help please

[Error404]

Algae needs phosphates to survive and feed , I think what is happening is that the bad algae is outcompeting with your macro algae, thus starving it, which results in no growth. Some things to keep in mind is , what kind of lights are you using to grow the chaeto. Try reversing the photo period and making your sump light shedule longer.

 

[reefsofty]

I only did one batch a dosed for a few days before i started treatment in my tank but this was the post I was following they have a calculator for potassium nitrates which is very common to use in planted tanks You will just have to multiply your answer since the site only calculates for one, potassium in my tank is about 380 that’s why i chose sodium instead

Edit: forgot the link

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/calculating-sodium-nitrate-dosage.328408/

thank you so much

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

ive been told its an imbalance of nitrate to po4 however I cant get nitrate to move.
the algae is orange in color grows mostly on the substrate and yes I also have hair algae and some diatoms the tank is 8 years old.

I'm not sure what the orange algae is (I would not assume it isn't some type of cyano from what you report, but it could be some type of diatom or dino (the worst possibility) or something else entirely,

FWIW, I do not believe imbalances in the N ratio cause excessive algae growth problems. A sufficient amount of both allows algae to grow, and an insufficient amount of either (or any other potentially limiting element) will reduce or stop its growth.

IMO, it is unlikely that dosing nitrate is ever the solution to an excessive algae problem, except if the "algae" is dinos, and in that case, it is not that the dinos thrive at lower nitrate than high, but because other organisms outcompete them for something else (such as iron). That said, nitrate dosing may be good to do for many reasons, even if you have an algae problem. Most important is to prevent dinos and feed corals.

 

[reefsofty]

I'm not sure what the orange algae is (I would not assume it isn't some type of cyano from what you report, but it could be some type of diatom or dino (the worst possibility) or something else entirely,

FWIW, I do not believe imbalances in the N ratio cause excessive algae growth problems. A sufficient amount of both allows algae to grow, and an insufficient amount of either (or any other potentially limiting element) will reduce or stop its growth.

IMO, it is unlikely that dosing nitrate is ever the solution to an excessive algae problem, except if the "algae" is dinos, and in that case, it is not that the dinos thrive at lower nitrate than high, but because other organisms outcompete them for something else (such as iron). That said, nitrate dosing may be good to do for many reasons, even if you have an algae problem. Most important is to prevent dinos and feed corals.

Thank you do you have any suggestions as to what my next step should be? Thanks again for your help

I'm not sure what the orange algae is (I would not assume it isn't some type of cyano from what you report, but it could be some type of diatom or dino (the worst possibility) or something else entirely,

FWIW, I do not believe imbalances in the N ratio cause excessive algae growth problems. A sufficient amount of both allows algae to grow, and an insufficient amount of either (or any other potentially limiting element) will reduce or stop its growth.

IMO, it is unlikely that dosing nitrate is ever the solution to an excessive algae problem, except if the "algae" is dinos, and in that case, it is not that the dinos thrive at lower nitrate than high, but because other organisms outcompete them for something else (such as iron). That said, nitrate dosing may be good to do for many reasons, even if you have an algae problem. Most important is to prevent dinos and feed corals.

whay I don’t understand stand I have this orange stuff in 2 tanks the drive and a 20 g they are not attached the 20 has nothing in it how is this possable

 

[reefsofty]

• Thank you do you have any suggestions as to what my next step should be? Thanks again for your help

whay I don’t understand stand I have this orange stuff in 2 tanks the drive and a 20 g they are not attached the 20 has nothing in it how is this possable

 

[reefsofty]

This is not my tank but this is what this stuff looks like I have treated for cyano 3 separate times

 

[reefsofty]

update? I have tried the 3 day black out on my 20 its been 2 weeks I am seeing a little of this stuff again. nuts