Should I be worried?

[Zayne]

Not sure what this is GHA / cyano / something else? Tank is around 3 months past cycle. CC is a bundle from reef cleaners and a few conchs. Tuxedo urchin and been keeping the rocks. Foxface and Tomini range pick at the sand bed but obviously can’t keep up. Lights are 3 ReefLed 90s running 50% blue 5% white for 8hrs /day. Phosphates and nitrates are border line undetectable with sailifert kits. There is a AWC changing a gallon a day.

 

[Propane]

Make sure you are using RODI water. There are definitely nitrates and phosphates being put in the water but it’s tied up in the algae. What does your feeding consist of?

 

[Propane]

How big is the tank?

 

[Zayne]

It’s a RedSea 425 G2 ( about 100 gallons total) With a reef mat and a reef octo 150 skimmer. There is a UV sterilizer off the return manifold with a carbon reactor running at the moment.

Yes, using a 4 stage rodi from BRS - just swapped the DI resin a few weeks ago.

 

[Zayne]

Sorry - feeding is about a cube a day in the morning with some pellets (usually half mysis half something else). AFS runs 1 rotation mid day. Reef chili a couple times a week.

 

[Propane]

If it were me I’d stop the Reef Chile for a while. I don’t think your corals would benefit from the Reef Chile at this time. I don’t know how much food your fish need but make sure they are eating all of it. Maybe switch to a lower phosphate pellet. I would start manually changing about 15 gallons a week. Something is feeding the algae just gotta find out what.

 

[Zayne]

I'll cut the reef chili, and currently stopped the auto feeder. I can up the AWC amount for the time being. I'll have to get a few pumps for a larger manual change (water station is downstairs - it was initialally filled with the pump currently running the ATO) . It's not feasible to carry buckets up/down the staris.

 

[Doctorgori]

There are quite a few algae strategies and I wouldn’t argue any other suggestions, but here are mine:
- test for phosphates at least 3x / week until the issue is under control, adj with Lanthium based products. I target .05 - .1
- while controlling algae test for nitrates a lil more frequently, maybe 1x/ week and if high (20ppm) then figure out a long term way to address it, maybe biopellets, bacterial product (NP+, et), macro algae, H2O changes or all three
- physically vacuum remove as much algae as possible
- feed your fish at specific times a day
- don’t discount “floaters” and particles missed by fish, very often this is a important source of food for larger mouthed corals, anemones, LPS et ( I never broadcast feed anything)
- cutting back on lighting or a specific spectrum(white light) is a poor strategy, better to tackle the issue WHILE you are lighting your tank under current conditions as opposed to temporary lighting measures
- encourage coraline and other “hard green” algaes, not all in tank algae is bad. Find a “tang proof” ornamental macro and maybe use as a decoration
- get urchins(1st choice) and a mix of “long lived” snails ( giant trochus types) , “certain” Turbos, nerites, et…some Mexican turbos die fast, other types live a few years…I’m not sure who’s who
edit add: Mixing tang types and other herbivores has some value also..

 

[Zayne]

There are quite a few algae strategies and I wouldn’t argue any other suggestions, but here are mine:
- test for phosphates at least 3x / week until the issue is under control, adj with Lanthium based products. I target .05 - .1
- while controlling algae test for nitrates a lil more frequently, maybe 1x/ week and if high (20ppm) then figure out a long term way to address it, maybe biopellets, bacterial product (NP+, et), macro algae, H2O changes or all three
- physically vacuum remove as much algae as possible
- feed your fish at specific times a day
- don’t discount “floaters” and particles missed by fish, very often this is a important source of food for larger mouthed corals, anemones, LPS et ( I never broadcast feed anything)
- cutting back on lighting or a specific spectrum(white light) is a poor strategy, better to tackle the issue WHILE you are lighting your tank under current conditions as opposed to temporary lighting measures
- encourage coraline and other “hard green” algaes, not all in tank algae is bad. Find a “tang proof” ornamental macro and maybe use as a decoration
- get urchins(1st choice) and a mix of “long lived” snails ( giant trochus types) , “certain” Turbos, nerites, et…some Mexican turbos die fast, other types live a few years…I’m not sure who’s who
edit add: Mixing tang types and other herbivores has some value also..

- I've been testing Nitrates and Phosphates 1-2 times a week with Sailifert kits -
Nitrate is barely detectable 2.5ish tops
Phosphate is undetectectable most of the time (highest has been .03)

- It's almost matted on the sand bed - it pulls the sand up with it and clogs the vaccuum.

- How does one encourage coraline? The snails/frags had some patches when put in. there a few spots here and there, but nothing substantial. Parameters don't really fluctuate much out side of reagent changes (Alk dips occasionally)

The rocks are 'hard green' it doesn't scrap off and isn't visible under blues - the sand is the main issue, looks borwn under the blues.


- The fish are/were getting fed at the same time fronzen in the morning and auto feeder (turned off now) in the afternoon

- There is a tuxedo urchin in there, but he manily sticks to the rocks. The rest of the CC is from the rimless 105 gallon package from Reef Cleaners (95 dwarf ceriths, 23 Nassarius , 25 Florida cerits, 25 Astrea Snails, 20 Hermits, 3 Emerald crabs) as well as 3 fighting conchs and some other hermits from LFS - i'm sure there's fewer than that now thanks to the crabs.

- There is a Tomini tang and a Foxface. Considering adding a zebramosa (lilely yellow or purple) at some point

-

​

 

[Doctorgori]

Wow, I’d call your CUC both complete and diverse …I see no issues or additions that would help. Especially since the conchs and narcissus snails should keep the sand stirred….
Your params look good
you are correct, the stuff on the rocks is normal and harmless and usually urchin food..
I’d suggest temporarily insert Ogo, but the tangs would make short work of it…
My only suggestion left is a refugium or someway to inject a competing algae ,, In my 650, I was at that point, same as you and resorted (grudgingly) to a macro reactor….