Can’t get nuisance algae under control.

[txtrapline]

I have a Nuisance algae issue. I am trying to do the Triton method and have live rock, marine pure a skimmer and refugium. 40 gallon DT . 20L sump. 8 gallon refugium

I thought triton was all natural and didn’t involve water changes. I have 7 fish and snails and hermits.

I didn’t do any water changes for several and had no macro in the fuge for months and began to see nussance algae. So I added $200 worth of different kinds of macro most of which got covered in algae and died

I did 6 back to back 30% water changes

Nitrates were unlnown and phosphates were at .1ppm or more. I read nutrients cause algae so I put activated carbon , Gfo and purigen In my tank. Now nitrates are 0 and phosphates are .025 and I still have algae growing and the macro is dying. I read macro needs nitrates so I removed purigen and Gfo so only activated carbon remains. Still doing weekly 30% water changes and physical removal of algae.

How can I get get rid of the nuccence algae and grow macro with a clean tank?

1 Kessil 360 on DT and 1 Kessil a80 on fuge

Thank you.

P.S. I meant title to be “I can’t get nuisance algae under control”

 

[DFR]

How long is the fuge being lit and what settings do you have the dt and fuge light on? Also the a80 isn’t a horticulture light so it will be 2x as hard out competing the a360 in the display (since it is lower power and not optimized for algae growth).

 

[juniorrocketdad]

For the triton method to work you need a massive fuge, one likely in equal size or bigger than your display tank. Also why are you buying 200$ in different macros? Aren’t you just supposed to buy chaeto for nutrient export?

 

[d2mini]

For the triton method to work you need a massive fuge, one likely in equal size or bigger than your display tank. Also why are you buying 200$ in different macros? Aren’t you just supposed to buy chaeto for nutrient export?

^^^THIS

Part of what you are dosing with Triton is food for the refugium. It needs to be at least 10% of the water volume of your display.
If you don't have a good supply of macro to uptake the nutrients being dosed, you are going to have nuisance algae in the display.

My advice would be to stop Triton for now. Dose a simple two-part like ESV Bionic and do some large water changes until you get your nutrients under control and the algae dissipates. And IMO just stick with Chaeto because it's the fastest growing macro (for most people). The faster it grows, the more nutrients it's pulling out of your water.
Once the tank is doing well, then move back to Triton if you wish.

And i fixed your thread title.

 

[brandon429]

You have a nano which means you have a tank that can be taken apart, cleaned, and made algae free by Saturday morning. Here’s the work, years of free examples to study if you want it gone. Nutrient measuring, responding and waiting will work given enough time. This option is a by-Saturday one however.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

Given that info, we simply choose in a nano to be invaded by choice to keep growing algae, or we choose to be uninvaded and can attain that by Saturday. Most people think they do not have this choice, but nano keepers sure do. The most interesting fact about nano reef algae is that 99% want to be invaded even though they think they do not. You can show a direct kill, reclaim your tank overnite options but follow up on a given thread in two months and it’s still invaded...only a few really don’t want to be invaded and those are the after pics we collect.

Two modes of thought:
- I don’t want to have my display racked with algae, but I refuse to work in the tank and will wait as long as it takes for no-work approaches to possibly work. I’m willing to be invaded until that shift occurs.
-not willing to be invaded, corals cost too much and I want my tank looking sharp, am willing to work and garden my tank vs letting it garden me

Take what the masses tell you to do about algae, and apply it to the clean, uninvaded condition you are causing tonite after work. Order of ops, no algae weekend. The masses are prescribing preventative steps, not removal steps, so order them knowing that.

Algae invasion is a choice not a param issue, in nanos. All my work centers on selling people to become uninvaded, even after they post about being invaded. the actual procedure isnt a challenge, we can see in mass pics before and after. the sole hard part is making someone who wants to be invaded well into next year opt out of that, quick.



B

 

[mamedina]

Remove as much algae as possible by hand. Do a 3 day blackout. Finish with large water change.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I don’t know all of the specifics of the Triton method, but when it comes to succession in algae in a closed system, you have to stack the deck in favor of your macros.

In a general sense, ‘higher’ organisms will outcompete ‘lower’ (that’s really just a function of which ones are not tied heavily to a single limiting factor). But...it’s also a numbers game at the beginning, and if the macro doesn’t have the #s to outcompete lower alga, then it can’t get a foothold.

At this point, most nutrients in your system have been sequestered by the nuisance algae, and are not available for macros. As @brandon429 and @mamedina have stated, you have to make a power move to get the bad algae out before trying the macro. Physically remove as much as you can, shut the lights down on the tank and refugium for a few days, then remove whatever might be left.

Then you can throw some macro in. Try a smaller amount so that it can utilize the NO3 and PO4 for growth. If you see some undesirable algae pop up, yank it.

 

[sghera64]

Also consider biodiversity of bacteria (Dr Tims, Vibrant, etc). They eat and compete with algae.

 

[DFR]

All that is really needed is a more adequate light in the fuge. As everyone previously mentioned, triton’s chemical PROMOTE algae growth. So if conditions are more favorable for algae growth than the display, the macro algae will grow. With that being said, the major change needed would be something along the line of the H160 assuming you want to keep with kessil. As long as you keep your lighting the way it is, you will have a hard time promoting algal growth anywhere outside the display. You can also try running the five light 24/7. We can try to make adjustments to your current system to aid you with what you already have but first a better understanding of your system ( light settings) will be needed.