ID on Algae + I am crapping my pants!

[1Clown]

I have previously closed down my 24" cube because the first rock work got heavily infested with bryopsis and aiptasia when I went on a 6 week holiday. So I replaced the entire rock work with quite a nice but massive piece of ceramic rock which later got GHA and I just gave up and shut it all down.

I've had my new nano running for 6 months and have now noticed some gha? growing in a few spots with fibres of algae here and there. It's safe to say I am absolutely crapping my pants right now at the thought of another algae outbreak especially since this time I don't have a sump etc...

How can I go about defeating it?

Currently doing a 18% WC per week
Only feeding what can be consumed
Changing carbon and phosphate every 3 weeks
Keep sand bed and rocks clean, blasting them twice a week with turkey baster
Change filter floss every when it needs changing
Clean skimmer cup regularly

Water params as of yesterday before doing the weekly WC:

Nitrite: 0.01
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 0.03
Alk: 8.75
Cal: 465
Mag: 1335
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 25*C

 

[tdileo]

What kind of clean up crew do you have? See if you can get stomatella snails, they'll mow through it. That's a bandaid though. Long term you need to find out the cause of your nitrates being at that level and fix it

 

[1Clown]

What kind of clean up crew do you have? See if you can get stomatella snails, they'll mow through it. That's a bandaid though. Long term you need to find out the cause of your nitrates being at that level and fix it

Am I right in thinking scrubbing at it might make matter worse as it will just make it spread all across the tank?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

+10000000000. CUC.
Even higher nutrint tanks rely on these guys.

 

[1Clown]

+10000000000. CUC.
Even higher nutrint tanks rely on these guys.

Now that you guys have mentioned it, I believe I have:

1 Strawberry Conch
2-3 snails snails, not sure what type.
1 Nassarius snail
1 Blood Shrimp
1 Indian Sea Star which is just disintegrating for whatever reason

What do you guys recommend I add and in what quantities?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Many types of Sea stars most often starve in new tanks, and many aren't suitable for most any tank.

Turbos, and turban snails. Look for small ones if you can.

I probaly have about 5 or six typeas ov snails in my 30 gal not including stomatellas that I have dozens and dozens as they reproduce and come and go in numbers.

Personally I see nothing wrong with manual removal and then let the snails keep it down.

Here's a great article.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

 

[tdileo]

Don't scrub the algae unless you can rinse it off when done. You can go in with your hands and pull it off and then throw it out. It has worked well for me in the past

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I just tooth brush. Both work.

 

[1Clown]

Don't scrub the algae unless you can rinse it off when done. You can go in with your hands and pull it off and then throw it out. It has worked well for me in the past

That's my worry exactly, also it's in a hard to reach area, I'm going to definitely order some more variety of snails to help curb any new spread at least. What if I just put coral putty over it to cover it completely?

 

[tdileo]

Same problem. The nutrients get released back into the water when it dies and then more will just grow in a new spot