Algae outbreak and SPS Bleaching with low nutrients in test

[akeesam]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here.. but have been lurking a long time looking at the beautiful tanks and hoping someday i reach there!!

Apologies in advance as this will be a long post, but i will really appreciate any help.

So i shifted transferred my 50 gallon tank to a new 75 gallon tank (36*24*20) with about a 30 gallon sump underneath. lately i have tried keeping some sps, after i bought the chiller. however none of them are doing well. ones i added were (small 3-4" colony of acropora nana, small frag of montipora spongedes. and a lime green monti cap. the fisrt two seemed to be doing great for a week, but suddenly i had an alage outbreak, the rocks are covered in dark green hair algae, right now the monti spongedes is nearly bleached but polys are still out, acropora has washed out pink/brown color with the tips covered in algae.

the parameters of the tank (all using salufert) - Calcium - 445, Alk - 8.7 (earlier it was close to 10 i brought it down in the last couple of days ), magnesium 1400, po4 - 0.03 (just below 0.03), nitrate 5ppm, temperatture 26.5-27.5 degree C.

Filtration - i am using about 50 kg or live rock. that came from the last tank. (the transfer was done within a few hours and i kept the rocks wet all along so i dont think i might have lost the bacteria population. about 35kg aragonite sand. Sump - 2 filter socks (herbie method, main drain and emergency drain), one bubble magus c3.5 skimmer (rated for upto 80 gallon), i am plannning to add another of the same, just unable to find a replacement venturi here. will be addign this soon. then the refugium,started a couple of weeks back with small ball of chaeto, it is growing well but have cyano also growing there and a little bit on the dt sand as well. and finally return.

Lights i am using 2 maxspect razors 120w and 130w. earlier i was running a long schedule but at lower intensities - 06:30 0%, 5%, 10:30 30%, 50%; 12:30 50% 50%; 16:00 50% 50%; 21:00 30% 70%; 23;00 0% 0%. However i realised the photo period could have been too long so for the past two days i have reduced the light period to start at 11:00 with the intensities nearly the same.

Now i really dont understand what is causing the issue, i am wondering if i should get a gfo reactor, however i read that corals could be losing color because of lack of nutrients. please help me with any suggestions and thanks a ton got your help!! ( will try to upload pics through my phone as i was somehow unable to do it through the mac)

 

[akeesam]

here are a few pics..

 

[Rick.45cal]

Calling the #Reefsquad

I don't think you're lacking nutrients. With .03ppm PO4 and 5ppm NO3 you should be ok. The high alkalinity and a sudden change in either direction can cause some nasty things in SPS.

 

[Joey waid]

I personally think you are chasing number and moving to quickly.

 

[Brew12]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here.. but have been lurking a long time looking at the beautiful tanks and hoping someday i reach there!!

Apologies in advance as this will be a long post, but i will really appreciate any help.

So i shifted transferred my 50 gallon tank to a new 75 gallon tank (36*24*20) with about a 30 gallon sump underneath. lately i have tried keeping some sps, after i bought the chiller. however none of them are doing well. ones i added were (small 3-4" colony of acropora nana, small frag of montipora spongedes. and a lime green monti cap. the fisrt two seemed to be doing great for a week, but suddenly i had an alage outbreak, the rocks are covered in dark green hair algae, right now the monti spongedes is nearly bleached but polys are still out, acropora has washed out pink/brown color with the tips covered in algae.

the parameters of the tank (all using salufert) - Calcium - 445, Alk - 8.7 (earlier it was close to 10 i brought it down in the last couple of days ), magnesium 1400, po4 - 0.03 (just below 0.03), nitrate 5ppm, temperatture 26.5-27.5 degree C.

Filtration - i am using about 50 kg or live rock. that came from the last tank. (the transfer was done within a few hours and i kept the rocks wet all along so i dont think i might have lost the bacteria population. about 35kg aragonite sand. Sump - 2 filter socks (herbie method, main drain and emergency drain), one bubble magus c3.5 skimmer (rated for upto 80 gallon), i am plannning to add another of the same, just unable to find a replacement venturi here. will be addign this soon. then the refugium,started a couple of weeks back with small ball of chaeto, it is growing well but have cyano also growing there and a little bit on the dt sand as well. and finally return.

Lights i am using 2 maxspect razors 120w and 130w. earlier i was running a long schedule but at lower intensities - 06:30 0%, 5%, 10:30 30%, 50%; 12:30 50% 50%; 16:00 50% 50%; 21:00 30% 70%; 23;00 0% 0%. However i realised the photo period could have been too long so for the past two days i have reduced the light period to start at 11:00 with the intensities nearly the same.

Now i really dont understand what is causing the issue, i am wondering if i should get a gfo reactor, however i read that corals could be losing color because of lack of nutrients. please help me with any suggestions and thanks a ton got your help!! ( will try to upload pics through my phone as i was somehow unable to do it through the mac)

Welcome to Reef2Reef, glad you decided to post!

How long has this tank been set up? It looks like you are going through some issues common with a new tank setup. I doubt your nutrients are too low, otherwise you shouldn't be seeing algae. Let's see if we can get a bit more help in here.

#reefsquad

 

[Sabellafella]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here.. but have been lurking a long time looking at the beautiful tanks and hoping someday i reach there!!

Apologies in advance as this will be a long post, but i will really appreciate any help.

So i shifted transferred my 50 gallon tank to a new 75 gallon tank (36*24*20) with about a 30 gallon sump underneath. lately i have tried keeping some sps, after i bought the chiller. however none of them are doing well. ones i added were (small 3-4" colony of acropora nana, small frag of montipora spongedes. and a lime green monti cap. the fisrt two seemed to be doing great for a week, but suddenly i had an alage outbreak, the rocks are covered in dark green hair algae, right now the monti spongedes is nearly bleached but polys are still out, acropora has washed out pink/brown color with the tips covered in algae.

the parameters of the tank (all using salufert) - Calcium - 445, Alk - 8.7 (earlier it was close to 10 i brought it down in the last couple of days ), magnesium 1400, po4 - 0.03 (just below 0.03), nitrate 5ppm, temperatture 26.5-27.5 degree C.

Filtration - i am using about 50 kg or live rock. that came from the last tank. (the transfer was done within a few hours and i kept the rocks wet all along so i dont think i might have lost the bacteria population. about 35kg aragonite sand. Sump - 2 filter socks (herbie method, main drain and emergency drain), one bubble magus c3.5 skimmer (rated for upto 80 gallon), i am plannning to add another of the same, just unable to find a replacement venturi here. will be addign this soon. then the refugium,started a couple of weeks back with small ball of chaeto, it is growing well but have cyano also growing there and a little bit on the dt sand as well. and finally return.

Lights i am using 2 maxspect razors 120w and 130w. earlier i was running a long schedule but at lower intensities - 06:30 0%, 5%, 10:30 30%, 50%; 12:30 50% 50%; 16:00 50% 50%; 21:00 30% 70%; 23;00 0% 0%. However i realised the photo period could have been too long so for the past two days i have reduced the light period to start at 11:00 with the intensities nearly the same.

Now i really dont understand what is causing the issue, i am wondering if i should get a gfo reactor, however i read that corals could be losing color because of lack of nutrients. please help me with any suggestions and thanks a ton got your help!! ( will try to upload pics through my phone as i was somehow unable to do it through the mac)

Hello! When you made the transfer, did you take the old sand with it?

 

[akeesam]

Hi thanks for the replies guys.. I did the transfer on Sept 2nd, used new dry sand, used the rocks from the old system and the media bags I had in the sump. The old tank was up and running for more than a year however at the time I was battling cyanobacteria. I was trying to dose hydrogen peroxide but it didn't help but I think I had an expired bottle. I tried to reduce the nutrients so I put a big bag of phosguard in the filter sock. Within a week the cyano was nearly gone.. A few more water changes and I was free of it.. my montipora spongedes stopped extending polyps around the time po4 had reached 0. So I removed the bag and now phosphates have come up a bit to 0.02

 

[akeesam]

I have this video on YouTube from a few weeks back when things were doing still OK. Hope this helps

 

[Sabellafella]

I have this video on YouTube from a few weeks back when things were doing still OK. Hope this helps

Tank is beautiful sir! Maybe some of the "unlive" surfaces like the sand havnt developed properly yet. Theres alot of good and bad bacteria strains that could possibly be competing with eachother. The sps may not like it as of now, id just give it all some time for parameters and such to stablize then start adding stuff. Try dipping the corals in an antiseptic/ disinfectant for now

 

[akeesam]

Thanks Sabellafella! Yes I had given them a dip in seachem reef dip to check if there are any parasites.. But nothing came off.. At this point I am not sure if I should do a few water changes to get rid of the nutrients or should I let the refugium do its job.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Sounds like you may have stripped the water too clean of PO4 with the Phosguard. You have to be careful with phosphate absorptive materials. Nitrogen starvation is bad for corals, but they can withstand it, it typically seems to manifest in a bleaching event. PO4 starvation however is much more serious to the coral and it's symbiotic algae. It can result in tissue loss in only a matter of hours. (RTN)

Then going from running near zero nutrients to a tank with nutrients in a brand new environment that hasn't had time to biologically mature, has resulted in an abundance of nutrients. You must have had some green algae present which has taken advantage of the situation. I'm with Sabellafella, your tank needs to stabilize and mature, there is no substitute for time!

The algae I would attack with a large and diverse clean up crew. I'd do my best to figure out what kinds you have and then work from there. I would also maintain my NO3 and PO4 where you have them and let the corals heal. With SPS there is a reaction to EVERY parameter shift in your tank, some good, some bad. As your knowledge of your personal livestock increases you will figure out which ones are very clear indicators that your nitrogen or phosphate levels are getting too low. Keep every parameter as solid as possible.

Good luck and keep updating the thread!

 

[akeesam]

Thanks Rick.. I think the corals must have had a shock with the change in nutrients.. I think I ll let the system mature for a while without much tinkering.. And try to keep the levels stable.. I have about 4-5 trochus snails and 2 scarlet hermits.. Think I will get a few more of those...

 

[Rick.45cal]

Thanks Rick.. I think the corals must have had a shock with the change in nutrients.. I think I ll let the system mature for a while without much tinkering.. And try to keep the levels stable.. I have about 4-5 trochus snails and 2 scarlet hermits.. Think I will get a few more of those...

The change in alkalinity probably has also contributed. Keeping it below 8 (I'd let it slowly deplete on it's own to get there) isn't a bad idea with SPS.

I'd beef your clean up crew substantially. They probably managed alright in a near zero nutrient environment, but will be outmatched in one with nutrients (clearly so). I highly recommend getting lots of cerith and dwarf cerith snails too. They tend to hide in the sand during the day but they are very efficient nocturnal feeders, and your tank can support lots of them. Trochus are great, Astreas are great additions too, hermits will probably consume more hair algae than the snails. I'm sure someone more CUC oriented than myself can chime in as well.