Almost not detectable nitrate

[KingAh123]

After my water change last week 28-02-2022 I detected 0,05 mg nitrate in my tank.
Today my nitrate was almost non-detectable, my alkalinity has risen from 8 to 9 and phosphates are at <0.03 mg.
There is a lot of green hair algae in my tank I have left it since my tank is 4 months old and is just maturing.
The green hair algae and a few diatoms are still in my tank, it has been there for a month now.
So my questions are:
1. What is going on in my tank why are my readings so weird.
2. How long till the algae will disappear or do I have to get them out myself?

 

[Miami Reef]

Just because you have low nutrients doesn’t mean there isn’t nutrients in the tank. Commonly, the algae is taking up the nutrients before the test kit can detect them.

One very effective thing you can do is add a few tuxedo urchins and trochus snails. Keep your nutrients detectable at all times 0.03-0.12 ppm phosphates; nitrates 2-10ppm

In time, the algae will go away with tank maturity. Enjoy the algae! It’s a good thing!

 

[Timfish]

What else do you have in your system? A reef ecosystem depends on the fish and corals to help maintian the microbial balance. If all you started off with just dry rock and all currently only have is a couple fish and various nuisance algae that's pretty much all you going to have for a long time. See Aquabiomics's article on establishing healthy microbiomes. These videos may help too:

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" This video compliments Rohwer's book of the same title (Paper back is ~$20, Kindle is ~$10), both deal with the conflicting roles of the different types of DOC in reef ecosystems. While there is overlap bewteen his book and the video both have information not covered by the other and together give a broader view of the complex relationships found in reef ecosystems

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

 

[Screwgunner]

Your algea has depleted your nitrates and phosphates . You are going to have to remove as much as you can buy hand . Do you have a clean up crew. If not you will need one or it will just keep growing.

 

[KingAh123]

What else do you have in your system? A reef ecosystem depends on the fish and corals to help maintian the microbial balance. If all you started off with just dry rock and all currently only have is a couple fish and various nuisance algae that's pretty much all you going to have for a long time. See Aquabiomics's article on establishing healthy microbiomes. These videos may help too:

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" This video compliments Rohwer's book of the same title (Paper back is ~$20, Kindle is ~$10), both deal with the conflicting roles of the different types of DOC in reef ecosystems. While there is overlap bewteen his book and the video both have information not covered by the other and together give a broader view of the complex relationships found in reef ecosystems

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

I have 3 nassarius, 2 hermit crabs, 1 bicolor blenny and 2 clowns.

 

[KingAh123]

Just because you have low nutrients doesn’t mean there isn’t nutrients in the tank. Commonly, the algae is taking up the nutrients before the test kit can detect them.

One very effective thing you can do is add a few tuxedo urchins and trochus snails. Keep your nutrients detectable at all times 0.03-0.12 ppm phosphates; nitrates 2-10ppm

In time, the algae will go away with tank maturity. Enjoy the algae! It’s a good thing!

This is how it currently looks. It's a 125-litre aquarium (33 gallons) will it disappear over time how long could it take?
How many trochus snails do I need I have planned on adding some I love the fact that they can turn over by themselves.

 

[Lavey29]

This is how it currently looks. It's a 125-litre aquarium (33 gallons) will it disappear over time how long could it take?
How many trochus snails do I need I have planned on adding some I love the fact that they can turn over by themselves.

Cleaner crews don't do anything with long hair algae. You have to manually remove that. The cleaner crew will take care of low level type algae after that.

 

[SlugSnorter]

After my water change last week 28-02-2022 I detected 0,05 mg nitrate in my tank.
Today my nitrate was almost non-detectable, my alkalinity has risen from 8 to 9 and phosphates are at <0.03 mg.
There is a lot of green hair algae in my tank I have left it since my tank is 4 months old and is just maturing.
The green hair algae and a few diatoms are still in my tank, it has been there for a month now.
So my questions are:
1. What is going on in my tank why are my readings so weird.
2. How long till the algae will disappear or do I have to get them out myself?

GHA is likely sucking up nutrients,

This is how it currently looks. It's a 125-litre aquarium (33 gallons) will it disappear over time how long could it take?
How many trochus snails do I need I have planned on adding some I love the fact that they can turn over by themselves.

WOW thats a LOT of gha, you will have to deal with it by hand. Get some carbon, gfo and algecide like algaefix. If you do not have CUC, get 4 ceriths and one 2 super tongan nas, so your sandbed can get stirred up. You will likely have to feed them due to the fact next to nothing eats GHA like that though, only short new stubs.

 

[KingAh123]

GHA is likely sucking up nutrients,



WOW thats a LOT of gha, you will have to deal with it by hand. Get some carbon, gfo and algecide like algaefix. If you do not have CUC, get 4 ceriths and one 2 super tongan nas, so your sandbed can get stirred up. You will likely have to feed them due to the fact next to nothing eats GHA like that though, only short new stubs.

I have 2 hermits and 3 nas and a bicolor blenny.
What would be the most effective way of removing the hair algae?

 

[Lavey29]

I have 2 hermits and 3 nas and a bicolor blenny.
What would be the most effective way of removing the hair algae?

Using your hands

 

[SlugSnorter]

I have 2 hermits and 3 nas and a bicolor blenny.
What would be the most effective way of removing the hair algae?

Manual removal and chemicals. Your tank is exploding with it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Using your hands

strong siphon works too. I have used a coral spot feeder to suck up lots of GHA faster than by hand

 

[Miami Reef]

This is how it currently looks. It's a 125-litre aquarium (33 gallons) will it disappear over time how long could it take?
How many trochus snails do I need I have planned on adding some I love the fact that they can turn over by themselves.

You should take those rocks outside, scrub them off, then dip in a bucket of saltwater to dislodge the algae.

Then put rocks back into tank and add lots of snails and urchins.

 

[Lavey29]

strong siphon works too. I have used a coral spot feeder to suck up lots of GHA faster than by hand

Do you still pinch it off with your fingers first? Mine would not come off just with siphon. I wish it was that easy. Raising my magnesium over 1500 is killing it off now but also hurts my chaeto.

 

[KingAh123]

You should take those rocks outside, scrub them off, then dip in a bucket of saltwater to dislodge the algae.

Then put rocks back into tank and add lots of snails and urchins.

Just one problem there is one rock that my blenny hides in no matter what and he will stay in there I have tried lifting the rock to move it to a different location, he lives in and he won't come out.

 

[KingAh123]

Manual removal and chemicals. Your tank is exploding with it.

Are there any chemicals that work when there are inverts in the tank? Asking for future use.
I have just pulled the worst out so tomorrow I will scrub and syphon it out plus do a good water change.
Wish me luck.

 

[mdb_talon]

Wow thats a lot! I have been there before on new tanks though and i dont think it is as hard to overcome as it may seem. A toothbrush and a siphon hose to suck it up as it dislodges and you can take care of most of that in no time. Then add an urchin and let him go to town(though in a small tank he may not be a good option after he starts running out of food so may have to take him back to LFS at some point)

 

[Lyss]

This is how it currently looks. It's a 125-litre aquarium (33 gallons) will it disappear over time how long could it take?
How many trochus snails do I need I have planned on adding some I love the fact that they can turn over by themselves.

Yikes! Yep, that's why your nutrients are low -- the algae is using them. I had a similar thing happen with green cyano on my sand -- just be prepared for nutrients to go up once it has been eliminated, and you'll need to add something that can outcompete the algae. I did that by adding macroalgae to my DT, and building up corals.

Edit: So manual removal as best as you can, add CUC to mow down what's left after you've trimmed and pulled it all (trochus snails and ceriths would be a great addition), and maybe try adding some macroalgae. I do not use chemicals, ever, so this would be my more natural approach.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Are there any chemicals that work when there are inverts in the tank? Asking for future use.
I have just pulled the worst out so tomorrow I will scrub and syphon it out plus do a good water change.
Wish me luck.

Algae-fix and Vibrant (Vibrant is just price hiked Algae-fix)

 

[fish farmer]

I would manually remove that algae with some type of siphon tube, you could make one out of a stainless steel straw which may clog quick but can scrape better that a plastic tube.

Add a few more CUC, I like 3-4 trochus and a couple of Mexican turbos for that size tank, maybe one urchin.

Maintain a routine of water changes to help get the algae out.

Do you have a sump? If so think about a small refugium with chaeto.

My 29 gallon tank had looked like that before AND I beat it with CUC, frequent WC with manual removal and chaeto in the fuge. I did try GFO initially but it bottomed out my nutrients too fast.