help with algae/prime

saltyfins · Dec 30, 2020

so, my tank is about 15 yrs old. it's been upgraded from a 60 to a 125 this year. up and going strong for 11 months. all was well, until I started dosing prime. now, I am getting Bryopsis (sp) outbreaks, and today I noticed that I have cyano in one small area!! I tested 2 days ago, and so far all is good, I dont have a phosphate, but that's on the way. I treated it on Christmas Eve with Flux RX, and am BARELY seeing that it's beginning to work. I tried Prime 6 months ago, and had the same issue. Not sure why I thought I'd try again...but I'm chucking the bottle now. I'm just wondering, has anyone else gone through this?
I did upgrade my lights to 3 AW360 Tuna Blues, and I run them mostly blue at 75% and whites 10%.
I'm sure it's not enough information...but just curious if it's the prime, or possibly something else. I cannot seem to get this bigger tank balanced. I use Red Sea tests, btw...

Spare time · Dec 30, 2020

Prime has nothing to do with the algae. Also, flux rx can take 2 weeks to work. It is not a fast acting medicine. Make sure you have any carbon or what not out of the water during treatment. What are you nitrates and phosphate at?

saltyfins · Dec 31, 2020

Spare time said:
Prime has nothing to do with the algae. Also, flux rx can take 2 weeks to work. It is not a fast acting medicine. Make sure you have any carbon or what not out of the water during treatment. What are you nitrates and phosphate at?

per red sea, 0 nitrate I cant check phosphate until I get my kit, which is on the way

Spare time · Dec 31, 2020

saltyfins said:
per red sea, 0 nitrate I cant check phosphate until I get my kit, which is on the way

I would raise nitrate. 0 may cause problems such as cyano.

saltyfins · Jan 2, 2021

Spare time said:
I would raise nitrate. 0 may cause problems such as cyano.

I am going to retest today. but, i'm not sure that having this issue would be an accurate test

saltyfins · Jan 3, 2021

ok. so I just tested using Seachem miltitest phosphate test kit...says 0.05 but I am still battling with bryopsis...and that's after using reef flux. I know it can take some time for that to work...this is however, my 2nd outbreak in 1 year. I cant figure out what's happening. Maybe lights? I just cant keep doing this, and the frustration. I checked my RODI and it's running out at 0 ppm...I use IO reef crystals, always have... maybe I need to do more maintenance with my canister filter? I have no room for a sump what so ever... any ideas?

Spare time · Jan 3, 2021

The bryopsis would be coming from somewhere. If you shop at your lfs and they have it in their system, it can get into yours via coral, shells, etc. If you are worried about phosphate, though 0.05 is not bad, you can try running some phosphate media such as gfo and what not.

Uncle99 · Jan 3, 2021

What’s the intended purpose of dosing prime?
Do you have a full tank shot we can see?

saltyfins · Jan 4, 2021

Uncle99 said:
What’s the intended purpose of dosing prime?
Do you have a full tank shot we can see?

just to help with water clarity etc..it's intended use? I do not. I have a new computer, (windows from Mac. thank God that is better anyway) and have not figured out how to upload pictures from my phone to my computer. it's slowly dying off now...took almost 12 days to get die off.