Advice appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to read.
Tank: 2 mo old 13.5g, running floss on intank, 2x chemipure blue nano packets, live rubble, and 9w green monster UV in the AIO sump
Water: LFS made Red Sea Coral Pro
Sg: 1.026, minimal variation by no more than 0.001
Ammonium: 0.25 and holding for >mo (API)
Nitrites: 0 not budging (API)
Nitrates: 5-10ppm with some variation below 5, but not above 10 (API)
Phos: I don't have a test
Ca: 440-450 (Salifert)
Mg: 1330 currently, varying 1260-1330 depending on water change (Salifert)
Alk: 10.9 [10.7-11.5] (Salifert)
Temp: 77-78
Note: I'm new to Salifert, so some measurements may be slightly off. API seems like a guessing game at all times.
Full whites:
1. Brown algae: diatoms I think, but unconfirmed--microscope not coming till Xmas, no sooner. Originally had them about a month ago and installed UV 24/7 in DT, now in the AIO sump 4hr per night. Seem to be showing up more now that I am feeding new corals and likely overfeeding. Was giving gsp reef roids every few days, now once a week for gsp, acan lords and alveopora. Should I move UV back to DT? Scale back on feedings (2x per day clowns/fire shrimp getting mysis or pellets or flake)? More/less water changes (1-2x per week ~20%)? Wait it out?
I just got a vacuum siphon and pulled up a lot of it (along with a month of detritus). Came right back next day. Continue doing this or stop? Water seems much dirtier recently with bits floating all around in the flow.
2. Corals. (a) Duncan, seems fine. Feeding mysis every other day and seems happy, unaffected by the algae. (b) alveopora, just started closing up more, looking a bit drab. I don't know if the algae or the water parameters/dirtiness is bothering it. I don't think it would be too much PAR bc I'm guessing its getting below 30 where it is. (c) gsp, not so good. Couple of days closed up, and not opened since wc/vacuuming. About 2 weeks ago had some GHA growing which came with the frag. Took it out and did a 1:1 h2o2 bath (1.5% final) and day later was out and happy. Today all closed and had some red/brown dusting over it (same as brown algae?) And some more GHA, so out again with the h2o2 bath, lots of bubbles--looks cleaner but all closed up. Is this the right thing to do? (d) Acan lords, I have no idea how they are doing or what to look for, but they don't look too bad to my untrained eye.
3. Flow: may be my mind tricking me, but seems like return flow is lower than normal (210gph cheapish from Amazon). Has been running for ~6wk. Should it be taken apart and cleaned? I also feel like the intake isn't pulling in as much as before because all the detritus is swirling round and round and not going into the intake to the floss. How often must these pumps be cleaned? Would a change in flow through filtration cause the algae bloom?
Thanks!
Tank: 2 mo old 13.5g, running floss on intank, 2x chemipure blue nano packets, live rubble, and 9w green monster UV in the AIO sump
Water: LFS made Red Sea Coral Pro
Sg: 1.026, minimal variation by no more than 0.001
Ammonium: 0.25 and holding for >mo (API)
Nitrites: 0 not budging (API)
Nitrates: 5-10ppm with some variation below 5, but not above 10 (API)
Phos: I don't have a test
Ca: 440-450 (Salifert)
Mg: 1330 currently, varying 1260-1330 depending on water change (Salifert)
Alk: 10.9 [10.7-11.5] (Salifert)
Temp: 77-78
Note: I'm new to Salifert, so some measurements may be slightly off. API seems like a guessing game at all times.
Full whites:
1. Brown algae: diatoms I think, but unconfirmed--microscope not coming till Xmas, no sooner. Originally had them about a month ago and installed UV 24/7 in DT, now in the AIO sump 4hr per night. Seem to be showing up more now that I am feeding new corals and likely overfeeding. Was giving gsp reef roids every few days, now once a week for gsp, acan lords and alveopora. Should I move UV back to DT? Scale back on feedings (2x per day clowns/fire shrimp getting mysis or pellets or flake)? More/less water changes (1-2x per week ~20%)? Wait it out?
I just got a vacuum siphon and pulled up a lot of it (along with a month of detritus). Came right back next day. Continue doing this or stop? Water seems much dirtier recently with bits floating all around in the flow.
2. Corals. (a) Duncan, seems fine. Feeding mysis every other day and seems happy, unaffected by the algae. (b) alveopora, just started closing up more, looking a bit drab. I don't know if the algae or the water parameters/dirtiness is bothering it. I don't think it would be too much PAR bc I'm guessing its getting below 30 where it is. (c) gsp, not so good. Couple of days closed up, and not opened since wc/vacuuming. About 2 weeks ago had some GHA growing which came with the frag. Took it out and did a 1:1 h2o2 bath (1.5% final) and day later was out and happy. Today all closed and had some red/brown dusting over it (same as brown algae?) And some more GHA, so out again with the h2o2 bath, lots of bubbles--looks cleaner but all closed up. Is this the right thing to do? (d) Acan lords, I have no idea how they are doing or what to look for, but they don't look too bad to my untrained eye.
3. Flow: may be my mind tricking me, but seems like return flow is lower than normal (210gph cheapish from Amazon). Has been running for ~6wk. Should it be taken apart and cleaned? I also feel like the intake isn't pulling in as much as before because all the detritus is swirling round and round and not going into the intake to the floss. How often must these pumps be cleaned? Would a change in flow through filtration cause the algae bloom?
Thanks!