Algae Help

[ainswokp]

Hi,

just got back into the hobby after keeping FO saltwater for some time 20 years ago. Not my first choice but we started a 3 gallon pico that was gifted to my kids by my father in law. Added 4 lbs of mature live rock from LFS, Parameters are 1.025 salinity, 8 dKH, 8.2 ph, 0 phosphate 0 nitrate 450 calcium. Added 3 Scarlett red hermits after week one, and first coral a GSP after 3 more weeks. Suddenly, explosion of algae. I already hate this tank because it’s so small everything reacts drastically to any change, and just having my hand in the tank basically displaces a third of the water. I think it’s inevitable we will upgrade to a 30 gallon or more (we actually have an empty 75 in our basement), but before then I want to see if I can tame this mini reef.

need help on the ID, algae is stringy red/brown, air bubbles. Back wall is mostly greenish, rest of the tank is red hair almost cyano looking. Is this Dino? There is a good amount of flow in the tank, in fact maybe too much. I also use RODI. Made a point to leave things dirty for these photos.

made a couple snails worth a try here?

 

[Johniejumbo]

It looks kinda like hair algae. Kinda hard to tell in the pics really. It’s a young tank so random blooms of algae may tend to happen. Hopefully some more eyes will find the thread and be of more help.
mare you using RODI water to mix the salt up with and for top off water? Are you feeding the tank anything? I had to scrub hair algae off my rocks for a few months before I got the upper hand on it. Can you get a good pick fairly close with just white light on? It may help to ID it.

 

[Johniejumbo]

I see you use RODI disregard that question.

 

[ainswokp]

I see you use RODI disregard that question.

maybe these videos will work better

 

[Johniejumbo]

maybe these videos will work better

Hmmm I can seem to get them to play.

 

[ScottB]

Yeah, pico keepers are a brave bunch; dilution solves for a lot. My guess is that nutrients built up to the point where the algae explosion took place. Then the algae consumption of nutrient outpaced what you were putting in, causing nutrient levels to fall NO3=0, PO4=0. That is then a catalyst for dinos to come in. My guess.

Do you have just the damsel in there or are there other fish? For one fish, you'd only need to feed 2 pellets a day.

You could try the simple dino test.

Take a sample of water and gunky stuff in a jar.
Seal and shake like crazy.
Pour the cloudy water through a coffee filter and into a clear glass container.
Place container under a bright light source for 1 hour.

If the stuff clumps back together, it is dinos.

In any case, I think you should do a rip clean per @brandon429.
If you have confirmed dinos, I would dose the tank with nitrates and phosphates to 10 and .1 respectively.

 

[brandon429]

agreed two options exist: work the tank from within and clean nothing, see if it abates.

2. clean the tank 100% invasions free, work to prevent growback. can choose either way

 

[ainswokp]

Another change tonight. I think I have to just work on water quality and let it run its course. We acquired an Azure Damsel from a friend that was having aggression problems, and although the algae began before the damsel, I'm wondering if the added ammonia is going to be a problem. Feeding very little frozen brine now. Part of me wants to pick up a 29 gallon tomorrow part of me wants to see if a tank this small is possible. Damsel can easily be relocated. Im wondering if a couple snails is worth a try given the size of the tank, presumably it could be covered relatively quickly. The scarlett hermits seem more interested in brine.

I should have added before I am running chemipure blue and phosguard in the media chamber.

 

[ainswokp]

Not Dino based on the Dino test. Picked up 6 margerite snails and so far they are mowing threw it. GSP has closed as hermits we’re eating algae off it. My plan is to keep this tank going without adding anything else until I get the 75 gallon we own operational, then possibly repurposing this as a refugium for that tank.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Not Dino based on the Dino test. Picked up 6 margerite snails and so far they are mowing threw it. GSP has closed as hermits we’re eating algae off it. My plan is to keep this tank going without adding anything else until I get the 75 gallon we own operational, then possibly repurposing this as a refugium for that tank.

Margarita snails generally do not last long in our systems, they're not cold water per say, but they live in colder water than we run our reefs at.

How much and how old is the sand? IME with picos/reef jars the sand can quickly become an impediment if not thoroughly washed periodically.

 

[ainswokp]

Now I’m being sucked down the rabbit hole of information regarding the temperate nature of these snails. I seem to recall keeping these in the 90s with no problems but back then I know my FO tanks were in the lower 70s, evidenced by some of the heaters I dug out of storage. The futile thing about this is even if I return the snails they’ll never find a proper home anyway.

 

[kyleinpdx]

Now I’m being sucked down the rabbit hole of information regarding the temperate nature of these snails. I seem to recall keeping these in the 90s with no problems but back then I know my FO tanks were in the lower 70s, evidenced by some of the heaters I dug out of storage. The futile thing about this is even if I return the snails they’ll never find a proper home anyway.

More a warning for future CUC replenishment.

 

[ainswokp]

Update on this - consistently 35% (1 gallon haha) water changes per week seem to have us on course. Tank starting to look a lot better and I have algae growth but it’s slow enough that it only starts to look grimy the day before I do my change. However I have two new questions.

All of my parameters look good - consistently 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate, 1.026 ppm and 10 dKH. However my calcium is always sky high, never seen it below 520 and it’s usually 550. Only thing I am running in the tank is chemi pure blue and phosguard. Is this purely from my salt mix? I’m using reef crystals. pH and dKH have not been erratic, both typically 8.1 and 10 respectively. Is it possible that I just need to get some corals in there to absorb the calcium? Coralline seems to be winning the overall algae war.

In terms of corals we only have a single GSP frag that looked terrible for 3 weeks and now looks excellent as I have done quite bit searching for the right pump, and with the algae receding the crabs and snails aren’t on the GSP all day and it’s nice and open. I know GSP also grows like wildfire so part of me wants to get a few more things in there before it’s a green cube. I was thinking a couple zoa frags, a Xenia, and a acan, and possibly a hammer. Is this a good plan for the novice or should I keep waiting due to the high calcium? Everything else has been very consistent.

 

[Bryn]

Have you tested your salt mix for Ca? You could just dose Alk, and wait for the Ca to come down, which will take a long time considering how much Ca is in a tank compared to Alk.

Yes GSP (Green Star Polyps) do grow like a weed, maybe place them on their own rock island. Xenia have their own problems, but right now this is a small test tank so go with the flow, please excuse the pun, non intended. I think the tank from the basement might be coming out sooner than later.... ;Woot

 

[ScottB]

Update on this - consistently 35% (1 gallon haha) water changes per week seem to have us on course. Tank starting to look a lot better and I have algae growth but it’s slow enough that it only starts to look grimy the day before I do my change. However I have two new questions.

All of my parameters look good - consistently 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate, 1.026 ppm and 10 dKH. However my calcium is always sky high, never seen it below 520 and it’s usually 550. Only thing I am running in the tank is chemi pure blue and phosguard. Is this purely from my salt mix? I’m using reef crystals. pH and dKH have not been erratic, both typically 8.1 and 10 respectively. Is it possible that I just need to get some corals in there to absorb the calcium? Coralline seems to be winning the overall algae war.

In terms of corals we only have a single GSP frag that looked terrible for 3 weeks and now looks excellent as I have done quite bit searching for the right pump, and with the algae receding the crabs and snails aren’t on the GSP all day and it’s nice and open. I know GSP also grows like wildfire so part of me wants to get a few more things in there before it’s a green cube. I was thinking a couple zoa frags, a Xenia, and a acan, and possibly a hammer. Is this a good plan for the novice or should I keep waiting due to the high calcium? Everything else has been very consistent.

IORC salt mixes very high on both ALK and Ca. Don't sweat about the high Ca levels. Mine are always 500+ so I don't even test for it anymore. Does not hurt anything. You may want to calibrate or double check your refractometer, but the numbers don't surprize me.

Your proposed stock list looks fine to me. Xenia can also spread rapidly so take care to separate that just like the GSP.

I would suggest that you learn what levels of ALK, NO3 and PO4 those animals are being raised in. I always try to buy from those vendors that keep those levels similar to mine.

 

[Bryknicks]

The last photo here looks like bryopsis algae on the top left. This is a pain to remove, most people have to resort to fluconozole as most CUC will not touch it.

 

[ainswokp]

I did have bryopsis. I had almost every (and still do) which is impressive given how small the tank is. This process has really made me appreciate the attention to detail in cycling / QT / testing that you just don't get from a history of FO tanks. LR I bought from the LFS is loaded with aiptasia which is my new battle. Algae is really curbed, meaning in the 7 days that pass between water changes I have very little growth, really don't even have to scrape the glass. Once the snails kick the bucket assuming they do I will likely replace with a few Trochus. Although I have the cash flow to upgrade we are going to keep rolling with 2.9 gallons of chaos because I'm learning too much to stop now. New pump coming today so hopefully I can get the hydor out of the tank I currently need for flow. If parameters stay in line likely pick up a few corals next week.

 

[ainswokp]

Currently