Algae issue
- Thread starter jake_francis
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Algae means the lack of herbivores. I can't stress this enough, but you can't reduce nutrients to combat algae, this will only cause other issues, same with reducing lighting (unless you're using old bulbs T5 or halides). If you have algae, you need herbivores to eat it, it's really that simple. What fish do you have and what are you feeding them and how much?
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Your nitrate is not to low. Don't dose more. If your phosphate is to high it is much easier to decrease that with a chemical absorbing media then it is to try to balance the phosphate to the nitrate so the algae will consume both. Even if you do reach that equilibrium, something marine planted tank owners do to increase growth; that will only give you more algae, not decrease it.
9 years, how long has it been since you re upped your clean up crew?
Algae needs to be eaten. You can't clean your way out of it. If you have ever scuba'd on a reef you will be in pristine water with these large corals everywhere, no algae. All of these fish are constantly pecking at the rocks; thousands of them. Then you will come to a point where you see some algae and it is begin guarded by a damsel. All of the herbivores stay away. Even under pristine water conditions, and amazingly high flow algae will grow.
Try Reefcleaners.org
I highly recommend the trochus snails and the dwarf planaxis. I just put 50 planaxis in my 50g system after watching them in my 165. Emerald crabs or urchins are great too. I am a huge nerd so I think I ordered like 15 kinds of snails/crabs from them as well and my 6 year old and I look at the tank and play "Where's Waldo" but Waldo could be any one of 20 different snail/crab.
Forget trying to clean the tank yourself. Hire 100 animals to do it all day long. Great for the tank, great for the coral, easier for you.
9 years, how long has it been since you re upped your clean up crew?
Algae needs to be eaten. You can't clean your way out of it. If you have ever scuba'd on a reef you will be in pristine water with these large corals everywhere, no algae. All of these fish are constantly pecking at the rocks; thousands of them. Then you will come to a point where you see some algae and it is begin guarded by a damsel. All of the herbivores stay away. Even under pristine water conditions, and amazingly high flow algae will grow.
Try Reefcleaners.org
I highly recommend the trochus snails and the dwarf planaxis. I just put 50 planaxis in my 50g system after watching them in my 165. Emerald crabs or urchins are great too. I am a huge nerd so I think I ordered like 15 kinds of snails/crabs from them as well and my 6 year old and I look at the tank and play "Where's Waldo" but Waldo could be any one of 20 different snail/crab.
Forget trying to clean the tank yourself. Hire 100 animals to do it all day long. Great for the tank, great for the coral, easier for you.
So here’s the thing people forget or overlook. The same conditions that algae needs to grow are the same conditions corals need to grow. By reducing nutrients you risk starving your corals. The algae, which is really good at utilizing nutrients and trace elements, will find another fuel source to keep going, which in turn pulls even more things from corals. Algae can fuel itself from nitrate alone or phosphate alone, which reduces the availability from corals. Algae is so efficient at utilizing nutrients, that you can still test zero N & P and algae will continue to grow, meanwhile, your corals keep dying. Reducing lighting during this time only stresses the corals even more, same with reducing nutrients. Algae happens when there’s an imbalance of nutrients and the lack of herbivores. Remove herbivores from the natural reef and watch algae take over in no time. I’ve seen algae and cyano on reefs next to huge colonies of acropora where the herbivores couldn’t reach.
Feed your fish smaller meals frequently throughout the day with high quality frozen food like LRS, TDO pellets, quality flakes (I like cool green and cool mysis). I personally don’t like feeding mysis on its own unless I have a finicky fish, and I wash the crap out of it before feeding. I haven’t fed mysis on its own in years. I would suggest getting another small tang (bristletooth, not zebrasoma) to help out Ana maybe add some turbos and astraea snails. Fighting conchs are great for sand, as well as tiger tail cucumber.
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Feed your fish smaller meals frequently throughout the day with high quality frozen food like LRS, TDO pellets, quality flakes (I like cool green and cool mysis). I personally don’t like feeding mysis on its own unless I have a finicky fish, and I wash the crap out of it before feeding. I haven’t fed mysis on its own in years. I would suggest getting another small tang (bristletooth, not zebrasoma) to help out Ana maybe add some turbos and astraea snails. Fighting conchs are great for sand, as well as tiger tail cucumber.
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Thanks. I tried to another tang, but my purple tang is now dominant and it doesn’t get along with any additional fish. I will try to add more clean up crew. I feed frozen mysis and blood worms for my finicky CBB. I feed small meals throughout the day via auto feeder for my wrasses and tang. I guess I have to reevaluate fish food brands and types.
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Purples are tough to deal with. If tangs are a no go a starry or lawnmower blenny might be able to sneak by. They hold their own pretty well too. A decent period in an acclimation box can help a ton. A 99cent store makeup mirror taped to the outside glass on the day of release can really distract the dominant fish too.
#1 is manual removal if it's already out of hand. Anything somewhat "long" doesn't get knocked back in my experience by cuc or herbivores. Get it knocked back by fingers/hermostats/tile grout brushes regularly/repetitively; then your herbivores will hold it at bay. It takes time but that's helped me get out of GHA issues I battled for too long. Stuff is just too efficient IME to starve it out. If you get it knocked back and the right tank inhabitants to keep it there you'll be able to maintain a more balanced tank, feed heavier and have everything be happier.
Bryopsis, I'll dose flux. I've noticed 1/2 dose works for me but it does always seem to return at some point but it did at full dose prior and stressed some acropora.
Also make sure you're dealing with 0 tds water for top off and salt or your fighting an unknown battle.
#1 is manual removal if it's already out of hand. Anything somewhat "long" doesn't get knocked back in my experience by cuc or herbivores. Get it knocked back by fingers/hermostats/tile grout brushes regularly/repetitively; then your herbivores will hold it at bay. It takes time but that's helped me get out of GHA issues I battled for too long. Stuff is just too efficient IME to starve it out. If you get it knocked back and the right tank inhabitants to keep it there you'll be able to maintain a more balanced tank, feed heavier and have everything be happier.
Bryopsis, I'll dose flux. I've noticed 1/2 dose works for me but it does always seem to return at some point but it did at full dose prior and stressed some acropora.
Also make sure you're dealing with 0 tds water for top off and salt or your fighting an unknown battle.
I added clean up crews. So, I added trochus snails, emerald crabs, hermit crabs. I also found a small 2 spot bristle tooth tang. Hope fully my Purple will not bully it. Planning of adding more clean up crews. I think my pods populationnhad dwindled down since I trimmed my chaetto. So far my chaetto hasn’t grown as I expected it to.
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