Help with algae and cloudiness!

[powpow87]

Hi there, my tank is about 4 months old now and I have a bad algae problems! Mostly hair algae at this stage

think I was over feeding in the early stages but have scaled that right down to a small amount every other day, fish (2x clownfish seem happy) , nitrates and phosphates are low according to recent tests? Still not great at reading the salifert test but confident my nitrate and phosphate is not too high

Can anyone offer my any advice?

 

[Fish Fan]

In my opinion, your nitrate and phosphate are too low. Keeping very low to zero nitrate and or phosphate can invite dinoflagellate algae, which is what I think is growing on your sand, and also on your rocks. You may have some hair algae too, but that's easier to deal with (clean up critters can take that down, for example). I would be looking to raise your nitrate and phosphate. I suggest following the guidelines from Randy Holmes-Farley on nutrient levels found here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/
From the above link:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

I hope that helps and good luck!

 

[BryanM]

+1 here.

You can also ping reefcleaners.org for a custom cleanup crew based on the algae you have now.

 

[powpow87]

Amazing guys thanks! Fish will be pleased I can up the feeding!

 

[Fish Fan]

Amazing guys thanks! Fish will be pleased I can up the feeding!

Yeah, don't stave the fish to try to keep nutrients down, look for other ways to export excess nitrate and phosphate like through water changes or an algae turf scrubber, etc. Your fish will appreciate it

 

[Lavey29]

GHA jungle is normal in a 4 month tank. Get your hands wet daily.

 

[MC Blowfish]

A good clean-up crew will help with the algae. I use a toothbrush to loosen the algae before I suction it up. That will help the clean up crew mop up some of the hair algae.

 

[Fishy888]

In my opinion, your nitrate and phosphate are too low. Keeping very low to zero nitrate and or phosphate can invite dinoflagellate algae, which is what I think is growing on your sand, and also on your rocks. You may have some hair algae too, but that's easier to deal with (clean up critters can take that down, for example). I would be looking to raise your nitrate and phosphate. I suggest following the guidelines from Randy Holmes-Farley on nutrient levels found here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/
From the above link:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

I hope that helps and good luck!

I do see some green in these images so I don’t think it’s dinos… YET. With numbers this low however it’s a matter of when, not if, if these numbers don’t come up a bit.

The advice @Fish Fan gave you is very good advice! GHA at this stage in your system’s life is a good thing. Pods live and breed in it, and various snails and fish will eat it. Many invertebrates will also eat it. Plus it outcompetes dinos for space and nutrients. Of course you don’t want it to be totally out of control but you can always remove it manually if need be. There are more advantages than disadvantages to having it at this stage in your reef’s development.

 

[powpow87]

I’ve got 2x hermits, a cleaner shrimp, and 3 turbo snails currently…been religious with water change every Saturday, glad to hear it’s normal ish at this stage, noted re upping the nitrates/phosphates!

 

[Fish Fan]

I do see some green in these images so I don’t think it’s dinos… YET. With numbers this low however it’s a matter of when, not if, if these numbers don’t come up a bit.

I believe the OP has both hair and dinos. It looks to me like dinos on the sand, I don't typically get dinos on the sand bed. I'd address the low nitrate and phosphate before worrying too much about the hair algae, which is an easier organism to deal with

 

[Fishy888]

I believe the OP has both hair and dinos. It looks to me like dinos on the sand, I don't typically get dinos on the sand bed. I'd address the low nitrate and phosphate before worrying too much about the hair algae, which is an easier organism to deal with

I agree, I’d definitely worry about getting those nutrients higher.

 

[Fish Fan]

Zooming more closely in to the pics, I can now clearly see quite a bit of hair algae on the rocks in the foreground, but I still see what looks to me to be dinos on the sand bed, and I think on the rock in the background

 

[Fish Fan]

I agree, I’d definitely worry about getting those nutrients higher.

I do now see a lot the hair algae myself

 

[THE REEF WHISPER]

I agree very low nutrients my are at 0 phosphate too very very bad u should add some nerifying bacteria like Tim's Evo bacteria should help get this one that's what I do and I can because your tank is so new 4 months so can still be ugly stage

 

[THE REEF WHISPER]

It's hair algae without a doubt

 

[powpow87]

Hi There, back again! Been feeding more than ever for the past week, gone from half a cube of mysis every other day to a whole one every day, nitrates still at 0, tank is now very cloudy and green! Don’t know where to go from here! Anymore help is greatly appreciated!

Order a small in tank UV in filter as I’m scared the fish will die soon if I don’t get it under control! Is that a good idea?

Do I need to start dosing nitrates as feeding more doesn’t seem to be having an impact!

Is having the skimmer on stripping out all the nitrates and I don’t have enough biological load to justify it?

Many thanks for your help!

 

[Fishy888]

Hi There, back again! Been feeding more than ever for the past week, gone from half a cube of mysis every other day to a whole one every day, nitrates still at 0, tank is now very cloudy and green! Don’t know where to go from here! Anymore help is greatly appreciated!

Order a small in tank UV in filter as I’m scared the fish will die soon if I don’t get it under control! Is that a good idea?

Do I need to start dosing nitrates as feeding more doesn’t seem to be having an impact!

Is having the skimmer on stripping out all the nitrates and I don’t have enough biological load to justify it?

Many thanks for your help!

It looks like a phytoplankton bloom. It’s likely your nitrates and phosphates have actually come up enough to trigger the bloom. Unfortunately, your test kits are reading zero because of how fast the algae take up the nutrients.

Do you have a UV sterilizer? If so I’d run it. It may take a couple of days to perhaps a week but the phytoplankton bloom will die off.

If you don’t have one, I’d get one or borrow one ASAP because that’s the best way to get rid of it. Water changes will only make it look like you’ve beaten the phyto but it’ll just come right back. You really need a UV sterilizer for this.

The good news is that it’ll be far easier to deal with than dinoflagellates.

 

[powpow87]

Thank you v much, ordered a uv filter today and will arrive tomorrow! Thanks for your help :)

 

[G&B Reefing]

Add an airstone if you have one. Make sure you keep the water oxygenated.

 

[Louis Z]

You can always do tank lights out . Algae whether it’s plankton or hair algae needs light to grow . Take away the light and you will see it diminish . Fish will be fine with ambient light . You can move the Green Star polyp to a Qt tank with light . . Or you can try hydrogen peroxide spray on the worst covered rocks when removed temporarily from the system and then reintroduced after a scrubbing .