Hair algae and the rest

[theuksnoobreefer]

Hi everyone!

Wondering if anyone can help, as I'm ready to give up and break down my tank ha.

I've had a Fluval Evo 13.5 up and running since May, and recently I've been experiencing very green rocks, hair algae and brownish sand.

My params seem to be okay when I test, but I'm unsure if it's a false reading due to the algae?

Salinity - 1.025
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite -0
Nitrate - 10 (my GSP seems to like higher nitrate more)
Phos - 0.03

Livestock is
- Flametail blenny
- 6 line wrasse
- Tuxedo urchin
- Strawberry conch
- Emerald crab
- 1 mexican turbo
- 6 nassarius snails
- 2 trochus snails
- 1 Astraea snail

I feed every other day too.

I've also noticed that all 3 of my chambers are caked in pineapple sponges, I'm talking hundreds in each one.

I make my own RODI and my TDS is always at zero. Could high silicates in RODI water cause algae? I've read they can cause pineapple sponges to appear?

I'm close to breaking point with this tank, I don't want to give up yet due to the sheer amount of £££ I have put into it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

what is your tank maintenance like, how often do you do water changes? That you have hundreds of pineapple sponges tells me that your water has a high level of dom and pom (dissolved and particulate organic matter). What is the flow like, do you have anything besides the return pump for water circulation? I never agree with feeding less to control algae or nutrients, the filtration system should be able to handle the bioload and the feeding, if not, then you are overstocked or under-filtered. Do you have media like sponges and ceramic rings in your chambers? These can become detritus traps. If you can share a bit more info on your maintenance schedule and your filtration system it will help, pictures help too so we can see the system. Thank you.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Photos of your tank would help out!

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

what is your tank maintenance like, how often do you do water changes? That you have hundreds of pineapple sponges tells me that your water has a high level of dom and pom (dissolved and particulate organic matter). What is the flow like, do you have anything besides the return pump for water circulation? I never agree with feeding less to control algae or nutrients, the filtration system should be able to handle the bioload and the feeding, if not, then you are overstocked or under-filtered. Do you have media like sponges and ceramic rings in your chambers? These can become detritus traps. If you can share a bit more info on your maintenance schedule and your filtration system it will help, pictures help too so we can see the system. Thank you.

Hey!

I have a TMC compact 500 and a wave maker in my tank. Filtration is filter floss > carbon > seachem matrix. In my first chamber right at the bottom there’s a gigantic pineapple sponge. I’m talking huge!

Maintenance wise I do a 10% change pretty much every weekend, using Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt.

Super frustrating.

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

Photos of your tank would help out!

I will attach some shortly

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

I've attached photos. I never run any whites, I turned them on purely to take these.

This is first thing in the morning, it doesn't look too bad, but as time goes on throughout the day the tank becomes a mess.

First pic, lower right, you can see the hugeeeee sponge.

 

[mcarroll]

Nitrate - 10 (my GSP seems to like higher nitrate more)
Phos - 0.03

On the low side for P.

- Tuxedo urchin
- Strawberry conch
- Emerald crab
- 1 mexican turbo
- 6 nassarius snails
- 2 trochus snails
- 1 Astraea snail

Oddball cleanup crew...lots of scavengers. Need a much higher ratio of algae eaters to scavengers....I'd even trade most of your nassarius for an equal number of (eg) astreas.

I also dunno about urchins in such new tanks....they aren't your run of the mill CUC since they go "down to the pavement" every pass they make. As neat as they are, personally I'd be tempted to trade the oddballs out for more astreas/turbos.

I feed every other day too.

What and how much do you feed?

I've also noticed that all 3 of my chambers are caked in pineapple sponges, I'm talking hundreds in each one.

Free filtration! Also a sign you might be broadcast feeding?

Filtration is filter floss > carbon > seachem matrix.

All optional – your live rock and corals should handle most of that.

No protein skimmer? Maybe consider adding one for the aeration and the fact that it's a great supplement to live rock.

EDIT: I see you have very little live rock. This makes it hard on you and the fish that depend on the rock for living space.

Could be you need the supplemental bio-media....but I'd suggest adding more live rock to the display instead.

In my first chamber right at the bottom there’s a gigantic pineapple sponge. I’m talking huge!

They shouldn't get much bigger than a pencil eraser. Pic?


So far, newness of tank and lack of CUC are the only things that stand out.

Doesn't seem like a whole lot of algae in the photos.

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

On the low side for P.

What would you suggest?

I'd suggest adding more live rock to the display instead.

I was told I had enough rock! Seems to be plenty in the facebook group for this tank running similar if not less.

They shouldn't get much bigger than a pencil eraser. Pic?

Look at the first picture I attached, of my chambers. In the lower right you can see it. It's hard to get a picture due to the honeycomb effect on the outside of the tank, but it's god dang big. I'm not 100% it's a pineapple, but it certainly looks like a type of sponge.

Doesn't seem like a whole lot of algae in the photos.

As time goes on throughout the day, it gets horrendous. Sand goes really dark!

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

What and how much do you feed?

Forgot to reply to this, but usually 1/4 - 1/2 a frozen mysis cube every other day. Turn the pumps off and feed gradually ensuring its all eaten.

 

[mcarroll]

What would you suggest?

IMO...

≥ 0.10 ppm for PO4 and ≥ 5 ppm NO3.

I was told I had enough rock! Seems to be plenty in the facebook group for this tank running similar if not less.

Sometimes "what is fashionable" passes for "what is good" so maybe that's happening? "Minimalist" tanks are apparently "in".

Functionally, having the tank visually about 1/3 full usually works out. Often this works out to about 1 pound of rock per gallon.

When it's about fish living spaces, then it goes beyond just function for (de)nitrification. You also need to assure the rock structure is very open with swim-throughs and caves as much as possible.

Look at the first picture I attached, of my chambers. In the lower right you can see it. It's hard to get a picture due to the honeycomb effect on the outside of the tank, but it's god dang big. I'm not 100% it's a pineapple, but it certainly looks like a type of sponge.

Not a pineapple, but def a sponge like you said. Healthy tank!!!! Very reefy!!

As time goes on throughout the day, it gets horrendous. Sand goes really dark!

Sounds like cyanobacteria, but try to get a sample next time growth is heavy.

If you have a microscope get some photos and post. (Get a scope if you don't have one – too many cool things to look at! Anything from a cheap toy microscope on up will work.)

A test you can do without a scope is to shake the sample enough to completely obliterate the algae clumps, then let the sample sit under your lights or in the sun for a while and notice whether any of it forms back into a mass or clumps. Dino's will do that. If nothing moves, it's probably cyano, but maybe a blend of things. Scope will help.

I think eliminating the filter floss is an easy win....unless you change it all the time, it's going to be a perpetual source of organics/nutrients.

Consider if there's a way to add a protein skimmer.

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

IMO...

≥ 0.10 ppm for PO4 and ≥ 5 ppm NO3.


Sometimes "what is fashionable" passes for "what is good" so maybe that's happening? "Minimalist" tanks are apparently "in".

Functionally, having the tank visually about 1/3 full usually works out. Often this works out to about 1 pound of rock per gallon.

When it's about fish living spaces, then it goes beyond just function for (de)nitrification. You also need to assure the rock structure is very open with swim-throughs and caves as much as possible.


Not a pineapple, but def a sponge like you said. Healthy tank!!!! Very reefy!!


Sounds like cyanobacteria, but try to get a sample next time growth is heavy.

If you have a microscope get some photos and post. (Get a scope if you don't have one – too many cool things to look at! Anything from a cheap toy microscope on up will work.)

A test you can do without a scope is to shake the sample enough to completely obliterate the algae clumps, then let the sample sit under your lights or in the sun for a while and notice whether any of it forms back into a mass or clumps. Dino's will do that. If nothing moves, it's probably cyano, but maybe a blend of things. Scope will help.

I think eliminating the filter floss is an easy win....unless you change it all the time, it's going to be a perpetual source of organics/nutrients.

Consider if there's a way to add a protein skimmer.

I've come to the conclusion its cyano + hair algae. I think its the end of the road for me!

Just gone downstairs, all of the sand is purple/red, and in areas its quite thick and moving with the water.

Had nothing but trouble with this tank! eurgh

 

[mcarroll]

I could be mistaken, but is the tank currently without coral – nothing photosynthetic (that you want) in the tank?

Another avenue is to find a new home for your algae eaters and do a long term blackout for a month or two.

Other beneficial microfauna will have a chance to become established without the persistent hair and cyano interfering.

Won't bother the fish or other inverts you might have.

(Starting dark is a legitimate strategy, most folks just don't like a dark tank for that long so it isn't popular.)

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

I could be mistaken, but is the tank currently without coral – nothing photosynthetic (that you want) in the tank?

Another avenue is to find a new home for your algae eaters and do a long term blackout for a month or two.

Other beneficial microfauna will have a chance to become established without the persistent hair and cyano interfering.

Won't bother the fish or other inverts you might have.

(Starting dark is a legitimate strategy, most folks just don't like a dark tank for that long so it isn't popular.)

I have a zoa, mushroom and GSP frag.

I did a 3 day blackout of the weekend, and it's gone clear again, bits of hair algae still there (attached to rubble on my urchin).

No idea what the next steps are.

 

[theuksnoobreefer]

I could be mistaken, but is the tank currently without coral – nothing photosynthetic (that you want) in the tank?

Another avenue is to find a new home for your algae eaters and do a long term blackout for a month or two.

Other beneficial microfauna will have a chance to become established without the persistent hair and cyano interfering.

Won't bother the fish or other inverts you might have.

(Starting dark is a legitimate strategy, most folks just don't like a dark tank for that long so it isn't popular.)

I have a zoa, mushroom and GSP frag.

I did a 3 day blackout of the weekend, and it's gone clear again, bits of hair algae still there (attached to rubble on my urchin).

No idea what the next steps are.

 

[mcarroll]

In that case, you'd also have to re-home the corals (as well as the algae eaters) before starting.

It'll have to be dark a month or two IMO.

This is the easy and inexpensive way, but also pretty much a sure thing....just time consuming.

Keeping the lights on means the battle continues....which can be OK, but you have to decide if you're still "in it to win it" or if you need a longer break like the blackout would give you.

Keeping the lights on will mean continuing to get the right balance of cleanup crew, continuing manual removal of all pest algae, etc.

You will succeed, but there could be a fair amount of "elbow grease" involved before you're done.

 

[Savage Henry]

My tank went through this stage. I also get very nervous about it and worried if it was all worth it.

I used an old toothbrush to manually clear the hair algae.

I also used Chaeto in my sump.

It cleared over time.

Best thing you can do is let it run its course and not worry about it. Your fish and other livestock probably love it.

 

[v!kas]

yes high silicates will cause algae and pineapple sponges to appear, its not just from water, sand and rock leech silica too, especially new tanks, scoop out as much as you can and evetually tank will settle