Algae Help and Coral Growth

[Oneofayykind]

So I've posted once before about a month ago regarding this bright yellow and now green algae in my tank. No fish currently in the tank but have two in my QT that I'm hoping to get in there in 3-4 weeks. Here are my current params

PH - 8.2
Nitrates - 2
Nitrites - 0
Ammonia - 0
dKH - 7.5
Meq/L 2.7

I dont have any other tests to measure calcium etc. but I plan on getting one today or tomorrow. I'm using Chroma Coral Color + 1ML per day along with Vibrant once a week, and have used twice a week as well at over 3ML each time. It now looks like I'm getting a new type of algae growing as well.

I appreciate any help! I'm trying to get my corals to grow better as they haven't been really growing at all since I've gotten them and the candy cane is bleaching itself. I believe it's because of calcium but won't know till I have a test kit for it. In the meantime what can I do to get rid of this ugly green algae? Any ideas what that new purple algae is? Maybe it's nothing?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So I've posted once before about a month ago regarding this bright yellow and now green algae in my tank. No fish currently in the tank but have two in my QT that I'm hoping to get in there in 3-4 weeks. Here are my current params

PH - 8.2
Nitrates - 2
Nitrites - 0
Ammonia - 0
dKH - 7.5
Meq/L 2.7

I dont have any other tests to measure calcium etc. but I plan on getting one today or tomorrow. I'm using Chroma Coral Color + 1ML per day along with Vibrant once a week, and have used twice a week as well at over 3ML each time. It now looks like I'm getting a new type of algae growing as well.

I appreciate any help! I'm trying to get my corals to grow better as they haven't been really growing at all since I've gotten them and the candy cane is bleaching itself. I believe it's because of calcium but won't know till I have a test kit for it. In the meantime what can I do to get rid of this ugly green algae? Any ideas what that new purple algae is? Maybe it's nothing?

UM I think the green is the new coralline algae coming in. the purple is coralline algae, its a good sign of a balanced tank.
the corals need food. No and Po are the dissolved foods. so you need those in there. My candy canes would shrivel every time i put GFO in the tank fwiw. GFO strips Po, phosphate.

not 100% sure but the chroma color stuff just seems to be bottled bacteria, or carbon dosing which lowers nutrients No and Po.
I dont think its actually a food.

 

[Oneofayykind]

I have been feeding them once in a while with oyster feast but maybe I should increase that?

 

[Oneofayykind]

Also actinics come in at 8am and go off at 8pm and and 10k comes on at 10am and goes off at 6pm.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have been feeding them once in a while with oyster feast but maybe I should increase that?

cant say. would need your Po levels.
running ultra low nutrints considered a ULNS ultra low nutrient system, those are a trick and honestly pretty advanced.
keep in mind corals eat light, solid food, and Nutrients absorbed from the water. so following these parameters is a good guide line, and most in soft coral tanks actually increase the nutrints a bit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What salt mix are you using?

If you are not supplementing alkalinity, then at that alk, the calcium levels has not dropped very much from where it started and is unlikely to be causing any problems.

 

[Oneofayykind]

I'm not supplementing alk. I'm using reef crystals currently.

 

[Oneofayykind]

Just tested calcium and got between 275 and 300 ppm using seachems test kit. I got calcion from brightwell aquatics and it raises calcium by 40ppm per 1 ML per gallon. I have a 29 gallon biocube. How would you best determine how to raise the calcium up to 425?

 

[stevo01]

UM I think the green is the new coralline algae coming in. the purple is coralline algae, its a good sign of a balanced tank.
the corals need food. No and Po are the dissolved foods. so you need those in there. My candy canes would shrivel every time i put GFO in the tank fwiw. GFO strips Po, phosphate.

not 100% sure but the chroma color stuff just seems to be bottled bacteria, or carbon dosing which lowers nutrients No and Po.
I dont think its actually a food.

+1 green coralline. Awesome!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Just tested calcium and got between 275 and 300 ppm using seachems test kit. I got calcion from brightwell aquatics and it raises calcium by 40ppm per 1 ML per gallon. I have a 29 gallon biocube. How would you best determine how to raise the calcium up to 425?

do you have a Po test?
fwiw ive sunk alk and cal without ill effect on those. not smart but i did it.

 

[Oneofayykind]

do you have a Po test?
fwiw ive sunk alk and cal without ill effect on those. not smart but i did it.

I don't have a PO test kit. I've got magnesium and strontium but no PO. Should I get one?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't have a PO test kit. I've got magnesium and strontium but no PO. Should I get one?

Oh yes. It's quite helpful. No and Po are your notirent.
I test No Po and alk much more than the rest actually

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just tested calcium and got between 275 and 300 ppm using seachems test kit. I got calcion from brightwell aquatics and it raises calcium by 40ppm per 1 ML per gallon. I have a 29 gallon biocube. How would you best determine how to raise the calcium up to 425?

That would be an error unless it was a bad batch of salt (which is much less likely). It cannot deplete that much without adding alkalinity.

 

[Oneofayykind]

I haven't done a water change in a few weeks. It won't deplete that much? What's the point of adding calcium then if I can just do water changes of 5 gallons every other week?

Also interesting that the test kit gave me similar readings both times.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I haven't done a water change in a few weeks. It won't deplete that much? What's the point of adding calcium then if I can just do water changes of 5 gallons every other week?

Also interesting that the test kit gave me similar readings both times.

It can deplete a lot, but in your case it didn't deplete that much. I can tell that because when it depletes, alkalinity must deplete, and a 150 ppm drop in calcium would necessarily be accompanied by about a 12 dKH drop in alkalinity. Your alk (and calcium) have dropped some, but not as much as your tests indicates it might have.

 

[stevo01]

Ive never used Seachems test for Ca. Whats the date on the test kit, and whats the test look like? Is it shades of color like API or like Salifert single color change like pink to blue?

 

[Oneofayykind]

Ive never used Seachems test for Ca. Whats the date on the test kit, and whats the test look like? Is it shades of color like API or like Salifert single color change like pink to blue?

Of course there is no date on the thing but I had to dust it off at my lfs. It was the only one they had. It's a single color change from pink to blue.

 

[stevo01]

Ok. After the color changes to blue wait a couple minutes and go back to it. I have an Elos Ca kit that is a little old and i have to wait a minute after the first initial color change. Then add a drop wait add a drop wait

I went from measuring 325 to 425, which made more sense to me.

 

[stevo01]

If your test stays blue that low the test might be faulty or you may have more going on.

 

[Bagorat78]

Type of water you are using? Check you are 100% confident of your test results.! Probably parameters are out of range and your test kit is giving you cero (0) reading. Try to dilute 5 ml of your water tank into 15 ml distilled water and check if you have a reading; this is just to discard you have over range values. It happened to me once. Regards