Diatoms after dosing reef energy

[Bustyraker]

I have a 55 gallon mixed reef with 15 gallon sump. I've been dosing reef energy for about 2 weeks and have noticed a small amount of diatoms on the sandbed. My phosphate test kit is worthless, thinking about buying a Hanna checker this weekend. But I do a 10-15% waterchange every week and haven't had algae issues for a very long time. I would like to keep using reef energy but I can't stand brown algae. I have thought about starting vodka dosing but need to have a better phosphate test kit first. How fast would I noticed phosphate and nitrate reduction after starting vodka dosing? I already run GFO and have cheato in the sump. I'm mostly trying to get my corals to color up, which is why I use reef energy. I have a light bioload on the tank and have a skimmer rated for 75 gallons. There is no algae anywhere else but a few spots on the sand, everywhere else is spotless.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Thats a weird one there. I'd stop dosing, perhaps you have an out of date product?
You don't need a Phosphate test kit to start dosing vodka, as it takes a long time for carbon dosing to take down phosphates. Vodka is mainly used for reducing Nitrates, phosphates will be reduced after all the trates have been eaten out.
If you go by the standard dose at first, it will take you an aweful long time to get your Nitrates down. I go about it a different way, starting out with 5mls instead of the classic 1ml. And add 5mls a week instead of just 1ml.

 

[Bustyraker]

I've read that you must have a really good skimmer to carbon dose. As of now I only have a hob reef octopus but does a great job, I skim pretty wet and have to empty the cup every week. Always has a nice foam head. Will this skimmer be ok until I upgrade? Or should I wait until I upgrade before vodka dosing?

 

[mcarroll]

Sounds like you are assuming PO4 is causing the issue, but by the way you describe things it reads to me like the Reef Energy did it.

I would stop dosing it and maybe do larger water changes for the next few weeks. Maybe even go to twice a week for a little while.

-Matt

 

[Bustyraker]

I backed off dosing to every other day. My jabeo wp25 came in last night so I have a lot more flow around the corners of the tank now. Hopefully that will take care of it. Still no excess algae on glass, just a few spots on sand, so I think it was a flow issue. I'm also taking the sandbed out of my refugium this weekend.

 

[kacrocorals581]

how much do you dose a lot of people see a bottle say 4ml per 25 gal and say well I have a 50 gallon tank so I'll dose 8ml and not take into the fact that there missing 20 gallons of water with there 75 pounds of live rock and 60 pounds of gravel.

 

[Bustyraker]

I only dose 1ml of each now, I was dosing 2 of each until I saw the algae.

 

[kacrocorals581]

I use it everyday for a long time no problems in my 75 SP's but I have a skimmer 4x rated 50 gal sump 29 fuge/ frag tank 3 gal ever other day water change and 1 20 percent a month water change and if you having problems you should go every other day with the b that's got the vitamins and trace that the algea will feed off of . also I have great success using in my sps tank hope it works out for you its a great product! Also hope your keeping it refrigerated

 

[Bustyraker]

Yes I keep it refrigerated. I've seen much better color from my SPS since I began dosing. I never miss waterchanges every weekend, but I may start doing larger ones. I will most likely upgrade to a better skimmer by the end of the month. Looking at a swc 120 cone.

 

[mcarroll]

"[...]I skim pretty wet and have to empty the cup every week.[...]

Forgot to mention that an easy way to kick your skimming up a notch is to clean your cup/reaction chamber/neck of buildup daily - or as often as you can. Even a little bit of sludge really makes a difference. Weekly, or when the cup is full, is usually too long. Try skimming wet enough that the cup is full at least twice a week.

Unless your skimmer is filling the cup 24/7 (yours isn't) you probably don't need a different skimmer...IMO.

-Matt

 

[Bustyraker]

I have a hob reef octopus and I have the cup almost the entire way down. It still only gets 3/4 of the way full after a week and I keep it very clean, I usually clean it when it gets halfway full, so about twice a week. Last night i took the sand out of my refugium and I'm convinced that was my issue. There was a ton of detritus and bubble algae in there that I didn't notice before. So now I just have a powerhead and cheato down there, hopefully things will clear up

 

[mcarroll]

Excellent!

-Matt