Cannot Get Algea Under Control

[MV17]

Hi there,

I have now had my tank for a little over half a year, and I cannot seem to get it clean. I have been battling a brown algae for almost three months now. I have included some pictures below as a reference. I'm cannot tell if it is diatoms or cyanobacteria. When I blow it with a turkey baster it comes flying off but will quickly grow back. Some information about my tank...

I have a UV sterilizer running
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
NItrates 0.2
Runs at about 76-77 degrees Fahrenheit

Thank you!

 

[sixty_reefer]

I can see one issue straight away, zero nitrates is a bad thing to have what’s your phosphates?

 

[MV17]

I can see one issue straight away, zero nitrates is a bad thing to have what’s your phosphates?

I used one of those rapid test strips for the nitrates and got zero, but I just did a more accurate drop test and got 0.2 for nitrates and 0 for phosphates.

 

[uncle luke]

Change your RO filters, water changes, GFO and algae reactor. Will help eliminate the nasty algae

 

[MV17]

Change your RO filters, water changes, GFO and algae reactor. Will help eliminate the nasty algae

Whenever I change my water it gets so cloudy for a week straight I can’t see anything so I haven’t done one in 2 weeks, but they haven’t helped in the past.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I used one of those rapid test strips for the nitrates and got zero, but I just did a more accurate drop test and got 0.2 for nitrates and 0 for phosphates.

It’s still not ideal, you seem to have dinoflagellates and most times just increasing nitrates and phosphates can help remove them, you could look at neonitro and neophos to bring those nutrients back to decent readings.

 

[CoralB]

It’s still not ideal, you seem to have dinoflagellates and most times just increasing nitrates and phosphates can help remove them, you could look at neonitro and neophos to bring those nutrients back to decent readings.

What he said but you should also cut your lighting back , if not to do a complete blackout for three days would help and dose microbactor 7 daily.