Algae, Algae, Algae!

[Charley]

From cyano, to dinoflagelattes, to beautiful clumps of GHA back to cyano now coupled with the GHA!

I must be an algae master at this point. Just call me Mr. Algae! I though I spent a few grand to have fish and corals.......but I guess it turned into an algae hobby!

When friends and family come over, I will simply say, yeah, I am growing algae to help solve the worlds problems with food. They will be impressed.

Anyone who wants to send me any algae I may have missed.....pls send me!

 

[Terry Mattson]

What are your test results, tank age, size, stock, sump? etc.

Phosphate
Nitrate
Dkh
Calcium
SG
PH

Feeding schedule
Live rock? Filter system?

Just need more information for reefers to help you.

 

[Charley]

What are your test results, tank age, size, stock, sump? etc.

Phosphate
Nitrate
Dkh
Calcium
SG
PH

Feeding schedule
Live rock? Filter system?

Just need more information for reefers to help you.
[/QUOTE
All I can say is that they fall into normal parameters....

It's the wild west out there in terms of help.

I might take the nuclear option:

Mix all brands of good bacteria in a bottle
Add a powerful UV
a little of each brand of gfo

All on the same day and sit back and relax.

Thanks for offer to help. Have to post parameters later...

 

[Terry Mattson]

My phosphates were way above .031 target and had gha like crazy. Even with cheto in refugium. Added gfo reactor and gha is very much in control. Today's test for phosphate is .018. After about 7 months had out break of red cyno. After struggling for 60 days finally purchased and dosed chemiclean. Working really well.

 

[Cory]

You cant kill algae by starving it. You need something to eat it.

 

[User1]

You cant kill algae by starving it. You need something to eat it.

This a great point. Also if algae is that bad then it can also give you a false positive on some readings because they are consuming the nutrients. Thus lowering them.

Algae is a part of the system and thus a clean up crew is always in order. A proper size. Too much and they eat it all too fast then fade away, too little and they can't keep up. Balance both by only feeding what is necessary as the tank matures and adding the right crew to maintain it.

Also know that some algae is just a part of the initial maturity of the tank.

 

[King Turkey]

get some liquid phosphate remover from Brightwell works for me to get phosphate down. I usually aim for lowest possible reading lower the better as long as you get the smallest reading you are good. but algae in tank means false reading like saf1 said. nitrate also want to keep as low as possible as long as it is reading. how do you manage it? vodka dose? gfo? water change?

 

[Charley]

This a great point. Also if algae is that bad then it can also give you a false positive on some readings because they are consuming the nutrients. Thus lowering them.

Algae is a part of the system and thus a clean up crew is always in order. A proper size. Too much and they eat it all too fast then fade away, too little and they can't keep up. Balance both by only feeding what is necessary as the tank matures and adding the right crew to maintain it.

Also know that some algae is just a part of the initial maturity of the tank.

Yes, that is what's happening....in effect, the tank is acting like refugium. Maybe a little less so because I did manually remove a bunch till my thumb ran into a bristleworm

 

[King Turkey]

most hard-core treatment way would to qt anything that liquid algae killer would harm and could go that rout. to get it out..

 

[Charley]

most hard-core treatment way would to qt anything that liquid algae killer would harm and could go that rout. to get it out..

Now it is too late....have to deal with DT at this point. But thanks

 

[Charley]

What are your test results, tank age, size, stock, sump? etc.

Phosphate
Nitrate
Dkh
Calcium
SG
PH

Feeding schedule
Live rock? Filter system?

Just need more information for reefers to help you.

ok ....Red Sea 450 90 gal with 26 gal sump

Phos - .02
Nitrate - 0
Calcium - 520
Mag - 1200
Alk - 7.33
35ppt
Temp 78

Not running skimmer since tank mini crash a month ago
running rowaphos
feed mostly LRS once a day about 3/4 inch square that I carefully rinse off with RO water

 

[Charley]

get some liquid phosphate remover from Brightwell works for me to get phosphate down. I usually aim for lowest possible reading lower the better as long as you get the smallest reading you are good. but algae in tank means false reading like saf1 said. nitrate also want to keep as low as possible as long as it is reading. how do you manage it? vodka dose? gfo? water change?

using Rowaphos at the moment
20% water change every 2 weeks

 

[GeTanked]

I’ve been battling GHA for some time, giant pain in the anal fin. If I get nutrients down to the level where GHA starts to recede, then corals also start receding. When the corals look well fed and happy and growing, so does the GHA! ***

 

[Charley]

I’ve been battling GHA for some time, giant pain in the anal fin. If I get nutrients down to the level where GHA starts to recede, then corals also start receding. When the corals look well fed and happy and growing, so does the GHA! ***

Exactly..... don't mind the GHA that much aesthetically, But does take over the corals at some point and starts to wreak havoc with ovetflow.

 

[Scorpius]

You starve the algae you starve the corals. Gotta get the good stuff to outcompete the bad stuff. Phosphates and nitrates are not the devil we make them out to be. Get a good clean up crew, limit lighting, good husbandry, limit feedings.

 

[Charley]

You starve the algae you starve the corals. Gotta get the good stuff to outcompete the bad stuff. Phosphates and nitrates are not the devil we make them out to be. Get a good clean up crew, limit lighting, good husbandry, limit feedings.

That's awesome of course and will do. Was also hoping for some elaborate scientific answer

 

[Charley]

Well all my hopes are on the new sea slug now

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Hi charley. I beat this by scrubbing my rocks in a bucket of old tank water. I then cleaned my sand. All of it. My two best helpers are my purple tuxedo urchin and my long spine urchin. I did have to scrub some rocks a few times. I also added chemipure later and I feel it helps. The water in the bucket after the rock scrub looked like muddy water.

 

[Pop]

It sounds like a start of a song. We should Start making an Algae Rap. Haha. I heard these should help with your problems.

 

[Charley]

Hi charley. I beat this by scrubbing my rocks in a bucket of old tank water. I then cleaned my sand. All of it. My two best helpers are my purple tuxedo urchin and my long spine urchin. I did have to scrub some rocks a few times. I also added chemipure later and I feel it helps. The water in the bucket after the rock scrub looked like muddy water.

Thanks but way too many rocks to take the scrub rocks route