Help cleaning up my cesspool

[Wagonpitt]

I was battling hair algae for a year or more and couldnt win with multiple wc weekly and pounds of hc gfo. If your maintenance is good and you still cant win its likly because you have so much algae it just feeds itself as it dies off. You no3 and po4 are good because the algae is consuming it.

What ended up working for me was keep up with the maintenance but also started carbon dosing. This way as the hair algae dies off it feeds the bacteria instead of feeding more algae. The bacteria competes with the algae for nutrients and after about a month i saw hugeeee results. Now i have a tank im somewhat proud of at least in the algae sense.

I used nopox brand carbon dosing but you can diy. Carbon dosing works on no3 more then po4 but thats why you run hc gfo aswell. Be carefull and watch you parameters and corals because you can drop you nutrients too fast and kill your corals. I did not run hc gfo 24/7. Id turn it off for a couple days inbetween changes.

Ill post pics from my old phone, i think mine was much worse then yours.

 

[Lukas75]

Tank is too small for any other tang to my knowledge? And I do not want to "borrow" a tang to only have to take it down the road when it gets too big.

I know there are other solutions then a tang or foxface, believe me I've considered those already.

Yellow tangs are 20 gallons over what you have for recommended size and I know plenty of people who have kept them in a tank your size just fine. The one spot foxface comes in under your tank by 10 gallons for recommended tank size. If you don't want to go this route then manual removal to get it down to a point where additional snails can keep it in check. The recommended amount for turbos for your tank size is 8 so you are six shy. I personally like to keep a diversity of species so they eat everything. Banded Trochus are another good alternative and they will breed in your tank.

 

[Fiesty]

A sea hare would take care of that algea in record time. Also a two bared rabbitfish is an amazing gha eater as well. And much better than even tangs from my experiences.

 

[Wagonpitt]

Pics of my tank befor and after. About a month apart. Thread from RC.

 

[Wagonpitt]

Btw. I tried cuc and tangs and all. Nothing else helps when its so bad. They eat it but poop it back and grow more. Meanwhile theres so much they never get it to fast enough before it grows back.

Wish you luck with this algae.

 

[homer1475]

Pics of my tank befor and after. About a month apart. Thread from RC.

Yup my original rocks were just like that. Ended up loosing all my coral. I was carbon dosing, but it didn't seem to be making a dent, and I'm too afraid of dropping nutrients too low.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Your CUC is not sufficient.. If it where mine I would manually remove as much algae as possible and add a large CUC of at least 100 mixed pieces and be sure to have hermits in that mix.

Recommend for 75 gallons..

https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/quick-crew-w-hermits-75-gallon

 

[Wagonpitt]

Just have to go easy with both. Instructions on nopox say dont use with gfo. Likely because it drops nutrients way to fast.
I dosed the recommended amount of nopox but less then recommended amount of gfo. And dont run gfo constantly.

I think this helped me bring the nutrients down but in a more balanced way. Also carbon dosing is mostly for no3 so you probably had your no3 to low and that keeps your po4 from dropping (redfield ratio).

Its kind of alot to understand and read. Took me a while but i think this helped me so i recommend read about the redfield ratio a bit in relation to nutrients and algae growth. Im not a expert and barley understand it myself so dont take my word for it but i recomend you look it up yourself.

 

[homer1475]

I've often bought CUC from John (love me some fuzzy chitons!), even got his "package" a few times. They do great work if you can get them to live long term. While he's a great guy, 90% of his CUC dies within a week. I have never had good luck with long term health with CUC from John.

Forgot I have 5 red leg hermits.

I'll agree I need a bigger CUC, but with that many(most recommendations from vendors for CUC is way overboard IMO), most will end up dying within a weeks time. I also think I just need some more turbo(turban?) snails, or just more snails in general.

 

[homer1475]

OOh think there maybe a few florida ceriths alive too. I have a couple I see on the glass in the AM, just forget if they are the florida ceriths, or the nerites?

 

[homer1475]

Anyone have any suggestion for a place to buy some CUC? Besides LA or reefcleaners.

I just have issues with keeping reefcleaners stuff alive long term. John also doesn't carry any turbo snails.

 

[killr66tb]

I know I just mention this but when I started using waste away gels time release all my algae problems went away I just had to keep my maintenance routines going it takes about a month but it's gone

 

[homer1475]

Yup not one for miracles in a bottle either.

Guess I'm old school in that regard. I believe there is a natural way to fix most problems in a reef tank, and potions in a bottle isn't one of them. NOPOX, technically is a potion in a bottle, but as we all know it's just carbon dosing which can be done in a more natural way. NOPOX just makes it easier for non sciencey(is that even a word?) type people to carbon dose(idiot proof if you will).

 

[Lukas75]

Algae barn has trochus in stock. They're a little expensive, and I have to admit I've never bought snails from them, but algae barn has quality stuff. It's also worth noting that trochus snails can breed in your tank. They bred like crazy in mine until they reached an equilibrium. It took them about ten years before they finally died out. I'm full up or I might order some myself, lol!

https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/captive-bred/invertebrates/trochus-snail/

 

[Wagonpitt]

I think nopox / carbon dosing is not just some potion. Alot of the most reputable reefers on this site and others use carbon dosing weather it be nopox vodka vinegar or bio pellets. Its a proven method not a potion. I think nature has alot of sciency stuff in it and without understanding it you end up wit idiot proof algae if you will.


I have a few threads on rc from trying to do it the “natural way” throughtout that year and none of them worked until i understood some of the sciency stuff.


Best of luck dealing with it how ever you choose.

 

[MTBake]

A sea hare or urchin would be good to add. They should eat the hair algae at least.

 

[homer1475]

I think nopox / carbon dosing is not just some potion. Alot of the most reputable reefers on this site and others use carbon dosing weather it be nopox vodka vinegar or bio pellets. Its a proven method not a potion. I think nature has alot of sciency stuff in it and without understanding it you end up wit idiot proof algae if you will.


I have a few threads on rc from trying to do it the “natural way” throughtout that year and none of them worked until i understood some of the sciency stuff.


Best of luck dealing with it how ever you choose.

I think you are misreading me.....

I fully believe in carbon dosing, 100%! I was just referring to how I stated I'm not into potions in a bottle(referring to the waste away product), and technically speaking NOPOX is potion in a bottle, but proven potion in a bottle! It's carbon dosing for dummies, if you will.

 

[homer1475]

Guess I always knew what to do, just needed some confirmation. Up the CUC, manual removal, keep nutrients in check.

Solid plan. Thanks guys!

 

[Beefyreefy]

I know you said your not into potions in a bottle, but... Fluconazole (anti-fungal; Reef Flux) will kill all the GHA or bryopsis in your tank. It really works and will not effect anything else in the tank. Takes about a month. Likely you will find that your nutrients will rise as the algae dies off and stops consuming them. At this point you can start reducing nutrients however you see fit (carbon dosing and a little gfo in my case) and keep the algae from returning. I was skeptical myself, but it works and seems completely reef safe. There is a huge thread in the algae sub-forum.

 

[homer1475]

I've used fluc to combat bryopsis before, but it did nothing for my GHA. Even after 3 treatments.