ALGAE!!!

[bigpfist]

Still haven't gotten any answers about the algae in my fish tank...getting a little desperate now. All the parameters are within normal limits. I have a clown, 2 chromis, a 6 line wrasse, shrimp, crabs and snails in a Biocube32... two toadstools as well. Have had this algae problem pretty much since I started it in March! I do water changes with water from my LFS, running a protein skimmer, purigen and chemipure in my media basket. 5 gallon water changes once a week religiously!

Please help with any suggestions and thanks in advance!
-Mike

 

[TriggerFinger]

Hey Mike,
Please post your parameters; it looks like you might have black cyano which is caused by nutrient imbalances.
Also, the LFS water might not be the best to use. Are you able to set up an rodi to make your own water?

 

[Mikedawg]

Yep, sure looks like cyano. Consider a blackout and something like ChemiClean after siphoning out as much as you can.

 

[bigpfist]

Hey Mike,
Please post your parameters; it looks like you might have black cyano which is caused by nutrient imbalances.
Also, the LFS water might not be the best to use. Are you able to set up an rodi to make your own water?

Thanks for the quick response...pH 8.1, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all at zero, PO4 is 0 as well...as far as the minerals go I don't have the exact numbers (even though I just tested yesterday) but they are all appropriate for reef keeping. I don't want to invest in an RODI machine, but could get RO from the LFS and do my own water...do you think that's a good idea?

 

[bigpfist]

Yep, sure looks like cyano. Consider a blackout and something like ChemiClean after siphoning out as much as you can.

That's what I've been wondering...can you do a blackout with corals in the tank? I know they are pretty dependent on light. I've been running ChemiClean for a few months.

 

[Mikedawg]

What brand test kits are you using? Those parameter values dont seem consistent with pics

 

[Mikedawg]

That's what I've been wondering...can you do a blackout with corals in the tank? I know they are pretty dependent on light. I've been running ChemiClean for a

That's what I've been wondering...can you do a blackout with corals in the tank? I know they are pretty dependent on light. I've been running ChemiClean for a few months.

No problem with a three day blackout in almost all cases.

 

[bigpfist]

What brand test kits are you using? Those parameter values dont seem consistent with pics

API Saltwater test kit and Red Sea Foundation Pro

 

[Fishboy-1970]

Still haven't gotten any answers about the algae in my fish tank...getting a little desperate now. All the parameters are within normal limits. I have a clown, 2 chromis, a 6 line wrasse, shrimp, crabs and snails in a Biocube32... two toadstools as well. Have had this algae problem pretty much since I started it in March! I do water changes with water from my LFS, running a protein skimmer, purigen and chemipure in my media basket. 5 gallon water changes once a week religiously!

Please help with any suggestions and thanks in advance!
-Mike

Siphon out what you can and increase your flow. Get some blue leg hermits and Astra snails. One of each per gallon.

 

[bigpfist]

Siphon out what you can and increase your flow. Get some blue leg hermits and Astra snails. One of each per gallon.

Thanks, I'll check it out. I've been through a lot of snails; they mostly just head for the rocks and glass.

 

[Mikedawg]

API Saltwater test kit and Red Sea Foundation Pro

API kits are notoriously invalid; most reefers use Salifert, RedSea, Nyos or Hanna checkers. Maybe your LFS does water tests using better kits

 

[Mikedawg]

Bulk Reef Supply has a useful video on managing cyano on YouTube, and you'll find several more there as well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Reduce white light intensity, and siphon up cyano
Focus on your phosphate and nitrate levels which may be high.
add chemipure elite will help as it lowers the phosphate and nitrate levels and keeps it in check lowering the chance of cyano

 

[Mikedawg]

Something doesn't seem right. You apparently have good filtration, a cuc, regularly do 20% water changes, show 0 levels for nitrates and phosphates using RedSea test kits, and have used ChemiClean for past few months - all factors which would seem to control cyano.

Maybe it is another kind of organism, and, again I'd recommend trying a blackout to determine if it is photosynthetic and possibly knock it down.

Good luck

 

[SMSREEF]

0 readings for nitrate and phosphate are not good (if they are true 0). Algae and microbes that will compete with nuisance algae require some nitrate and phosphate.

 

[bigpfist]

Bulk Reef Supply has a useful video on managing cyano on YouTube, and you'll find several more there as well.

going to look it up now...thanks!

 

[bigpfist]

What does everyone think of Chemi-Clean? I found some info on it and it seems like it may be okay, haven't seen anything blatantly contradictory to using it. My friend above suggested it as well. I feel like I've done just about everything. A lot of the videos on youtube say to be patient and things take time, but this has been an eyesore for a long time!

 

[ThePurple12]

0 nitrate and phos aren't actually helping. If you raise them both a little, other "stuff" will be able to compete with the cyano.

 

[bigpfist]

0 nitrate and phos aren't actually helping. If you raise them both a little, other "stuff" will be able to compete with the cyano.

I saw that above that my "zeroes" may be harmful...I've heard a lot that phosphate and nitrate get dissolved in the cyano; still not sure if that is accurate. I decided to feed once more a day, I was only feeding once per day and very little.

 

[ThePurple12]

Sounds good. IME, cyano will go away within a few weeks even if you do nothing, good luck