Algae With 0 Nutrients

sundog101 · Mar 1, 2017

I'm trying to raise my nutrient levels. The problem is I get algae and still no nutrients. N03 and p04 read zero.

The tank is an im nuvo 40. I have a skimmer and filter socks and dose nopox. I only have softies and they are not doing so well with the nutrients bottomed out.

I've backed off the nopox lately, and I just get algae. I've let it go, but now it's getting a little much, and there is still no increase in levels. I use salifert tests and a Hanna checker.

So the algae is taking up the nutrients before it can be tested for, to my understanding. How can I make sure those nutrients go to the coral and not the algae?

Any ideas?

bios · Mar 1, 2017

sundog101 said:
I'm trying to raise my nutrient levels. The problem is I get algae and still no nutrients. N03 and p04 read zero.

why don't you feed with live phyto that's excellent for softies and don't increase nutrients level it also give stability to your tank reducing algae growth

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 1, 2017

sundog101 said:
So the algae is taking up the nutrients before it can be tested for, to my understanding.

kinda yes, plus they are sucking up the nutrints. They can live with basically NO detectable nutrints.

sundog101 said:
How can I make sure those nutrients go to the coral and not the algae?

You really have to kill the algae. bottom line. If the nutrints are super low, for the common baddies, manually remove as much as possible and add a bunch of snails. For specific problem algaes(bryopsis) you'll need a stronger treatment.

sundog101 · Mar 1, 2017

Alright, luckily it's not bryopsis. I believe its chlorodesmis mixed with just common hair algae.

I can "drop" the nutrients to kill the algae which I've played around with, but I'd rather not have 0 levels. It's like if there's anything in the tank, the algae loves it.

How do people have high nitrate problems? Haha! I can't get any!

sundog101 · Mar 14, 2017

I have another question:
Will algae grow to point that it consumes all of the resources (n03&p04)? Lets say you put in 5ppm nitrate and remove 3ppm through nutrient export to keep a level of 2ppm? Why, in most tanks, does algae not grow and take up the 2ppm when it's available?

By the way, I've kept cutting back on the nopox and have pretty much a full algae outbreak now. Never saw any nutrients. I think its time to bring the dose back up.

rayn · Mar 14, 2017

sundog101 said:
I have another question:
Will algae grow to point that it consumes all of the resources (n03&p04)? Lets say you put in 5ppm nitrate and remove 3ppm through nutrient export to keep a level of 2ppm? Why, in most tanks, does algae not grow and take up the 2ppm when it's available?

By the way, I've kept cutting back on the nopox and have pretty much a full algae outbreak now. Never saw any nutrients. I think its time to bring the dose back up.

Yes. I had a cold water tank at one point and the inhabitant liked a muddy, grassy bottom. I let the tank go and it was COVERED in hair algae. I mean you could reach in and grab hand fills of it. Fish loved it and slept in it, and it waved in the current oh so nicely.

But my levels were always 0.