Algea what am i doing wrong

[Junior84]

My tank is about a year and a half old 50 gallon lps and soft corals. My only filtration is a penguin 350 and a 200 with chemi pure in the 200 and poly filter in the 350 along with regular filter bags. I have two power heads that give good flow. I just got a UV sterilizer only been running about 2 days. I have 1 fire shrimp, 2 pepermint shrimp, snails, hermit crabs, 2 emerald crabs, 1 fox face, 2 clowns. Coral is just LPS and soft corals. Tank parameters Cal.-460
PH.-0.25
NIT-10 which is normal for me
KH-161.1
DKH-9
SALT-1 023-24
My problem is i have had a hair algae problem for about 6-8 months went away for a week and im thinking that the person taking care of my tank didnt turn the lights on all the way or something but after that week it was gone completely. That was in September this happened . I bought a couple more coral and a small piece of live rock in the last couple weeks. I switched my lights from LEDs to T5s and boom hair algae problem and i feel like theres a couple different kinds of algae . what the heck HAPPENED!!! I have been doing 10 gallon water changes weekly like always.

 

[Junior84]

Back wall

 

[Junior84]

It looks like green hair algae with red in it

 

[Junior84]

Then this on some of my live rock

 

[skiergd011013]

Try a phosphate reactor. I got one for the first time a few months ago. I saw a dramatic decrease in nuisance algae.

 

[mcarroll]

Switch the lights back and re-implement them with a better plan so the tank gets less of a shock.

With luck the algae will subside, but it's possible that if it's established it will not.

I would do that and see how it goes from there.

If there are any algae patches in spots that really are problems, you can knock those out with this: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/algae-cure-spot-treating-algae-with-peroxide.359887/

 

[Junior84]

I did read about dosing with that so im giving that a shot im just dosing the hole tank with 5ml to see if that does what some people say it does.

 

[Junior84]

I did try chemiclean last week and it did nothing . In the last 2 weeks i have done 30 gallons of water changes.

 

[Tahoe61]

Urchins, Abalone, Chitons, Cerith, Astraea and Turban will mow that down within a weeks, while you get a handle on the source of the problem.
How long is your lighting period, how old are the bulbs?
Have you tried some GFO, Phosguard?

 

[Junior84]

The bulbs are brand new ATI 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus. I started with 12 hours total 1 hour 2 blue+ then all 4 bulbs for 10hrs then 2 blue+ for last hour. I cut that way back last week to total 8 hrs strict on a timer.

 

[Junior84]

The only things i have tried is pulling it out by hand and scraper. Poly filters and the chemi pure. And running the chemiclean twice

 

[Junior84]

This and the chemiclean

 

[Tahoe61]

Then I would try some Phosguard or any GFO at a lower than recommended amount initially. Bulk up your algae eating members. Twelve hours of new T5 bulbs is too much right now until you get the nutrient levels under control.
Chemiclean is not going to do anything for algae other than cyanobacteria.
Looks like you have a good deal of detritus on the rock work, every time you do a water change blow off the detritus with a turkey baster before you actually change the water, siphon out what you can and clean all mechanical filtration such as pads afterwords.

 

[graffitireef]

Manually remove as much of it as you can. It may not be ideal at this point but consider upgrading to using a sump with protein skimmer. At the very least, use a HOB skimmer. Your tank has high phosphates and you'll need a better way of exporting them out of the tank. You could even try a hob refugium full of chaeto and offset the lighting schedule so that you light the refugium at night while the display lights are off in the tank.

 

[skiergd011013]

The bulbs are brand new ATI 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus. I started with 12 hours total 1 hour 2 blue+ then all 4 bulbs for 10hrs then 2 blue+ for last hour. I cut that way back last week to total 8 hrs strict on a timer.

You could even cut that down a bit more. Look at it this way. No reef on earth receives 8 hours of full on sunlight per day. realistically, strong sunlight hours are roughly 10am-3pm. I run similiar lighting to you, 7hrs per day, and im considering dropping to 6.

 

[Junior84]

Ok thanks guys i have a couple things to try now

 

[trido]

Looks to me like lack of filtration. Too much PO4 causing algae, and too much everything causing cyanobacteria. I agree with getting a skimmer, cut back on feeding. Maybe a juvenile Tang with the understanding that you will be getting rid of it in a year or two when it outgrows the tank. A larger cleaner crew with turbo snails will also help. Sometimes you have to throw money at a problem in this hobby. Simple better tank husbandry is a start, but better equipment and specific animals will also help.

 

[Ubergroover]

where you getting your supply water?

 

[Junior84]

Local fish store

 

[Ubergroover]

if you have a PO4 test kit test the water.....saltwater kits work on fresh water, but not vice versa.