aaarrrrrgghhhhhh!

[multicincta]

I finally have my nitrates under control (now at zero), yet GHA still persists! It took me a long time to get them dialed in. I added a new reactor and bio pellets and it seemed to do the trick. It's been in line for about 4 weeks now.

This algae grows fast too. I'm talking noticeable difference daily. The only way I can keep it under control at all is by physically scrubbing it off the rocks with a tooth brush each time I do a water change.

Signs of good health: The coraline algae, monti, clam, and an LPS I have are doing awesome. The monti grows like a weed. I also have an incredible amount of pods.

Signs of poor health: I have two other SPS that have struggled and have some loss of flesh.

Tank: 135g, filter sock (changed a couple of times a week), large skimmer that works very well, reactor with bio pellets, lots of rock, maybe too much for the size of the tank.

Live stock: 5 fish, several peppermint shrimp (for aptasia control and they are doing well), the above mentioned coral and clam (bio load is very low for this 135g tank)

Feeding: not often. My poor fish beg me daily (or every time I walk by the tank for that matter), but I only feed the fish a few flakes every other day. I feed the coral Oyster Feast approximately once a week, sometimes twice (and they love this stuff). Sump goes off for any feedings.

Lighting: home made 120 CREE LED array with royal blue and cool white (more blue than white, but light is adjustable).

Water: 5 stage filter system with TDS at zero

Water storage: Large blue containers designed for water storage (in other words, I do not think they are leaching anything).

Phosphate: zero

nitrate: zero

Mag: I think a bit high at 1600 (yesterday's reading)

Cal: 500 (also a tad high, but after water change with Red Sea salt it does usually run high)

Alk: ~8.9

Yet algae persists like crazy! :headwalls:

Thoughts?

[Richard Reefer]

You could be getting a false reading on phosphates because of the algae. A lot of people run GFO when starting with bio pellets to bring down the phosphate levels.

[Sugar Magnolia]

What do you have in the tank for algae control as far as clean up crew goes?

[multicincta]

Maybe, but I've never had a problem with phosphates, ever. They've been reading zero since I set up the tank about a year ago. By contrast, I've been running high on nitrates the whole time until finally running the bio pellets. I thought the bio pellets would also help out with any phosphates too. No?

[multicincta]

Ah yes, forgot about that bio load as well. I have several snails of various species, blue leg hermits, and a 2 sea hairs. These were also introduced to help control the algae, but they aren't enough.

[Richard Reefer]

Usually bio pellets will help to maintain low phosphate levels, but they won't help to bring them down if they are high.


Also did you use any dry rock that could be possibly leeching phosphates?

[multicincta]

Richard:

Nope, no dry rock. I used live rock from the beginning. In fact, I bought a pre-owned tank that already had all the rock and fish. I transferred water and all to my house to aide in not having a cycling issue. That said, taking down a tank and putting it back up will still promote some issue for cycling. Nevertheless, everything was well seasoned for sure.

[snorvich]

You could be getting a false reading on phosphates because of the algae. A lot of people run GFO when starting with bio pellets to bring down the phosphate levels.

Almost certainly.

[Richard Reefer]

I would keep up with regular physical removal and water changes and also run some GFO or other phosphate remover.

[danderso]

I didn't see a refugium listed. I grow algae in mine and its easy to harvest which removes whatever is feeding it. I like snails and hermits for algae control but a lot of what is feeding the algae just gets returned in their poo. Thats why I like the idea of the refugium. You don't have anything in there that eats the algae so it grows freely and its very easy to remove that way. Its also important to keep seaching out whats coming in to feed the algae.

[snorvich]

Richard:

Nope, no dry rock. I used live rock from the beginning. In fact, I bought a pre-owned tank that already had all the rock and fish. I transferred water and all to my house to aide in not having a cycling issue. That said, taking down a tank and putting it back up will still promote some issue for cycling. Nevertheless, everything was well seasoned for sure.

Well, yes, I agree to an extent. What was the source of the rock that your seller provided? Base rock, which can leech phosphates, or premium live rock?

[multicincta]

Snorvich:
premium with good coraline algae

For the false reading of phosphate advocates, what about the fact that I've never had a high reading, or anything above zero for that matter? Should I assume I've always had a false reading?

[rhunter513]

Do you have a sand bed? If so and not a deep sand bed it should be vacuumed regularly. Does your tank have excessive exposure of ambient room light or outside sun light, that can have an effect. What is the temp of your tank and is it stable? High temps above 80degress F and fluctuations can cause algea issues. What is your photo period, I would recommend 10hrs or less, especially with intense LED lighting.

I had a major hair algae issue and for my tank is was from too high dKh and over dosing alk, excessive ambient room light exposure and too high temps. I stopped dosing for 4 months, shade the tank during the day when to tank lights are out and got my temps down to 78 with very little fluctuation and all the hair algae died off. I am back to dosing but only every other day and I keep my dKh low at 7/8.

Hope that helps

[multicincta]

rhunter513:

Yes, I do have a sand bed, approx 3 inches.

Excessive ambient? I don't thinks so, but hard to say what "excessive" is.

Temp is steady at 78

Photo period could have something to do with it. I do not have the lights on a timer (had probs with my timer and have not replaced yet). I turn them on before I leave for work and turn them off after I get home. However, I regularly work or am otherwise gone for long periods of time throughout the day. Because of this, I'm betting my lights are on for more than 10 hours a day at times.

To everyone:

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Everyone is giving me some great ideas and pointers.

Based upon all the posts, I think I need to get my algae turf scrubber in line. I was trying to avoid that due to room issues, but I did buy one from someone here on reefcentral and have never used it. Like I said, I have space issues. However, I can figure it out and get it going. The other option would be to do as some suggest and use GFO to make sure there is not a phosphate problem that I am unable to detect.

I'm looking forward to any other thoughts on the matter. I was so sold on the idea that getting my nitrates under control would solve my algae problem.

[csmfish]

Well, yes, I agree to an extent. What was the source of the rock that your seller provided? Base rock, which can leech phosphates, or premium live rock?


Lets say for a moment that rocks are leaching out phosphate. With all the algea he said is growing, and then cleaning, he would HAVE to be pulling it out (phosphates in the form of algae), so, how long, with readings of 0 for phosphates, would one have to go before the rock was all leached out?

Persnaly , i would get a 5x oversized bed of GFO/biopellets and run that for a while. I am coming to the conclusion that in order to have a clean tank (aka no algae), you have to clean clean and clean some more but also feed. That way the water is stripped but the life form are getting fed. Now, thats just a poncious pilot guesstimation, but, I like you have the same problem. I had NO fish in my tank and still grew algae like a mad man. This was from concrete rocks, so, no internal buildup of poo goo!

[rhunter513]

you can vacuum the sand bed with a long vacuum tube and pinching the hose to keep from sucking up all the sand. You will be very surprised how much trapped nutrients are in a shallow sand bed and how much it effects your nitrates.

[Chris27]

I wouldn't even classify it as a false reading, rather a proper one. The algae is growing rapidly, and it's needs fuel, as such the phosphate is stripped from the water column. Anyone with a well running fuge experiences the same condition when keeping a good bit of desirable macroalgae.

[sslak]

My phosphates always read 0 too.

Then I got a real phosphate tester. Hanna checker reads constant 0.5ppm

Keys for defeating my algae problem:
Run GFO - change when exhausted
Reduce photo period to 5 hours
Stabilize Alk
Added 2 turbo snails