How do I stop algae growing on coral?

[Rolrod39]

Hello fellow reefers. I'm having an issue with my bird'snest. I have algae growing on it and my montipora capricornis. I have been doing saltwater for 4 years now with reef. Now getting to SPS and now there are many challenges. Reefer knowledge needed.
Thank you all in advance. Be safe

Alk- 8.2
Nitrates- 0
Phosphates- 0.07
Calcium- 620
Salinaty- 1.025
90 gallon display
35 gallon sump with refugium
Eshopp 200 protein skimmer
BRS GFO & carbon reactor
Accel Bio pellet reactor
Reef breeders 48 LED light

 

[SPR1968]

It might be helpful if you could post some pictures so we can see the issue and type of algae etc ?

 

[Redfoxtang]

If I’m reading this correct sounds like you have algae growing on the tips of the Sps. Which in return sounds like DKH burn do to low nutrients. I would try and raise your nutrients levels, either by dosing or feed more frozen foods.

 

[Dinodanger]

Hello fellow reefers. I'm having an issue with my bird'snest. I have algae growing on it and my montipora capricornis. I have been doing saltwater for 4 years now with reef. Now getting to SPS and now there are many challenges. Reefer knowledge needed.
Thank you all in advance. Be safe

Alk- 8.2
Nitrates- 0
Phosphates- 0.07
Calcium- 620
Salinaty- 1.025
90 gallon display
35 gallon sump with refugium
Eshopp 200 protein skimmer
BRS GFO & carbon reactor
Accel Bio pellet reactor
Reef breeders 48 LED light

If there’s algae on the tips of sps with a nitrate reading of 0 it might not be algae but dinos

 

[Waters]

Unfortunately if algae is growing on the coral, it is growing on dead areas. There really isn't any way to stop it.....better to figure out why the SPS is dieing off. In the meantime, you can clip off the dead portions of the coral. Algae will not grow on living coral flesh.

 

[Simply__J]

Does it look like this?

 

[Rolrod39]

Here is a pic of my bird'snest which has bleached

 

[Rolrod39]

Yes it does

 

[Waters]

Here is a pic of my bird'snest which has bleached

Unfortunately that isn't bleaching....that is tissue necrosis, which is why the algae is growing over the skeleton.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Like @Waters said, that is STN/RTN. Those areas are dead. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but at least 90% of the coral pictured is dead.

 

[Rolrod39]

I just did a water test.
Ph- 8.0
Ammonia- 0
Nitrates- 0
Phosphates- 0.05
Calcium- 500
Kh- 11
Magnesium- couldn't check. Expired test kit.

Maybe I have to little nutrients. I did setup my doser again for alk, mag, calc.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

@Rolrod39, the problem I see with your parameters is that your Alk and Calcium are way to high, especially for your NO3 levels. Raise your NO3 and slowly lower your Alk to 7.5-8.5 and your calcium to 400-430.

 

[Rolrod39]

I was just thinking. I just installed a new sump two weekends ago. It has a total volume of water 40 gallons and use Redsea Coral Pro Salt. The whole water volume for sump was new saltwater. I discarded old water from old sump which was smaller. Like a water change. Do you think because I removed all the development of bacteria, algae is causing a shock in my system?

 

[jordan10]

I was just thinking. I just installed a new sump two weekends ago. It has a total volume of water 40 gallons and use Redsea Coral Pro Salt. The whole water volume for sump was new saltwater. I discarded old water from old sump which was smaller. Like a water change. Do you think because I removed all the development of bacteria, algae is causing a shock in my system?

I don't think so did you have any thing to collect good bacteria on it like your ceramic Spears or anything like that? If you kept that and just got rid of the water in sump I don't think that would cause it if anything it would of make ur no3 spike I would think.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I was just thinking. I just installed a new sump two weekends ago. It has a total volume of water 40 gallons and use Redsea Coral Pro Salt. The whole water volume for sump was new saltwater. I discarded old water from old sump which was smaller. Like a water change. Do you think because I removed all the development of bacteria, algae is causing a shock in my system?

No, looking at your first post with parameters and your current parameters, it is a stability issue. Alk going from 8.2 to 11 and calcium going from 620 to 500 in a short period of time suggests that your water isn’t stable enough for SPS yet. The algae is just taking advantage of the easy food from the dying coral.

The bacteria isn’t primarily in the water column, it is in the rock and any other substrate you have.

 

[Rolrod39]

Substrate is old that I put aside and pulled some small rocks with some algae on them that were in the display tank in the sump. I am checking water parameters every other day to fine tune it. I also have may dosing pump dosing pump dosing 15ml of calcium,10 ml of mag, and 5 ml of all.