Algae spreading like fire....what is this? How to remove it

[joe-ejs]

Hello. I have been battling an algae a few months in a small part of my tank. I went out of town for 10 days and came back to a full spread. At first I thought it was Turf algae, but maybe not. I am hoping for some guidance as to identify what type of algae this is, and what the best options are to get rid of it. I would really appreciate any help. It has wiped out most of my SPS. The specs you see is the coralline on my front glass from the last 2 weeks. I had not cleaned it before just taking these pictures.

Any help / advise is much appreciated.

 

[olonmv]

Looks like turf algae. I suggest a Mexican turbo snail. They devastate algae.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

It looks like it's on all the new surfaces, and frags including fresh dead coral skeleton. Going to need full background or atleast some current parameters, but it looks like a low nutrient environment and opportunistic algae taking hold, algae doesn't require allot to survive it can easily thrive in low nutrients when your corals perish its less and less out competing the algae, it grows and becomes stronger.

Is this different from the gha thread you started in January?

 

[joe-ejs]

It looks like it's on all the new surfaces, and frags including fresh dead coral skeleton. Going to need full background or atleast some current parameters, but it looks like a low nutrient environment and opportunistic algae taking hold, algae doesn't require allot to survive it can easily thrive in low nutrients when your corals perish its less and less out competing the algae, it grows and becomes stronger.

Is this different from the gha thread you started in January?

So you are correct..same algae and only worse...and Low Nutrient is still a problem. My Nitrates and Phosphates both still measure 0. Maybe I should dose Nitrate and Phosphate to get the nutrients up? If so, wont that just make it grow even faster? I seem to have a little confusion in my mind on how to approach this if low nutrients is the problem.

 

[Shibaken3]

So you are correct..same algae and only worse...and Low Nutrient is still a problem. My Nitrates and Phosphates both still measure 0. Maybe I should dose Nitrate and Phosphate to get the nutrients up? If so, wont that just make it grow even faster? I seem to have a little confusion in my mind on how to approach this if low nutrients is the problem.

ur just asking for more problems if u dose. manually remove or get a CUC ( urchin). the algae is sucking the nutrient once u remove the algae you'll see ur nutrients not getting absorbed.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So you are correct..same algae and only worse...and Low Nutrient is still a problem. My Nitrates and Phosphates both still measure 0. Maybe I should dose Nitrate and Phosphate to get the nutrients up? If so, wont that just make it grow even faster? I seem to have a little confusion in my mind on how to approach this if low nutrients is the problem.

Only my opinion but I've gone through this myself and although it seems to make sense that adding n03 and p04 would only fuel the algae, it helps the micro organisms reproduce and the whole system become healthy, im sure it feeds the algae too but I have done this with great results. It takes months if not 6, but eventually the algae will start to die off. Sure you can add bottle stuff for algae but that not the road I walk down.

I recommend to add liquid n03 and p04 and have measurable levels (I like brightwells recommend levels for this stage) for a few months without going over, so this requires a bit of testing. Don't listen to the whole " your N&P are much higher but the algae is consuming it" while that may be true it doesn't change what's in you water column, and that's what you need is more N&P in your water column, not more organic foods.

If you've tried everything I'd try that I know it has worked for me.

My opinion!!!! For the haters

 

[joe-ejs]

Only my opinion but I've gone through this myself and although it seems to make sense that adding n03 and p04 would only fuel the algae, it helps the micro organisms reproduce and the whole system become healthy, im sure it feeds the algae too but I have done this with great results. It takes months if not 6, but eventually the algae will start to die off. Sure you can add bottle stuff for algae but that not the road I walk down.

I recommend to add liquid n03 and p04 and have measurable levels (I like brightwells recommend levels for this stage) for a few months without going over, so this requires a bit of testing. Don't listen to the whole " your N&P are much higher but the algae is consuming it" while that may be true it doesn't change what's in you water column, and that's what you need is more N&P in your water column, not more organic foods.

If you've tried everything I'd try that I know it has worked for me.

My opinion!!!! For the haters

So I am going to try dosing as I have the liquid N03 and PO4 on hand. Specific to your comment about the Brightwell recommended levels for this stage, what are those levels or can you point me in that direction?

Thanks

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So I am going to try dosing as I have the liquid N03 and PO4 on hand. Specific to your comment about the Brightwell recommended levels for this stage, what are those levels or can you point me in that direction?

Thanks

Sure, they basically recommend a low nutrient environment. Here's the bottles instructions.

 

[joe-ejs]

Sure, they basically recommend a low nutrient environment. Here's the bottles instructions.

Ok, perfect!. Thanks...so one last question...so in your opinion does shutting lights off for a few days help to kill the existing algae, or am I better off manually removing?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Ok, perfect!. Thanks...so one last question...so in your opinion does shutting lights off for a few days help to kill the existing algae, or am I better off manually removing?

Mixed reviews on that, for me I don't want to disrupt my corals in order to disrupt algae they can exist together and should in a healthy reef. So I wouldn't turn off the lights unless your corals don't mind. For me it's just time, id also add some pods if you dont see a bunch on the glass and definitely remove what algae you can, that's when testing is important because the more you remove and the healthier your corals get, the easier it is for the N&P to rise as your still dosing, your dosing schedule may and probably will go from daily to every other day to maybe once a week, but basically test and dose and keep that range for as long as you can without going over or under, and you will see a difference..

IMO!!

 

[xiongsy]

H202

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Also I'd use the Hanna hr nitrate test and Hanna ulr phosphate test kit for this, only because that's what I've used successfully, but I'm sure there are other options that are just fine but this is what I used in this same situation and even now I run those once a month and dose .01ppm p04 to my 120 2× a week I don't touch nitrates but maybe once a month, but all of this is not concrete and is always changing with evolution of the system.

When Ryan from brs says hitting the moving target that's great advice, because it's always changing its never the same shot, it's truly a moving target, test and adjust.

That's how I see it

 

[joe-ejs]

Also I'd use the Hanna hr nitrate test and Hanna ulr phosphate test kit for this, only because that's what I've used successfully, but I'm sure there are other options that are just fine but this is what I used in this same situation and even now I run those once a month and dose .01ppm p04 to my 120 2× a week I don't touch nitrates but maybe once a month, but all of this is not concrete and is always changing with evolution of the system.

When Ryan from brs says hitting the moving target that's great advice, because it's always changing its never the same shot, it's truly a moving target, test and adjust.

That's how I see it

Ok thanks!

I do use Hanna Test Kits all around. Nitrate High Range and Phosphorous Low Range..so I will do a new round of tests and start slowwwlly...dosing ...will let you know what happens...thanks!

Also I'd use the Hanna hr nitrate test and Hanna ulr phosphate test kit for this, only because that's what I've used successfully, but I'm sure there are other options that are just fine but this is what I used in this same situation and even now I run those once a month and dose .01ppm p04 to my 120 2× a week I don't touch nitrates but maybe once a month, but all of this is not concrete and is always changing with evolution of the system.

When Ryan from brs says hitting the moving target that's great advice, because it's always changing its never the same shot, it's truly a moving target, test and adjust.

That's how I see it

ThanmanMIKEson: quick question...is it ok to does Neophos and NeoNitro at the same time, or should I do it a few hours apart, or more hours apart? Didn't see anything in the instructions if I can dose them at the same time, etc..

Also, it suggest to also add Microbacter7..did you happen to do that?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Ok thanks!

I do use Hanna Test Kits all around. Nitrate High Range and Phosphorous Low Range..so I will do a new round of tests and start slowwwlly...dosing ...will let you know what happens...thanks!

ThanmanMIKEson: quick question...is it ok to does Neophos and NeoNitro at the same time, or should I do it a few hours apart, or more hours apart? Didn't see anything in the instructions if I can dose them at the same time, etc..

Also, it suggest to also add Microbacter7..did you happen to do that?

I do them one after another into the sump, I don't think there is an issue.

yes was using microbacter7 at that time and still do on occasions, but I don't know that to be the deciding factor as much as having a healthy system for a few months with detectable nitrates and phosphates.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

Pods? Try a couple jars. This will help regulate algae

 

[joe-ejs]

Pods? Try a couple jars. This will help regulate algae

Are tigger pods a good choice or something else ?

 

[olonmv]

Gonna mention it once more only because it worked so well for me just recently. A $3 Mexican turbo snail completely wiped out my GHA in less than a month. They are very good herbivores. I was able to completely stop manual removal once the snail took over.

 

[joe-ejs]

So I have been dosing NeoNitro and NeoPhos for a week now. I have been able to get the Nitrate elevated and steady around 2.5. Phosphates increase is a challenge to get a reading above 0. Most likely the large amount of algae (turf?) is consuming most of it as fast as I add it. I have been trying to manually remove it but this algae is very short in lengh making it hard to remove. I will continue to manually remove. Meanwhile, assuming this is a turf type algae, is there anything I can add to help remove it a little faster?

Again, my real cause I believe is my tank nutrients dropped out, causing the algae growth. I am doing NO4 and PO4 to elevate levels to fix the problem long term.

Would Reef Flux or some other product help to remove some of the algae? I am concerned the algae will continue to grow in the areas (many) where I can't manually remove it.

Lastly, I have 3 primary rock structures that I made that make up about 90% of my rock. So I cannot remove them from the tank to scrub them. So that is not an option for me.

 

[NWUKReefer]

any update as I quite enjoyed reading this thread, as a new member to the reefing community I'm trying to learn as much as possible before I start my tank.