Need a little help.

[Jo dy]

Looking for a little help! I have this greenish algae in my display and it seems to be attacking my corals. Can someone help me identify it and what I can do to help remove it. Seems to be growing in the shaded areas of my tank more than the areas with higher light. Also dosed chemi-clean about 24 hours ago because I have cyanosis in my black sand bed.


System has been up about 6 months. Used reefsaver rock and Hawaiian black Arag-alive sand. 90gal display with emerald 34 sump. Curve 5 skimmer. Two Kessil 360we. Was running gfo and carbon until yesterday. Dosed chemi-clean about 24 hours ago.
My parameters are:
Ph-8 to 8.13
No3-10
Po4-0
Alk-8.5
Ca-470
Mag-1400

I perform daily water changes of 2gal with my DOS. I am also dosing kalk daily. Refugeium has kessil H380 on reverse light schedule. Growing chetto and some hair algae in my fuge.

 

[Dom]

At 2 gallons per day, that comes to a total of 11.2% weekly water change. I typically do 20% weekly. So larger water changes may help.

At 6 months, your tank is still "new", so this may be related to the fact that your tank has not fully matured. I would clean it out manually and monitor. This will probably self correct.

Do you run a refugium? How is your tank stocked?

 

[Jo dy]

I do run a refugium it has a kessilh380 running on a reverse cycle of my display lights, 12hrs. The fuge has chetto and some hair algae. Tank is stocked as follows:
1 yellow tang 1 coral banded shrimp
1 coral beauty
1 flame hawkfish
15-20 turbo snails
10-12 dwarf zebra hermit crabs
10 dwarf red tip hermit crabs
10 nassarius snails

 

[Oldsalt01]

What are those white “specks” on the zoas in pic #2? Keep in mind I’m looking at them on my iPhone so the resolution isn’t that great. As for the algae, it looks typical for a relatively new tank.

 

[Jo dy]

The white specks are air bubbles within the algae. I have started a few new tanks but I have never started a new tank with reef saver rock. If it is just new tank syndrome I can handle that, this hobby has taught me I have to be patient. LOL My concern is it's causing my zoas to not open up. I am having trouble with my chalices and my monti's. Not sure if this is all related or if it's a separate issue.

 

[Dom]

I do run a refugium it has a kessilh380 running on a reverse cycle of my display lights, 12hrs. The fuge has chetto and some hair algae. Tank is stocked as follows:
1 yellow tang 1 coral banded shrimp
1 coral beauty
1 flame hawkfish
15-20 turbo snails
10-12 dwarf zebra hermit crabs
10 dwarf red tip hermit crabs
10 nassarius snails

I wouldn't add anything else to the tank for a while. I'd wait 6 months or more. Be patient.

 

[Jo dy]

Thanks for the help Dom. I am trying to be patient with this tank. Was wanting to add corals here and there but I am now concerned about morbidity. I will continue to be patient I really want the tank to be stable before I start investing $ in livestock. My goal is to have a sps dominant tank in the future. I am on the fence about adding T5's to the Kessil's. Is it odd the algae seems to grow more in the shaded areas of my tank?

 

[Dom]

Thanks for the help Dom. I am trying to be patient with this tank. Was wanting to add corals here and there but I am now concerned about morbidity. I will continue to be patient I really want the tank to be stable before I start investing $ in livestock. My goal is to have a sps dominant tank in the future. I am on the fence about adding T5's to the Kessil's. Is it odd the algae seems to grow more in the shaded areas of my tank?

It is tough to resist the urge to accelerate the progress of your tank. But patience is key to long term success.