Tank just isn’t maturing

[Nanoreefboi]

I have a nuvo 10 gallon mixed reef. It’s been set up almost a year now. It just doesn’t seem like it is maturing at a normal pace.
It was cycled almost a year ago with Dr Tim’s one and only. Took about 3 weeks. (It was a fishless cycle)
For some reason, I struggle growing coralline algae. I have an ATO and stable water conditions. However, recently I have had a green hair algae outbreak. However, it is not that bad to where it’s killing coral or anything. I use distilled water tested at 0TDS, mixed with Red Sea Pro salt.
I run filter floss changed every 3-5 days, biological media, an Aquamaxx NF-1 skimmer(rated for 30 gallons), a Kessil A80 light, and a smart aqua ATO. Corals are growing ok, but not that fast. I change 2.5 gallons of water every week, sometimes with a sand vacuum.
Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Billldg]

I feel it is still a mystery as to why some people can grow coraline algae quickly while others can't. What are your parameters, I bet your nitrates and phosphate are low because you are doing a 100 percent water change monthly. If you tank is mostly softies and LPS, they like what is referred to as a dirtier tank meaning a little higher nitrates and phosphates. Even SPS like them above 5 ppm N03 and .03 P04. I keep mine around 10 N03 and .08-.1 P04.

 

[Nanoreefboi]

I feel it is still a mystery as to why some people can grow coraline algae quickly while others can't. What are your parameters, I bet your nitrates and phosphate are low because you are doing a 100 percent water change monthly. If you tank is mostly softies and LPS, they like what is referred to as a dirtier tank meaning a little higher nitrates and phosphates. Even SPS like them above 5 ppm N03 and .03 P04. I keep mine around 10 N03 and .08-.1 P04.

Nitrates: about 1ppm
Phosphates: 0.02 ppm
Tank is a mixed reef, mostly sps frags

 

[Billldg]

What type of corals?

GHA will hog all the nutrients in the tank and possibly make the test show lower than actual.

 

[Nanoreefboi]

What type of corals?

Birdsnest, Montipora cap, red dragon acro, unidentified Millipora, Hammer coral, green hairy mushrooms, rainbow bubble tip anemone, Rasta zoas, blastomussa merletti

 

[Billldg]

Ah, a little bit of everything. I would try and get your N03 and P04 up. The GHA will hog the nutrients and make the parameters show lower. The GHA just locks up the nutrients. I do about a 30 percent water change monthly, so for you I would recommend no more than a 4 gal water change monthly. Your tank being 10 gals the parameters will change quicker than mine, so I would monitor it to see how the N03 and P04 react.

 

[Nanoreefboi]

Ah, a little bit of everything. I would try and get your N03 and P04 up. The GHA will hog the nutrients and make the parameters show lower. The GHA just locks up the nutrients. I do about a 30 percent water change monthly, so for you I would recommend no more than a 4 gal water change monthly. Your tank being 10 gals the parameters will change quicker than mine, so I would monitor it to see how the N03 and P04 react.

Won’t the GHA benefit from the excess nutrients?

 

[Billldg]

You will have to combat that as well. I know fluconazole will kill it, aka Reef Flux, but it will release the nutrients back into the tank, so you first need to manually remove as much as you can. I have used Reef Flux to deal with bryopsis in the past and it caused my nutrients to skyrocket, it also killed the GHA in my sump . Some people have had bad luck with Reef Flux, I personally have not and I have used it twice with SPS and LSP in my tank.

 

[Nanoreefboi]

You will have to combat that as well. I know fluconazole will kill it, aka Reef Flux, but it will release the nutrients back into the tank, so you first need to manually remove as much as you can. I have used Reef Flux to deal with bryopsis in the past and it caused my nutrients to skyrocket, it also killed the GHA in my sump . Some people have had bad luck with Reef Flux, I personally have not and I have used it twice with SPS and LSP in my tank.

I have tried reef flux, just didn’t work for me.

 

[Billldg]

I have tried reef flux, just didn’t work for me.

Yea, its not a direct aid in combating GHA, I just know it worked for me when I was dealing with Bryopsis. You can try Vibrant, but I have not had good luck with it as I felt it effected my LPS more than anything else. Some people have had luck with it, so it may be worth a shot. I wish I could give you more info on how to deal with GHA, but, unfortunately I can't. I have been scouring the forum looking for a solid way tot deal with GHA and it seems that their are a lot of hit or miss ways to deal with it.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Have you made sure to add coralline algae to your tank? It has to have it before it’ll grow.

 

[JoshH]

I have tried reef flux, just didn’t work for me.

I would roll with Hydrogen Peroxide, or go thr easier route and throw some turbo snails in there. If you want to go the HP route, do your research first. Before every WC I would shut all the pumps off, pull and siphon what I could and then take a syringe of HP and slowly squeeze it out over the larger spots of GHA. Sit and wait for 5-10 minutes, then siphon around that area sucking up any of the excess HP and whatever might have died immediately after covering with the HP. Worked like a charm but did take a little while to do so not an immediate fix. Once it was beaten down I made sure my CUC had enough numbers to keep it in check and I was good. Make sure though when squirting the HP around you don't get it ontop of your corals. Like I mentioned before, do a bit of research on it first to make sure you have a basic understanding of how to do it properly...

 

[Nanoreefboi]

Have you made sure to add coralline algae to your tank? It has to have it before it’ll grow.

I have some spots in the tank that are living, but it just isn’t spreading

 

[Daddy-o]

I prefer to stray away from adding chemicals every time my reefs have an issue. Try adding some herbivores and bring up nitrates with some amino acids.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Gulf of Persia]

I have a nuvo 10 gallon mixed reef. It’s been set up almost a year now. It just doesn’t seem like it is maturing at a normal pace.
It was cycled almost a year ago with Dr Tim’s one and only. Took about 3 weeks. (It was a fishless cycle)
For some reason, I struggle growing coralline algae. I have an ATO and stable water conditions. However, recently I have had a green hair algae outbreak. However, it is not that bad to where it’s killing coral or anything. I use distilled water tested at 0TDS, mixed with Red Sea Pro salt.
I run filter floss changed every 3-5 days, biological media, an Aquamaxx NF-1 skimmer(rated for 30 gallons), a Kessil A80 light, and a smart aqua ATO. Corals are growing ok, but not that fast. I change 2.5 gallons of water every week, sometimes with a sand vacuum.
Any suggestions would be helpful.

10 gallon is so small to keep parameters right. I would do once a month water change .