Algae in Refugium?

[anonomous09]

I came back from a week away to a very strange outbreak in my refugium. It almost looks like something exploded. Any guesses?

 

[G_Lows]

Kinda looks like cyano. Better there than in the display! I get some in my fuge. I think it is because of low flow and spectrum of light.

 

[anonomous09]

Well the display had a light brown algae that would over the sand every day. I added carbon and did some water changes before leaving for a week. I also came back to what I think is green hair algae.

 

[G_Lows]

Is the tank relatively new?

 

[anonomous09]

Yes, the tank was started the fist week of June!

 

[G_Lows]

I would say the tank is still working itself out. Just keep up on the water changes and siphon that stuff out. My tank was set up in January. I thought all was well so I cut back on the water changes in June. It was all down hill from there with algae and inconsistencies. Started back up on weekly 10-15% water changes and it looks great now. The light brown algae was also probably diatoms which is normal for newer tanks!

 

[anonomous09]

Thanks! The green seems to grow pretty quickly throughout the day. I have been doing water changes weekly. Also running a carbon reactor and UV sterilizer.

 

[dwest]

I came back from a week away to a very strange outbreak in my refugium. It almost looks like something exploded. Any guesses?

I see chaeto, some green hair algae on the second pic, and cyano. All good and normal.

 

[anonomous09]

Thanks for the affirmation! The water seems like it is losing it's clarity as well. Should I feed the normal amount I have been feeding the last couple of months?

 

[G_Lows]

I would check parameters and adjust feeding around that. The ultimate goal is to feed enough for the fish to be healthy and keep nitrate and phosphate stable

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Carbon should help with water clarity. It maybe time to change it out. I recommend checking ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate. You want stable nutrients, nitrates and phosphates, but not zero.

 

[anonomous09]

I've come back to one feeding a day and have the skimmer "bubble point" much higher in the neck. I had to handle a work trade show this weekend and came back to my rocks growing long flowing locks!

 

[anonomous09]

Phosphate is hovering around .01 but it still seems to grow thicker.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

What are the nitrates?

 

[anonomous09]

What are the nitrates?

According to my Nyos test, 5.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

So your nutrients aren't crazy but at a good level actually. That trochus snail should help eat the hair algae. They are much better at it if you keep it short with manual removal/pruning.

Algae happens and is part of maturing a tank. But it's a good reason to get herbivores. I've heard rabbit fish eat just about any algae except dinos and calcarious macros. If your tank isn't larger enough then stick with snail like trochus, ceriths, and gold ring cowries. They all eat hair algae, film algae, and cyanobacteria.