Deciding on next step for algae control

Marine430 · Nov 12, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
Yikes

How do your corals eat? They need phosphates

I target feed and broadcast feed.

A_game43 · Nov 12, 2020

Rinse your frozen food, more CUC - Urchins are a great, more beneficial bacteria.

Pkunk35 · Nov 12, 2020

To lower N and P, which I think you should just slightly if you want less overall algae, then I also think target feed the fish a bit more so there is less food waste if any, broadcast feed less and target feed more any coral that need it, monitored use of phos removal (but I think many would worry of bottoming out P), bring chaeto online (I like this option), maybe run carbon if you do not or change it more often, I’m sure there are other methods (Xenia farm!)
I also think manual removal is necessary before it becomes nuisance and young tanks need more of it. Tank looks good tho! Keep it up!

Cbones1979 · Nov 12, 2020

Pkunk35 said:
To lower N and P, which I think you should just slightly if you want less overall algae, then I also think target feed the fish a bit more so there is less food waste if any, broadcast feed less and target feed more any coral that need it, monitored use of phos removal (but I think many would worry of bottoming out P), bring chaeto online (I like this option), maybe run carbon if you do not or change it more often, I’m sure there are other methods (Xenia farm!)
I also think manual removal is necessary before it becomes nuisance and young tanks need more of it. Tank looks good tho! Keep it up!

xenia farm? explain

Cbones1979 · Nov 12, 2020

A_game43 said:
Rinse your frozen food, more CUC - Urchins are a great, more beneficial bacteria.

was thinking about urchin too

Cbones1979 · Nov 12, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Pull as much gha as you can by hand and verify phosphate and nitrate.
Reduce white light intensity and are you by chance using tap water from the faucet ?

at this point it's not long enough to really grab. I can siphon tiny specks out of the sandbed tho.

I have t5s (2 blue and 2 actinic) and only run 10% white on my LED's. I can drop back to all blues if necessary.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 12, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
at this point it's not long enough to really grab. I can siphon tiny specks out of the sandbed tho.

I have t5s (2 blue and 2 actinic) and only run 10% white on my LED's. I can drop back to all blues if necessary.

Verify phosphate and nitrate and let cleaner crew do the work.
For sand bed, snails: nassarius, trochus, cerith and a few blue leg hermits

Pkunk35 · Nov 13, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
xenia farm? explain

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/using-xenia-in-refugium-as-nutrient-export.340078/

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

Marine430 said:
Before you spend a bunch of money just try a media bag with gfo. I use chemi pure elite!

Phosphates .23 today before adding chemipure elite

I’ll report back Sunday when I usually do water changes and test.

A_game43 · Nov 13, 2020

Question, did you quote your PO4 value correctly being 0.23 or is it 0.023ppm? If it is the first value of 0.23ppm then you are really high with PO4.

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

A_game43 said:
Question, did you quote your PO4 value correctly being 0.23 or is it 0.023ppm? If it is the first value of 0.23ppm then you are really high with PO4.

Using Hanna ulr .23 ppm

That was the point of this thread was that my phosphates continue to rise weekly from .1-.2 by weeks end.

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Verify phosphate and nitrate and let cleaner crew do the work.
For sand bed, snails: nassarius, trochus, cerith and a few blue leg hermits

Very odd

So i cleaned my cuvette in rodi water and followed the instructions per Hanna to a T keeping it clean, not using a dropper used for food, etc. I read .04 2x's in a row....so the question is do i even put the chemipure elite in a large flow area now. I don't want to strip the tank of all phosphates.

Also, with small pieces of algae in the tank, i'd assume they have taken up some of the phosphates or i'm just dealing with a young reef (its the 3rd month)?

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

Pkunk35 said:
To lower N and P, which I think you should just slightly if you want less overall algae, then I also think target feed the fish a bit more so there is less food waste if any, broadcast feed less and target feed more any coral that need it, monitored use of phos removal (but I think many would worry of bottoming out P), bring chaeto online (I like this option), maybe run carbon if you do not or change it more often, I’m sure there are other methods (Xenia farm!)
I also think manual removal is necessary before it becomes nuisance and young tanks need more of it. Tank looks good tho! Keep it up!

Very odd

So i cleaned my cuvette in rodi water and followed the instructions per Hanna to a T keeping it clean, not using a dropper used for food, etc. I read .04 2x's in a row....so the question is do i even put the chemipure elite in a large flow area now. I don't want to strip the tank of all phosphates.

Also, with small pieces of algae in the tank, i'd assume they have taken up some of the phosphates?

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

Marine430 said:
I target feed and broadcast feed.

Very odd

So i cleaned my cuvette in rodi water and followed the instructions per Hanna to a T keeping it clean, not using a dropper used for food, etc. I read .04 2x's in a row....so the question is do i even put the chemipure elite in a large flow area now. I don't want to strip the tank of all phosphates.

Also, with small pieces of algae in the tank, i'd assume they have taken up some of the phosphates?

vetteguy53081 · Nov 13, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
Very odd

So i cleaned my cuvette in rodi water and followed the instructions per Hanna to a T keeping it clean, not using a dropper used for food, etc. I read .04 2x's in a row....so the question is do i even put the chemipure elite in a large flow area now. I don't want to strip the tank of all phosphates.

Also, with small pieces of algae in the tank, i'd assume they have taken up some of the phosphates or i'm just dealing with a young reef (its the 3rd month)?

I place Elite in my sump

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
I place Elite in my sump

yeah, that's where mine is now. just don't want to hit .00 phosphates and have dino's.

Dan_P · Nov 13, 2020

Cbones1979 said:
Hello all. I’m 3 month in on move from 20 to 45 gallon tank. Currently tank has an eshopps sump rs-75 with filter sock and coral box skimmer.
I have 6 fish (2 clowns, 2 fire fish, wrasse, and blenny). I feed one cube of food per day. I have probably 30 cuc of varying sizes and ty

Here are my parametersbefore my last 25% water change

I’m noticing hair algae in the sand (probably from following the tip to brush off algae on the rocks).

I have limited space but am looking fo mr suggestions on keeping nutrients lower for a longer amount of time (doing weekly water changes now).

any suggestions? Small scrubber? Hob or small in sump fuge? Reactor of some kind?

please provide links if you can

thanks

Could you buy something to eat the algae? That could be more effective than trying to manage it by adjusting nitrate and phosphate. Mexican turbos seem to be ideal algae eating machines. I have 15 (I bought too many) in my 75 gal fish only system. No algae could survive. I now have to feed them and boy they are getting huge.

Cbones1979 · Nov 13, 2020

Dan_P said:
Could you buy something to eat the algae? That could be more effective than trying to manage it by adjusting nitrate and phosphate. Mexican turbos seem to be ideal algae eating machines. I have 15 (I bought too many) in my 75 gal fish only system. No algae could survive. I now have to feed them and boy they are getting huge.

I think I have a few in there. I’m reading the do better than crabs