Algae Bloom - Possible overfeeding?

[Fringe09]

Hi fellow reefers.

I have a 200 gallon (160 display, 40 sump) tank which is almost 4 months old. Lightly stocked with fish and corals.

I added an Exquisite Fairy Wrasse and Gold Midas Blenny on 11/22. Started feeding pellets, twice a day, using the Neptune Auto feeder on 11/24. The third feeding is Mysis shrimp.

Since then, I’ve noticed an increase in brown and hair algae on the sand bed and rocks.

Parameters:

• Nitrates 0 ppm
• Phosphates 0 ppm
• Calcium 426 ppm
• Alkalinity 7.9 ppm
• Magnesium 1240 ppm

Here is what I have done so far:

• 25 gallon water change. Brushed the hair algae off the rock while syphoning the water.
• Pellet feeding stopped yesterday.
• Used a turkey baster to blow some of the hair algae off the rock.

I have 4-5 emerald crabs, 10-12 hermit crabs, 10-15 various size snails, and a couple of conches.

Is there anything I should continue doing, stop doing, or is there something new I should try?

Thank you

 

[XNavyDiver]

Was your system started with dry rock? I only ask as what you describe (zero no3 and po4) seems to be a pattern with it. If so, it's just all a part of the tank still "breaking in".

 

[Fringe09]

Yes, I used Real Reef rock.

 

[Jason mack]

Sounds like new tank syndrome ..( the uglies) .. your tank is still young and Adjusting to your bioload even though small in that tank .. I would also raise your mag a little and be patient it will pass tanks can take months to cycle and settle down

 

[Fringe09]

Sounds like new tank syndrome ..( the uglies) .. your tank is still young and Adjusting to your bioload even though small in that tank .. I would also raise your mag a little and be patient it will pass tanks can take months to cycle and settle down

Thank you. Yes, mag will be raised. I’ll be patient.

Blowing algae with turkey baster is therapeutic.

 

[Jason mack]

I would also try and raise your no3 and po4 .. if they really have hit 0 your chances of developing dinoflagellates are bigger .. they will out compete the good bacteria in your tank resulting in an unbalance..

 

[Fringe09]

I would also try and raise your no3 and po4 .. if they really have hit 0 your chances of developing dinoflagellates are bigger .. they will out compete the good bacteria in your tank resulting in an unbalance..

I'm trying to raise it naturally by adding more fish. 200 gallon tank and I have 7 somewhat small fish. My biggest fish is the newest at around 3".

What would you suggest?

 

[Jason mack]

Feed more .. and like you said add more fish but slowly .. increase your bioload

 

[mcarroll]

@Fringe09 if you don't have your basic equipment set yet, remember that a microscope and lux meter both ought to be in there.....neither one has to cost more than $15 and both will eliminate a lot of potential (unnecessary) mysteries from reefing. Like "what is that brown algae?"

Selecting a microscope has some good details on the microscope, including the toy scope lots of folks (me included) are using as their started scope. Works fine up to 1200x. (No mistake it's a toy though....just happens to really work.) There are lots of other scopes listed from $50 up to more than you'd wanna pay so you can see some differences and decide if you want to buy in at a different level. But at minimum I'd suggest the toy.

With green algae growing I'm not sure I'd feed any more than you are. If you had nothing but brown algae and were using carbon dosing and GFO.....it would be a different story.....but I think you might actually be right about overfeeding a little.

Careful with that pellet feeder. In general I like auto-feeders, but your tank is very new so make sure you START VERY SLOW with it. Lots of feedings per day is what you want, but at this point in the tank's history those feedings should each be VERY SMALL.

And don't do anything to limit nutrients in the display....not even macro algae in the sump. A skimmer should be fine though.

Try to keep up with patience , manual methods and by throwing more clean up crew at the problem. (Throw them in small batches though ≤5 at a time IMO.)

 

[Fringe09]

@Fringe09 if you don't have your basic equipment set yet, remember that a microscope and lux meter both ought to be in there.....neither one has to cost more than $15 and both will eliminate a lot of potential (unnecessary) mysteries from reefing. Like "what is that brown algae?"

Selecting a microscope has some good details on the microscope, including the toy scope lots of folks (me included) are using as their started scope. Works fine up to 1200x. (No mistake it's a toy though....just happens to really work.) There are lots of other scopes listed from $50 up to more than you'd wanna pay so you can see some differences and decide if you want to buy in at a different level. But at minimum I'd suggest the toy.

With green algae growing I'm not sure I'd feed any more than you are. If you had nothing but brown algae and were using carbon dosing and GFO.....it would be a different story.....but I think you might actually be right about overfeeding a little.

Careful with that pellet feeder. In general I like auto-feeders, but your tank is very new so make sure you START VERY SLOW with it. Lots of feedings per day is what you want, but at this point in the tank's history those feedings should each be VERY SMALL.

And don't do anything to limit nutrients in the display....not even macro algae in the sump. A skimmer should be fine though.

Try to keep up with patience , manual methods and by throwing more clean up crew at the problem. (Throw them in small batches though ≤5 at a time IMO.)

Thank you for the information and tips. I don't see any green algae. Everything looks brown. I'll look into getting a microscope. I actually think my 8 year old has one.

I went from one feeding a day to three. The pellets that the auto feeder were dispensing was a lot and I had pellets all over the sand bed. Plus, my fish were not used to it. If it wasn't for my wrasse, I would of kept to one feeding a day.