How to Handle Algae Growth with Everything Thriving?

[LiquidSpace]

Hey, so I am pretty sure my issue here are the lights. I have an AI Prime and am running the Saxxby Schedule. I have noticed a thick green/brown (I’m colorblind so it’s hard for me to tell) algae on the rocks. And now I’m realizing I don’t see a bunch of algae on the glass when the normal lights are on. Yuck!

My tank is 11 months old. Everything is thriving. Stylaphora is encrusting the rock, anemone is doing great, Duncans have sprouted at least a dozen heads. Parameters are within the right range for an SPS tank. I currently have 0.01 ppm for phosphate and 1.6 ppm nitrate.

I’m guessing I need to turn down the lights, but this hasn’t been an issue until about a month ago so I’m hesitant to mess with a good thing when everything is thriving. Could it be I need more snails? I don’t have that many…any suggestions?

Lights are on for about 10 hours.

Attached are photos with just the whites and a normal shot of the tank.
My tank doesn’t look this dirty in person

 

[sixty_reefer]

Just allow for the phosphates and nitrates to raise slightly.

 

[Isiah1820]

I’ll be following along, my tank is a bit younger than yours but having the same issue and using the same light schedule. All corals are doing good and growing, but the brownish green algae is also. I try and scarp it away during water changes but some of it is hard to get at with the corals glued to the rocks. Some of it is growing on or between my Zoas too.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Add more snails, this is an easy one.

 

[Lavey29]

Are you intentionally running an ULNS?

 

[Reef.]

Your po4 and most likely your nitrate are much higher than you think.

What test kits are you using?

Algae will give you a false reading, as the algae will be using the nutrients to grow.

You need to check what the tank looks like in white light, as that is when you see the real state of your tank.

 

[Isiah1820]

Your po4 and most likely your nitrate are much higher than you think.

What test kits are you using?

Algae will give you a false reading, as the algae will be using the nutrients to grow.

You need to check what the tank looks like in white light, as that is when you see the real state of your tank.

What do you mean by this? The white lights

 

[Reef.]

What do you mean by this? The white lights

Not blue, if you can’t see algae it normally means you have the blue lights turned up, not a bad thing, but your tank looks clean, it hides the algae. Check every now and again in white light.

 

[Isiah1820]

Not blue, if you can’t see algae it normally means you have the blue lights turned up, not a bad thing, but your tank looks clean, it hides the algae. Check every now and again in white light.

Ok not my tank but I see what you are saying. I’m having the same issues as OP.

 

[LiquidSpace]

Your po4 and most likely your nitrate are much higher than you think.

What test kits are you using?

Algae will give you a false reading, as the algae will be using the nutrients to grow.

You need to check what the tank looks like in white light, as that is when you see the real state of your tank.

Hannah phosphate and high range nitrate kits.

 

[Spare time]

Your po4 and most likely your nitrate are much higher than you think.

What test kits are you using?

Algae will give you a false reading, as the algae will be using the nutrients to grow.

You need to check what the tank looks like in white light, as that is when you see the real state of your tank.

I sort of disagree with the idea of false reading. I just think the terminology is wrong but I get what you are saying. It would be extraordinary for a tank to have the same input and output (from algae) of nitrogen and phosphate and at such a rapid rate to have nitrate and phosphate results be incorrect. It would render any nitrate and phosphate test kits completely useless because no tank is lacking algae.

 

[LiquidSpace]

Are you intentionally running an ULNS?

Nope, but maybe I’m being too conservative with feeding? I feed mysis once a day, hikari crab pellets, reef nutrition oyster feast and dose All for Reef and Ocean Magik daily. Tank is a 12 gallon with only bio balls for filtration.

 

[xCry0x]

1. Reefs have algae, if they didn't, herbivore fish (tangs) wouldn't exist. (Let alone sea turtles, urchins, snails, crabs, etc...)
2. Our tanks are incomplete systems; so its easy for algae to go crazy.

Your tank is likely simply getting enough light, and hitting a point of maturity, that algae is able to successfully grow.

Which means you need stuff to out compete it. Either corals encrusting over the rocks, coralline algae covering rocks, or a healthy amount of things that aggressively eat algae.

The alternative is you aggressively strip nutrients from the tank and try to create an environment that is completely inhospitable for algae. Which is also generally going to be inhospitable for everything else that you do want (coral, beneficial bacteria..)

As others have said, excessive white light can definitely ramp up algae growth.

From the pictures it is hard to tell. Does the stuff blow off your rocks? Or is it attached?

 

[Lavey29]

Nope, but maybe I’m being too conservative with feeding? I feed mysis once a day, hikari crab pellets, reef nutrition oyster feast and dose All for Reef and Ocean Magik daily. Tank is a 12 gallon with only bio balls for filtration.

Well you posted that your ultra low parameters are within range for an SPS tank yet you have a mixed reef tank with LPS corals too. LPS corals don't like low nutrients but you state your tank is thriving so it just shows that each tank is unique. However, I'm guessing that nuisance algae is now out competing your corals for what little nutrition is available. When this happens corals decline from the inside out. It may take several months before the corals show the external effects of lack of nutrients. Most of that algae should scrub off and siphon out for you then it would allow a diverse cleaner crew to get on it. You can also try modifying lights for a period of time to 6 hours with blue and uv only. No whites.

 

[Shibaken3]

CUC

 

[Reef.]

I sort of disagree with the idea of false reading. I just think the terminology is wrong but I get what you are saying. It would be extraordinary for a tank to have the same input and output (from algae) of nitrogen and phosphate and at such a rapid rate to have nitrate and phosphate results be incorrect. It would render any nitrate and phosphate test kits completely useless because no tank is lacking algae.

Rock and sand can hold many many times the amount than that in the water, algae also uses both nutrients.

You just need to look at the OP’s pictures of their tank to see the po4 content of the tank is not 0.01.

 

[LiquidSpace]

CUC

Definitely will help. I’m running with two Trochus and four Cerith snails. Probably a little low. Any suggestions on what snails to aim for, specially for the rocks?

 

[Shibaken3]

Definitely will help. I’m running with two Trochus and four Cerith snails. Probably a little low. Any suggestions on what snails to aim for, specially for the rocks?

A variety of snails will be great I recommend 1 snail per every 2 gallons. My favorites are turbo, Astrea, & trochus. I cant give a recommendation on rocks bc most snails that I have like the glass then grazing on the rock. Eventually, they will have to graze the rock tho.

 

[Dven11]

Turbo snails did wonders for me. However, they are big and plow their way through. They did a great job though lol

 

[mdb_talon]

Rock and sand can hold many many times the amount than that in the water, algae also uses both nutrients.

You just need to look at the OP’s pictures of their tank to see the po4 content of the tank is not 0.01.

Rock and sand will come into equilibrium with the water value of phosphate. It is not immediate but over the course of 11 months it will be near equilibrium. I agree algae in itself can feed on phosphates as it is introduced and give a misleadingly low phosphate number...but not an incorrect phosphate number.