Need help with algae

[bucfan]

Dealing with an algae infestation for weeks. Started as turf, bubble and hair algae and all rocks were full of it. So did a flucon treatment. That got rid of most of it. But some hair and bubble algae persisted. And cyano so did chemiclean. Also had dinos. So thereafter started Restor. Did that for 3 weeks. But the allgae has got worse. Now I have algae over the back walls. I’ve lost 2 torches to it. And I’ve lost many snails, both shrimp and 2 clowns gone missing. Not sure what killed them. Did a 3 day black out but that did not do anything. Done 2 big water changes. My parameters are good with PO 0.1 and NO 10. So not sure what’s causing this. Moved all the remaining torches into my other tank out of caution. Any suggestions on what to do? Feel like I have to nuke the tank.

 

[Utubereefer]

What type of lights do you use? What’s your lighting schedule? Feeding routine? Fish stock? And what’s your mechanical filtration like?

 

[flyfisherman]

What a disaster. Tank isnt balanced, will take a while to fix. Check your RO water, are you sure its clean??? I would go bare bottom, add flow and add some rock.

 

[bucfan]

What type of lights do you use? What’s your lighting schedule? Feeding routine? Fish stock? And what’s your mechanical filtration like?

Radions like in my other tank. Lights on 10 hours ramp up and down. Using WWC schedule. But turned whites off now. So mainly blues. Feed very light, currently I skip a day so feed alternate days. Have 2 yellow coris wrasse, 1 small tomini and 5 damsels left. Use filter pads and skimmer on 8 hours daily (because nutrients were low I thought).

 

[bucfan]

What a disaster. Tank isnt balanced, will take a while to fix. Check your RO water, are you sure its clean??? I would go bare bottom, add flow and add some rock.

Yes RO is fine or my other tank would have problems too. Did an ICP test too. You are right it’s not balanced but not sure what.

 

[Utubereefer]

how often do you replace your filter pad? BRS recommends replacing filter floss every other day to help with N03-P04... You could start with shortening your light cycle also... hopefully that will help...

 

[Duffer]

You are most likely getting a false reading on your phosphates as they are consuming them..all that algae is feeding off your phosphates…get rid of the algae and lower the phosphates

 

[bucfan]

You are most likely getting a false reading on your phosphates as they are consuming them..all that algae is feeding off your phosphates…get rid of the algae and lower the phosphates

Tested the PO using Hanna and Salifert and got nearly the same readings. I agree with what you are saying but the numbers don’t compute.

 

[Duffer]

Tested the PO using Hanna and Salifert and got nearly the same readings. I agree with what you are saying but the numbers don’t compute.

Numbers won’t compute…that’s why is a false reading…phosphates bind to the rock and sand ..you test the water column when the phosphates release into the water..the algae is feeding off of them and you are only getting that reading…do a search here about phosphates feeding algae…that’s what saved me last year…I was getting a low reading on phosplates but had gha…starting to manually remove the algae and watched my phosphates climb

 

[bucfan]

Numbers won’t compute…that’s why is a false reading…phosphates bind to the rock and sand ..you test the water column when the phosphates release into the water..the algae is feeding off of them and you are only getting that reading…do a search here about phosphates feeding algae…that’s what saved me last year…I was getting a low reading on phosplates but had gha…starting to manually remove the algae and watched my phosphates climb

So if the PO is in the rocks then what must I do?

 

[Duffer]

I manually removed as much as possible, got an urchin which mowed it down at the same time I used phos E from bright view…took a little time but all good now