What Algae is this?

[bigdaddycarbo]

It is hard to tell from the pics but getting an algae outbreak. Seems to be getting worse daily. Want to try to control it before it is gets out of hand. Started getting brown like substance on glass, sand and rocks a few weeks ago. At first thought it was another batch of diatoms (Had diatoms after the tank cycled). Noticed hair like strands coming off rocks and pump return/power head the last few days. Today these stands on the return look green. Tank water also smells a bit different. I think maybe this is GHA.

Weekly 5 gallon water changes (Instant ocean salt). Cleaning glass and vacuuming sand bed. Plan to scrub rock with toothbrush next water change.

Tank (32 Biocube) is 3 1/2 months old. Fuge with Chaeto, just added 5280 pods from algae barn 3 days ago.

Lighting (Steves LED) on 9 hours with 90 minute ramp up/ramp down at 35% Blue 30% white. Plan on increasing %, just added the first corals 1 1/2 weeks ago. Added the 3 zoa frags and GSP to the back wall.

CUC: 2 Astrea, emerald crab, dwarf ceriths, florida ceriths, nerites, nassarius, strawberry conch

Temp 78
Salinity 1.025
PH 8.2
NO3 5
PO4 .01
Ca 450
KH 8.1
MG 1380
(MG Salifert everything else Red Sea)


KH did drop to 6.2 before adding the corals (about the time this started). Another reason I think it could be GHA, I read it likes lower KH.

CA dropped to 365, MG to 1290 after adding corals. Dosed 2 part to get them back up. Still working on getting KH up to 8.5 with seachem buffer.

Also have been adding 2 drops of Lugols Iodine since adding zoas. (Salifet I2 .01/<.03)


Any help appreciated!

 

[bsr2430]

First, stop vacuuming your sand bed, you’re mixing everything up.

You’re algae, it’s Brown hair Algae, do larger water changes, that should work.

Exactly how old is your tank?

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

3 1/2 months

 

[islander84]

A few small corals won’t absorb that much alk, ca, mg in a short period. Most likely your tanks substrate (rocks/sand) is absorbing that stuff. Did you start with some or all dry rock or dry sand?

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

A few small corals won’t absorb that much alk, ca, mg in a short period. Most likely your tanks substrate (rocks/sand) is absorbing that stuff. Did you start with some or all dry rock or dry sand?

No live rock. Started with Carribsea life rock about 30 lbs. But used the one bag of live sand.

So maybe normal process for the rock to turn live?

 

[islander84]

It will take some time for your system to mature, all of the phases it goes through are part of the system establishing an ecosystem. There is a cause and affect for everything you do until it’s balanced. Be patient and let it run it’s course. Keep a good clean up crew to maintain algae’s. If you try to strip your system of PO4 and NO3 you’re likely to cause an outbreak of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. If you have access to obtain some rubble from an established pest free system, I would definitely try to get some to help build your ecosystem. The soft corals you have should not use ca, alk or mg , Stony corals will. Can you zoom in on the algae you mentioned?

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

Hard to get a good pic, looking more green than brown now.

 

[islander84]

Are you able to gently brush the stuff off a rock with a toothbrush or do you have to tug on it like its rooted to the rock?

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

Are you able to gently brush the stuff off a rock with a toothbrush or do you have to tug on it like its rooted to the rock?

It brushes off easily with toothbrush

 

[Drumbum]

It will take some time for your system to mature, all of the phases it goes through are part of the system establishing an ecosystem. There is a cause and affect for everything you do until it’s balanced. Be patient and let it run it’s course. Keep a good clean up crew to maintain algae’s. If you try to strip your system of PO4 and NO3 you’re likely to cause an outbreak of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. If you have access to obtain some rubble from an established pest free system, I would definitely try to get some to help build your ecosystem. The soft corals you have should not use ca, alk or mg , Stony corals will. Can you zoom in on the algae you mentioned?

Spot on!!!!!!!!
Your tank is still maturing. Toothbrush, reasonable water changes, ride it out.
Nothing good happens fast in reef tanks.
It'll pass.

 

[islander84]

It brushes off easily with toothbrush

Its hard to tell by the picture but it looks like dinos

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

Its hard to tell by the picture but it looks like dinos

I did the test with pouring some tank water with algae through paper towel with a glass to see if it recombines, and it didn't.

 

[islander84]

Water changes are good when you have excessive nutrients or need to replenish elements.... If they are dinis, let your nutrients rise a bit and the dinos will slowly go away. I would feed a little more depending on your fishload. UV is a good way to combat them. I would not recommend adding chemicals to your tank to rid them unless it’s phosphorus... be careful if you add nitrogen as it will also cause your PO4 to drop. Make sure you have a decent clean up crew because gha may take the dinos place... I would take gha over dino any day!

 

[islander84]

Invest in a cheap microscope...

 

[sixty_reefer]

If possible use proper balling salts instead of buffers to stable your tank kh and Ca are you getting any silica in your Ro water?

 

[islander84]

I did the test with pouring some tank water with algae through paper towel with a glass to see if it recombines, and it didn't.

That may not work if the majority of the dinos aren’t “free” in the water column. You could take a tooth brush and scrub them loose. Usually at night some of them will tend to go into the water column. If you do a lights out for a couple days they will recede on the substrate, but once the lights ate back on they will start binding again.

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

If possible use proper balling salts instead of buffers to stable your tank kh and Ca are you getting any silica in your Ro water?

RODI Measuring 0 with TDS

 

[bigdaddycarbo]

That may not work if the majority of the dinos aren’t “free” in the water column. You could take a tooth brush and scrub them loose. Usually at night some of them will tend to go into the water column. If you do a lights out for a couple days they will recede on the substrate, but once the lights ate back on they will start binding again.

How do I tell if it's dinos?

 

[sixty_reefer]

RODI Measuring 0 with TDS

you need a separate test for silica as TDS doesn’t show it.