Tank Hits 1 year mark and grows algae

[TeGFreak23]

I've been battling algae for over a month now and nothing seems to be working. I've cutback my lighting time to 8 hours, and I run a HOG 1 for 18 hours a day. I have also cut back feeding to almost none, and have been continuing to manually remove algae as much as possible. 50% weekly water changes. I'm beginning to think it's my lighting (Fluval marine and reef 48" led)
ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

Tank Parameters:
Salinity: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: 0.25
Magnesium: 1300
KH: 11.9
Calcium: 450
Temp: 79

Tank Setup:
60 Gallon Drilled for Overflow
Fluval Marine and Reef 48" LED
2x Ecotech Marine MP10W
Ecotech Reef Link
CPR Overflow w/ 2 1" Drains and 3/4 Return

Sump:
40 Breeder Tank
CPR Dual 1" Filter Sock Holder
200 Micron Filter Sock
Reef Octopus 110INT Protein Skimmer
Refugium w/ Fiji Mud and LR Rubble
Santa Monica HOG 1
JBJ ATO System
BRS Dual Carbon Reactor
Mag drive 9.5 Return Pump

Water Supply:
BRS RO/DI System
Aquavitro Salinity
2x 40 Gallon Brute Trashcans
2x Magdrive 9.5 Pumps

Pics:

 

[kateater]

What kind of clean up crew do you have? What is your TDS reading? If the water filters are exhausted 50% water changes could be fueling the algae. Don't have any experience with the light to chime in.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Your phosphates need to be less than 0.04ppm and you have 0.25ppm. I will take a stab and say that is what is fueling your algae.

I will take a guess and say you used Dry live rock? And now it's leeching phosphates into the water column.

 

[ArcKatana]

Assuming your TDS is still zero/low, maybe add some more flow. I've noticed I'll get lots of algae if flow isn't hitting all areas of the tank. Also try a bigger clean up crew. Hermits/Snails and even some crabs are good a going through algae. Although your Blenny should be muching down (and it looks like he is, several bare spots on rocks), it might just be too much for him. You could also pull all the rocks (a pain I know) and scrub them with an old toothbrush to cut down on the amount in the tank.

Nutrients are coming from somewhere - anything stirring/going through sand/gravel?

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Get nopox. If your nitrates fall closer to 0 than phosphates are, get calcium nitrate to add in addition.
I laugh now at how simple it is.

To make a big advance in the meantime, get some food grade peroxide, dilute to 3% and then use what you find in the articles around. (get food grade though so you don't kill other critters as the brown bottle peroxides contain stabilizers; most are toxic to marine environments)

 

[TeGFreak23]

I have 10 Nassarius snails in the substrate, and all my astrea snails and hermits have pretty much disappeared. I also have a brittle star, a few peppermint shrimp and a coco worm. TDS is still reading all zeros, and have also tried the removing live rock and scrubbing it all off. Just seems to keep coming back.

 

[ArcKatana]

If all your hermits/astreas have disappeared, I'd get 20-30 hermits and go from there. I've never had luck with Astreas eating hair algae. Maybe a sally lightfoot crab?

 

[jsker]

Run GFO to bring down the phosphate.

 

[reeferfoxx]

If all your hermits/astreas have disappeared, I'd get 20-30 hermits and go from there. I've never had luck with Astreas eating hair algae. Maybe a sally lightfoot crab?

20-30 hermits? lol

Turbo snails are better for hair algae. With high phosphates though, you'll for sure want to drip acclimate them. I'm with @jsker on this one, use GFO. It will also help absorb phosphates from the rock.
Just don't use GFO long term. Should only be used temporarily.

 

[TeGFreak23]

So just put gfo in one of my chambers in my dual reactor for how long?

 

[jsker]

So just put gfo in one of my chambers in my dual reactor for how long?

Until you can get the phosphates around .02 to .03 ppm. You are going to need nitrates for corals to survive and grow. This comes with adding fish and critter that poop and creat nitrates. In the future try to keep your nitrates around 3 to 5 ppm. Chasing numbers will drive us all crazy, so use the if the tank looks great I am doing something good for the reason every system is different .

 

[reeferfoxx]

So just put gfo in one of my chambers in my dual reactor for how long?

It will start reducing po4 rapidly. But if your rock is leeching, numbers can be deceiving. For example though, my old tank spiked po4 at 0.11ppm. I did recommended grams/per gallon and 24 hours later it was at 0.05ppm.
Amino acids can also help raise nitrates safely without raising phosphates. Products like Acropower can achieve that.

 

[TeGFreak23]

I just added the Blenny on Friday, as well as some pods, cheato, and Fluval nano marine and reef led And using the Red Sea reef energy a/b with the no3 po4 algae management program

 

[uncle luke]

I had the same issues. Literally tried EVERYTHING. The only thing that knocked it out cold was Lanthanum Chloride. It works great.

 

[larryrick1]

1.If you are dosing any type if coral food, stop until the algae is gone.
2. Start using GFO, to reduce the phosphates.
3. Start carbon-dosing, to keep the algae from coming back.

 

[Sabellafella]

I've been battling algae for over a month now and nothing seems to be working. I've cutback my lighting time to 8 hours, and I run a HOG 1 for 18 hours a day. I have also cut back feeding to almost none, and have been continuing to manually remove algae as much as possible. 50% weekly water changes. I'm beginning to think it's my lighting (Fluval marine and reef 48" led)
ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

Tank Parameters:
Salinity: 1.024
pH: 8.2
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: 0.25
Magnesium: 1300
KH: 11.9
Calcium: 450
Temp: 79

Tank Setup:
60 Gallon Drilled for Overflow
Fluval Marine and Reef 48" LED
2x Ecotech Marine MP10W
Ecotech Reef Link
CPR Overflow w/ 2 1" Drains and 3/4 Return

Sump:
40 Breeder Tank
CPR Dual 1" Filter Sock Holder
200 Micron Filter Sock
Reef Octopus 110INT Protein Skimmer
Refugium w/ Fiji Mud and LR Rubble
Santa Monica HOG 1
JBJ ATO System
BRS Dual Carbon Reactor
Mag drive 9.5 Return Pump

Water Supply:
BRS RO/DI System
Aquavitro Salinity
2x 40 Gallon Brute Trashcans
2x Magdrive 9.5 Pumps

Pics:

Just have a little gha is all, if its troublesome get some snails to chow it down. Also the api phosphate test kit isnt going to give you an accurate reading. You obviously are keeping up with looks to be rather large waterchanges so just cut down with feeding and you should be ok.

 

[Drakonis]

Before going deep in cleanup crew numbers, might i suggest something like a mexican turbo snail. those things are like a heard of goats. also gfo yes, carbon dose yes, but might ease up on water changes. i personally dont have alot of faith in rock leaching phosphates a year in .

 

[TeGFreak23]

I haven't dosed anything in at least 2 months, and I'm barely feeding anything to the fish, plus I'm already running carbon in both my containers on my dual reactor, but I'll switch one of them to gfo and see if it makes a difference. Yes I know API sucks.... I'm gonna be getting the rest of the Red Sea tests soon, the only red see I have right now is the reef fundamentals for mag, ca, and alk

 

[bristlebasher]

I suggest that you check TDS of the water sitting in the brute containers , might be where contamination is taking place.

The salinity checker you seem to be using is not the most accurate , salinity swings when doing water changes would aggravate situation.

Change one thing at a time , evaluate , then continue . Patience and consistency is key.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Hanna phosphate checker is easiest and accurate test.