What’s a good plan?

[WIReefer]

I’ve been struggling at keeping my nutrient levels in check and have been very close to 0.00 for some time now on my Hanna ulr checker for PO4. Nitrates are around 5. I ordered a food grade product to start dosing PO4 should have that in check once I start dosing but a while back I started feeding heavy to try and raise levels barely had success. Also after a while of feeding heavily started seeing some algae growth on glass and all over sand bed. What is causing this and how to deal with it? Also currently battling a outbreak of bubble algae. Sorry for the bad pics it’s like a red/green hair algae looks like.

 

[WIReefer]

Would like to add one thing for some reason I did not check this but my tds meter was putting out 2-3 tds... I just caught this not sure if that helps. Just ordered new filters.

 

[WIReefer]

Been looking at it and been doing more research I do not think it’s bubble algae but it may be Calothrix Cyano Algae your guys thoughts? It has bubbles on the end of the stringy hair algae.

 

[Randomwhiteguy89]

How old is your tank and what’s the run down of your system ex tank size, sump, amount of rock/sand,

it’s hard to tell from the photos exactly what kind of algae it is I don’t think it’s dinos maybe more of a hair algae with some diotome bloom I would do a nice water change and suck out as much as you can and give it a day and check all your levels again

 

[WIReefer]

How old is your tank and what’s the run down of your system ex tank size, sump, amount of rock/sand,

it’s hard to tell from the photos exactly what kind of algae it is I don’t think it’s dinos maybe more of a hair algae with some diotome bloom I would do a nice water change and suck out as much as you can and give it a day and check all your levels again

Tank is a year and half old, 80 gallon total water volume system. No3 is around 5 and PO4 is 0.01. I’ll try and get out as much as I can tonight. In sump only running filter socks and live rock.

 

[Randomwhiteguy89]

There’s a good possibility your nitrates and phosphates are higher then you think the algae could be consuming it once it’s gone test again for the next few days if they start to climb you might need to look into a nutrient export

 

[WIReefer]

There’s a good possibility your nitrates and phosphates are higher then you think the algae could be consuming it once it’s gone test again for the next few days if they start to climb you might need to look into a nutrient export

I was feeding really heavy trying to get my PO4 up. I ended up buy a food grade product to dose PO4 haven’t started it yet waiting for it. I’ll keep testing.

 

[Randomwhiteguy89]

Raising nutrients in a reef tank is just like everything else it takes time and if you try to speed up the process you end up causing my problems in the end I would stop dosing whatever your using go back to normal feedings and do the water change and start testing more often for the next week if you notice your levels are up where you want them after you remove all of the algae just keep feeding the tank normally and monitor your nutrients to see if there declining or rising and go from there if there still to low for your liking just up your feeding regiment slowly

 

[WIReefer]

Raising nutrients in a reef tank is just like everything else it takes time and if you try to speed up the process you end up causing my problems in the end I would stop dosing whatever your using go back to normal feedings and do the water change and start testing more often for the next week if you notice your levels are up where you want them after you remove all of the algae just keep feeding the tank normally and monitor your nutrients to see if there declining or rising and go from there if there still to low for your liking just up your feeding regiment slowly

I have not started dosing anything yet, have been trying to get my nutrient up for roughly 6 months now. But I will get rid of as much algae as I can by hand I do a 15% water change every Sunday. I test PO4 3 times a week.