View Full Version : Algae with 0 nitrate and phosphate, what now?
MellowReefer
01/12/2014, 02:23 PM
For a long time I wasn't using phosphate removers or even checking for phosphate because I only had a little algae on my rocks. Now I have a very coarse hair algae on my sand and I also got sick of the algae on the rocks because I don't have much coralline and I would like some. So about two months ago I bought the Hanna checker and a media reactor and started running phosguard in there. When I first started doing this I had a phosphate reading of 0.12. The next week it read 0.10. A few weeks later 0.07. So I knew it was working and I kept changing it every week. Still no die off of algae and so I kept changing the phosguard every week thinking that my problem was still phosphate...I have to admit I didn't test the phosphate for 5 weeks, because I figured it was still going down and the hanna test is a pita. So finally today I tested again and it measured 0.00! (twice) But the algae is still going strong! Nitrate has always been undetectable (API and Salifert). What else can I do? Also I opened a new box of hanna reagent today and now I'm wondering if the phosphate is really 0.00? Or is it a bad batch of reagent? Is it common to have algae that lives with 0 phosphate and nitrate?
terrypercula
01/12/2014, 02:36 PM
These readings could be lying to you a little bit. Remember the algae is absorbing the excess nutrients in the water. That's what algae is, it's natures answer to excess nutrients. So while it may show low phosphates it's only because the algae is doing what nature intended.
reefgoddess808
01/12/2014, 03:07 PM
I had the same problem! I scrubbed the algae off the rocks manually with a dish brush! I keep the main lights off most of the day, just running blue lights. And I cut back how much food I fed at one time. Increased my water changes and added a decent algae specific CUC. Over the course of several months mind you. I started by cutting back on food and lights, then I scrubbed the algae, then I increased my water changes and finally added a good CUC. To pin point what of these things actually did the trick I cant really say, but I have an average amount of algae now, which is fine compared to the mangrove forest I was rocking five months ago. Good luck to you and I hope you find a solution soon! PS my coralline continued to grow its normal pace during all this, only slowed with the light reduction.
Agreed, depending on the specific test kit you're using, you could be getting 'false' readings. Now, one thing we all do is scrub the algae off the glass and rock but technically that algae remains in the system and thus won't help much. The best way (if possible) is to actually scrub it off THEN remove it ... which is not a trivial exercise.
TimLikesFish
01/12/2014, 04:02 PM
Are you sure you tested right this time with the Hanna checker? I find that if the vial is dirty or some other type of error occurs during the test, the checker will show a zero reading.
MellowReefer
01/12/2014, 04:55 PM
The algae on the rocks is kept pretty short by my tang and foxface so I don't touch the rocks much. But almost every weekend I am scooping the algae off the sand and throw it out along with whatever sand is stuck to it. I've siphoned the sand bed a few times now, and the last time I did it the water coming out didn't seem that dirty. I'm tempted to just siphon out the sand and go bare bottom.
I only have my lights on 7 hours, maybe I should go even less? I have a refugium with chaeto that grows very well and I have lights on there 24 hours a day.
I feed two cubes a day, I know some will say to cut it down, but I have 12 fish and I like my fish to be healthy and fat :)
I have various snails and emerald crabs but maybe I need more. Right before the algae really took off on the sand my 5 turbo snails died. So I guess that's my next step.
MellowReefer
01/12/2014, 04:58 PM
Are you sure you tested right this time with the Hanna checker? I find that if the vial is dirty or some other type of error occurs during the test, the checker will show a zero reading.
I am very careful to wipe the vial well with a lint free cloth. I feel like I've gotten pretty good at this test. And it was reading .07-.12 when I used it before. I have been changing my phosphate media every week so maybe it's finally doing its job. But I do wonder about just opening a new batch of reagents. I may order a new box and hopefully it's a different batch so I can see if it's still 0.00.
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