Need help with Algae id and advice

[Nateaqua]

I would like some help to try to figure what type of algae this is and how to defeat I have been battling this for the last month, but it has getting worse in the last week. My tank is 90 gallon with a sump, AquaUV 15 watt sterilizer on it, 8 months old. Phosphate for the last month .13 to .3 I know this did not help. Currently only have blue and uv on 2 xr30 gen 3 running at 20 percent overall brightness. 10% water change every week. I have been dosing brightwell microbacter clean over the last month it use to help but not some much any more.

Water parameters
Alk 9 dkh
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 450 ppm
Phosphate .003 ppm currently
Nitrate 10
Mag. 1350 ppm
Nitrite 0
Rodi water 004 ppm

Any help and course of action would be great, ty.

 

[Pistondog]

How's the flow in that area, maybe aim a spare powerhead at it to see if it helps.

 

[Pistondog]

If the po4 you reported is 0.003, that's too low, below the measurement threshold of our test kits.

 

[Lavey29]

My tank is 3 months older then yours with same parameters and lights. I had the same algae on my sand which would disappear overnight. Lasted multiple months. What has finally made it go away I'm guessing is more tank maturity, dosing good bacteria like PNS probio, getting the fuge working well and continue phytoplankton dose at night. It's pretty much all gone now except little residual here and there below the sand line.

 

[Reeferjunkie]

What kind of cuc do you have? or maybe look into adding more cuc members

 

[vetteguy53081]

I would like some help to try to figure what type of algae this is and how to defeat I have been battling this for the last month, but it has getting worse in the last week. My tank is 90 gallon with a sump, AquaUV 15 watt sterilizer on it, 8 months old. Phosphate for the last month .13 to .3 I know this did not help. Currently only have blue and uv on 2 xr30 gen 3 running at 20 percent overall brightness. 10% water change every week. I have been dosing brightwell microbacter clean over the last month it use to help but not some much any more.

Water parameters
Alk 9 dkh
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 450 ppm
Phosphate .003 ppm currently
Nitrate 10
Mag. 1350 ppm
Nitrite 0
Rodi water 004 ppm

Any help and course of action would be great, ty.

Diatoms. While many call it normal although to a degree it is, it has a cause. Is it bad- No . . . Just unsightly.
Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the kibosh on the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.
For major outbreaks you may want to consider the 3 blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.
Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[Nateaqua]

What kind of cuc do you have? or maybe look into adding more cuc members

I have 30 blue or red leg crabs. Lots of snails. Bought a 90 package from reef cleaners.com and then added more crabs

If the po4 you reported is 0.003, that's too low, below the measurement threshold of our test kits.

Po4 .03 correction

How's the flow in that area, maybe aim a spare powerhead at it to see if it helps.

Run 2 xf230 powerhead with one half of each pointed to the surface, power setting 30% to 50% coral get good back and forth motion

 

[Nateaqua]

My tank is 3 months older then yours with same parameters and lights. I had the same algae on my sand which would disappear overnight. Lasted multiple months. What has finally made it go away I'm guessing is more tank maturity, dosing good bacteria like PNS probio, getting the fuge working well and continue phytoplankton dose at night. It's pretty much all gone now except little residual here and there below the sand line.

I do not dose phytoplankton currently but I will try.
will look into PNS probio
I also did take my fuge offline about two months ago, so maybe that had a factor.

 

[Nateaqua]

My PH also runs at 8.4 to 8.6
Thanks for the help so far.

 

[Lavey29]

I do not dose phytoplankton currently but I will try.
will look into PNS probio
I also did take my fuge offline about two months ago, so maybe that had a factor.

I've always dosed phytoplankton because it feeds so many things in the tank from micro organisms to corals. The PNS probio is great. Been using it about 2 months. Really cleaned up the tank and filter sock stays clean over a week now. It's all natural bacteria no chemicals.

 

[Nateaqua]

I've always dosed phytoplankton because it feeds so many things in the tank from micro organisms to corals. The PNS probio is great. Been using it about 2 months. Really cleaned up the tank and filter sock stays clean over a week now. It's all natural bacteria no chemicals.

I looked up the pns probiotic and found it at algaebarn.com, or is there another place you buy it. They also sell a 16 oz bottle of phytoplankton. How long would one 16 oz bottle last me on a 90 gallon tank? Thank you the info.

 

[Lavey29]

I looked up the pns probiotic and found it at algaebarn.com, or is there another place you buy it. They also sell a 16 oz bottle of phytoplankton. How long would one 16 oz bottle last me on a 90 gallon tank? Thank you the info.

I bought both from algae barn. I dose about 15 to 20ml of phytoplankton a night so you get a month or 5 weeks out of it. The PNS I dose 30ml twice a week so that bottle last longer. They also have a package with PNS probio and PNS yellow snow which is a coral food i use once a week to but it needs the fridge.

 

[Nateaqua]

I bought both from algae barn. I dose about 15 to 20ml of phytoplankton a night so you get a month or 5 weeks out of it. The PNS I dose 30ml twice a week so that bottle last longer. They also have a package with PNS probio and PNS yellow snow which is a coral food i use once a week to but it needs the fridge.

Thanks for all the info, I will be placing a order over the weekend.

 

[Lavey29]

Thanks for all the info, I will be placing a order over the weekend.

Good luck, patience is key and I have avoided dumping chemicals in. Yours is not that bad at all. Few sand sifting nassarius snails could help to.