Need Help

[TysFish]

Hey everyone, I’m honestly at a loss and could really use some advice. My tank is about 7 months old and I’m still dealing with nonstop algae issues. It started with a massive hair algae outbreak (and I mean a lot), which I managed to beat, but now I’m dealing with this instead and it’s just as bad if not worse. I know it’s normal in new tanks but it’s just getting worse.

I’m constantly manually removing it, siphoning it out, cleaning the glass and sand, I’ve even tried a short full blackout of the tank but it comes right back every time. It feels like I’m stuck in an endless cycle. At this point I don’t even know what my next step should be, and my corals are starting to suffer because of it. Luckily my mantis shrimp is still pushing through it, I don’t see it really affecting her at all.

Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, because I’m really running out of ideas.

My levels:
Phosphate: 0.1
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia: 0

My filter media:
Poly-fil
Seachem Matrix
Sponge

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I would try to raise your nitrates off of zero. Zero nitrates can fuel dinos in your tank. What does your cuc look like?
Are you doing water changes?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

A close up picture will help to identify it.

But the dead flow spots seem evident, I would try to increase the flow to those spots. Personally I would also remove the sponge and polly fill, these become detritus traps that breed bad bacteria. Whats the temp of your tank?

 

[Kooma]

Target this:

Phos 0.02-0.1
Nitrate 5-30

I’d run a slow trickle through some GFO also to help suck up anything the rocks are letting go.

If you have algae growth, your 0.1 is what’s left after the algae had their lunch. If the tank was blacked out for a while I bet that number would rise.

When I had rock curing in a tote I tested phos and it was 1.6. Yes, 1.6, not 0.16. I ran it in a display with lights and had hair algae start. New test, 0.46. The rocks didn’t suddenly loose phosphates, the water did from algae growth.

Give it a shot. I’d run it for 2-4 months, like 50gph.

 

[TysFish]

I would try to raise your nitrates off of zero. Zero nitrates can fuel dinos in your tank. What does your cuc look like?
Are you doing water changes?

So I don’t have a clean up crew, only because when I put any other living thing in the tank my mantis shrimp kills it… and yes I am doing water changes once ever 1-1.5 weeks.

 

[Kooma]

So I don’t have a clean up crew, only because when I put any other living thing in the tank my mantis shrimp kills it… and yes I am doing water changes once ever 1-1.5 weeks.

Pause the water changes for 2-4 weeks

 

[TysFish]

A close up picture will help to identify it.

But the dead flow spots seem evident, I would try to increase the flow to those spots. Personally I would also remove the sponge and polly fill, these become detritus traps that breed bad bacteria. Whats the temp of your tank?

Okay I’ll remove the sponge and poly fil now and maybe buy more wave maker pumps.

 

[TysFish]

A close up picture will help to identify it.

But the dead flow spots seem evident, I would try to increase the flow to those spots. Personally I would also remove the sponge and polly fill, these become detritus traps that breed bad bacteria. Whats the temp of your tank?

Here’s a close look at the algae

 

[TysFish]

A close up picture will help to identify it.

But the dead flow spots seem evident, I would try to increase the flow to those spots. Personally I would also remove the sponge and polly fill, these become detritus traps that breed bad bacteria. Whats the temp of your tank?

The temp is 78 F

 

[gabriellar]

So I don’t have a clean up crew, only because when I put any other living thing in the tank my mantis shrimp kills it… and yes I am doing water changes once ever 1-1.5 weeks.

Astraea snail does a very good job in cleaning live rock in my tank. Have you tried them? They are very cheap, so even if your mantis shrimp show aggresive behavior, not too much loss. I personally find it very difficult to fight the algae problem without cleaning crews. Maybe you can try a few more kinds and see what can live with your mantis shrimp?

 

[TysFish]

Astraea snail does a very good job in cleaning live rock in my tank. Have you tried them? They are very cheap, so even if your mantis shrimp show aggresive behavior, not too much loss

Ill look into getting some, i havent tried them yet.

I've added a damsel fish to the tank a while ago bc they are known to somewhat get along with mantis shrimp but.....that didnt end well, so ive been weary on adding any other livestock to the tank lol.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

hopefully someone can identify that algae for you, I've not come across that one. It looks like cotton candy algae but I'm not sure. Good luck

 

[gabriellar]

Ill look into getting some, i havent tried them yet.

I've added a damsel fish to the tank a while ago bc they are known to somewhat get along with mantis shrimp but.....that didnt end well, so ive been weary on adding any other livestock to the tank lol.

Hmmm, any chance your mantis shrimp was hungry? If you haven't tried any cleaning crews, I'd recommend hermit crabs as well.

 

[TysFish]

Hmmm, any chance your mantis shrimp was hungry? If you haven't tried any cleaning crews, I'd recommend hermit crabs as well.

okay i'll check them out thanks!