I just cant keep my rocks clean for the life of me

[MohrReefs]

You can see some red cyano here and there too.

 

[MohrReefs]

If you started with dry/dead rock, then it could take a few years before your tank gets over this. This is the cost that nobody tells you about when buying the stuff.

Urchins and snails can eat it back some, but you still need to remove it by hand if you can to help them out.

Don't sweat the N and P in those numbers - even at 10x lower the algae would still have plenty to not be growth limited. You can help by skimming more, but don't cut back on feeding your fish or your corals can suffer with less ammonia/ammonium for them to get their nitrogen and all of the different forms of phosphate (not just the one that you test for).

I started with dry. :/

 

[MohrReefs]

Brb everyone, going to test phos

 

[Ippyroy]

Sounds like an imbalance of NO3 and PO4. In my opinion, GHA is better to deal with than Cyano. Get your PO4 to less than .1 and get you NO3 to less than 10. Remove as much GHA as possible and increase to CUC to at least 30 snails. I would add the snails, then scrub a rock or 2 each day. If at all possible do this outside of the tank in saltwater. The snails will be able to finish cleaning the rocks and keep the GHA in check. Replace the snails as they die.
The goal is to let the tank choose where it wants to be happy when it comes to N and P.

 

[MohrReefs]

Sounds like an imbalance of NO3 and PO4. In my opinion, GHA is better to deal with than Cyano. Get your PO4 to less than .1 and get you NO3 to less than 10. Remove as much GHA as possible and increase to CUC to at least 30 snails. I would add the snails, then scrub a rock or 2 each day. If at all possible do this outside of the tank in saltwater. The snails will be able to finish cleaning the rocks and keep the GHA in check. Replace the snails as they die.
The goal is to let the tank choose where it wants to be happy when it comes to N and P.

Cyano isn't choking my corals and nems out though. I got more cuc on the way and I'll do another deep clean I get the time.

 

[rwreef]

Have you tested the RODI from the LFS?

 

[Dkmoo]

I rinse the hard media every month

This i think is a big factor. Switching the other media out more frequently doesn't change the fact that all that organic waste is routing in the filter for a whole month releasing no3 and po4 thats fueling the algae. Your test probably won't be able to detect high elevated levels bc gha is very efficient are absorbing them.


Your issue now is that you have no real nutrient export - the canister simplly collect waste into 1 location to rot and release into water and the cuc/peroxide just recycled the no3/po4. The only effective rreal export you do now is actually the physical removal of when you clean per week

I would swap the canister out for an algae reactor - similar plumbing and space requirements, a lot better at nutrient control and export IMO

 

[DE FISH]

Have you got a photo under white light ?

 

[1guydude]

It would be worth it imo to pit your coral on a frag rack and get your rock cleaned up. The urchin wont move your coral if ita glued down or secured enough.
D

 

[MohrReefs]

Have you tested the RODI from the LFS?

That I haven't. I have a jug of it, phos test?

 

[MohrReefs]

Have you got a photo under white light ?

Not till tomorrow

 

[MohrReefs]

Tank phos is .08

 

[DE FISH]

The bubbles remind me of dinos I had I thought it was cyano it wasn’t Dino x got rid of it after trying every recommended method first :/

 

[1guydude]

Tds test

 

[MohrReefs]

It would be worth it imo to pit your coral on a frag rack and get your rock cleaned up. The urchin wont move your coral if ita glued down or secured enough.
D

HA tell that to my largest turbo, king of toppling glued corals.

I got a frag rack, I'll do a deep clean Sunday with the wife.

 

[KrisReef]

What fish?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Test the water that you purchase which may very well have elevated levels. Add also a pouch of chemipure elite which will keep nitrate and Phos in check and also add some snails:
Cerith
margarita
astrea
trochus
turbo

and about 6-8 blue leg hermit crabs

 

[MohrReefs]

This i think is a big factor. Switching the other media out more frequently doesn't change the fact that all that organic waste is routing in the filter for a whole month releasing no3 and po4 thats fueling the algae. Your test probably won't be able to detect high elevated levels bc gha is very efficient are absorbing them.


Your issue now is that you have no real nutrient export - the canister simplly collect waste into 1 location to rot and release into water and the cuc/peroxide just recycled the no3/po4. The only effective rreal export you do now is actually the physical removal of when you clean per week

I would swap the canister out for an algae reactor - similar plumbing and space requirements, a lot better at nutrient control and export IMO

Doable with a tempered glass rimmed pentagon tank? Do I need to find a way to get a skimmer and a refugium under the tank?

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

Sounds just like my tank. Every week I pull out a literal cup of gha and dump it out, but it grows back every time. Keep it up and you’ll get it worked out soon enough I’m sure! Have you thought about maybe using an HOB overflow box to add a sump? That’s what I’m currently working on in hopes of fixing mine.

 

[MohrReefs]

What fish?

Diamond goby, Starry blenny, Target Mandarin, 2 clowns, 1 Leopard wrasse and a royal gramma.