Reducing Algae in 12-gallon Nano Cube

[NickNiz]

Hey all! I've had an algae problem with my 12 gallon Nano Cube for the past two months and was hoping for a little advice... I had an incident a few weeks ago when I was away and the person caring for the tank left the circulation pump off for 6 weeks, resulting in several dead zones and an algae bloom when I got back. It's looking a lot better after a few weeks of care but I still can't get rid of some of the stubborn algae. I've replaced filter media, expanded my CUC, reduced lighting and feeding, etc. to no avail. The hair algae on the rocks isn't bad, but there is some between polyps, preventing the corals from fully opening. Details are below...

Water changes done once a week (~3-4 gallons) with sand siphoning using Red Sea Coral Pro
Tank fed one pipet full of frozen mysis every day (~1/5 cube)
Corals target fed with a small amount of Reef Roids 2x per week
No real dosages except for what is in the salt...
Lights kept on 7hr/day with the blue lights on an hour before and after white lights.

Livestock

• 2 False Perc Clowns
• 1 serpent starfish
• 1 coral banded shrimp
• 1 emerald crab
• 2-3 turbo snails
• 2-3 nassarius snails
• 2 frogspawn heads, 6 Acan colonies, 5 palys, favia brain, scoly, toadstool, green leather, stunner chalice, jack-o-lantern lepto, 3 trumpet corals.

Salinity is kept around 1.026-1.027
Filter media consists of ChemiPure Elite, sponge, Phosphate-lowering pad, LR rubble...

I'm assuming water quality shouldn't be a cause because of the weekly 30-40% water changes.

 

[Bunnee911]

Let's see a photo please.

 

[NickNiz]

@Bunnee911 First picture shows the full tank. Algae isn't too bad but theres a lot on the sand and coral skeletons... Second pic shows a close up of an acan colony... I've brushed/turkey basted it off before, but it seems to come back within a week.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What are the no3 po4 and ph?

 

[NickNiz]

What are the no3 po4 and ph?

10ppm
0.15ppm
8.2 respectively

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea that's more than enough to make algae grow.
Do you have enough CUC in there?
Off hand I'd have to say no.

 

[A_game43]

Dido, add red / blue hermit crabs, they work wonders. I added some sand sifting snails as well, kinda move through the sand and clean as well. DO not use flake food, rinse your frozen food as well, depending on what you feed.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's easy to get away with higher nutrints. I could show you some stuff. You jus need grazers.

 

[Mal11224]

Are you using RO/DI water for your tank? Your PO4 is a little high and is likely the cause of your algae troubles at this point. Not sure what other method of treatment you are using. Maybe you can use NOPOX to get it under control.

 

[NickNiz]

Thank you for the info everyone! The phosphates are definitely high... Will NOPOX be effective in a tank that's 12 gallons without any drawback? And I've heard that hermits are great, I'm just afraid of how they would treat the snails I currently have... Would another emerald crab help?

As for the water I use, I either purchase directly from the LFS when I'm lazy or I get distilled from the grocery store.

 

[SDReefer]

What filter media are you using? I use ChemiPure, Purigen, and DeNitrate and my nitrates stay in the 0-2 ppm in my nano.

 

[NickNiz]

I'm using ChemiPure elite (has Purigen and carbon), sponge, Deep Blue phosphate removing pad, and live rock rubble... 10 is a little high but I'm trying to keep them 5-8 for my LPS.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thank you for the info everyone! The phosphates are definitely high... Will NOPOX be effective in a tank that's 12 gallons without any drawback? And I've heard that hermits are great, I'm just afraid of how they would treat the snails I currently have... Would another emerald crab help?

As for the water I use, I either purchase directly from the LFS when I'm lazy or I get distilled from the grocery store.

They're not that high. Bear in mind even Randy mentions there is some flexibility Esp depending on the species your growing.
Even though it may not match natural seawater and the reccomended in his boiler plate parameters , in captivity some corals do best with higher nutrients.
I.e. Zoas like dirty water.
But to cope you have to have CUC.
Snails are the best. Hermits are next.

 

[NickNiz]

Thanks man! I picked up 4 scarlet-legged hermits today from my LFS... They're already eating away at the algae in the sand. I also got some Red Sea NOPOX, just to try to lower phosphate initially... I'm going to do half of the recommended dose for my tank until the phosphates go down just to be on the safe side, and hopefully the crabs can keep trimming away.

EDIT: I noticed the NOPOX said to make sure a skimmer is running so that the water will stay oxygenated. I don't have a skimmer, but decent flow and weekly WCs should be fine, right?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The no pox is a carbon dose. so it fuels bacteria. I belive the skimmer is to add air to the tank and to remove the waste created by the bacteria. I dont recall anyone using it in a skimmerless tank.