Unwanted algae

[Uncle99]

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

I can’t see much GHA in your pics so I’m not thinking it’s sucking up much.
I do see a tuff here and there and even that seems small..

Maybe I can’t truly see the extent of the algae growth, and if there’s a lot, then sure, it may be acting like a Fuge.

The tank I see looks great, and is 6 months old.

Maybe a pic in white only may display the problem better, if that exists, if not, I stick to the steps posted.

 

[imnotmike]

I can’t see much GHA in your pics so I’m not thinking it’s sucking up much.
I do see a tuff here and there and even that seems small..

Maybe I can’t truly see the extent of the algae growth, and if there’s a lot, then sure, it may be acting like a Fuge.

The tank I see looks great, and is 6 months old.

Maybe a pic in white only may display the problem better, if that exists, if not, I stick to the steps posted.

Ill take a photo with only white lits later today is pretty bad and ill post it to you

 

[imnotmike]

I can’t see much GHA in your pics so I’m not thinking it’s sucking up much.
I do see a tuff here and there and even that seems small..

Maybe I can’t truly see the extent of the algae growth, and if there’s a lot, then sure, it may be acting like a Fuge.

The tank I see looks great, and is 6 months old.

Maybe a pic in white only may display the problem better, if that exists, if not, I stick to the steps posted.

Heres the photos under white light

 

[Uncle99]

Heres the photos under white light

Ok, that’s more than I could see.
Green hair tuffs, and maybe dinos.

How many months have your parameters been stable?

When I see that more advanced stage it may coincide with parameters having too much flux over a period of time.

I think you should follow post #20 @vetteguy53081 as his plan is more comprehensive IMM and includes a peroxide treatment and a lighting adjustment which mine does not.

 

[imnotmike]

Ok, that’s more than I could see.
Green hair tuffs, and maybe dinos.

How many months have your parameters been stable?

When I see that more advanced stage it may coincide with parameters having too much flux over a period of time.

I think you should follow post #20 @vetteguy53081 as his plan is more comprehensive IMM and includes a peroxide treatment and a lighting adjustment which mine does not.

My numbers have been steady for at least 4 months i had things dropping then i used magnesium to bring it up to what i wanted and then all for reed to keep everything else where i wanted them i test like once a week and nothing really changes

 

[Uncle99]

My numbers have been steady for at least 4 months i had things dropping then i used magnesium to bring it up to what i wanted and then all for reed to keep everything else where i wanted them i test like once a week and nothing really changes

I don’t use AFR, seems some have trouble dialing chemistry in with this. I control all three majors separately.

I’m not sure what’s triggered that, rock solid chemistry for 4 months certainly rules that out. And it’s the most common culprit.

Based on your posting that you use roids, I’m thinking more likely they have caused a spike in nutrients.

 

[imnotmike]

These are photos of the tank with the lights off how much effect will the black out have on acro? This approach sounds like something that will really work also kind of sounds scary to do.

 

[imnotmike]

I don’t use AFR, seems some have trouble dialing chemistry in with this. I control all three majors separately.

I’m not sure what’s triggered that, rock solid chemistry for 4 months certainly rules that out. And it’s the most common culprit.

Based on your posting that you use roids, I’m thinking more likely they have caused a spike in nutrients.

It’s possible i use half of what it suggest for My tank size. But sense ive been testing ive always have had almost zero NO3/4
I hade super high ph in the beginning but foe the most part the numbers dont swing much. I huge drop in mag but thaht was months ago

 

[imnotmike]

I don’t use AFR, seems some have trouble dialing chemistry in with this. I control all three majors separately.

I’m not sure what’s triggered that, rock solid chemistry for 4 months certainly rules that out. And it’s the most common culprit.

Based on your posting that you use roids, I’m thinking more likely they have caused a spike in nutrients.

I will be honest and say i goe weeks with out cleaning my sponge filter

 

[carbl]

Hello, my tank looked similar. The snail with the GHA and the dino threads could have come from my tank ;-)!
Darkening, dosing hydrogen peroxide, bacteria, phytoplankton or even silicate can all help, but I learned after two dino outbreaks that, firstly, phosphate must not go to zero and that you won't get far without a lot of manual work.
It's sometimes depressing to vacuum everything every evening for weeks, only to find that the dinos and other pests are back the next day in the same strength.
But it helps. You should remove the clumps of algae as regularly as possible, using a toothbrush or similar. Vacuum and remove the dinos and also the cyanos.
If you do this stoically over a longer period of time and also keep the nutrients in the detectable range, then you have a good chance of surviving these "pests".
You can also add bacteria or hydrogen peroxide. But without manual work, this rarely leads to the desired success.

I had also dosed All for reef. A good product in itself, but you should be careful with trace elements if you have a dino infestation. Trace elements and carbon products cause them to explode. I would switch to classic balling at least for a while and not add any trace elements. It hasn't harmed my corals, some of the trace elements also enter the tank via the food. And be carefull with water change. Less is more, with the new water there come new trace elements. I have done water changes, but more frequently and to a lesser extent.
I have also added a coralline algae booster to the tank. This is mainly calcium carbonate with iodine. It doesn't do any harm and I think it has also helped a little. But that is only anectodic.
Good luck!

 

[imnotmike]

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

Would carbon dosing help
With issue or make it worse?

 

[Moe K Verified Sponsor]

Carbon dosing will make the dinos worse. You should really identify the dinos and take care of those first. You will need a microscope or find someone with one and post pics of what you find. Most common dinos on rocks is prorocentrum and ostreopsis. Each has a different treatment.

In the meantime don't get confused with the suggestions of too much or too little nitrate and po4. Just keep them stable with in the range of .04-.01 po4 and 4-10 ppm nitrate. I dont recommend going over as it will probably prolong the fight. This is an acceptable range for the overall well being of your coral too.

Clean up crew wont touch dinos because its toxic. Run carbon media. Hopefully its just ostreopsis (my best guess) so you can just run a UV sterilizer and they will go away.

Live phyto is a good idea along with bottled bacteria. Microbacter7 or Clean is good stuff. Clean is more for the algae. 7 is more for the dinos.

OR you could go nuclear option and do a 3 day blackout and try an wipe out the algae and dinos at the same time. Not sure how the acro will take it though. You really should find out if it is prorocentrum or ostreopsis dinos first because one will require a uv sterilizer while for the other (prorocentrum) that will be counter productive because its bacteria that mainly keeps it away.

 

[imnotmike]

Carbon dosing will make the dinos worse. You should really identify the dinos and take care of those first. You will need a microscope or find someone with one and post pics of what you find. Most common dinos on rocks is prorocentrum and ostreopsis. Each has a different treatment.

In the meantime don't get confused with the suggestions of too much or too little nitrate and po4. Just keep them stable with in the range of .04-.01 po4 and 4-10 ppm nitrate. I dont recommend going over as it will probably prolong the fight. This is an acceptable range for the overall well being of your coral too.

Clean up crew wont touch dinos because its toxic. Run carbon media. Hopefully its just ostreopsis (my best guess) so you can just run a UV sterilizer and they will go away.

Live phyto is a good idea along with bottled bacteria. Microbacter7 or Clean is good stuff. Clean is more for the algae. 7 is more for the dinos.

OR you could go nuclear option and do a 3 day blackout and try an wipe out the algae and dinos at the same time. Not sure how the acro will take it though. You really should find out if it is prorocentrum or ostreopsis dinos first because one will require a uv sterilizer while for the other (prorocentrum) that will be counter productive because its bacteria that mainly keeps it away.

I get everything you are saying but what is the best way to get my no3/4 up I'm sitting 3 and .oo3 and I don't know whats the best way to bring them
Up every post/article contradicts one another

 

[Moe K Verified Sponsor]

I get everything you are saying but what is the best way to get my no3/4 up I'm sitting 3 and .oo3 and I don't know whats the best way to bring them
Up every post/article contradicts one another

You can dose nitrate and po4 if you are too low. Brightwell makes an easy solution called neonitro and neophos. Dose and wait 12 to 24 hours to test your levels again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would carbon dosing help
With issue or make it worse?

Carbon dosing will feed the dino as will coral food, NoPox, nitrate, phos,etc