Another Algae Problem Thread

[Liquid360]

At the moment I have a 93g corner tank with a 30g sump. I'm running an NYOS 160 skimmer, a Geosreef fluidized reactor with GFO, an MP40, and chaeto and mangroves in the sump which also has Kessil H80 lighting. The DT has one 250w halide and one Kessil a360. I couldn't decide between LED or Halide so went with both. This tank has been running for a couple years. It's gone through cycles as they all do, but I can't get rid of the green algae to save my life. It grows dense and fast. I feed the tank frozen mysis and pellets daily. I grow my own Nannochloropsis. I also feed reefroids 3x week. I have loaded the sump with pods, both amphipods and copepods. My numbers are stable and show nothing special. I use RedSea Pro salt. I change 30/g per week and water is always RO. I control what I can manually with turkey baster and brushes. Also, I can't keep a chalice alive to save my life. They all end up looking like this...
When I add a new rock to the tank, it turns green within two weeks.

 

[malira]

I don't have any answers but that looks like my 10g tank. The rocks have all those white dots also. I've never found out what those were.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I love your lighting set up. How much of a snail crew do you have?

Also is it ro or rodi? My first thought was it visually it exhibits the signs of bad water. Ro is 50/50

 

[Liquid360]

I love your lighting set up. How much of a snail crew do you have?

Also is it ro or rodi? My first thought was it visually it exhibits the signs of bad water. Ro is 50/50

Thanks! It is just ro water. I suppose having it tested is a good first step. For clean up crew I have a couple HUGE turbo snails, a few emerald crabs, and a sally light foot crab. I think my second step might be sending a water sample off for a complete testing. I really need/want an answer.

I gotta say, I'm half tempted to remove all the live rock in the display, place it in a dark trashcan, and start over.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks! It is just ro water. I suppose having it tested is a good first step. For clean up crew I have a couple HUGE turbo snails, a few emerald crabs, and a sally light foot crab. I think my second step might be sending a water sample off for a complete testing. I really need/want an answer.

I think money(its not mine I know) would be best spent on a used rodi. I got mine from local reefers/craigslist. it really does take a whole lot of variables out of the problem.
On snails, thats a big tank for just a couple large snails. Big snails wont get into small cracks. Also different snails eat different stuff.

FWIW, IF the water is bad, its killing off good stuff that would normally out compete the bad stuff.

 

[Liquid360]

I think money(its not mine I know) would be best spent on a used rodi. I got mine from local reefers/craigslist. it really does take a whole lot of variables out of the problem.
On snails, thats a big tank for just a couple large snails. Big snails wont get into small cracks. Also different snails eat different stuff.

FWIW, IF the water is bad, its killing off good stuff that would normally out compete the bad stuff.

I drive a TINY sports car and the nearest aquarium shop with that water is a solid 30min drive. To replace 130g of water would be VERY tough at maybe 20g per trip. I'm guessing distilled water from Walmart wouldn't be any better?
I seriously wish I could afford two cars since my one car is pretty useless, but was the dream car of my youth. There are times when impractical trumps practical [emoji4]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I drive a TINY sports car and the nearest aquarium shop with that water is a solid 30min drive. To replace 130g of water would be VERY tough at maybe 20g per trip. I'm guessing distilled water from Walmart wouldn't be any better?

I got bad water from my favorite trusted LFS for a while. With normal wcs and new topoff water it took only 30 days to see improvement. FWIW, at the time I was ONLY using their water for top off.

I have a tiny house, so I have my rodi in a bin I can keep in the garage and make water once a month. 90min per 5g.

Thes is one walmart brand some recommend, I honestly dont know what it is.

How are you getting water now? you have a small RO unit?

 

[Liquid360]

I got bad water from my favorite trusted LFS for a while. With normal wcs and new topoff water it took only 30 days to see improvement. FWIW, at the time I was ONLY using their water for top off.

I have a tiny house, so I have my rodi in a bin I can keep in the garage and make water once a month. 90min per 5g.

Thes is one walmart brand some recommend, I honestly dont know what it is.

How are you getting water now? you have a small RO unit?

I have an under counter R/O unit by AQUAfx, a three stage filter. I might, as an experiment, try grabbing 20g at a time from the LFS and just store it till I have enough. If scrubbing the rocks and keeping them in the dark doesn't work... I'll go insane [emoji4]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have an under counter R/O unit by AQUAfx, a three stage filter.

Your half way there! all you need it to add the DI stage! thats CHEAP!!!
Look at the brs videos and Melevs videos. you wont have to add the ro part.

 

[Liquid360]

Your half way there! all you need it to add the DI stage! thats CHEAP!!!
Look at the brs videos and Melevs videos. you wont have to add the ro part.

I just placed an Amazon order. Much thanks! I hope this is it!!

AquaFX Add-On DI Filter, 10" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SG6IORQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IQjizbJTFDYS8

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I just placed an Amazon order. Much thanks! I hope this is it!!

AquaFX Add-On DI Filter, 10" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SG6IORQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IQjizbJTFDYS8

I think you got it. Im not super familiar with those.

I also bought one of these. $7
https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Magi...UTF8&qid=1495309305&sr=1-5&keywords=tds+meter

check out Brs for your refills, they should be the same, I believe thet are all the same and were the cheapest.

Im glad that was easy!

 

[timnem70]

Couple other things i am seeing. Looks like that tank is right next to a window? Natural light will increase the chances of green algae. 2, you may not have enough flow in that large of a tank. Whats in your sump? It should be out competing the dislplay in algae or removal of phosphates. These things and the obvious that others are pointing out with water quality will be a game changer I'm sure. Keep posting progress and best of luck.

 

[Liquid360]

Couple other things i am seeing. Looks like that tank is right next to a window? Natural light will increase the chances of green algae. 2, you may not have enough flow in that large of a tank. Whats in your sump? It should be out competing the dislplay in algae or removal of phosphates. These things and the obvious that others are pointing out with water quality will be a game changer I'm sure. Keep posting progress and best of luck.

That's a bit of an optical illusion. The tank sits next to a windows which sees very little light and the blinds are pretty much always closed, not enough stray light to cause an algae breakout in all sections of tank. I'm praying it's the water quality issue, ironic since I've tried so hard and spend so much money on water quality. With an di filter I'll enjoy at least some algae free times. There's so much beautiful Coral I want and plan to buy....

What are your thoughts on my inability to keep a chalice alive? Could it be related to this since I've had no problem keeping anything else alive?

Oh and the flow, because of the shape of the tank and the fact no rock touches any side, getting good current is FAR easier than in a rectangular reef. I had been running the MP40 and an MP10, but a couple days ago the MP10 died. I'll be s bring it back to ecotech for repair. The single MP40 creates quite a bit of current. It's a seriously strong water mover. The green algae is growing most densely, on that doughnut shaped rock directly in front of the MP40 where current is insanely high.

 

[Liquid360]

You can see all the green clearer in this video. You can also see how much my purple tang HATES my using this tool. I mean she HATES HATES HATES that tool.

 

[Cory]

You can see all the green clearer in this video. You can also see how much my purple tang HATES my using this tool. I mean she HATES HATES HATES that tool.

Lol what a cool tang.

About the algae, i feel your pain. Algae can be really hard to overcome.

Have you measured no3/po4?

If it were me id do a couple of things. First get the deion part to your ro. Second id get a couple of sea urchins to eat it. Third id start running a phosphate remover that works well, imo Rowaphos is the best. Fourth id set up an algae turf scrubber to lower the cost of rowa. The ats will keep it low, but not very low po4. Thats why you need the rowaphos too.

 

[Maacc]

From your video and what you are describing, first I agree with Salty, the di will be huge and definitely get a tds meter. This totally depends on your water pressure and tds in. For example if you have 600 tds water coming in and only 40 ish water pressure you could easily have 15-20 tds coming out.
From that blow off video I see quite a bit of detritus, you might want to consider a jebao power head just to blow off the rocks or I use an mj1200 power head with a Julian Sprung's thing tipto concentrate the flow to get into the rock work deeply and really blow it out. Both of those things together could really help you out.

 

[Liquid360]

From your video and what you are describing, first I agree with Salty, the di will be huge and definitely get a tds meter. This totally depends on your water pressure and tds in. For example if you have 600 tds water coming in and only 40 ish water pressure you could easily have 15-20 tds coming out.
From that blow off video I see quite a bit of detritus, you might want to consider a jebao power head just to blow off the rocks or I use an mj1200 power head with a Julian Sprung's thing tipto concentrate the flow to get into the rock work deeply and really blow it out. Both of those things together could really help you out.

Much appreciated!! There actually isn't much detritus. My troublesome diamond Goby spits sand all over my zoas/palys and have to blow it off DAILY. That fish might have to go. 'Twas cute at first.

I'll get the DI installed upon arrival. Wouldn't the GFO reactor I'm running count as phosphate remover? I change it out monthly.

 

[Liquid360]

Lol what a cool tang.

About the algae, i feel your pain. Algae can be really hard to overcome.

Have you measured no3/po4?

If it were me id do a couple of things. First get the deion part to your ro. Second id get a couple of sea urchins to eat it. Third id start running a phosphate remover that works well, imo Rowaphos is the best. Fourth id set up an algae turf scrubber to lower the cost of rowa. The ats will keep it low, but not very low po4. Thats why you need the rowaphos too.

Much thanks! Yeah that tang is so sweet... except with that tool. She so HATES it.

Sea urchins: check
DI filter: check
Algae scrubber: I'll look into it
Phosphate remover: I'm running a geosreef fluidized reactor with GFO which is changed out monthly. Do I need more?

 

[Liquid360]

Another question, will it be too much a shock to my coral for a full water change? I've contacted my LFS. I know the owner pretty well. He said he could deliver 130g to my house himself. Should I try this?
ANY ADVICE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

 

[Tphill]

Changing 100% of your water at one time seems a bit extreme to me.