Help, its going out of controll.

[saha99]

My reef is 2 months old now, i let it cycle for 1.5 months prior to adding two clowns and one zoanthid. After adding them, my parameters did not change alot. However after 1 week i added a mushroom, a kenya which has never opened, and 2 more zoanthids. Days later my tank has bloomed with these diatoms. I have been battleinf them for about 2 weeks now. My nitrite and nitrate has also gone up and i regularly notice that my ammonia goes up aswell. I keep changing water and adding anything i can to stop my nitrites from going up but they just keep shooting up. I even started feeding my fish only once a day. Please help, see my tank for yourself,

Water tank : 60L with 2.5L

powerhead : 900L/H ( 15 times Turnover)

canister(400L/H), HOB from allpondsolutions(400L/H), cheap protein skimmer from amazon( works).

lighting : Lominie Pixie 30 (30W)

sand: sand& gravel by Amtra

rock: Caribsea 5 pounds.

filter media: lots of seachem.

Water parameter:
Salt: 1.022-23
ph = 8.3
Nitrite = 1 ppm( goes up to 2 regularly)
Nitrate = 20pp
Ammonia = 0-0.25( i keep pushing it to 0 with additives).

I ordered a phospate and calcium test kit from api which will unfortunately wont come until the beggining of Feb. I also include a picture of the chemicals i use or can use in your recomendation. Please help, i am very scared for my fish.

 

[saha99]

This is 1 week ago ( after i cleaned it) in a week it went from this to the pics you see in my thread.

 

[DickCleveland]

Based on what I am seeing as far as products I assume you are using tap water with conditioner... This alone could be a cause for the extensive algae. I would begin by discontinuing the use of:
The Algae Reducer(API), The Ammonia remover (prime I believe “detoxifies”) and avoid using the PH down product as chasing PH can cause greater problems.
When you cycled the tank did you add a bacteria product, is the sand a “live” type or dose/add an ammonia source?

 

[saha99]

I do not have an inveree osmosis machine, the ph down i only use for my freshwater tank which also suffers by extreme hairy algae but has been running for 4 months with 0 nitrites. So you are saying i should change all the water and replace it with non tapwater?

should i for the time being, buy from amazon 30L of still natural spring water and use that?

 

[saha99]

I do not have an inveree osmosis machine, the ph down i only use for my freshwater tank which also suffers by extreme hairy algae but has been running for 4 months with 0 nitrites. So you are saying i should change all the water and replace it with non tapwater?

should i for the time being, buy from amazon 30L of still natural spring water and use that?

i do add the AquaEvo bacteria balls, regurarly, as for the sand i think it is not live, here is the product:

 

[Thetankdoctor]

How long has it been since you cleaned you canister filter? They can be cause hghi nitrates from not rinsing the media. Try cleaning the canister filter and rinse all the media really well and see what happens.

 

[saha99]

How long has it been since you cleaned you canister filter? They can be cause hghi nitrates from not rinsing the media. Try cleaning the canister filter and rinse all the media really well and see what happens.

The canister filter is brand new

 

[saha99]

I originally had the HOB filter only but i though it would not be enougt as its maximum recomendation is 60L and im running 60L marine. I will remove the HOB after my canister matures abit

 

[LegendaryCG]

Probably high phosphates - rock and sand can leach it out when the tank is new.

Oh I see your using tap water --- yeah that can cause it as well.

 

[saha99]

Probably high phosphates - rock and sand can leach it out when the tank is new.

Oh I see your using tap water --- yeah that can cause it as well.

can i buy bottled natural spring water and use that?

 

[DickCleveland]

I actually run a 12 gallon nano using Tap Water and prime so not necessarily. Tanks can be run on tap water in some situations(others will disagree with this)

I believe your bacteria is likely not built up enough to handle the bio load of your tank. I am not familiar with Aqua evo as a bacteria but I feel there are better options such as micro bacteria 7.

Cleaning your canister is a great suggestion and should be done very often. Weekly or as often as 3 times a week.

A phosphate reducing filter media may help or a macro algae to put compete some nutrients.

Managing feeding is key as well, do you have any CUC?

 

[robbyg]

Your tank is not cycled properly if you have Ammonia spiking out of control. Your not using RODI water so the Tap water is adding in tons of Phosphate, Nitrate that the Algae love along with Chlorine that kills the corals and fish.

If I am being brutally honest your moving way to fast without knowing what you need to know.

 

[saha99]

I actually run a 12 gallon nano using Tap Water and prime so not necessarily. Tanks can be run on tap water in some situations(others will disagree with this)

I believe your bacteria is likely not built up enough to handle the bio load of your tank. I am not familiar with Aqua evo as a bacteria but I feel there are better options such as micro bacteria 7.

Cleaning your canister is a great suggestion and should be done very often. Weekly or as often as 3 times a week.

A phosphate reducing filter media may help or a macro algae to put compete some nutrients.

Managing feeding is key as well, do you have any CUC?

Ok i will clean my HOB filter which is quite old i did clean it 3 weeks ago tho. i have only a hermit crab but i ordered 3 turbo snails which should arrive this week

 

[saha99]

Your tank is not cycled properly if you have Ammonia spiking out of control. Your not using RODI water so the Tap water is adding in tons of Phosphate, Nitrate that the Algae love along with Chlorine that kills the corals and fish.

If I am being brutally honest your moving way to fast without knowing what you need to know.

I kept freshwater before, never had a problem with tapwater in freshwater. What is ur advice ur telling me to quit ?

 

[LegendaryCG]

can i buy bottled natural spring water and use that?

Distilled is a better choice -- you will hear from people that distilled isn't a good option but when done properly it results in 0 or near 0 tds.

 

[Thetankdoctor]

Clean the canister. You said the take is a few months old id the canister has not been cleaned it should be. If it is new (a week or so) still worth rinsing it. But I cannot agree more with SLOW DOWN! this is a hobby of patience I feel that's the biggest mistake of new tanks.

 

[saha99]

Clean the canister. You said the take is a few months old id the canister has not been cleaned it should be. If it is new (a week or so) still worth rinsing it. But I cannot agree more with SLOW DOWN! this is a hobby of patience I feel that's the biggest mistake of new tanks.

ok ill try rinsing it. I only have 2 fish in a 60L tank which cycled for over a month. was my mistake adding too many corals?

 

[LegendaryCG]

I actually run a 12 gallon nano using Tap Water and prime so not necessarily. Tanks can be run on tap water in some situations(others will disagree with this)

I believe your bacteria is likely not built up enough to handle the bio load of your tank. I am not familiar with Aqua evo as a bacteria but I feel there are better options such as micro bacteria 7.

Cleaning your canister is a great suggestion and should be done very often. Weekly or as often as 3 times a week.

A phosphate reducing filter media may help or a macro algae to put compete some nutrients.

Managing feeding is key as well, do you have any CUC?

Yeah just depends what's in your water. It's a very localized issue -- my well water is 100% unviable for a successful reef tank (I also live literally in a town named Silica, go figure).

 

[saha99]

Distilled is a better choice -- you will hear from people that distilled isn't a good option but when done properly it results in 0 or near 0 tds.

Im abit hesitant to use distilled , will it be ok to use natural spring water with 0 nitrites ?

 

[DickCleveland]

Three weeks is not even close to often enough to clean a filter for a saltwater tank, anything that may catch excess food or physical waste needs to be cleaned as often as daily(bio media should be left be)

freshwater is like keeping ants
Saltwater is like keeping ants under a magnifying glass.

Slowing down should also be taken seriously until you find the source of this issue and resolve it.