New Algae Issue

[AKL1950]

So my tank has been up and running for 10 month now. Waterbox 220.6. 170 gallon display and about 25 gallons in the sump. Tank is bare bottom and was started with dry rock. Everything is humming along and I’ve started introducing corals. SPS and LPS. Parameters are as follows:

salinity. 34.6
PH. 8.0
NO3. 10-12
PO4. 0.05-0.08
Alk. 8.1
Ca. 520
Mag. 1580

All corals are growing well and fish are fat, but I’m startling to get a wave of new algae growth. I suspect it’s because of the lighting. As I introduced SPS I’ve been very gradually increasing the light intensity about 1% a week. I’m still 38% below my expected top, but as I’ve increased the light, more algae is growing. I do feed twice a day, but replace filter socks every three days and run UV and skimmer 24/7. Daily auto water change of 2 gallons. CUC several snail varieties and two pin cushion urchins.

I assume the new algae bloom is from the increased light, but could be wrong. Is this normal as the tank matures to see some algae blooms, or is there something I’m not watching at play. I could easily feed less, but I haven’t changes how much I feed since I put the fish in. Is this a normal change in the tank and will go away or something I need to fix. The algae doesn’t so much look like Dino, but hair algae with little bubbles on the ends Of some of them.

 

[NickE]

I can't answer all your questions but you could try to lower the WHITE and UV intensity on your lights if you see algae start to pop up. Stick with the blues until algae starts to calm down or back off the white/UV until you see it starting to get better.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Yes I would stop at the percentage of lighting your at now or reduce.. if it will not affect any corals to much. from your picture you have alot of new coral frags so they may benefit from reduced lighting (the top coral frags/highest point) these may get burnt by intensity of lighting if you increase too much.

You can keep on top of new growth algea by various methods of cleaning but will require you to get hands on

I would reduce lighting though as this is main cause of algae growth

 

[AKL1950]

Yes I would stop at the percentage of lighting your at now or reduce.. if it will not affect any corals to much. from your picture you have alot of new coral frags so they may benefit from reduced lighting (the top coral frags/highest point) these may get burnt by intensity of lighting if you increase too much.

You can keep on top of new growth algea by various methods of cleaning but will require you to get hands on

I would reduce lighting though as this is main cause of algae growth

Thanks. I’ve got 4 Radion xr30 s on the tank and haven’t figured out how intense they are Yet. Right now they are only at about 36% of their max capability. Planning on getting a Par meter to see where I am. Some of my Zoas in the bottom third of the tank close up mid day when the lights are at their peak, so they may be getting to much light as well.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Thanks. I’ve got 4 Radion xr30 s on the tank and haven’t figured out how intense they are Yet. Right now they are only at about 36% of their max capability. Planning on getting a Par meter to see where I am. Some of my Zoas in the bottom third of the tank close up mid day when the lights are at their peak, so they may be getting to much light as well.

Yes try to find a balance/par/intensity, I would reduce to probably 15-20% white to let corals settle in (as they new/your picture) and then adjust as they grow

You can easily burn corals without realising as white lights are so strong in par/power but we don't see it.

 

[AKL1950]

Yes try to find a balance/par/intensity, I would reduce to probably 15-20% white to let corals settle in (as they new/your picture) and then adjust as they grow

You can easily burn corals without realising as white lights are so strong in par/power but we don't see it.

Whites are set a 10% But only for a few hours mid day. Should I drop that down to maybe 7% for a while and see what happens?

 

[Lavey29]

its a nice set up but sure looks surprisingly sterile for a 10 month old tank. i understand you were not probably using much light without corals in the tank but I would still expect to see some more coloration on the rocks at this point. your number are not bad though. Cal and mag slightly elevated but not high. Have you done an ICP to check everything recently?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So my tank has been up and running for 10 month now. Waterbox 220.6. 170 gallon display and about 25 gallons in the sump. Tank is bare bottom and was started with dry rock. Everything is humming along and I’ve started introducing corals. SPS and LPS. Parameters are as follows:

salinity. 34.6
PH. 8.0
NO3. 10-12
PO4. 0.05-0.08
Alk. 8.1
Ca. 520
Mag. 1580

All corals are growing well and fish are fat, but I’m startling to get a wave of new algae growth. I suspect it’s because of the lighting. As I introduced SPS I’ve been very gradually increasing the light intensity about 1% a week. I’m still 38% below my expected top, but as I’ve increased the light, more algae is growing. I do feed twice a day, but replace filter socks every three days and run UV and skimmer 24/7. Daily auto water change of 2 gallons. CUC several snail varieties and two pin cushion urchins.

I assume the new algae bloom is from the increased light, but could be wrong. Is this normal as the tank matures to see some algae blooms, or is there something I’m not watching at play. I could easily feed less, but I haven’t changes how much I feed since I put the fish in. Is this a normal change in the tank and will go away or something I need to fix. The algae doesn’t so much look like Dino, but hair algae with little bubbles on the ends Of some of them.

I see your issue already which is the amount of white intensity and the windows/door facing your tank. The power of UV is under-estimated and it will penetrate shade/curtains/blinds and cause a bloom and hair algae in due time. Having ambient light from the window, you can turn off lights (at least white) for 3-5 days. Also assure your phosphate level has not become elevated

 

[AKL1950]

I see your issue already which is the amount of white intensity and the windows/door facing your tank. The power of UV is under-estimated and it will penetrate shade/curtains/blinds and cause a bloom and hair algae in due time. Having ambient light from the window, you ncan turn off lights (at least white) for 3-5 days. Also assure your phosphate level has not become elevated

Makes sense. I can keep those blinds closed with no problem. Do the corals need the white light? I like the colors without it. Everybody fluoresces more. I can put that the whites to zero if the corals don’t need it?

 

[AKL1950]

I see your issue already which is the amount of white intensity and the windows/door facing your tank. The power of UV is under-estimated and it will penetrate shade/curtains/blinds and cause a bloom and hair algae in due time. Having ambient light from the window, you can turn off lights (at least white) for 3-5 days. Also assure your phosphate level has not become elevated

Sorry, didn’t finish. Phosphates run between 0.03 and 0.08.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry, didn’t finish. Phosphates run between 0.03 and 0.08.

Not too bad. Take black construction paper from walmart stationary section and place on glass facing patio doors for a week or more (temporarily) and see what happens with this algae- you be surprised

 

[vetteguy53081]

Makes sense. I can keep those blinds closed with no problem. Do the corals need the white light? I like the colors without it. Everybody fluoresces more. I can put that the whites to zero if the corals don’t need it?

A little is needed for generation of zooxanthellae which is their building blocks for color-growth-energy

 

[AKL1950]

Not too bad. Take black construction paper from walmart stationary section and place on glass facing patio doors for a week or more (temporarily) and see what happens with this algae- you be surprised

Oh man! Then I can’t see what’s going on in the tank. I’ve also got daylight bulbs in all my house lights. Haha! I’m a plant lover as well. Okay, here’s my plan. I’ve moved my total light intensity down 5% and the white in the radions down to 2% From 10%. I’ll keep the blinds to the lanai closed and only turn on one house light in that entire area that’s far away from the tank. If all that doesn’t help, I’ll make the trip to Walmart. I could actually just cover the tank with 4 ml black plastic flowerbed liner. Got lots of that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Oh man! Then I can’t see what’s going on in the tank. I’ve also got daylight bulbs in all my house lights. Haha! I’m a plant lover as well. Okay, here’s my plan. I’ve moved my total light intensity down 5% and the white in the radions down to 2% From 10%. I’ll keep the blinds to the lanai closed and only turn on one house light in that entire area that’s far away from the tank. If all that doesn’t help, I’ll make the trip to Walmart. I could actually just cover the tank with 4 ml black plastic flowerbed liner. Got lots of that.

Liner will work and you can go 10% blue, 2% white if red-zero and green 2%

 

[AKL1950]

Liner will work and you can go 10% blue, 2% white if red-zero and green 2%

Done!

 

[Miami Reef]

I personally would just increase the amount of herbivores. Nutrients and parameters are all great. You can’t get much lower and there’s no difference in algae growth.

1-2 urchins would make that rock look amazingly clean. My tank is about 6-7 months and it quickly surpassed the ugly stage because I used urchins. As soon as I saw coralline algae growing I rehomed the urchins and now I only have coralline.

Good luck.

 

[AKL1950]

I personally would just increase the amount of herbivores. Nutrients and parameters are all great. You can’t get much lower and there’s no difference in algae growth.

1-2 urchins would make that rock look amazingly clean. My tank is about 6-7 months and it quickly surpassed the ugly stage because I used urchins. As soon as I saw coralline algae growing I rehomed the urchins and now I only have coralline.

Good luck.

Got two pin cushion urchins in there already. I think I got stupid ones. Cleaned all the glass Saturday and Saturday evening they are both roaming around on the front glass. Guess they were looking to see if I missed a spot. Big one is carrying around two snail shells and three rocks on his top. Definitely a fashion statement.