Low alk, pulling my hair out

[Radiolotek]

Ok, so, I have a 29g biocube. Topless with a hydra 32 on it. Nero 3 running for water movement. In tank basket in the back with filter floss and bio media in it.
I have been battling a reddish/brown algae/fuzz covering the surface of everything in the tank. I'd say hair algae but super short and whispy like fuzz.
Have a shroom, gsp (almost dead, I know!), hammer and toadstool in the tank. Been there for months with no growth what so ever. Been trying to get my nitrates up for 2 months now and they've finally moved from 0 but I have another issue, alk is way low.
Temp 78.5
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.5
Nitrate 0.29
Phosphate 0.04
Calcium 458
Alkalinity DKH 6.6
I'm at a loss at what to do. I have 2 clowns in the tank that are happy laying eggs every 10 days and hatching fry.
Any suggestions?

 

[PeterC99]

Have you tried dosing 2 part?

 

[Saltyreef]

Are you performing water changes?
If so whats your alk of your fresh mixed salt water?
And what are you using to measure salinity.
If swing arm hydrometer, then thats your issue....

If you are using a calibrated refracto, you really need to look at your salt mix.
Dose a 2 part alk product solo until it comes up to within range.

Your alk isnt THAT low if your mix is a NSW type.

 

[saltybees]

Dose.

 

[14 foot reef]

Ok, so, I have a 29g biocube. Topless with a hydra 32 on it. Nero 3 running for water movement. I tank basket in the back with filter floss and bio media in it.
I have been battling a reddish/brown algae/fuzz covering the surface of everything in the tank. I'd say hair algae but super short and whispy like fuzz.
Have a shroom, gsp (almost dead, I know!), hammer and toadstool in the tank. Been there for months with no growth what so ever. Been trying to get my nitrates up for 2 months now and they've finally moved from 0 but I have another issue, alk is way low.
Temp 78.5
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.5
Nitrate 0.29
Phosphate 0.04
Calcium 458
Alkalinity DKH 6.6
I'm at a loss at what to do. I have 2 clowns in the tank that are happy laying eggs every 10 days and hatching fry.
Any suggestions?

Test kit brands and salinity meter ?

 

[Radiolotek]

Looks so bad . . Sorry, dirty glass and no filter so it looks dark but that's the whispy fuzz.

 

[Radiolotek]

Test kit brands and salinity meter ?

Everything Hanna checkers. Verified with lfs testers.

 

[Radiolotek]

Dose.

What would be to dose? Should I concentrate on the alk then the low nitrates?

 

[Radiolotek]

Have you tried dosing 2 part?

Would I want to dose 2 part with the calcium sitting right?

 

[Radiolotek]

Are you performing water changes?
If so whats your alk of your fresh mixed salt water?
And what are you using to measure salinity.
If swing arm hydrometer, then thats your issue....

If you are using a calibrated refracto, you really need to look at your salt mix.
Dose a 2 part alk product solo until it comes up to within range.

Your alk isnt THAT low if your mix is a NSW type.

Yes on water changes. Every week, 5 gallons. Changes with IO reef crystals. I'll have to test the new water. I haven't done that.
I'm using a Hanna salinity checker.
I'll have to look into dosing. Any suggestions on good stuff?

 

[saltybees]

What would be to dose? Should I concentrate on the alk then the low nitrates?

FOUNDATION ELEMENTS - Red Sea Reef Care Program

FOUNDATION ELEMENTS - Red Sea Reef Care Program - Defines and maintains the correctly balanced levels of Calcium, Alkalinity & Magnesium

www.redseafish.com

Your nitrates are probably low due to the algae using it up, I wouldn’t concentrate on it, just do weekly water changes and feed the fish a couple times a day, use an old tooth brush and scrub the rock while you syphon to catch it.

 

[Cell]

You have low nutrients because all that algae is consuming it. Deal with the algae first. I'd probably just rip clean this tank in a few hours and be done.

 

[Radiolotek]

You have low nutrients because all that algae is consuming it. Deal with the algae first. I'd probably just rip clean this tank in a few hours and be done.

Suggestions for that? The nitrates were reading 0 for a very long time and I have been feeding heavier to get them to register. The algae showed up like 1 month from start up and it has never gone away.

 

[JSchwarz]

That looks similar to something I battled with for a while which I believe was crysophytes. They consumed nitrate/phosphate from feeding really fast and I would always test 0. If I fed more they would just grow faster and out compete everything else. I got rid of them by dosing nitrate and phosphate directly along with manual removal. Eventually coralline took back over and my corals started growing again.

Having low alk will also help algae to outcompete the things you want to grow. I would definitely dose to get it higher.

 

[Radiolotek]

That looks similar to something I battled with for a while which I believe was crysophytes. They consumed nitrate/phosphate from feeding really fast and I would always test 0. If I fed more they would just grow faster and out compete everything else. I got rid of them by dosing nitrate and phosphate directly along with manual removal. Eventually coralline took back over and my corals started growing again.

That sounds right. They showed up and won't go away, got worse when I fed more. Withing the last 3 weeks is when the levels came off of 0. I do have some NeoNitro for nitrates but nothing for phosphates. What should I shoot for in numbers?

 

[Cell]

Did the LFS verify all your testing?

Alk is low. Calcium is high. Ph is low.

I guess dosing Soda ash would be in order. That would boost your Alk and pH. But I'm not confident all those numbers are accurate. Isn't Reef Crystals high alk?

edit - looked up the parameters and I guess RC mixes to around 500ppm Ca+/12dKh

 

[JSchwarz]

That sounds right. They showed up and won't go away, got worse when I fed more. Withing the last 3 weeks is when the levels came off of 0. I do have some NeoNitro for nitrates but nothing for phosphates. What should I shoot for in numbers?

I think anything that gets you an above 0 reading should be good. I raised my nitrates to around 2. Phosphate at .03 is safe.

 

[Radiolotek]

Did the LFS verify all your testing?

Alk is low. Calcium is high. Ph is low.

I guess dosing Soda ash would be in order. That would boost your Alk and pH. But I'm not confident all those numbers are accurate. Isn't Reef Crystals high alk?

edit - looked up the parameters and I guess RC mixes to around 500ppm Ca+/12dKh

They did verify everything. That's why I'm so stumped.

 

[scardall]

Ok, so, I have a 29g biocube. Topless with a hydra 32 on it. Nero 3 running for water movement. In tank basket in the back with filter floss and bio media in it.
I have been battling a reddish/brown algae/fuzz covering the surface of everything in the tank. I'd say hair algae but super short and whispy like fuzz.
Have a shroom, gsp (almost dead, I know!), hammer and toadstool in the tank. Been there for months with no growth what so ever. Been trying to get my nitrates up for 2 months now and they've finally moved from 0 but I have another issue, alk is way low.
Temp 78.5
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.5
Nitrate 0.29
Phosphate 0.04
Calcium 458
Alkalinity DKH 6.6
I'm at a loss at what to do. I have 2 clowns in the tank that are happy laying eggs every 10 days and hatching fry.
Any suggestions?

Check your magnesium. Should be 1400ppm. You may need to monitor alk. Daily to see how much your are adding Dailey to get 8dkh on the average. I use Hanna tester. I used bulk reef supply calculator to know how much soda ash in liquid form to add. Good Luckelement calculator

 

[Radiolotek]

Check your magnesium. Should be 1400ppm. You may need to monitor alk. Daily to see how much your are adding Dailey to get 8dkh on the average. I use Hanna tester. I used bulk reef supply calculator to know how much soda ash in liquid form to add. Good Luck

I do not have a mag tester. I'll have the lfs test it tomorrow. Thanks.