Weird wavy algae on Astraeas and Zoas only

[chvvkumar]

I have this stubborn algae on my snails and Zoas only. The rocks look clean.



So far this is what I tried:

1. Use home made RO water and mix my own salt water with RedSea Salt. Change 4-5 gallons (50%) every week.
2. Currently dosing Vibrant and it has been one week since dosing fluconazole
3. Use a toothbrush to clean the rocks (not much debris came out)
4. Took the frag plugs (zoas and GSP only, not the frogspawn) and snails and dipped them in 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. This seems to have helped for a week but the stuff came back a month afterwords on the zoas. The snails were back to what they looked like within 2 days.

Tank details:
Age:
1.5 years old

Equipment:
Fluval Evo 13.5g
Filtration water flow: Filter floss > purigen > carbon >chemipure elite > Phosguard (removed carbon and purigen during the past week due to fluconazole treatment)
ATO from a 5 gal RO reserve

Lifestock:
2 x 2" clowns
1 x Cleaner Shrimp
4 x Astraeas
2 x Nassarius
2 x 1/4" Mexican Turbos
1 x Tennis ball sized Dragon Tongue macroalgae.

Corals:
4 x small Zoa colonies
1 x Frogspawn with three heads
1 x 2" x 2" GSP
Comments: All thee corals look extremely healthy. They seem to be extending fully every single day but I am not seeing significant growth at all.

Parameters:
Alk: 8
Phosphate: 0.2
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: 8.2

I currently do not dose Alk since this is a softie only tank.

Pics of corals the day after H2O2 dip:

 

[PeterB113]

What lights are you using? My friend has the same tank and switched to AI prime 16 and hes noticing more growth than the light the tank came with. And ive been removing that algea with tweezers during water changes so annoying.

I have this stubborn algae on my snails and Zoas only. The rocks look clean.



So far this is what I tried:

1. Use home made RO water and mix my own salt water with RedSea Salt. Change 4-5 gallons (50%) every week.
2. Currently dosing Vibrant and it has been one week since dosing fluconazole
3. Use a toothbrush to clean the rocks (not much debris came out)
4. Took the frag plugs (zoas and GSP only, not the frogspawn) and snails and dipped them in 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. This seems to have helped for a week but the stuff came back a month afterwords on the zoas. The snails were back to what they looked like within 2 days.

Tank details:
Age:
1.5 years old

Equipment:
Fluval Evo 13.5g
Filtration water flow: Filter floss > purigen > carbon >chemipure elite > Phosguard (removed carbon and purigen during the past week due to fluconazole treatment)
ATO from a 5 gal RO reserve

Lifestock:
2 x 2" clowns
1 x Cleaner Shrimp
4 x Astraeas
2 x Nassarius
2 x 1/4" Mexican Turbos

Corals:
4 x small Zoa colonies
1 x Frogspawn with three heads
1 x 2" x 2" GSP
Comments: All thee corals look extremely healthy. They seem to be extending fully every single day but I am not seeing significant growth at all.

Parameters:
Alk: 8
Phosphate: 0.2
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: 8.2

I currently do not dose Alk since this is a softie only tank.

Pics of corals the day after H2O2 dip:

 

[terraincognita]

Does nothing in your tank try to eat it?

If so it could be Byprosis.

If it is.

You're in for a ride.

It's a ***** to get out.

almost nothing seems to kill it.


-------------


Looking at the video for the 6th time lol, looks honestly just like GHA.

Hermits can fix it. My Scarlet and Blue Legs eats GHA.

Snails do also, but hard for snails to get it in between coral crevices.

What's really weird is your H202 Dips haven't killed it though.

------------

If it is byprosis though completely different trip you're in for.

---------------

Separately if you're discouraged by your slow coral growth you simply are missing nutrients.

Your nitrates are bottom'd out.

Zoa's and GSP love dirty water. Add more food or try starting to dose Reef Roids once or twice a week.

You want Nitrates and Phos.

Unfortunately it will also increase algae growth.

Don't spike your nutrient levels suddenly either. Start slow and build up.

God... reefing is such a pain lol. So many little things to do and not do all while you're trying to do something else entirely.

 

[chvvkumar]

What lights are you using? My friend has the same tank and switched to AI prime 16 and hes noticing more growth than the light the tank came with. And ive been removing that algea with tweezers during water changes so annoying.

I am also using AI Prime16HDs.

Does nothing in your tank try to eat it?

If so it could be Byprosis.

If it is.

You're in for a ride.

It's a ***** to get out.

almost nothing seems to kill it.

Nothing touches it. I have started fluconazole a week ago so one more week to try and see if it helps.

 

[terraincognita]

I am also using AI Prime16HDs.


Nothing touches it. I have started fluconazole a week ago so one more week to try and see if it helps.

Yeah fluco apparently can kill it off. (If it's byprosis)

But I had to shut down my 10G because it got so insane. I just gave up and restarted....

In the future QT your new frags onto a rack, and send them through a few dips before you add them to the rock work.

Byprosis has to hitchhike in, it won't grow on it's own like other algae.

Otherwise grab that snail now, and scrub scrub scrub his shell in a saltwater tupaware container until you get it all off,

And then frag off a few zoa heads and throw the rest away lol.

Save your tank from Byprosis Psychosis.

 

[chvvkumar]

Yeah fluco apparently can kill it off. (If it's byprosis)

But I had to shut down my 10G because it got so insane. I just gave up and restarted....

In the future QT your new frags onto a rack, and send them through a few dips before you add them to the rock work.

Byprosis has to hitchhike in, it won't grow on it's own like other algae.

Otherwise grab that snail now, and scrub scrub scrub his shell in a saltwater tupaware container until you get it all off,

And then frag off a few zoa heads and throw the rest away lol.

Save your tank from Byprosis Psychosis.

I did dip my frags in Revive before adding them to my tank. And I scrubbed the snaols and dipped their shells in hydrogen prroxide (upside down so that it doesn't get into the shell).

 

[terraincognita]

I did dip my frags in Revive before adding them to my tank. And I scrubbed the snaols and dipped their shells in hydrogen prroxide (upside down so that it doesn't get into the shell).

Revive doesn't kill Byprosis, or it hasn't for me at least.

Try Coral RX or just H202 dips.

 

[chvvkumar]

Revive doesn't kill Byprosis, or it hasn't for me at least.

Try Coral RX or just H202 dips.

Thank you, I will try that once the current treatment finishes. Just to make sure I am not making too many changes at once.

 

[terraincognita]

Not sure what brand you're using, but this Blue Life Flux RX is apparently MAGIC

 

[chvvkumar]

Not sure what brand you're using, but this Blue Life Flux RX is apparently MAGIC

I just saw your edits in your first reply, thank you for the pointers! I am using this right now:

amazon.com/ReefHD-Reef-Flux-Anti-Fungal-Treatment/dp/B078SYK9N2

 

[terraincognita]

I just saw your edits in your first reply, thank you for the pointers! I am using this right now:

amazon.com/ReefHD-Reef-Flux-Anti-Fungal-Treatment/dp/B078SYK9N2

Yeah, try the Blue Life if that doesn't work.

Just watched like 18 videos with huge success it seems with the Blue Life RX

You can get it from Amazon.