I’ve been dealing with bubble algae for awhile now trying to go manual removal and natural predators to get rid of it. In the mean time my nutrients are testing low NO3 has been at zero and PO4 has been around .04-.01. I’ve added a little of both from a bottle here and there and have done some increased feedings but I know I have nutrients in the tank it’s just being consumed by corals and algae. I have reinforcement coming from reef cleaners for my cleanup crew tomorrow but anyway just wondering how you go about keeping good readings of nutrient in the tank and not overfeed and end up with a nutrient bomb or opening the door for some other type of algae like GHA but also don’t want things to bottom out and possibly get Dino’s
"False nutrient tests" is a funny idea the hobby has cooked up.
That idea is false.
The readings are accurate though unless you're doing the test wrong or the kit is expired.
Hopefully you aren't adding too many cleaners at once......that tends to be the case so shipping is worth it.
High nutrients don't cause algae blooms.
Algae isn't kept at bay by keeping nutrients at zero.
Most of the conventional wisdom on the topic is just wrong.
Pest algae are just excellent competitors....their spores are easily airborne, so they are as omnipresent as just about anything. They compete for space by easily settling those spores and they sprout and survive easily.
Keeping nutrients elevated to a minimum availability level will allow less aggressive cometitors a chance to move into the tanks spaces as well.
Removing pest algae manually is the best solution for it – that's how it's done in the wild. You're the main member of the cleanup crew that's responsible for this. Algae eating snails are your henchmen – they are the ones you want cleaning up those spores and sprouts on a moment to moment basis. You just need enough that they are able to cover the surface area of your tank 24/7. (Not so many that they cause each other to starve to death tho.)
Algae is natural on a reef – eradication should not be the plan. It just shouldn't dominate.
