Macro algae troubles!! Please help

[Trillaman954]

Hey reefers! I’m having a hard time with my macros…the only one that’s growing is the caulerpa. Everything other macro seems to be having a problem of its own. Especially the reds. I feed phyto and frozen food. The frozen maybe twice a week. Phyto every 2 days. all I have in there is a mandarin and 12 astrias

 

[Trillaman954]

The dragons tongue is turning green and ripping off the plug and the grácileta is just not growing. The dragons breath has this white stringy stuff on it. And the red one on the top of the rock is getting wrapped in algae

 

[shakacuz]

iron could be low or depleted. what are your nitrate/phosphate?

edit: could also increase your CUC size or change it up to have more diversity. astrea's can only do so much and usually only go to glass or rocks. some hermits could help with keeping your macroalgae clean.

 

[Trillaman954]

iron could be low or depleted. what are your nitrate/phosphate?

Nitrates are less than 5 and phosphate seems around 0. Using api

 

[shakacuz]

Nitrates are less than 5 and phosphate seems around 0. Using api

phosphate should be detectable, at least. do you have any other tests kits on hand? use salifert and test again.

 

[vlangel]

I have pretty good success with macroalgae but my nitrates are in the 30ppm or higher and my phosphates are in the .5- 1ppm range so much higher than yours.

I am not saying that you should raise your nutrients that high. My reef is going into it's 8th year so has very mature pod and food webs established but your nutrients probably could be some higher.

Macroalgae like the light spectrum to be in the 6500 range so that is another thing to check.

 

[Trillaman954]

I have pretty good success with macroalgae but my nitrates are in the 30ppm or higher and my phosphates are in the .5- 1ppm range so much higher than yours.

I am not saying that you should raise your nutrients that high. My reef is going into it's 8th year so has very mature pod and food webs established but your nutrients probably could be some higher.

Macroalgae like the light spectrum to be in the 6500 range so that is another thing to check.

Im using refugium purple led strip and a white led strip the tank came with. I’m thinking it could be cyano tho because of the link slime on the sand. There’s many lids in there and i also see flatworms.

 

[Trillaman954]

I have pretty good success with macroalgae but my nitrates are in the 30ppm or higher and my phosphates are in the .5- 1ppm range so much higher than yours.

I am not saying that you should raise your nutrients that high. My reef is going into it's 8th year so has very mature pod and food webs established but your nutrients probably could be some higher.

Macroalgae like the light spectrum to be in the 6500 range so that is another thing to check.

Also should I start dosing reef roids to raise phosphate? I’ll check ph in the am.

 

[VintageReefer]

Watch your snails
Turbo snails ate all my dragons breath.

 

[vlangel]

Also should I start dosing reef roids to raise phosphate? I’ll check ph in the am.

Hmm, I am not sure if dosing reef rounds is the best thing to do since you are concerned with cyano.
Are there any fish in your refugium? Fish poo is pretty much what provides all the nutrients for my macros. I do supplement the water column with iron and Coral vite (for trace minerals).
In regard to snail, nassarius snails are safe for macroalgae and they stir up your sand bed.

 

[Trillaman954]

Watch your snails
Turbo snails ate all my dragons breath.

Yea my stupid Mexicans did the same thing in my main dt. I have astreas in the macro

 

[Trillaman954]

Hmm, I am not sure if dosing reef rounds is the best thing to do since you are concerned with cyano.
Are there any fish in your refugium? Fish poo is pretty much what provides all the nutrients for my macros. I do supplement the water column with iron and Coral vite (for trace minerals).
In regard to snail, nassarius snails are safe for macroalgae and they stir up your sand bed.

There’s only a blue mandarin in there