Water Quality Issues?!?!

[jdloftness]

I am at a loss. I have a 50 gallon cube and have been having algae issues for 3-4 weeks. I have many corals of all types, but only 4 fish and a few inverts. I change 10% water each week and religiously test parameters. Not only have I not been able to rid my tank of the algae, I've also noticed several corals either dying or significantly stressed as of late. My pulsing xenia even died and I thought they were impossible to kill. All my tests are within acceptable ranges based on the API and/or Red Sea test kit ranges. I only feed twice per day and feed very little since I only have 4 fish. I worry that I'm starving them it seems so little. I use a filter sock, skimmer, GFO/Carbon reactor, and have a refugium. I have two power heads moving water, but I don't believe it's too much.

Anything you could recommend would be most appreciated.

 

[christian.gabinete]

Have you tried using a UV Filter?

 

[jdloftness]

I have not, but have a brand new one sitting in the box. Do you recommend it for algae?

 

[christian.gabinete]

Works on my tank. Watch youtube videos. They seem to work well.

 

[mcarroll]

@jdloftness tank pic please? especially one that focuses on the algae you have.

Also, can you post all your most recent test results?

How new is this tank?

Have you ID'd the algae already?

What do you have in your refugium and how is it doing?

It does sound like the tank might be starving, but test results should tell for sure. Feeding very little + GFO use sometimes adds up to much less desirable algae than the usual nice, green hairy stuff – so knowing the ID of your algae will be important.

 

[Flippers4pups]

This^. What's your water pramaters specifically. What's your source water. Tap, RO/DI?

Type of rocks in the tank and where they come from?

Sand bed? Type of sand?

Lights and light schedule?

 

[jdloftness]

I'll try to answer multiple questions with this response. My tank is about 9 months old. I have dry rock, live sand, I use RODI water with zero TDS, I use one AI hydra 26, have a sump with live rock and Chaeto, and I tested my water again yesterday with the following results:
Calcium - 400
Alkalinity - 10.4
Magnesium - 1200
PH - 7.8 - 8.0
Amonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 - 5.0
Water Temp - 79
Salinity was low, so I added Red Sea Pro Salt
I would describe the algae, but I am color blind, so I can't tell if it's red, green, or brown. I tends to blanket areas of my sand and grows blades that look like grass waving in the current. Sorry for the poor description, but thanks in advance for your help.

 

[mcarroll]

@jdloftness Thanks for the reply and the details! Please post a pic if you can so we can help ID the algae!!

Can you also test phosphates? Or maybe get a sample tested at the LFS? Phosphates and Nitrates are crucial for most microbial life that we care about, so if one or both are practically zero then we have an idea about the source of the problem.

Fixing the source of the problem is not always the whole solution with these things, however.....so ID'ing your algae will be helpful!

 

[PatW]

In order to have algae problems, you have to have issues with nitrates and phosphates. Generally, if your nitrates are below 2 ppm, they should not cause problems. Most reefers do not see problems with nitrates at 5 ppm.

Nitrate levels can be reduced by dosing vodka or vinegar. Dosing these requires a skimmer with more capacity than your tank requires. The idea is the vodka or vinegar serves as an energy source. Bacteria use it to multiply. In doing so, they absorb nitrates. The skimmer removes the bacteria.

The other issue is phosphate. It can be tested for with Hanna tests, but I have often got a zero reading even with algae issues. The algae grow and absorb the phosphates leaving none in the water. Generally, if I remove phosphates, the algae issues subside.

One way to remove both nitrates and phosphates is running macro algae in a refugium. The growing algae deplete the phosphates and nitrates.

A phosphate reducing method is granular ferric oxide. You buy some and a reactor. A reactor is just something that holds The GFO while you run water through it. The GFO removes phosphates. If your phosphate levels are not real high, you should see a pretty quick decline of algae when you run GFO.

Of course, you can just do a series of massive water changes and that should work also. Or you can take a multiple prong approach: dose vodka, run GFO, have macro algae in a refugium and do water changes.

 

[beaslbob]

Just about the right timing for a cyano bloom.

What can happen things are going well, tank looks great, with nitrates almost unmeasureable.

Then it happens. a little cyano and a week later it all over everything.

nitrates can be reduced through anaerobic/anoxic bacteria in addition to macro algae. So at the sand bed you have nitrogen gas (from the bacteria), phosphates, low oxygen and co2. The things cyano bacteria needs.

Additionally, as the cyano expands it takes more and more of the phosphates away from the corals and algae. So the tank can become cyano dominated instead of algae dominated.

One way to correct that is to kill your lights so the cyano dies off. Then resume with less lighting (then before) and adjust so the algae/corals thrive but the cyano doesn't come back.

Best tank ever.

and just my .02