My nitrate and phosphate are both zero

[John08007]

I run gfo and a biopellet reactor, for about the last year i havent been able to grow any chaeto in my sump. It turns white and dies. In my tank ive had some gha and a tan algae covering all of my rock. Ive done the swirl in a cup test and its not dino. I had an icp test and i had pretty high silica.

Tonight i tested my nitrate, phosphate assuming they would be high causing my algae problem. Both tested 0 on a red sea test. I am thinking that the algae is using both giving me a zero reading. It seems like the only other tan algae i can find online would be diatoms- imagine from the high silica.

The algae comes off very easy with a toothbrush. Should i remove both reactors and see if the nitrate, phosphate go up some?

 

[User]

Hi there

There is another tan coloured algae, that I really hope you don't have: chrysophytes.

Does it look like it balls up, and is kinda gloopy, like snot? Looks a little fuzzy maybe?

I've been battling this stuff in my 180 for 6 months: I've tried dosing nitrates and phosphates, to keep them at a sustained 5ppm and 0.1 ppm, lights out for 3 days, weekly scrubbing... nothings been working. I'd estimate 80% coverage on my rocks

Due to all the messing about with the nutrients, I now also have green turf algae and Cyanobacteria. I'm on day 10 of fluconazole for the green turf, I'm continuing until day 16, then chemiclean for 2 days for the cyano, then scrub and siphon and a 40% WC.

I will say, the areas with turf algae and Cyanobacteria are clear of chrysophytes, which was kind of the aim (although I'd have been happier with gha, since my tangs could've eaten it) so im hoping this'll knock it back to about 10% coverage. I can handle that with scrubbing and siphoning.

I suggest you look up chrysophytes algae, then sit down and take a couple swift swigs of your drink of choice, and steel yourself hit the next 3-6 months.

 

[Westoncase]

I think i may have chrysophytes too. I just tested phosphates for the first time via hanna checker and i read 0. im not really sure what to think either...

 

[amazongb]

There’s a good thread about chrysophytes on this board, I recommend you read that first. You should Identify then with a microscope to be sure. I had them, and was able to rid them, but it took time and patience.. in my case both nitrates and phosphates were 0 so the first order of business was to raise them. I did this the natural way 1) removed my slimmer cup, 2) got rid of my refugeum.. after a month, still 0 phosphates but nitrates went up to 6ppm.. I then dozed phosphates using Seachem Flourish Phosphorus.. 3) manual removal during water changes, and 4) installed a UB sterlizer... 3 months later, tank has rebounded..

 

[User]

There’s a good thread about chrysophytes on this board, I recommend you read that first. You should Identify then with a microscope to be sure. I had them, and was able to rid them, but it took time and patience.. in my case both nitrates and phosphates were 0 so the first order of business was to raise them. I did this the natural way 1) removed my slimmer cup, 2) got rid of my refugeum.. after a month, still 0 phosphates but nitrates went up to 6ppm.. I then dozed phosphates using Seachem Flourish Phosphorus.. 3) manual removal during water changes, and 4) installed a UB sterlizer... 3 months later, tank has rebounded..

I've done everything except #4...

If my turf algae treatment and my cyano treatment don't also knock out the chrysophytes, I'm trying vibrant, next. If that fails, time to add a UV.

How bad was yours? I was at 85% coverage, currently at 35% after 6 months

 

[John08007]

I think i may have chrysophytes too. I just tested phosphates for the first time via hanna checker and i read 0. im not really sure what to think either...

I think you are right! I have never heard of it, just googled it and this is exactly what it looks like. Its always hard to take pics of algae but the pic below I found online and it is exactly what it is like if I let it go for a long time. It comes off very easy with a tooth brush and seems to grow where it is getting light more so than on he underside of rocks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would either shut down the reactors or reduce the amount of media in them.

 

[Westoncase]

I think you are right! I have never heard of it, just googled it and this is exactly what it looks like. Its always hard to take pics of algae but the pic below I found online and it is exactly what it is like if I let it go for a long time. It comes off very easy with a tooth brush and seems to grow where it is getting light more so than on he underside of rocks.

I seen this picture too. Mine isnt nearly as bad.

 

[User]

I think you are right! I have never heard of it, just googled it and this is exactly what it looks like. Its always hard to take pics of algae but the pic below I found online and it is exactly what it is like if I let it go for a long time. It comes off very easy with a tooth brush and seems to grow where it is getting light more so than on he underside of rocks.

Yeah, tjats the stuff

Start your tank with dry rock, like Marcos or reefsaver by any chance?

 

[Westoncase]

I am not sure what im gonna do. Do i not do water changes and try to get my nutrients up or do i remove them manually and do water changes afterwards, maybe a blackout? Im stressin. I didnt mean to try to overtake your thread with my questions.

 

[amazongb]

I've done everything except #4...

If my turf algae treatment and my cyano treatment don't also knock out the chrysophytes, I'm trying vibrant, next. If that fails, time to add a UV.

How bad was yours? I was at 85% coverage, currently at 35% after 6 months

You are correct, I tried Chemiclean for cyano which was present at the time, and it works for cyano, but not for chrysophytes. The cyano reappeared in about 8 weeks. I believe this reappearance was caused by low nutrients, and once I corrected that, it went away.

I would continue with water changes because it's an opportunity to use a toothbrush to get the chrysophytes floating and suck up as much as you can with your siphon hose.

I've heard some horror stories about shutting down biopellet reactors, so if it we me, I'd cut back on the media as to not shock the system. Do things slowly.

If I had to guess coverage, I'd say I had about 70% of the tank was overrun. It seems to cover coraline algae... when you begin to knock it back, you should see coraline reappear.

As far as UV Steralizer, I just bought the Turbotwist...as you get the chrysophytes floating, getting them to flow thru the UV helps.

Vibrant could work.. I didn't try that.. I decided to try more natural methods of removal and didn't want to depend on the long term use that it seems Vibrant requires. BRS just did a video series on Vibrant, and it's worth a watch. It worked on Chyrsophytes in their test tanks..

John

 

[amazongb]

I am not sure what im gonna do. Do i not do water changes and try to get my nutrients up or do i remove them manually and do water changes afterwards, maybe a blackout? Im stressin. I didnt mean to try to overtake your thread with my questions.

Not doing water changes made my situation worse. I would continue to do them.. use a toothbrush and suck up as much as you can with your siphon hose while doing your water change. Manual removal helps a lot.. I didn't catch your parameters, what are they?

 

[Westoncase]

Not doing water changes made my situation worse. I would continue to do them.. use a toothbrush and suck up as much as you can with your siphon hose while doing your water change. Manual removal helps a lot.. I didn't catch your parameters, what are they?

phosphate are reading 0, ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrates are under 5 i cant tell exactly. alk is 7.7 and calcium was 460. Also im running 2 ai primes, blues and purples at 75%, reds and greens at 3% and whites at 20%. lights run from 11:00am- 11:00pm

 

[amazongb]

phosphate are reading 0, ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrates are under 5 i cant tell exactly. alk is 7.7 and calcium was 460. Also im running 2 ai primes, blues and purples at 75%, reds and greens at 3% and whites at 20%. lights run from 11:00am- 11:00pm

How do you test your phosphates? Hanna ULR?

Are you currently using a protein skimmer?

 

[ScottB]

phosphate are reading 0, ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrates are under 5 i cant tell exactly. alk is 7.7 and calcium was 460. Also im running 2 ai primes, blues and purples at 75%, reds and greens at 3% and whites at 20%. lights run from 11:00am- 11:00pm

Unless you have a long ramp up/down, your light cycle is a tad on the longish side. Not that I believe it affects chrysophytes.

 

[John08007]

There are no youtube vids on how to cure or battle this that I can find. How did chrysophytes manage to slip under the radar for so long? Are they possibly related to diatoms? I checked my nitrate, phosphate last night with a redsea test kit, the sample looked as clear as the control sample-didn't change color at all.

 

[amazongb]

There are no youtube vids on how to cure or battle this that I can find. How did chrysophytes manage to slip under the radar for so long? Are they possibly related to diatoms? I checked my nitrate, phosphate last night with a redsea test kit, the sample looked as clear as the control sample-didn't change color at all.

Have you read this thread? https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chrysophytes-help-me-cure-it.263759/

I also read that chrysophytes are silicate based, so check your RODI water. I confirmed silates in my tank with an ICP test and have since upgraded my RODI unit with two DI resin cartridges..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you read this thread? https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chrysophytes-help-me-cure-it.263759/

I also read that chrysophytes are silicate based, so check your RODI water. I confirmed silates in my tank with an ICP test and have since upgraded my RODI unit with two DI resin cartridges..

Some do use silica to make an outer shell, but dosing silica hasn't caused them in any tank I've heard of. That doesn't mean that if everything else is perfect and silica is limiting them, it couldn't happen

OTOH, driving down silicate with something like GFO might starve them out.

 

[Westoncase]

Unless you have a long ramp up/down, your light cycle is a tad on the longish side. Not that I believe it affects chrysophytes.

2 hour ramp up/down. Not skimming and the ulr phosphate checker

 

[John08007]

Have you read this thread? https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chrysophytes-help-me-cure-it.263759/

I also read that chrysophytes are silicate based, so check your RODI water. I confirmed silates in my tank with an ICP test and have since upgraded my RODI unit with two DI resin cartridges..

I did have an icp test, it did show high silica. I since replaced all of my filter stages, membrane and di cartridge