How would you combat this algae/cyano problem?

[kingfisher62]

How would you combat this algae problem?

I am attaching pics in hopes to show you what I am dealing with.

Just looking for some options.

This matting on the LR has been slowly forming for the last 5 months which I think part of the prob was from me not changing my RO/DI cartridges and resin sooner .

So to start turning things around I started doing larger weekly water changes , Feeding every other day , Bought 100 Blue Legged Hermits and shortened photo period . Tomorrow I will deep clean filters and power heads .

I am also thinking of pulling rocks out and physically cleaning.


Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Agu]

IME the best herbivore is the Mexican turbo snail, they'll pretty much eat any algae. Problem is they'll eat everything, knock over your unsecured corals in the process, and when the food is gone they starve to death.

If that's your 55, two of the biggest ones you can find is max stocking.

[kingfisher62]

Thanks, I do have two Mex turbos or maybe just one. It has been a while since I looked for them. They started off well a couple of months ago but lately they seemed to have been eating less. Maybe I will get one more since mine are not Huge.

[nematode]

Could you provide more detail
Feed heavily? "Every other day" , but what do you feed? how much?

How many herbivore fish (tangs etc). List seems like its only one foxface. I would consider adding a Tang.
Do you have a mechanical filter? Do you have a sump?
Do you have a protein skimmer?

Do you do water changes regularly? What does "larger water changes" mean?

What are the levels of your phosphates and nitrates?

[ghostman]

Could you please post tank parameters and equipment you're using? PO4 and TDS levels would be interesting to see. Have you started using bio pellets recently? I got some weird algae/ cyano when I tried pellets.

[hollister]

The unwanted algea feeds on high phosphate and nitrate. Reduceing waste is number one. Relocating the power heads or even adding another one to get behind the rock. You want good steady flow all around so un eatin food and fish waste can stay suspended and picked up by an media filter. Look for low or no flow areas and adjust.

Then you can blow off sections of rock right before the water change to remove more of it, Do this over time and you will get a handle on this. Then mb a few more snails.

[kingfisher62]

Could you provide more detail
Feed heavily? "Every other day" , but what do you feed? how much?

How many herbivore fish (tangs etc). List seems like its only one foxface. I would consider adding a Tang.
Do you have a mechanical filter? Do you have a sump?
Do you have a protein skimmer?

Do you do water changes regularly? What does "larger water changes" mean?

What are the levels of your phosphates and nitrates?

I alternate with flake, pellets and mysys. I lost my foxface a few months ago to carpet surfingand just replaced him with another. I am already pushing things with a foxface in a 55G , my tank is definitely too small for a tang IMO.

I have always had a low tech tank.
I am running an aquaclear 110 for mechanical and sometime chemical filtration . Also have two Hydor Koralia 3's . The tank is Skimmerless and sumpless . the tank has done well for the last ten years just keeping up with regular 6g water changes. My nitrates are 0.0 and I will check my phosphates tomorrow.

[kingfisher62]

Ok, Just checked phosphates and nitrates and both are at 0.0. My TDS reads 0 from my RO/DI unit. You do not actually test TDS in the tank , do you?

I Think I do need to kick up the circulation. I am noticing a build up of sediment in some dead spots.

[ezerasurfr]

Sorry for going off topic:

I had a kole and scopas in my 55g with no issues at all. Very good grazers and model tank mates. They are in my 72g now and happy as pigs in $^!#.. I used to run an eshopps HOB skimmer on my 55g with excellent results. I would highly recommend it for a tank as old and stocked as yours. The footprint is a little large, but the results were more than expected. And for the cost (like $150 US), it was an incredible value.

I would go with what Hollister recommended though to clear up your algae/ cyano issues. IMO, never throw a living creature at an issue - there are other resolutions that do not risk the creatures life (even if it is just a snail).

[nematode]

Did the algae increase start after you lost the foxface?

[kingfisher62]

Did the algae increase start after you lost the foxface?

Definitely!
My last one was a cleaning machine!

[kingfisher62]

if you have dead spots then that could be why. also the max stocking. how often are your water changes? also check the TDS on the RODI to make sure it is o (even with the new filters)

I tested the RO/DI and it is at 0.
I Try to do 6G weekly water changes. Do you really think I am overstocked with 4 fish in my 55G ?

[kingfisher62]

Sorry for going off topic:

I had a kole and scopas in my 55g with no issues at all. Very good grazers and model tank mates. They are in my 72g now and happy as pigs in $^!#.. I used to run an eshopps HOB skimmer on my 55g with excellent results. I would highly recommend it for a tank as old and stocked as yours. The footprint is a little large, but the results were more than expected. And for the cost (like $150 US), it was an incredible value.

I would go with what Hollister recommended though to clear up your algae/ cyano issues. IMO, never throw a living creature at an issue - there are other resolutions that do not risk the creatures life (even if it is just a snail).

They look pretty good I was thinking of that or a Coralife skimmer.

[carolgyrl1]

I would suggest getting a seahare, they work great, but make sure you return him to the lfs when you have no more hair algae, as that is all they eat, I believe, I used one, and it was great!looks like you are overfeeding? phosphates are showing 0 because all the algae is absorbing it.

[kingfisher62]

Sorry for going off topic:

I had a kole and scopas in my 55g with no issues at all. Very good grazers and model tank mates. They are in my 72g now and happy as pigs in $^!#.. I used to run an eshopps HOB skimmer on my 55g with excellent results. I would highly recommend it for a tank as old and stocked as yours. The footprint is a little large, but the results were more than expected. And for the cost (like $150 US), it was an incredible value.

I would go with what Hollister recommended though to clear up your algae/ cyano issues. IMO, never throw a living creature at an issue - there are other resolutions that do not risk the creatures life (even if it is just a snail).

They look pretty good I was thinking of that or a Coralife skimmer.

[reefgeezer]

Cyano is very dependent on high levels of dissolved organics as well as nitrates and phosphate. Your tank is reading 0 nitrate and phosphate because it is bound by the Cyano.

Admittedly, I'm only guessing here but IMO... I have to guess that dissolved organics are high in you system because among other things: you have no skimmer; the mechanical filter won't hold nearly enough GAC or GFO and just doesn't have enough turn-over; a couple of the fish are kinda large for the tank; and rock scape that could easily trap excess detritus.

Cyano is a bacteria so herbivores won't help much. Adding them will simply increase the organic and nitrate/phosphate levels. Additionally, if they do eat the cyano, they'll simply release the nutrients back into the water which will in turn feed more Cyano.

I would add a canister filter or something that will hold GAC and GFO and get a skimmer or ATS. Increase you water changes and suck out the Cyano and vacuum the rocks when draining the water. Reduce feeding to almost nothing for a while and then feed only a few times per week. Get a Turkey baster and blast the rock a couple of times a day to keep detritus from building up. Increasing flow might also help keep the detritus floating around until a filter can get it. You'll also need to change the mechanical filter media and rinse the GAC and GFO VERY often until you get a handle on the build-up.