Lossing it with algae Attack :(

[vetteguy53081]

Pencil urchins are notorious for eating coral. I'd go with a pink urchin or tuxedo instead. Even so, they'll probably scrape at the edges of your green star polyps.

Iver had mine 4 years and has not bothered one coral and i have Many types

 

[Privateye]

Iver had mine 4 years and has not bothered one coral and i have Many types

That's common too. It's similar to the debate on whether dwarf angels are reef safe. Some individuals in a given tank are, some aren't. It's probably the most-hotly debated of the urchins though. You'll find many claims to the contrary through Google.

Edit: urchins can be buggers. Even reef-safe ones like a diadema will happily chew through a euhphyllia skeleton. I haven't seen those go through flesh before though.

 

[vetteguy53081]

That's common too. It's similar to the debate on whether dwarf angels are reef safe. Some individuals in a given tank are, some aren't. It's probably the most-hotly debated of the urchins though. You'll find many claims to the contrary through Google.

Edit: urchins can be buggers. Even reef-safe ones like a diadema will happily chew through a euhphyllia skeleton. I haven't seen those go through flesh before though.

Pencil is the only one I trust. And regarding angels, I have the improbable. . .. flame and coral beauty together Plus a potters and none bother my coral

 

[Privateye]

Pencil is the only one I trust. And regarding angels, I have the improbable. . .. flame and coral beauty together Plus a potters and none bother my coral

Hey, that's great for you! Full disclosure, I have no experience with pencils and corals together due to the reputation. Plenty of FOWLR experience but that's all. As for angels, yeah I've seen flames tear through coral. Not a Potter's, but I've only tried a couple. Mt favorite is a bicolor and I'm 0/3 on those with regards to coral. You just pull the dwarf angels out and try them in another tank. I tried a flameback too but it just loved picking at my nepthea. After that I no longer worked in the aquarium trade I gave up on testing dwarf angels in my tanks. With a mixed reef it's just too much of a gamble. And that's why I still stay away from pencil urchins vs. others with better reputations - too much of a gamble. Any reasons why the alternatives I suggested wouldn't work?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey, that's great for you! Full disclosure, I have no experience with pencils and corals together due to the reputation. Plenty of FOWLR experience but that's all. As for angels, yeah I've seen flames tear through coral. Not a Potter's, but I've only tried a couple. Mt favorite is a bicolor and I'm 0/3 on those with regards to coral. You just pull the dwarf angels out and try them in another tank. I tried a flameback too but it just loved picking at my nepthea. After that I no longer worked in the aquarium trade I gave up on testing dwarf angels in my tanks. With a mixed reef it's just too much of a gamble. And that's why I still stay away from pencil urchins vs. others with better reputations - too much of a gamble. Any reasons why the alternatives I suggested wouldn't work?

With reef safe caution- it translates to gamble. Each of my specimens were a gamble but I believe always having large tanks does help as the fish are fed multiple times during the day and have plenty of cover yet cohabitate just wonderfully. I also tried a personifier, Passer and majestic angel in which all had to be evicted. Majestic went nearly 4 months bothering nothing and then snapped. The Passer went after zoa and then got real nasty with tankmates.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

I have been using Vibrant on and off for one year no issues. I dose once a week for one month than take a break.

Bristle tooth tangs, Large snail (Zebra) urchins and emerald crabs are some of my best helpers.

I spot treat with H202, turn off flow hit GHA with 1ml H202 via feeding tube. The GHA cell walls break down and then my fish eat it away, don't ask how they know but they do ? I have seen it over and over in my tank. I have looked at the GHA under the microscope and after treating it with H202 the structure changes. When I clean my magnets or wave makers I use H202 and it makes short work of the GHA without I could scrub for an hour with little result.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I’ve heard bad things about turbo snails they typically live in colder waters which is why they don’t live long in our aquariums. I was recommended trochus snails and cerith snails. Don’t get the trochus they only stay on the glass and I’d move them to the algae but I’d wake up to them on the glass again and then they all died since there was nothing for them to eat. Cerith snails are awesome only had 2 of the 20 die but they probably died due to shock since it was only 3 days after I bought them. They’re also very small and get every nook and cranny and they can flip themselves over I’d recommend 1 for every 2 galllons. Also I’d try tuxedo urchins I have 1 and it works wonders and also a lawn mower blenny I’d try out.

Turbo snails are GREAT cuc in my experience! As far as I know, it's only the Mexican turbos that come from cooler water. Those are not the ones I buy and I would recommend people steer clear of those and get the other types. I never had one die an early death for any reason other than my wrasse deciding to turn it into dinner. I agree with you - any trochus or nerite I've tried tend to hug the glass more than anything. I do like the dwarf ceriths, they do a good job on the rocks. Nassarius are probably my favorite snails though.

 

[Super Fly]

I have been using Vibrant on and off for one year no issues. I dose once a week for one month than take a break.

Bristle tooth tangs, Large snail (Zebra) urchins and emerald crabs are some of my best helpers.

I spot treat with H202, turn off flow hit GHA with 1ml H202 via feeding tube. The GHA cell walls break down and then my fish eat it away, don't ask how they know but they do ? I have seen it over and over in my tank. I have looked at the GHA under the microscope and after treating it with H202 the structure changes. When I clean my magnets or wave makers I use H202 and it makes short work of the GHA without I could scrub for an hour with little result.

having same issue w a 6 yr old tank after serpent starfish went rogue and ate majority of snails. Guessing it's safe to use H202 in reef tank?...

 

[a.t.t.r]

I’ve heard quite a few success stories using vibrant to remove bryopsis and gha. I’d definitely run out and grab a few emerald crabs you more than likely won’t have any territorial issues with them with that amount of algae. I’d also suggest running to Home Depot and grabbing a 5/8 clear flexible tube in the plumbing section and siphon the algae out by pinching ur thumb on the algae and trapping it between the hose.(I saw a brs video using the thinner hose and it did wonders to my tank). Scrubbing it off with a tooth brush will release the phosphates and nitrates in the tank.

Don't use vibrant it is the same as algaefix and tends to leave your tank open to a DINO attack once you stop it's use.

 

[SahnCH]

First of all thanks a lot for all your comment and support, much appreciating and heart-warming

To answer the questions asked :
- Yes I do use RODI water, the phosphate level in the RODI is undetectable.
- No the tank isn't near a window, or at least it doesn't have direct sunlight.

Update since last week :
- Added Seachem Phosguard in my reactor.
- Huge decrease in the film algae on the glass of the aquarium.
- Small decrease of algae growth - I would say -15% versus pervious week.
- Still a lot of manual removing needed (2 hr per week end).
- I noticed that the right part of the aquarium has some coraline algae and is much more protected from algae than the left part of the aquarium which doesn't have any coraline.

Action I've took from your comments :
- Light : I moved all the corals on the right side of the aquarium and disconnected the left light to starve algae from light, at least partially.

- Bacteria : Not going for Vibrant due to controversy but I ordered Microbe-Lift special blend bacteria.
- Carbon Dosing : I am starting to dose Vodka
day 0 to 3 L 0.1 ml per 100L
day 4-6 : 0.3 ml per 100L
day 7-9 : 0.5ml per 100L
day 10-12 : 0.8ml per 100L
day 13-15 1.0ml per 100L
day 15-onward : 1ml per 100L
- CUC : I can't add much clean up crew now - I'm moving house in 3 months and prefere to be in the new house before adding move living animnals.
- For roots of bryopsis : it's super super hard to remove, I've tried to take out a rock which was populated with Bryosis, I will put it in fresh water for 1 week and put it outside (0 degree C)
and see if it kills all bryopsis before putting it back in the tank.

Help needed :
- I really liked the comment on the refugium, I think it would be a good long term and natural solution.
I still have some space in my sump, I was thinking to simply build a square with some egg crates.

So 4 egg crates like this : Link connected with zip tie
1 light for algae light: Link

Should be fine right ?

Thanks again for all your support !

 

[SahnCH]

Hi there,

Small weekly update :
- Started carbon dosing since 2 weeks.
- Started adding Microbe-Lift Special Blend since 10D
- Started adding Probidio Biodigest since 10D.
- Started decreasing food supply.
-> No decrease of nitrate no far, still at 6.

-> Much much less algae on the glass, before I needed to clean it every 2 days, now once every 10D is fine.

Here is another video of algae which is growing every week, meaning 1 week ago this spot was fully cleaned with toothbrush. Can you guys help me determine if this is GHA or Bryopsis?
-> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iMaNqW-d3GQ

Thanks a lot for your support !

 

[ryanjohn1]

Hi folks,

Video to show you the situation :
My tank is loosing vs Algae - the tank is ~1 year old, never had any issue except some diatom.
Phosphate is and always was at 0.
Nitrate is always around 4.
PH ~ 8.15
KH ~ 9.5

Since 2 weeks I'm having massive algae growth which is now taking over corals.
I am spending ~2 hours per week to remove these algae with tooth brush.

The wave pump that you see on the video has been deep cleaned as if it's new ouf of the box 14 days ago.

I'm hesitating between GHA and Bryopsis since I see some branches on the algaes.
I'm assuming these algae are taking all the phosphate, that's why they are at zero.

-> Can you please help me diagnose the issue and propose a corrective actions?

Thanks a lot for your help guys, I'm loosing it a bit

Tangs pin cushion urchin. I had uncontrollable hair algae for a year. Had no luck with any chemicals. Changed media reactor to brs bio balls and added scopes tang and pin cushion. Now I have almost zero algae

 

[Reef.]

I would be careful how you scrub your rocks, you don’t seem to have much in the tank, you will kill all the bacteria you have if you leave it outside, maybe not a problem if you have a lot of media in your sump.

How low do you want your nitrates?

Be careful as you may swap algae for dinos with all the measures you are taking.

 

[SahnCH]

I would be careful how you scrub your rocks, you don’t seem to have much in the tank, you will kill all the bacteria you have if you leave it outside, maybe not a problem if you have a lot of media in your sump.

How low do you want your nitrates?

Be careful as you may swap algae for dinos with all the measures you are taking.

I'm trying to reduce to around 2 of nitrate, I'm dosing bacteria on weekly basis.
Indeed I don't have many rocks but I do have some Macspect bio-sphere and bio-block in the sump to host bacterias.

This is the quantity of algae I'm removing every 3-4 days :-(