Help: Algae from HELL

[swankyreef]

At first I thought this would be another routine diatom bloom, the same I got when I first cycled my tank. Now, after adding some T5 lighting, and getting my chemistry up to snuff, this stuff EXPLODED. It is completely encrusting. Covering everything in the tank, sometimes even half of my urchin's spines are covered in it. My hermit crabs are all covered in it... snails... everything. No members of my CUC will eat the stuff except the urchin. The urchin does laps all day, leaving trails of pure white arag behind it. He is stoked. Everyone else hates their lives.

I have spent >$100 on salt for water changes so far, to no avail. I have to scrub the front glass at least twice a day, otherwise it will be encrusted. My protein skimmer is picking up the usual amount of skimmate... nothing special. My sump return is currently set up to slightly agitate the water surface, directing high flow downwards towards the opposite end of the tank to discourage growth as well. I stopped checking water params a couple days ago because they weren't changing after two or three weeks with treatment. (vodka dosing, storebought nitrate miracle goop) Before this bloom params were all perfect and I was waiting until money hit my account so I could buy fish. Here is what they were a few days ago:

Temp: 80*F
SG: 1.020 @ 80*F ~ 1.025 True SG
Ammo: 0ppm
Nitrite: Max readable result w/ API
Nitrate: Max readable result w/ API
Calcium: ~400ppm

Livestock:
1 Pincushion Urchin
4 Ceriths
1 Nassarius
2 Serpent Stars
10 or so scarlet and blue tip hermits (total)
1 Sea Cuke
1 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Emerald Crab
No fish
No Coral

Set up:
60 tall, 30 gallon sump @ ~600 GPH flow
4 Watts/Gallon T5, DIY Acintic LED nightlight
Eshopps PSK-100 in sump skimmer
~40 lbs. live sand
Only 30 lbs. live rock not counting the 10 lbs. of live/dead rubble I added
Moderate circulation
Just removed Biowheel 350 yesterday.

Tank is about 2.5 months old.



Here's some pics:

Top of substrate:
http://i.imgur.com/8T0M7.jpg

Closeup:
http://i.imgur.com/m1ofB.jpg

Back surface of aquarium:
http://i.imgur.com/ZmVcW.jpg

A chunk of dead rock added 48 hours before the picture was taken:
http://i.imgur.com/SAAyg.jpg


The strands always end up with a bubble of what I assume is either Nitrogen or Oxygen in the tip, kind of like the California kelp with bubbles I would always pop on the beach by stomping on them.

[Squidmotron]

At first I thought this would be another routine diatom bloom, the same I got when I first cycled my tank. Now, after adding some impressive lighting, and getting my chemistry up to snuff, this stuff EXPLODED. It is completely encrusting. Covering everything in the tank, sometimes even half of my urchin's spines are covered in it. My hermit crabs are all covered in it... snails... everything. No members of my CUC will eat the stuff except the urchin. The urchin does laps all day, leaving trails of pure white arag behind it. He is stoked. Everyone else hates their lives.

I have spent >$100 on salt for water changes so far, to no avail. I have to scrub the front glass at least twice a day, otherwise it will be encrusted. My protein skimmer is picking up the usual amount of skimmate... nothing special. My sump return is currently set up to slightly agitate the water surface, directing high flow downwards towards the opposite end of the tank to discourage growth as well.


I'm sick of this. It's unsightly. Here's some pics:

Top of substrate:
http://i.imgur.com/8T0M7.jpg

Closeup:
http://i.imgur.com/m1ofB.jpg

Back surface of aquarium:
http://i.imgur.com/ZmVcW.jpg

A chunk of dead rock added 48 hours before the picture was taken:
http://i.imgur.com/SAAyg.jpg


The strands always end up with a bubble of what I assume is either Nitrogen or Oxygen in the tip, kind of like the California kelp with bubbles I would always pop on the beach by stomping on them.

Wit's end, etc etc. Help? :(

Looks like dinoflagellates.

[moze229]

Those are dinos. Stop changing your water - completely - until you see this infestation stop. Changing water only fuels it. Shorten your lighting time somewhat and remove what you can daily. They will die out on their own.

They were always there, but didn't "come to life" until you installed your "impressive lighting".

[swankyreef]

Those are dinos. Stop changing your water - completely - until you see this infestation stop. Changing water only fuels it. Shorten your lighting time somewhat and remove what you can daily. They will die out on their own.

They were always there, but didn't "come to life" until you installed your "impressive lighting".

I'm assuming if water changes fuel it, adding trace elements would as well? Also can I expect parameter stabilization once the die-off happens, or do you think the bloom and nitrogen mayhem are unrelated?

(I added a bunch of info since you read the post it looks like)

[moze229]

Nitrite: Max readable result w/ API
Nitrate: Max readable result w/ API

It seems to me that you are messing with the water too much. If the tank is 2.5 months old and it hasn't cycled yet something else is wrong. You shouldn't be adding supplements or anything yet. There are different methods to cycling, but what I do is just start with the salt water and don't change/add/manipulate/molest/conjure anything until your A/Nitrite/Nitrate is 0. Then you can start worrying about all the other things.

You're trying too hard. Don't fight your water. Just let it do what it's going to do naturally, then start changing it to the way that you want it. Once you get to that point it will not be that difficult. Seems daunting but it really isn't.

Are you sure that your tests results are correct? "Params were perfect before the outbreak" you said. Does that mean your Nitrite and Nitrate were at 0?

[bertoni]

The SG, if accurate, is quite low. I'd raise it over a period of a few weeks to 1.0264, which is the canonical ocean average. That might help. I might run some GFO, as well.

Adding trace elements might fuel the dinoflagellates. Unfortunately, nitrate also will fuel them. I would check the parameters of some freshly-mixed saltwater, to see whether that's okay. A high measurement there could indicate a number of issues.

[Squidmotron]

It's very common for people to report "perfect parameters" both before and after a dino outbreak. I suspect they require less in the way of nitrates/phosphates or they are simply more efficient at soaking them up from the water before competing things (like refugium plants).

You can reach a "manageable" state via periodic lights out periods, but that doesn't seem to permanently kill them. I honestly have no idea what does.