean our panels every few days. Secondly, there’s a huge difference between a new tank with some coral frags and one like Sanjay’s. The light intensity and duration are similar but the main difference really is nutrient level and coral density. IMO, new tanks are harder to maintain and keep stable than established ones simply because it’s tougher to keep nutrients low but not too low than it is to keep them higher but not too high. It can also tricky to keep up with food and alk/cal/mg demand for a coral crowded tank, but I feel they are more forgiving as to showing when you need to make a change vs. newer tank that just suddenly rtns everything and leaves you guessing what just happened. As you mentioned, gigantic acro colonies will absorb nutrients like crazy and will outcompete nuisance algae far better than a tank with a few sticks. This is why the “master” tanks often have comically high nitrates and phosphates. Run the same numbers with just a few frags in your system and the tank will end up looking like a refugium. Everyone goes through the balancing act of low nutrients, sometimes for a year and eventually finds an equilibrium with their nutrient level and what corals they’ve added along the way. Stick with it and as long as you aren’t getting hair algae, you’re doing good. In the mean time, This is when you should be watching for coralline algae. If that takes off, you’re definitely on the right track in keeping your nitrates and phosphates where they need to be and algae shouldn’t be much of a problem.

 

[DeniableArc]

G’day mate! Is your p04 0.03 or 0.3 the first is a good range the second is quite high and I would expect to see increased algae in a new tank with that high of p04

 

[pseudorand]

When your tank natures algae should be less of an issue. Five months is still pretty young for an algae free tank. In the meantime, get some coral in there to compete for nutrients. Try to find a way to seed coraline algae.

Oh, I have coraline algae. Some came on the liverock I bought and I sprung for the bottles too. But it hasn't spread tank-wide yet. Some rocks it's there, some it's not.

Alk had dropped to 7.5 with Ca and Mg holding steady at 450 and 1500+. I just finished dosing soda ash and now Alk is up to 9.5. A week later, Ca is down to 390 and Mg fell to 1450.

I may be answering my own question here. If I keep the Alk/Ca/Mg up, will coraline algae spread faster than the corals and out-compete nuisance algae?

 

[pseudorand]

I think we need to ask what you consider is an algae issue. ...as long as you aren’t getting hair algae, you’re doing good.

I started getting hair algae, which is my definition of an algae issue. (No bubble yet, fingers crossed.) Besides, dealing with it early is #2 on the BRS algae to-do list.

I have a lawnmower blenny in QT, but he's got a few more weeks at the all-you-can-eat nori bar before I can put him to work.

Many of us with established, coral-filled tanks still have to clean our panels every few days.

I've got a flipper and I'm down for cleaning the glass. But I can't do that with the rocks.

 

[Albertan22]

Oh, I have coraline algae. Some came on the liverock I bought and I sprung for the bottles too. But it hasn't spread tank-wide yet. Some rocks it's there, some it's not.

Alk had dropped to 7.5 with Ca and Mg holding steady at 450 and 1500+. I just finished dosing soda ash and now Alk is up to 9.5. A week later, Ca is down to 390 and Mg fell to 1450.

I may be answering my own question here. If I keep the Alk/Ca/Mg up, will coraline algae spread faster than the corals and out-compete nuisance algae?

Yes, in a mature, stable tank the coraline algae should out compete the hair algae assuming your nutrients are somewhat in check. That has been my experience anyway.

Once you have balanced your alkalinity and calcium start dosing them in equal amounts using a 2 part system of your choice. There are lots of threads on how to go about doing that stickies in the chemistry forum. You Mag is pretty high so it dropping a bit is t a big deal for now. It will take awhile for everything to find its happy place.

 

[Crustaceon]

I started getting hair algae, which is my definition of an algae issue. (No bubble yet, fingers crossed.) Besides, dealing with it early is #2 on the BRS algae to-do list.

I have a lawnmower blenny in QT, but he's got a few more weeks at the all-you-can-eat nori bar before I can put him to work.



I've got a flipper and I'm down for cleaning the glass. But I can't do that with the rocks.

If i’m seeing hair algae I’d react the same way. How I dealt with my initial hair algae was manual removal where possible with forceps and using a toothbrush on any spot that has/had hair algae on it. When you go the toothbrush route, make sure to swap your filter sock out an hour or two afterwards because it will be nasty. A green sock is what you’re looking for and is confirmation that you just removed a bunch of stored nitrates and phosphates along with some ugly algae. Export is export and when you’ve removed the visible hair algae, you can run a little gfo or phosguard (low dose) to keep the algae from immediately bouncing back. I never depend on livestock to take care of issues like this and it always seems to be the manual human-powered approach that does the job.

 

[Wampatom]

Is nutrient control really the best / only strategy? Is the idea that corals do well with low nitrate/phosphate so long as I maintain Alk/Ca/Mg but nitrate and phosphate will be a limiting factor for algae growth even in high light?

Nitrate and phosphate levels seem to give an incomplete picture of the total environment for algae growth. I have 3 tanks: 75 gal with NO3=50pp, PO4=3ppm (max on test kit); 39 gal with NO3=0ppm, PO4=0.1ppm; and 15 gal with with NO3=0ppm, PO4=0ppm. All parameters are measured with Salifert test kits. Nuisance and macro algae growth seems about the same in all three tanks.

 

[Super Fly]

G’day mate! Is your p04 0.03 or 0.3 the first is a good range the second is quite high and I would expect to see increased algae in a new tank with that high of p04

This... PO4 levels of 0.3-.05 (if correct) r way too high, resulting in algae as soon as light increased. Ur NO3 is good, try to reduce PO4 to under 0.10 (0.03-0.05 is ideal) skimmer and GFO reactor will help.

 

[Salty Lemon]

I've got a flipper and I'm down for cleaning the glass. But I can't do that with the rocks.

I have a heavy-duty toothbrush, a snorkel and mask. Yes, I've submerged myself to get rid of the green stuff off the rocks when it pops up on occasion -- it would make an excellent submission for America's Funniest Home Videos.

 

[Uncle99]

Just the magic part, will come in the next 3-6 months.
Maintain the good water you have. Minimize lighting especially that 5.2.
If there are any controls on “red” channel, turn it way down but not off.
It will pass...