Diatoms or dino?

[m0jjen]

Cant really wrap my head around my current algae problems. The tank is roughly six months old. All the livestock is just transfered from my previous tank with a few additions in corals.

I've been massuring 0 NO3 and PO4 for ages until recently where i have 0.015 PO4 (hanna) and 0 NO3.

I have to clean my glass everyday or a green film will make the tank all foggy (not bacteria).

Im currently using Aquaforest pro biotic salts but stopped with waterchanges incase the AA and bacteria in the salt contributed to my problem.

The tank is 90G and lit by 2x Radion xr30w pro and flow comes from 2x MP40w QD.

Can anyone help me figure this one out?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@ 6 mos late stage Uglies. Do you have a refugium?

 

[Fredrik]

Yes i do. Its about 6% of the total volum. In the fuge i have chaeto and calurpa thats lit 24/7

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

To me it looks like a hair algae w maybe some cyano in there. Again Id say just some uglies.(the system balancing, bacteria coming up to speed) fwiw its probably helping pull nutrients out of the sand and like new tank dinos will go away once it uses up what started the initial bloom. The algae likely came in on a frag or LR if you didnt have it in the old tank.

I dont have experience with pro biotic salts, like the seeded"Real Reef Rock" Ive always been curious if the salt comes with a little bacteria food, I know the rock does. Instant ocean is an inexpensive an fairly neutral salt to use instead.

Are the fuge macros growing well? Perhaps more intensity or addition of spectrum to out compete the tank algae would help there too. I use 50k(dayligh) and 32k.
The Po rising id guess is the food and minor die off finally showing its self weeks later. honestly its lower than my tanks where the SPS are growing like crazy.

Not something Id worry about honestly, on your next wc using a gravel vac on the sand(looks shallow enough), to remove the algae its like trimming the chato, plus gets any exess poo out.
Also FWIW zero algae would be more concerning than a little.

Nice pics Btw, your corraline is coming in really nicely.

 

[twilliard]

Yup that is just an algae bloom
Diligence in sand cleaning will be key
Also take a scoop of sand and smell it (or smell the bucket when vacuuming the sand)
If it smells like the rotten eggs smell you have a high sulfide level.

 

[twilliard]

I should also add a little more information here
People tend to concentrate on no3 and po4 when it comes to algae.
There is a lot more involved with the growth of algae.
For instance, co2, sulfides, doc's, photo sysnthesis just to name a few.
If you have 0 no3 and po4 that doesn't mean algae won't grow as these other elements provides them with what they need for growth. So this shouldn't be a concentration point.

 

[m0jjen]

Are the fuge macros growing well? Perhaps more intensity or addition of spectrum to out compete the tank algae would help there too. I use 50k(dayligh) and 32k.
The Po rising id guess is the food and minor die off finally showing its self weeks later. honestly its lower than my tanks where the SPS are growing like crazy.

Nice pics Btw, your corraline is coming in really nicely.

The macro aint growing at all at this moment. Calurpa is doing ok with some slight growth. The coraline Is really nice and has been on the rock since the previous tank. Thanks for the compliment! This is the tank previous to all the algae coming along (roughly 5 months old at this point)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The macro aint growing at all at this moment. Calurpa is doing ok with some slight growth. The coraline Is really nice and has been on the rock since the previous tank. Thanks for the compliment! This is the tank previous to all the algae coming along (roughly 5 months old at this point)

Oh Yea!!!! Thats sweet. Try the intensity and spectrum change in the fuge.
the only other suggestion would be to make sure your flow is turbulent enough to keep particles in suspension long enough to get to the skimmer. My first sump was clean for months until I changed up the tank flow.

 

[m0jjen]

Oh Yea!!!! Thats sweet. Try the intensity and spectrum change in the fuge.
the only other suggestion would be to make sure your flow is turbulent enough to keep particles in suspension long enough to get to the skimmer. My first sump was clean for months until I changed up the tank flow.

Having two MP40 running at around 80% maximum in different modes should be sufficient in my eyes. The return provides with some flow aswell (~5000lph).

My fuge light is a 9w compact flourenece bulb or whats ever its called. looking into my options. Only think used in sweden in E27 sockets are 2700 kelvin bulbs which i understand are pretty much worthless. Im looking into some plant leds on ebay thought

Would running some GFO help out in this situation?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

2700 k is perfect. But use that with a 4800k or 5000 k. its what my high end orchid growing friends use.

 

[m0jjen]

2700 k is perfect. But use that with a 4800k or 5000 k. its what my high end orchid growing friends use.

Was thinking a standalone 2700k since whats what i can get my hands on localy! Ill try o get a bunch of different spectrums tho and test it out.

 

[twilliard]

Having two MP40 running at around 80% maximum in different modes should be sufficient in my eyes. The return provides with some flow aswell (~5000lph).

My fuge light is a 9w compact flourenece bulb or whats ever its called. looking into my options. Only think used in sweden in E27 sockets are 2700 kelvin bulbs which i understand are pretty much worthless. Im looking into some plant leds on ebay thought

Would running some GFO help out in this situation?

GFO will not help much as your po4 is already low.
Note my above post