Rapidly Growing Brown Algae

[Baigent87]

My mixed reef tank is nearly 1 year old and I’ve never been able to control algae growth! Which I can appreciate is all part of the hobby, however over the last couple of months I’ve had 3 snails die, 1 emerald crab and 2 cleaner shrimp have vanished at the same time (strange).

I tend to find that the brown algae is not so bad first thing in the morning but grows to around 3-4 inches by mid afternoon? During my weekly water change my intank chambers are full of brown algae!

I also have a candy cane coral which is doing really well, a star pollop which seems to grow new heads every other day and 4 Zoa. 1 is doing well and the other 3 are closed for the majority of the time.

mom reluctant to replace the cleaner shrimp and snails due to the dead loss. Clowns and hermit crabs seem to be fine.

Ammonia is around 0.2. I’m running a red sea light at 80% blue and 7% white.

any advice would be great.

 

[Jekyl]

Pictures and parameters are needed. The growth you speak of indicates dinos.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics under white lights will help determine. Additionally:
What test kits are you using ?
Need readings for Phos and nitrate.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pictures and parameters are needed. The growth you speak of indicates dinos.

Calothrix is a possibility and also Lingbya.
I never access without pictures. Not sure how much will be addressed if snails are allowed to be purchased ?

 

[Baigent87]

Phos and nitrate are both showing 0. Although I think I may be getting a failed reading from my RedSea test kit at the algae is absorbing all the phosphates?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Phos and nitrate are both showing 0. Although I think I may be getting a failed reading from my RedSea test kit at the algae is absorbing all the phosphates?

It looks like Dino's to me.

From the pictures the tank is an Evo 13.5?

I don't normally suggest a rip clean, but if the Dino diagnosis is confirmed by others, that would be the path I'd take on a small Nano

 

[Jekyl]

Looks like dinos to me. Nutrients point to it also

 

[Baigent87]

Thank you for the advice guys. Think I’ll going down the Vibrant dosing route for a month or so and see how it goes.

 

[Rams]

Thank you for the advice guys. Think I’ll going down the Vibrant dosing route for a month or so and see how it goes.

Hope you have seen discussion about vibrant.I suggest using phosguard to try it out first

 

[Jekyl]

I don't think either of those work for dinos do they?

 

[Ajayabb]

I wouldn’t use Vibrant for dinos. I suggest raising your nutrients and consider a Rip clean of that doesn’t work given your tanks size

 

[Baigent87]

I don't think either of those work for dinos do they?

I wouldn’t use Vibrant for dinos. I suggest raising your nutrients and consider a Rip clean of that doesn’t work given your tanks size

Apologise for my lack of knowledge on this. When you say “rip clean” are you recommending replacing the sand, rock and do a 100% water change?

 

[Baigent87]

Hope you have seen discussion about vibrant.I suggest using phosguard to try it out first

I’ve been using rowaphos which has t touched and herd some people had some success with Vibrant. It this stage I’ll try anything. It’s so frustrating! Every week I’m doing a 20-30% water change, removing my intank chambers to clean them, removing the rock and scrubbing it down and syphoning dinos out of my sand.

 

[aSaltyKlown]

I concur, no Vibrant with dinos. Biodiversity and nutrients are what can beat dinos. I'd recommend either a rip clean as mentioned or Dr. Tim's Dino treatment.

https://www.drtimsaquatics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Dinoflagellates_prescription_recipe.pdf

You could also cut back on water changes. Go to 10% or about 1.5 gallons for an EVO. Might be removing too much.
Since I cut back on WC's my tank looks even better.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Thank you for the advice guys. Think I’ll going down the Vibrant dosing route for a month or so and see how it goes.

If your tank is less that 40g, I'd strongly suggest a rip clean is going to be cheaper and faster than any other way of resolving a dino issue.

You can spend months and lotsa buck on meds, UV, and all the other stuff when a half day could solve the problem.

 

[Ajayabb]

@brandon429 will be very helpful guiding you through the Rip Clean Process