Extremely fast algae growth in glass…for no reason?

[Ironfish]

An update: I managed to crash my nutrients down to near undetectable due to me not realizing that my auto feeder had run empty (normally feed 4 times a day with a very healthy amount of pellets and flakes).
This basically coincided with my last post here.
I’ve had a bit of cyano in a couple of low flow spots and that just exploded over night. I remembered that I had a couple of bottles of chemiclean that I imported ages ago (not available in Europe) and never used as the problem solved itself with a lot of elbow grease.
However, life is very busy at the moment and I probably wouldn’t have the time to do it the “right way” and figured I’d give chemiclean a shot.
The cyano went away but lo and behold: during the treatment and about a week afterwards I basically had no growth on the glass. A section that I missed with the scraper also turned completely white.

However, another week passed and now the film on the glass is back and grows as quickly as it did before.

What gives?! This would point to the issue being bacterial but it looks just like the same regular film algae I’ve seen for over two decades. It also comes of in mats if I leave it alone for a while (like in the back wall) just like regular algae does.
And still, regardless if it’s bacteria or algae 110w of uv and 200mg/h of ozone should fry it lol.

Like I wrote before, it’s not really a huge issue. What bothers me is that I can’t figure out what’s going on.

Hahaha!
Such a coincidence!

I got a cyano episode in some spots on the substrate two weeks ago and used chemiclean as well bc I didn't have enough time to deal with it mechanically.
I only did a 48 hrs treatment and then a big water change.

I'd say my algae? film on the glass is still the same. Every other day requires some magnet or scraper.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

I thought I’d revisit this topic as the issue still persist I and can’t figure it out…any you’re gonna help me darn it! Haha

Well, as previously stated the glass gets covered in a brown/green dusting in no time flat. Like I’m talking I scrape the glass and I can clearly see a film appearing in about an hour later. The sand has also started to get dirty looking fairly rapidly.

Latest ICP test: https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/119025

Now, I’ve been trying to see if reducing my silicates below normal values would result in some sort of an improvement but that didn’t do jack. I used GFO to bind those suckers and they did come down but no visible impact on algae growth. All that did was reduce my po4 below the 0.04 mark where I like to keep it.

No3 sits at about 5-7 with a daily dosage of 20ml potassium nitrate.

Based on these points I’m still hard pressed to think that it’s a nutrient / silicate issue…unless the algae is taking up these substances so quickly that the effective values are a lot higher than measured.

One theory a friend of mine brought up was that I could be high in organics in the water column that wasn’t picked up by my no3/po4 tests…I’ve been doing weekly coral snow treatments for years which should prevent that to some extent.
I do feed very heavily so there might be some credence to this theory. However, my coral colors are saying something different unless they can’t take up these magic nutrients whilst the algae can.

Anyways, I tend to scrape down the back panels every week but I left the side panel alone for about three weeks not to see what would happen and here’s the result:

Thoughts lol?

 

[JAMSOURY]

I thought I’d revisit this topic as the issue still persist I and can’t figure it out…any you’re gonna help me darn it! Haha

Well, as previously stated the glass gets covered in a brown/green dusting in no time flat. Like I’m talking I scrape the glass and I can clearly see a film appearing in about an hour later. The sand has also started to get dirty looking fairly rapidly.

Latest ICP test: https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/119025

Now, I’ve been trying to see if reducing my silicates below normal values would result in some sort of an improvement but that didn’t do jack. I used GFO to bind those suckers and they did come down but no visible impact on algae growth. All that did was reduce my po4 below the 0.04 mark where I like to keep it.

No3 sits at about 5-7 with a daily dosage of 20ml potassium nitrate.

Based on these points I’m still hard pressed to think that it’s a nutrient / silicate issue…unless the algae is taking up these substances so quickly that the effective values are a lot higher than measured.

One theory a friend of mine brought up was that I could be high in organics in the water column that wasn’t picked up by my no3/po4 tests…I’ve been doing weekly coral snow treatments for years which should prevent that to some extent.
I do feed very heavily so there might be some credence to this theory. However, my coral colors are saying something different unless they can’t take up these magic nutrients whilst the algae can.

Anyways, I tend to scrape down the back panels every week but I left the side panel alone for about three weeks not to see what would happen and here’s the result:

Thoughts lol?

Could be your feeding heavily (not a bad thing) but the algae could be sucking it up to keep the levels low (also good nutrient export). It can be a pain but it’s keeping your tank at good levels. In my experience the algae scrubber helped a good amount because it sucked up the nutrients and grew algae there, rather than mostly on the glass that it used to. Every tank is different though, so might take some trial and error. Overall algae growth will probably never fully go away but it’s way less cleaning than I have had in the past

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Could be your feeding heavily (not a bad thing) but the algae could be sucking it up to keep the levels low (also good nutrient export). It can be a pain but it’s keeping your tank at good levels. In my experience the algae scrubber helped a good amount because it sucked up the nutrients and grew algae there, rather than mostly on the glass that it used to. Every tank is different though, so might take some trial and error. Overall algae growth will probably never fully go away but it’s way less cleaning than I have had in the past

Indeed. What’s funny is that I’ve always been a heavy feeder and I’ve never encountered this issue in over two decades. I do have extremely effective export between automatic water changes, filter roller, bubble king skimmer, fuge and zeolites. If I run everything at full boar I can bring my nutrient levels down to zero in a heartbeat.

Regardless a 110w uv and 200mh/h ozone unit should, and have in the past, just nuke all the algae I scrape of…but it obviously doesn’t do that now.

 

[Garf]

In my experience the algae scrubber helped a good amount because it sucked up the nutrients and grew algae there, rather than mostly on the glas

Lots of us encountered this with algae scrubbers. I can tell you that in my case it definitely was not due to low nutrient levels or some magic selective growing box, and was most likely some undescribed allelopathic compound or photosynthetic byproduct.

Edit - I would add that sugars released by scrubbers could promote a thin bacterial film to coat all surfaces, therefore inhibiting algal attachment, at least in my mind.

 

[jackson6745]

I remember getting a green film like this in the past regardless of my low nutrient readings if I went a long time without a water change or got lazy on mechanical filtration. There must be some kind of spores that consume and bind nutrient in the water column. I’m surprised that the ozone and uv didn’t wipe it out. Maybe it’s just growing too fast for it to keep up with.

Without bottoming out phosphates by whatever dosing means possible, I would do a large physical water change (not daily increments), increase flow through UV, and run more mechanical filtration if possible. Those 2” thick polyp pad types are great floor removing water particulates. The idea behind this is to manually remove as much of this waterborne growth as possible to keep its growth under control.

Love the channel btw. Great content!

 

[JAMSOURY]

I also noticed quick build up when I feed benepets. Maybe it sticks to the glass and allows algae to grow on it?

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Lots of us encountered this with algae scrubbers. I can tell you that in my case it definitely was not due to low nutrient levels or some magic selective growing box, and was most likely some undescribed allelopathic compound or photosynthetic byproduct.

Edit - I would add that sugars released by scrubbers could promote a thin bacterial film to coat all surfaces, therefore inhibiting algal attachment, at least in my mind.

Interesting. It stands to reason that a scrubber grows different algae and they might be better at outcompeting these things rather than just lower nutrients like a fuge does.
Gonna look in to getting one.

I remember getting a green film like this in the past regardless of my low nutrient readings if I went a long time without a water change or got lazy on mechanical filtration. There must be some kind of spores that consume and bind nutrient in the water column. I’m surprised that the ozone and uv didn’t wipe it out. Maybe it’s just growing too fast for it to keep up with.

Without bottoming out phosphates by whatever dosing means possible, I would do a large physical water change (not daily increments), increase flow through UV, and run more mechanical filtration if possible. Those 2” thick polyp pad types are great floor removing water particulates. The idea behind this is to manually remove as much of this waterborne growth as possible to keep its growth under control.

Love the channel btw. Great content!

I have tried doing major water changes in the past with little to nog effect. Did a 500L wc a while ago…that was not fun haha.

I do like the idea of running some really thick pads to scrub the water. Will definitely give that one a go.
And thanks! Glad you like it bud

 

[exnisstech]

I have a tank that runs PO4 0.3 NO3 30 another PO4 0.1 NO3 10 and another I have to dose nitrates and phosphates. All 3 need glass cleaned at least every other day. I've just come to accept it as normal.

 

[TCK Corals]

Hi there! I’m actually kind of stumped when it comes to this situation and it’s something I’ve never dealt with in over two decades of reefing. Since transferring over to this system (almost two years ago) I’ve, for the most part, been dealing with very fast algae growth on the glass. Now, it’s not a major issue as it’s easily solved by scraping the glass but it’s not exactly fun maintenance. This is what the glass looks after about two days:

Now, you’re probably thinking that this guy just needs to get his nutrients in check but believe me, I’ve tried that. I generally run my systems at about No3: 5-10 and Po4: 0.04 - 0.07. I’ve also tried driving the nutrients down to zero (both on accident and by purpose) to the point where corals have started showing severe stress without it making any difference. I’ve also tried running my levels higher if, for some strange reason, HIGHER nutrients would help. Nothing.

My ICP tests generally come back without nothing major out of whack, perhaps some low traces from time to time and one time bromine was fairly high which I chalk up to a testing error. No high silicates or anything like that.

Other information is that I run both a 110w UV and a 200mg/h ozone unit (controlled by my profilux) that draws in to my bubble king supermarin 250. These factors should also help to reduce film algae growth as when it’s scraped off and goes in to the water column it should be nuked by the UV/ozone. I’ve also tried turning both off to see if I might be keeping the water a bit TO clean and that had a negative effect for some reason…still nope!

Next up was lighting but since I run two different tank on the same system with vastly different lighting setups and spectrums but that ain’t it.
Oh and I’m not feeding any live phyto or anything like that.

Under similar conditions in the past I'm used to maybe scraping the glass once a week just because…but could probably have stretched it to two.

So…I don’t get it is there something obvious I’m to stupid to see?

As stated in the thread, usually a sign of a healthy system.

That said, is it possible to reduce any light bouncing off that front panel? Could be a sign of an over illuminated pane

 

[Viking_Reefing]

As stated in the thread, usually a sign of a healthy system.

That said, is it possible to reduce any light bouncing off that front panel? Could be a sign of an over illuminated pane

Well, I don’t fully agree as in over two decades the current situation is something I’ve never encountered before and it’s also something that has suddenly occurred in a tank that didn’t have this issue before with me using all the same stuff and doing the same things.

Hey, I remembered that I have a microscope at home. This is from a sample taken of the pane I left alone for a month. To my eyes it kind of looks like chrysophytes but I would be happy with some input

 

[Create New]

Well, I don’t fully agree as in over two decades the current situation is something I’ve never encountered before and it’s also something that has suddenly occurred in a tank that didn’t have this issue before with me using all the same stuff and doing the same things.

Hey, I remembered that I have a microscope at home. This is from a sample taken of the pane I left alone for a month. To my eyes it kind of looks like chrysophytes but I would be happy with some input

I don't see an image? also if you don't believe it's diatoms then way are you trying to reduce silicates instead of increasing them? It might not be the right answer for this case but when I had cyano and dinos I dosed silica and it seemed to work for me. Maybe the diatoms could outcompete this film algae?

 

[Viking_Reefing]

I don't see an image? also if you don't believe it's diatoms then way are you trying to reduce silicates instead of increasing them? It might not be the right answer for this case but when I had cyano and dinos I dosed silica and it seemed to work for me. Maybe the diatoms could outcompete this film algae?

Apparently they didn’t attach. I didn’t believe it’s diatoms now after reducing the Si. However, on the pictures I do see something that could be diatoms as well as chrysophytes. Both should respond well to lowering of Si

 

[TCK Corals]

Well, I don’t fully agree as in over two decades the current situation is something I’ve never encountered before and it’s also something that has suddenly occurred in a tank that didn’t have this issue before with me using all the same stuff and doing the same things.

Hey, I remembered that I have a microscope at home. This is from a sample taken of the pane I left alone for a month. To my eyes it kind of looks like chrysophytes but I would be happy with some input

By healthy, I was referring to the early film in post #1. The snail trails indicate they do eat it.

The stuff in post #42 and these microscope photos seem to be something else entirely, and the result of a system imbalance. When the glass is scraped, it's a clean slate for whatever is dominant and free floating around to re-establish itself clear of any competitors. I didn't catch it in the thread, but are you exporting this stuff out of the system? The pane you left alone could also at this point be seeding the other panes.

There does appear to be a few Dinos in the mix also.