Overnight Algae/Diatoms

[qstorm]

Hey guys,
so my tank has been cycling since june. I think was fully cycled so i added inverts and 2 clown fish. Most of the inverts died (due to the fact the heater was unplugged and i ddin't realize until after) clown fish and a few snails still going through my struggles.
Anyhow, my water parameters have been spot on. I was chasing PH because my probe was giving me low readings 7.8 down to 7.6, but my test kit was giving me 8.0 -8.2 .
I started dosing soda ash, within a hr the probe would give me 8.2 readings but that is short lived. ( i know i have to keep dosing to maintain those numbers). However i felt my test kit is correct and my probe is off... I have ran an airline outside from the skimmer, as well as two air stones...probe keeps reading 7.6 to max 7.78.


I know i will get bash for this statement, but i aiming for NEVER or minimal water change so i have/and setting up everything to achieve that... with that said i decide to do a water change, only because thats the only thing i never did and i left the dead inverts in the tank. Also my phosphate is 0, nitrate 0, nitrite 0, amonia 0, alk was spot on, calc was 480 etc except for my salinity, which was 36 ( i will remove about 5 gallons and replace with RO water to bring it back down)
Been running gf0 and carbon after the first 2 weeks of seeing minimal diatoms and those went away.

Now after the water change in the am, going to bed and waking up to brown algae/diatoms , some green algae spots as well. green stuff and brown stuff in my skimmer and in my refugium.
I have been running 1 out of 3 halide bulbs and 2 out of 4 T5 bulbs for the longest no issues.

What could have cause this overnight. FYI...only where the Halide covers is where all the brown stuff showed up...can't explain the fuge or skimmer. Also got new ph solutions and recalibrate the probe and i am getting closer readings like the test kit

 

[PDR]

It looks like normal diatoms to me, just part of the cycling process. They usually just show up one day like that then disappear in a few weeks. It could also have been related to the water change. The source water or salt mix may have had some elevated nutrients that diatoms thrive on and caused the bloom. Why are you aiming for zero water changes? Just curious..

 

[SEMA]

Why even test PH? Its correlation is related to alkalinity and CO2. Just test alkalinity, keep it stable and PH will land where it is allowed.

You might have been cycled biologically, but algae bloom hasn't set in yet. Diatoms are first, green algae, then red, then your algae blooms are usually done. I would crank all lights on and run as intended to start the algae cycle before corals are added...

What temp did the tank fall to? What kind of snails and hermits? Most are harvested from the Northern Caribbean and can withstand temps in the high 60's no problem

 

[qstorm]

Why even test PH? Its correlation is related to alkalinity and CO2. Just test alkalinity, keep it stable and PH will land where it is allowed.

You might have been cycled biologically, but algae bloom hasn't set in yet. Diatoms are first, green algae, then red, then your algae blooms are usually done. I would crank all lights on and run as intended to start the algae cycle before corals are added...

What temp did the tank fall to? What kind of snails and hermits? Most are harvested from the Northern Caribbean and can withstand temps in the high 60's no problem

Ok will turn the lights back on. .my tank dropped to 76. lost all the small nails, turbos, emerald crabs, two shrimp...the last one died last week, but It got stuck between the rock and the glass. I acclimated them for 4 hours
.I was chasing ph levels because I want to add corals and not have fluctuation and have them die.

 

[qstorm]

It looks like normal diatoms to me, just part of the cycling process. They usually just show up one day like that then disappear in a few weeks. It could also have been related to the water change. The source water or salt mix may have had some elevated nutrients that diatoms thrive on and caused the bloom. Why are you aiming for zero water changes? Just curious..

I did use a different salt mix cause the red sea took so long to dissolve...
as far as the water changes , I want a system that once its up and running, minimal maintenance... I am an extremist and I feel with all this new technology vs from the old ways, I can have a system/filtation that will accomplish that. I want to sit back and just rest and enjoy my aquarium.

 

[SEMA]

A temp of 76F is perfectly fine. I've harvested emeralds, astreas, blue leg hermits in 60F water many years. I would look at something else as the culprit of them not making it.

Acclimation shouldn't exceed 1 hour IME. You just need to match salinity and temp. Floating the bag in your tank and exchanging water works for the most part. To long of an acclimation can lead to ammonia buildup and oxygen depletion.

For salt mix, use a salt that matches your targeted tank parameters. The most critical parameter is alkalinity. 7-9 DKH is your target. Using a salt that mixes at artificially higher then NSW is left for very advanced users. Also when you do a water change, you dont want it to effect your calcium, alkalinity, magnesium levels. Water changes are used for nutrient, contamination, and trace element export/import.

To better your successes of keeping corals, keep a close watch on calcium, alkalinity, magnesium. Most important is alkalinity. You need to keep these as stable as possible and daily dosing is recommended. A automatic doser is your best friend. PH will mostly be effected by your alkalinity levels and how much co2 is dissolved. Do not chase PH. Lastly, use RODI water and not tap water to mix your salt in and for freshwater topoff.

For a no water change tank, you'll need to do a ton of research on nutrient export on reef tanks and most likely the 'trition' method of reef keeping. IMO, its left to advanced reefers.

 

[SEMA]

It's probably in your best interest to check out bulkreefsupply on YouTube and look for ULM (ultra low maintenance) series of videos. They are very helpful and cover all the basic and semi advanced methods you will need to know.

 

[PDR]

+1 to everything @SEMA said

 

[mta_morrow]

Ditto on SEMA and PDR.

 

[Amoo]

If he's just now seeing algae and just now added fish, they probably all had nothing to eat.

 

[qstorm]

Why even test PH? Its correlation is related to alkalinity and CO2. Just test alkalinity, keep it stable and PH will land where it is allowed.

You might have been cycled biologically, but algae bloom hasn't set in yet. Diatoms are first, green algae, then red, then your algae blooms are usually done. I would crank all lights on and run as intended to start the algae cycle before corals are added...

What temp did the tank fall to? What kind of snails and hermits? Most are harvested from the Northern Caribbean and can withstand temps in the high 60's no problem

The water was around 72 or 76 def. I had 4 turbos, 6 emerald crabs, 1 peppermint and cleaner shrimp, two urchin and two other type of snails. I only have the clowns and 1 snail, that burys himself under the sand. Going to re up on the cuc tomorrow

 

[CDavmd]

Stop. You don’t have enough algae for all that clean up crew. They will starve. You need to go slower and let things mature.

Stop chasing the pH. The swings are what probably killed everything. You also have no corals yet so don’t worry about chasing all the parameters.
You have nothing that will be consuming the calcium and alk, let them be.

These systems need time to mature. Feed your clowns. Keep temp stable and keep at most 1 crab and snail per 10 gallons. Let the various algae’s bloom and eventually die off.

You will definitely need to do water changes in the beginning. It takes time and stability for a tank to mature and eventually get to that ULM state.

I’d strongly suggest some reading and watching several of the BRS videos.

 

[SEMA]

For a new aquarium, you just need algae crew, and carnivore crew. Turbo snails, and nassarius vibex are your best bet. Turbos will help keep algae blooms to a minimum. If you have any left over food floating in the tank from feeding your fish, the nassarius snails will consume that. Hermit crabs are beneficial also but not a necessity. I dont recall size of aquarium, but you only need a few nassarius, and mainly all turbo snails. Established tanks I reccomend around 1 per gallon on turbos. To much CC and some will die, losing money. Hope this helps

 

[qstorm]

Stop. You don’t have enough algae for all that clean up crew. They will starve. You need to go slower and let things mature.

Stop chasing the pH. The swings are what probably killed everything. You also have no corals yet so don’t worry about chasing all the parameters.
You have nothing that will be consuming the calcium and alk, let them be.

These systems need time to mature. Feed your clowns. Keep temp stable and keep at most 1 crab and snail per 10 gallons. Let the various algae’s bloom and eventually die off.

You will definitely need to do water changes in the beginning. It takes time and stability for a tank to mature and eventually get to that ULM state.

I’d strongly suggest some reading and watching several of the BRS videos.

My tank size is 224 gallons which is why I had that many cuc. most of them died within a 1hr, so I don't think that is cause of a ph swing. I was feeding the few that survived daily. The last crab I will probably say died from ph swings, but he was trapped between the rock and the glass and I thought he was ok, cause he would come out and eat and go back there when the lights came on
Only trying to be proactive so when. I add corals they will strive vs playing catch up if they are dying.
I have watch sooooo many brs vidoes and i think that's what's mostly confusing.
Thanks again , I'll watch and see how it progress.
Another issue I'm having issues I can't seem to get the chaeto to grow. This is my second batch and eat t seems to be dying. I have a kessel grow light and lots of flow. Amy suggestions

 

[CDavmd]

You are doing too many things too early and some that are conflicting. Your Cheato is not growing because you have very little nutrients. Your nitrate and phos are zero. You are compounding this by running gfo.

I did not say the death of you cuc caused the ph swing but rather the chasing ph and causing swings by adding soda ash caused them to die.

Like I said the tank is too young for all this. Stop gfo, stop chaeto. Let nutrients build and the natural algae’s bloom. This will allow your planktonic species to establish and the tank to build diversity and mature. Nature takes time...the strive for the insta-reef is misguided in my opinion and I have been in this hobby for over 20 years.

You are also in danger of initiating a dinoflagellate bloom with such low nutrients. Trust me you don’t want that, it is very difficult to get under control once Dino’s start.

Start slow and simple. Get back to basics.

 

[SEMA]

CDavemd said it perfectly. Nature doesnt grow over night. Takes months and months of time.
Nutrients come from feeding the tank over time. You wont need to start plants for a few months more then likely. Once phosphate hits 0.05ppm start.

Set your lights to 8hr photo period, feed the couple fish you have and just add rodi water from evap. That's about it untill you see coralline algae develop.

 

[CDavmd]

@SEMA [emoji1303]

 

[qstorm]

CDavemd said it perfectly. Nature doesnt grow over night. Takes months and months of time.
Nutrients come from feeding the tank over time. You wont need to start plants for a few months more then likely. Once phosphate hits 0.05ppm start.

Set your lights to 8hr photo period, feed the couple fish you have and just add rodi water from evap. That's about it untill you see coralline algae develop.

Ok thanks guys