Low nutrient levels in tanks with nuisance algae!

[spsick]

Your tank really looks normal and fine for its age I can’t stress that enough.

 

[TWYOUNG]

Your tank really looks normal and fine for its age I can’t stress that enough.

Thanks! Good I guess. This is exactly why I plan on waiting many months before adding corals. My lfs kindly threw a free small zoa plug in when I purchased my first fish. Didn't really want it and it's now been swallowed by algae. I suppose you've seen the suggestions others have made. What does an R2R member with FIVE banners under his photo advise lol? Manual remove, limited photo period and decreased red and white spectrum, reduce feeds, start Chaeto fuge, increased cuc, start water changes? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[spsick]

Manual remove, limited photo period and decreased red and white spectrum, reduce feeds, start Chaeto fuge, increased cuc, start water changes? Any help would be appreciated.

I agree those are all very solid suggestions short of adding a fuge just because that could further destabilize what you have going. Too many changes are bad and all the other things are good practice in my experience.

If you were to add a fuge INSTEAD of all the other things that would be a different story but I’m worried the combination will strip your water and put you straight from diatoms to dinoflagellates.

 

[TokenReefer]

Rock is CaribSea LifeRock so it was all purple to start. Note bored Firefish, (yawning), lol.

Well now that we've seen the tank...it looks great! Great aquascaping. Nothing to go crazy over. Stay the course. Still +1 for the fuge it'll help in the long run... Just add slowly...

 

[TWYOUNG]

Well now that we've seen the tank...it looks great! Great aquascaping. Nothing to go crazy over. Stay the course. Still +1 for the fuge it'll help in the long run... Just add slowly...

Thanks for the kind words. I know my rock is higher than normal, especially on the left as it nearly reaches the surface. If I do crazy well growing coral it could be limiting in the future, but I'll be thrilled and surprised if I do that well. I have everything I need for a fuge so I believe I'll get some Chaeto and see how it goes.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I agree those are all very solid suggestions short of adding a fuge just because that could further destabilize what you have going. Too many changes are bad and all the other things are good practice in my experience.

If you were to add a fuge INSTEAD of all the other things that would be a different story but I’m worried the combination will strip your water and put you straight from diatoms to dinoflagellates.

At this point I've ordered some Chaeto and I think I'll take somewhat of a multi pronged approach. My intention from the start was to have a fuge, and while I agree I can't change too many things at once, I do feel I need to tilt the field in favor of my Chaeto. Thus I'm thinking I'll dim the display lights or one of those other options.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I haven't started water changes yet due to the lack of "testable" nutrients. Should I reconsider now that I realize nutrients are being produced in the system? Not sure how it would help since they're not present in the water column.