Unwanted algae

[imnotmike]

about the aquarium in question
40 gallon cube
3 fish 2 clarkii and a flame hawk
Other inhabits include quite a few different snails, a fighting conch, a sea urchin emerald crab, a good amount of SPS coral along with some LPS zoas and mushrooms.
Small protein, skimmer, and small refugee with chaeto algae
Tank is 6 months old
Water parameters are as followed
Salinity 26
Alkalinity 9.5
Magnesium 1450
Calcium 420
I does AFR daily to keep these numbers where they’re at
Reefroids once a week
Live phytoplankton every few days as i remember about 2 ML
Phosphate basically zero
Nitrate basically zero maybe two
SPS are killing it loving life
Could not get torches to be happy
Acan/ duncan and chalice all doing super well most zoas melt away and mushrooms do mostly fine but grow alow. But boy of boy can i grow dynos and cyano bacteria
This has always been a issue in this aquarium. I stared with a mix of dry and wet rock. Ive had sooooo many conflicting statements between reddit and FB about whats causing it, and I figured reef to reef is the place to ask also on a sidenote. NOTHING will eat the dynos I manually cut it with scissors and pull it out a few times a week but it grows as fast as i can clean so i hope i gave enough info please help a brother out on where to start

 

[rtparty]

Cut the dinos with scissors?

Feed more or dose some ammonia for nitrate and phosphates.

 

[imnotmike]

Cut the dinos with scissors?

Feed more or dose some ammonia for nitrate and phosphates.

When the browish hair algae gets long i try and cut it back where i cant get my hand in There to rip it out

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Do you have pictures of the tank under white lights? I'm struggling to see the algae issues in the pictures provided

 

[imnotmike]

i posted a video but i may have not loaded let me see

 

[imnotmike]

i posted a video but i may have not loaded let me see

i posted a video but i may have not loaded let me see

I

Do you have pictures of the tank under white lights? I'm struggling to see the algae issues in the pictures provided

I can take some today but i have red and black cyno on the sand and back walls and i have this brown algae all over the rocks thats in the photo with the snail shell

Do you have pictures of the tank under white lights? I'm struggling to see the algae issues in the pictures provided

 

[rtparty]

When the browish hair algae gets long i try and cut it back where i cant get my hand in There to rip it out

Ah ok. So the dinos are growing on the hair algae.

My first course of action would likely be to scrub the longer hair algae off with a toothbrush, siphon it out, and do a water change. Add a bunch more snails and start dosing nutrients

 

[Uncle99]

If your nitrate and phosphate are “basically zero” the system, micro-fauna and inhabitants are being starved out and the pest type algae and bacteria’s take over very quick.

 

[imnotmike]

Ah ok. So the dinos are growing on the hair algae.

My first course of action would likely be to scrub the longer hair algae off with a toothbrush, siphon it out, and do a water change. Add a bunch more snails and start dosing nutrients

What kind of nutrients should i dose? Some people say i have so much nutrients that its a false zero and others say its actually zero so im at a loss.

 

[imnotmike]

If your nitrate and phosphate are “basically zero” the system, micro-fauna and inhabitants are being starved out and the pest type algae and bacteria’s take over very quick.

So what would be the best course of action?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I

I can take some today but i have red and black cyno on the sand and back walls and i have this brown algae all over the rocks thats in the photo with the snail shell

Looks like a combination of live and dead green hair algae. Pics are not bright enough to tell if Dino is involved but if so, and your phos and nitrate levels are bottomed, its because dino will consume this and many then resort to increasing with chemicals in which the dinos are being fed.
Is this tank at or near a window?

 

[imnotmike]

Ah ok. So the dinos are growing on the hair algae.

My first course of action would likely be to scrub the longer hair algae off with a toothbrush, siphon it out, and do a water change. Add a bunch more snails and start dosing nutrients

I have alot of snails they seem to die or not eat the hair alage my urchin wont touch the stuff i cut it and scrub ans it just grows right back

 

[Uncle99]

Step 1
Remove as much by hand.
You’ll need to do this frequently for now.

Step 2
Maintain nitrate at 5ppm
Maintain phosphate at .1ppm
Maintain ALK in the normal band, no flux.
You can easily just dose this up nutrients.

Step 3
One time addition of pods.
Daily splash of bottled bacteria
Weekly splash of phytoplankton.

Step 4
Now add some snails to polish up stuff.
Redirect them to any afflicted areas.

Step 1 gives a good head start.

Step 2 puts water chemistry in order which favours good algae’s and bacteria’s, these guys are the true rock and sand cleaners.

Step 3 encourages the populations to grow.

In time, say 4-6weeks, the good guys simply overtake the bad guys real estate and you will not see that stuff again until water chemistry become either out of wack or unstable and fluctuating.

Step 4
Now that the big stuff is gone, snails can help a bit.

So what would be the best course of action?

 

[imnotmike]

Looks like a combination of live and dead green hair algae. Pics are not bright enough to tell if Dino is involved but if so, and your phos and nitrate levels are bottomed, its because dino will consume this and many then resort to increasing with chemicals in which the dinos are being fed.
Is this tank at or near a window?

Its between two windows but they have shades and filters on them but it was like this when it was in its old location. I run my lights for 8 hours a day the tank ia 6 months old and ive always have had this algae issue. Im not sure where to start as far as snuffing it out everything i can find is you have to much nutrients you have to little nutrients so im at a loss one what step one would be other then manual removal. I do manual removal 2 to 3 times a week

 

[vetteguy53081]

Its between two windows but they have shades and filters on them but it was like this when it was in its old location. I run my lights for 8 hours a day the tank ia 6 months old and ive always have had this algae issue. Im not sure where to start as far as snuffing it out everything i can find is you have to much nutrients you have to little nutrients so im at a loss one what step one would be other then manual removal. I do manual removal 2 to 3 times a week

How are you testing the water?
As for windows, UV this time of the year will penetrate shades-blinds-curtains. Black Contruction paper filters UV rays well.

 

[imnotmike]

Step 1
Remove as much by hand.
You’ll need to do this frequently for now.

Step 2
Maintain nitrate at 5ppm
Maintain phosphate at .1ppm
Maintain ALK in the normal band, no flux.
You can easily just dose this up nutrients.

Step 3
One time addition of pods.
Daily splash of bottled bacteria
Weekly splash of phytoplankton.

Step 4
Now add some snails to polish up stuff.
Redirect them to any afflicted areas.

Step 1 gives a good head start.

Step 2 puts water chemistry in order which favours good algae’s and bacteria’s, these guys are the true rock and sand cleaners.

Step 3 encourages the populations to grow.

In time, say 4-6weeks, the good guys simply overtake the bad guys real estate and you will not see that stuff again until water chemistry become either out of wack or unstable and fluctuating.

Step 4
Now that the big stuff is gone, snails can help a bit.

Everything makes sense but how do i go about achieving step 2

 

[Uncle99]

Everything makes sense but how do i go about achieving step 2

You’ll need to test for all three if not doing that now.
Only the Hanna UL phosphorus or phosphate checker ever worked well for me and phosphate is critical.

Brightwell Neo phos and Neo nitro are both easy to use to bump up nutrients right away.

You can dose every other day and test in between until you get close to the desired level. Then you need to keep them stable.

Over time, you can increase feedings which will increase nutrients but is a slow process.

 

[imnotmike]

How are you testing the water?
As for windows, UV this time of the year will penetrate shades-blinds-curtains. Black Contruction paper filters UV rays well.

Its south window my lights dont come on till 12:30. And i do see any ligjt hitting the tank. From the windows i test my water using salifert test kits its a south window is that matters

 

[imnotmike]

You’ll need to test for all three if not doing that now.
Only the Hanna UL phosphorus or phosphate checker ever worked well for me and phosphate is critical.

Brightwell Neo phos and Neo nitro are both easy to use to bump up nutrients right away.

You can dose every other day and test in between until you get close to the desired level. Then you need to keep them stable.

Over time, you can increase feedings which will increase nutrients but is a slow process.

So you feel fairly confident from what I’ve been able to explain that it’s not a false zero. And by adding more nutrients, I wouldn’t be doing a disservice?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So you feel fairly confident from what I’ve been able to explain that it’s not a false zero. And by adding more nutrients, I wouldn’t be doing a disservice?

Adding nutrients will feed dino. If dino is present and even with GHA, this will work:
Its biological deficiencies that are causing the dino structure and Its important though to identify the type of dino for most effective battle.
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them