High flow algae issue

[mr.salty]

Hi everyone,

This might not be a type of algae but I seem to be having a brown “dust” that looks like rust in any area of my tank that has high flow.

So the outlet “fin” part of my powerheads have it growing there and any rock that has high flow around it for my SPS has this algae on it? Low flow areas have no algae at all. My glass gets a little bit of brown algae over a few days but I wouldn’t say my tank is battling a big algae issue just these couple of little places where it is high flow.

Nitrate- undetectable
Phosphate- 0.02
PH- 8.2 (fluctuates during the day so don’t Chase it)
Calcium- 440
ALK- 8.2
Magnesium- 1300
Temp- 79f

It’s a 240G system that’s been set up for just over 6 months and parameters are very stable. I have two Neptune WAV’s plus a maxspect 280 gyre and a DCT12000 (run it at just under half speed) return pump so plenty of turn over!

I did use caribsea life rock which I think has been leeching silicates so I run GFO and have a refugium that is roughly 10% tank volume.

Can get pictures if people like?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hitman]

Pictures would help.
Are you rinsing the GFO before you use it in the tank and how are you using it?
Also I would recommend getting some nitrates. Most will recommend not allowing them to go undectable and keep them near 5 ppm ish.

 

[mr.salty]

Here are some pictures, the darker areas are the problematic areas I am talking about and in these pictures the rock is quite close to my xf280 gyre which is on 100% strength 0.8 second pulses.

I rinse my GFO and the outlet of the reactor goes into its own 200 micron filter sock.

I have been pulling back feeding my fish because of this issue because I can’t think of anything else but I have a few tangs that are quite young so trying to “fatten” them up is proving difficult.

I have 0 TDS RODI water as I make my own and have three DI stages which I replace as soon as it gets to 1. I have various inline TDS meters and my setup allows for the system to purge the high TDS water out before the DI stages so I know it isn’t that either. Tested the water for silicates and it reads zero.

Here is my lighting schedule (four GEN4 XR30’s):

I have heard that people have had issues where they have zero nitrates and it starts growing weird types of algae that like high flow but again I doubt this is actually happening but it is strange.

 

[Subsea]

GFO is phosphate removal resin, it will do nothing for silicates.

Your major nutrient of nitrate & phosphate are both low. A ratio of 30:1 of N is a good balance. I would discontinue GFO and either feed more or dose nitrate.

 

[mr.salty]

My gfo is in an aqua forest 180 reactor that is powered off my manifold. I have it gently moving but not tumbling and change it once a month. I use 8 cup fulls every time.

GFO does remove silicates so don’t know where you heard that it doesn’t?

 

[mr.salty]

GFO is phosphate removal resin, it will do nothing for silicates.

Your major nutrient of nitrate & phosphate are both low. A ratio of 30:1 of N is a good balance. I would discontinue GFO and either feed more or dose nitrate.

 

[Hitman]

GFO and rowaphos both do and will remove silicates. Your PO4 is spot on I would do what your doing there and not change. As for the algae it almost looks like the start of GHA and it likes high flow areas so it makes sense. Your nitrates could be at zero by error as if it is GHA it’s consuming it which would cause a zero test. What test kits are you using? And are any members of your cuc eating at it? Also I personally would turn those greens down. Reds and greens on my tank max at 8% just my 2 cents on that.

 

[Subsea]

When you said GFO, I responded. Rowapas is more than GFO.

Your nutrients are too low. Most nuisance algae thrive in low nuitrients. You might consider increasing nutrients and grow some ornamental macro for your tangs.

 

[Subsea]

My gfo is in an aqua forest 180 reactor that is powered off my manifold. I have it gently moving but not tumbling and change it once a month. I use 8 cup fulls every time.

GFO does remove silicates so don’t know where you heard that it doesn’t?

Not according to this spec sheet.

https://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMax...2-ujbbH_W2BvY5jxZLbEjtAL9YF-buwhoCnbwQAvD_BwE

 

[Hitman]

When you said GFO, I responded. Rowapas is more than GFO.

Your nutrients are too low. Most nuisance algae thrive in low nuitrients. You might consider increasing nutrients and grow some ornamental macro for your tangs.

??? Nuisance algae needs nutrients to grow which is why we keep them low PO4 at or below 0.02 and NO3 between 5-10 ppm have worked the best for my tank which is the same set up as his and its been going strong for 22 years.

 

[Hitman]

@mr.salty what do you presently have for your cuc?

 

[mr.salty]

When you said GFO, I responded. Rowapas is more than GFO.

Your nutrients are too low. Most nuisance algae thrive in low nuitrients. You might consider increasing nutrients and grow some ornamental macro for your tangs.

Thanks for your ideas I wasn’t trying to argue with anyone as I am in need of help. And yes I use rowaphos.

Just seems kind of backwards to increase nutrient levels but I will give it a go. Think I will have to dose for nitrates as I can never get them to read anything!

 

[Subsea]

??? Nuisance algae needs nutrients to grow which is why we keep them low PO4 at or below 0.02 and NO3 between 5-10 ppm have worked the best for my tank which is the same set up as his and its been going strong for 22 years.

For your SPS system, you may be right.

For the rest of us that grow macro algae, desirable utilitarian macro like Chaeto and desirable ornamental macro like Bortacladia need more nutrients than gha or cyno.

 

[mr.salty]

@mr.salty what do you presently have for your cuc?

I currently have 6 turbos, 2 super Turbos (just what the LFS calls them they are just big turbo snails but clumsy as hell),10 nassarius snails and two strawberry conchs. I have two cleaner shrimp but wouldn’t class them as cleanup crew for algae as such.

I was thinking of a tuxedo urchin?

I’ve stayed away from crabs as I don’t want them fighting the snails for shells.

 

[mr.salty]

For your SPS system, you may be right.

For the rest of us that grow macro algae, desirable utilitarian macro like Chaeto and desirable ornamental macro like Bortacladia need more nutrients than gha or cyno.

I do need more nitrate maybe like 5ppm for SPS but I also have a few LPS like torches, hammers and Duncan’s but the coral seem to be thriving at the minute so had my doubts whether my low nutrient levels were because the algae was soaking it all up giving a false reading?

On the other hand I have a piece of chaeto the size of a basketball at the minute so that could be doing all the work who knows?

Just don’t want to increase Nutrients and everything goes south very quickly haha

 

[Hitman]

The small algae bloom is most likely consuming the nutrients preventing you from getting accurate test. Rand has wrong several times about this effect. It’s one of the frustrating things about testing lol. Personally if everything else in your tank it doing well I would NOT increase your nutrients as that is counter productive in a algae battle. Let me see if I can find my list of snails and what they naturally consume and you can take it from there to add a few members to your cuc.

 

[Hitman]

Here ya go.

 

[Hitman]

I have 12 Trochus snails, 12 Turbos, 24 Certh, and. Pin Cushion Urchin. I will warn you urchins are Bull Dozers and will take shells, frags or anything they can lift and wear them as hats as they move around your tank. They will scratch the heck out of acrylic.

 

[Subsea]

I do need more nitrate maybe like 5ppm for SPS but I also have a few LPS like torches, hammers and Duncan’s but the coral seem to be thriving at the minute so had my doubts whether my low nutrient levels were because the algae was soaking it all up giving a false reading?

On the other hand I have a piece of chaeto the size of a basketball at the minute so that could be doing all the work who knows?

Just don’t want to increase Nutrients and everything goes south very quickly haha

In my 25 year old set up, I dose ammonia every day: 1ml per 10G. Many use potassium nitrate which is sold at Home Depot as “stump remover”.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/

 

[Subsea]

I do need more nitrate maybe like 5ppm for SPS but I also have a few LPS like torches, hammers and Duncan’s but the coral seem to be thriving at the minute so had my doubts whether my low nutrient levels were because the algae was soaking it all up giving a false reading?

On the other hand I have a piece of chaeto the size of a basketball at the minute so that could be doing all the work who knows?

Just don’t want to increase Nutrients and everything goes south very quickly haha

Everybody needs nitrate to grow. ideal ratio of nitrate to phosphate to be 30:1. BRSTV has a video series on algae filtration coupled with SPS tank using the Triton Method. They feed that tank huge amounts of raw fish with spectacular SPS growth.