Algae Problem Starting!!!....Any Advise?

Larry101 · Mar 24, 2020

I just recently added 2 ocellaris clown fish into my 15 gallon column tank just a couple of days ago. I cycled the tank for 2 months and didn't use the lights at all because I was afraid of an algae bloom. My CUC consists of 4 nasarrius snails, 2 trochus snails, and 3 cerith snails, but just today I realized one of my trochus snails was dead (he hasn't moved since I put him in the tank....and he smells). I am starting to have small spots of algae appear along my dry rock (I guess now live rock without coralline algae) and just today I noticed that there is a bit of film algae starting on my glass, what should I do? My nitrates are very low.

fish farmer · Mar 24, 2020

Do you have any pics?

You bound to have some algae in your tank. Film algae is pretty common on glass, buy yourself a magnet scraper.

Mr Fishface · Mar 24, 2020

Did you change much water after the cycle was done? If not you could have high nitrates and stuff that would fuel this algae to rapidly grow.

Larry101 · Mar 24, 2020

Here are some pics of the algae, I already have a magnetic scraper, but I just don't want this to turn into a big problem later on down the road.

Krully · Mar 24, 2020

Oh boy if this is getting you frightened I have some bad news for you, it gets MUCH worse. Kidding but not really, your rock will turn brown in a few days/weeks then it'll go away, it will then turn bright green for a while before it eventually turns purple-ish. Don't worry about that, you're experiencing diatoms which you didn't have before because no lights, it's all part of the cycling process with dry rocks!

Larry101 · Mar 24, 2020

Will this affect my fish at all? Also how long should I wait before adding corals?

Fishbird · Mar 24, 2020

Plus, now your trochus and cerith snails will actually have something to eat

Krully · Mar 24, 2020

Not at all do not worry, it's just your rock going through various stages of coloration, I started with the same thing as you more than a year ago I'll see if I can give you progress pick so you can see the difference.

As for corals I'd say since you've cycled two months you could start pretty soon with some easy ones like zoanthus etc... see how it goes and add more if all is well.

Larry101 · Mar 24, 2020

Oh, that's a relief. What about the algae starting by the sandbed line on the glass, is that apart of the rock cycling?

Krully · Mar 24, 2020

I added some pictures in the above post. First one is February, then April, then December (although the rock had that color for a few months already).

And yes that's normal your sandbed will get that brownish algae for a few days/weeks too.

Larry101 · Mar 24, 2020

Oh wow, your tank is very beautiful!!! Would running GFO help with this, or is it better to just let it run it's cycle?

Krully · Mar 24, 2020

Larry101 said:
Oh wow, your tank is very beautiful!!! Would running GFO help with this, or is it better to just let it run it's cycle?

Thank you so much, I'm actually starting to transfer it to a 75g now! I have no idea about the GFO but trust me it's literally what happens to everybody starting with dry rock, you just need to let nature do its job for a while! If you have crazy amounts of hair algae or cyano then you should ask for more advice but right now everything looks totally normal!

bsn_rn_cen · Mar 24, 2020

Going to have a lot of changes in your tank. Be diligent with your tank maintenance and you should be fine.

fish farmer · Mar 24, 2020

Larry101 said:
Oh wow, your tank is very beautiful!!! Would running GFO help with this, or is it better to just let it run it's cycle?

The best thing for you to do is start testing basic water parameters if you haven't started, Calcium, Alk, pH, and Nitrates and Phosphates. That will give you knowledge of what you should do with your tank. I wouldn't do anything to your tank now except feed your fish, run tests, then see if is ready for corals.

Michael Gray · Mar 24, 2020

Strap in and get ready for a ride ahaha. My tank started august 3rd and I've been battling all kinds of algae from diatoms, cyano to GHA to GHA again and now bryopsis. I'm hoping at the year mark it settles in lol. But it's been one heck of a ride for me

old salt reefer · Mar 24, 2020

Larry101 said:
Oh wow, your tank is very beautiful!!! Would running GFO help with this, or is it better to just let it run it's cycle?

Yes GFO would help get rid of the green algae and then give you Dinos which you really DON'T want,so no don't use GFO. Your going to have to vacuum(like once a week) the sand and get as much left over food and fish poop out as possible to keep from getting green algae. This and doing water changes helps keeps nitrates and phosphates low. It becomes a balancing act, if nitrates and phospate are too high you get lots of algae and if too low(zero) you can get Dinos. What I just said is very simplified. You have to see what works for you.
In my case I've gone bare bottom. It take a little longer to become mature(the tank) but it's much easy (IMO) to control nutrients.

Larry101 · Apr 4, 2020

Krully said:
I added some pictures in the above post. First one is February, then April, then December (although the rock had that color for a few months already).

And yes that's normal your sandbed will get that brownish algae for a few days/weeks too.

Hey, I just got my first few coral frags. Do you have any advise, I just love how your tank looks after the tank matured!!!

Krully · Apr 5, 2020

Congrats! Honestly this was my first tank so I didn't have more knowledge than you when I started, I barely ever dosed anything just weekly 10% water changes with Reef Crystals at first then I went with biweekly 20% changes. Just take things slow, I had two clowns for months before adding a third fish, I think it took me 8/9 months to get a 5th fish. Patience is key, I had a cyano outbreak for a month and a half and just kept removing it with a turkey baster and doing regular water changes, no chemicals added, went away on its own.

Larry101 · Apr 5, 2020

Krully said:
Congrats! Honestly this was my first tank so I didn't have more knowledge than you when I started, I barely ever dosed anything just weekly 10% water changes with Reef Crystals at first then I went with biweekly 20% changes. Just take things slow, I had two clowns for months before adding a third fish, I think it took me 8/9 months to get a 5th fish. Patience is key, I had a cyano outbreak for a month and a half and just kept removing it with a turkey baster and doing regular water changes, no chemicals added, went away on its own.

This morning when I woke up I went to check on my aquarium. This is the first morning I have had frags in the tank, and also the first time my tank has ever been cloudy besides cycling. What do you think the problem is? The only thing that changed was the drags were put in and I dosed a bit more of polyp lab one in my tank. That’s it.