Algae help please. Just a quick question

[RJ F.]

I'm having an outbreak and I think it's due to overfeeding. I'm running phos ban now in my reactor.
Question: Can I keep lights running but not feed the tank for 3 days?

I've heard of a black out but I really dont want to do that. I wasnt sure if holding off food is a bad idea or not. Thank you in advance

 

[Robert_ellis]

I feed my fish every 2-3 days. You can go 3 days.

 

[NS Mike D]

There is so much to algae control. How old is your tank. what are the parameters. One of the maddening ironies in this hobby is that chasing low NO3 & PO4 we actually starve our corals and create an environment that favors nuisance algae and bacteria.

Some fish are sensitive to feeding patterns and need a steady small supply of food. I am mot a fan of withholding food from fish. BUT, we do tend to over feed them, so some will power is also needed to avoid falling for their constant begging.

IMO, the best way to keep algae at bay is to focus on growing healthy corals that will compete for nutrients and space, and don't overlook the algae nippers like tangs, tail spot blennies, tuxedos urchins, snails, crabs etc

 

[RJ F.]

Man I've been doing every day. Some things I read say twice a day. Lol so many ways

 

[RJ F.]

Parameters
Phos: undetectable ( I think cause algae)
Nitrate: 0
Am and trite: 0
Calcium: 380
Alk: 8
Sg: 1.025

Tank has been up for 2 1/2 months.

 

[NS Mike D]

Man I've been doing every day. Some things I read say twice a day. Lol so many ways

I edited my post to add this:


"Some fish are sensitive to feeding patterns and need a steady small supply of food. I am not a fan of withholding food from fish. BUT, we do tend to over feed them, so some will power is also needed to avoid falling for their constant begging. "


Your feeding should match your nutrients uptake and export. Feed your fish as recommended and adjust your nutrient uptake and export to keep NO3 and PO4 within your target range for the corals.

 

[NS Mike D]

Parameters
Phos: undetectable ( I think cause algae)
Nitrate: 0
Am and trite: 0
Calcium: 380
Alk: 8
Sg: 1.025

Tank has been up for 2 1/2 months.

What rest kits for NO3 and PO4


at zero, I beg to ask why you are using phos ban. and yes zeros often result in nuisance stuff and struggling corals

 

[NS Mike D]

if you aren't sure what to target, I am a fan of Red Sea's recommendations as a starting point (with all due respect to others that target different numbers)

https://www.redseafish.com/reef-care-recipes/

 

[RJ F.]

So how do you establish a base line of import and export?

So I have been feeding 1/2 cube mysis 2 days a week. Big pinch of flakes 3 days a week. Then a whole cube of mysis for fish and coral target feeding twice a week.

I have a 40 breeder with a 29 sump. Curve 5 elite, refugium, reactor with carbon (now has phosban).
1 purple firefish
Six line wrasse
2 snowflake clowns
Royal gramma
Bta
And various small corals

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Parameters
Phos: undetectable ( I think cause algae)
Nitrate: 0
Am and trite: 0
Calcium: 380
Alk: 8
Sg: 1.025

Tank has been up for 2 1/2 months.

I'm having an outbreak and I think it's due to overfeeding. I'm running phos ban now in my reactor.
Question: Can I keep lights running but not feed the tank for 3 days?

I've heard of a black out but I really dont want to do that. I wasnt sure if holding off food is a bad idea or not. Thank you in advance

What kind of algae are we talking about here? I agree with @NS Mike D, just reduce the amount you are feeding each day.

Get some algae eaters. 3 turbo snails wiped out the GHA in my tank in a couple of days.

You also need to clean up as much of the detritus from the tank as you can. This will help weaken any algae that you have. Also, remove as much of it by hand as you can. If you can remove rocks and scrub them in a bucket of clean saltwater, getting as much algae off as possible, you will help get rid of the outbreak. If you clean the rocks in the tank, the algae that breaks free will just find another place to take hold in you tank.

 

[RJ F.]

The reason behind me running phosban was to try and figure out what is feeding the algae. I've have read alot that says phos can read 0 because algae is using it up. I know that I have been feeding pretty heavy so that's why my thinking went there

 

[RJ F.]

But to be honest I'm using api tests and I know they aren't the best

 

[IslandLifeReef]

So how do you establish a base line of import and export?

So I have been feeding 1/2 cube mysis 2 days a week. Big pinch of flakes 3 days a week. Then a whole cube of mysis for fish and coral target feeding twice a week.

I have a 40 breeder with a 29 sump. Curve 5 elite, refugium, reactor with carbon (now has phosban).
1 purple firefish
Six line wrasse
2 snowflake clowns
Royal gramma
Bta
And various small corals

That may be a little heavy on the food with those fish. However, I don't know the size of the cubes of food that you are feeding or how big a pinch is to you.

 

[Robert_ellis]

Sounds like a little much for food.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

But to be honest I'm using api tests and I know they aren't the best

Do you have coral in the tank?

 

[RJ F.]

 

[RJ F.]

Yes. The corals are doing great. Full extensions and colors. They respond to feedings. Really happy with them.

I have picked out a bunch but the next day it's all back. I just purchased a CUC of snails. Astrea, nerite

 

[NS Mike D]

one last point. IMO, as based on reading hundred of threads on my algae battle, algae is just going to happen. Eventually, it should develop an ecosystem that will keep algae at bay. That includes lots of corals, billions of micro fauna, lot of nippers and a filtration system that matches the tank.

as for full disclosure, I bit the bullet today and pulled a good deal of rock out of the tank and did a H2O2 dip and scrub and ran an extra filter and massive powerhead to storm the tank for several hours. I am feeding my corals in addition to my fish daily and my NO3 at about 2 and PO4 at about 0.08 ppm. If nuisance algae comes with healthy corals, so be it. My tank is 3 years old and still a long way from where I think it needs to be with corals. I think of this process in terms of years and for now, until the corals cover the rock, scrubbing rocks is just part of what I need to do.

 

[Robert_ellis]

Have you tried not target feeding the corals? Just feed normal. I dont target feed and my coral are fine.

 

[NS Mike D]

But to be honest I'm using api tests and I know they aren't the best

API aren't sensitive enough for NO3 and PO4. You'll need to get better test kits for those two.

the red stringy stuff might be cyano. It's always in the water column. No one knows for sure what causes it to precipitate and mat up, but usually it's either high NO3 and PO4 of no to very low NO3 with PO4 present as it can take N from other sources and use it with the P whereas the corals cant use the PO4 if there is no NO3

blast, scrub, storm, siphon and welcome to the algae wars