is phosphate my problem?

[scbadiver]

Based on all your articles I have read, it seems to be. I have a 240 gal reef with a 135 gallon sump/refugium. I have been battling a terrible, ongoing, outbreak of neomeris annulata or spindleweed as it is sometimes refered to. Everything I read says this is a non-invasive, preferable algae in a reef tank. I assure you it IS invasive under the correct conditions which I apparently have mastered. My params are; salinity 1.025, mag 1200, calcium 410, alk at 8.6 DKH, ph8.1 - 8.3 and PO4 shows 0 on Seachem test kit. I assume, again per your guidance, the PO4 is being consumed before it can be read on the test kit. I have been running a calcium reactor since June as I couldn't keep levels up prior due to weed being calcium based I guess. I do a 30 gallon waterchange weekly, using IO. I have absolutely no coraline algae growing and when I put a rock in with it on it, the coraline slowy dies and turns bright white. There is not a speck of hair algae or cyano anywhere in the tank or sump. The macro algaes are stasis. the grape stuff is all stems and the feathery caulerpa is also mostly stem and they have remained that way for over a year. The Chaeto just died and dissappeared. All the corals (all softies now as the stonies wont live) and the sun zooanthids have all turned pink and no longer flourese(splng?). I have been running Phosban since March after I manually removed all of the weed, which dry, filled a 15 quart cooler. It has come back stronger than ever. Short of removing everything and sterilizing the tank and sump, as it grows through-out the sump too, I don't know what else to do. Any thoughts on this Sir? Does it sound like a PO4 problem? I have had this same rock for years and never had this prior to the last year and a half. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for reading such a long post too!

[Mike O'Brien]

Maybe it too low ? Neomeris annulata is an aragonite forming algae and probably grow's well in a low phosphate environment, so well that it's inhibiting the growth of the other algae. maybe try going without the remover for a while and see what happen's.

Strange thing is I've alway's had one or two of those in my tank, but they never spread, other algae has alway's done fine.

[scbadiver]

Well, I don't dissagree but....when this started I was not running phosban, nor had I ever run it, I was hoping that might fix it but it really had no effect either way. I just wish I only had a few sprigs of it. See my mess;



http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/11194new_tank_in_green.jpg

My critters are hungry too, I really haven't even been feeding but a few times a week and then just a little pinch of flake.

[Mike O'Brien]

Wow, that's impressive.

[scbadiver]

Or Depressive if you're in my shoes...

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure how to rid the tank of it without stressing other organisms from inadequate nutrients. Manual removal would be useful, of course, even if only partially effective, and very aggressive GFO treatment (like Phosban) might well succeed, but might also stress other organisms. if you are in a last ditch effort, that's what I'd do.

[scbadiver]

What would an aggressive GFO treatment consist of as compared to just running it "normal"? I am definately at the last ditch effort because I hate the way it looks, it's growing over my corals and I frankly can't afford to empty this thing and start over either. The cure can't be any more or much worse than the weed itself stressing everything. Thanks for any and all help Randy.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Using more and/or changing it more often. Maybe even every few days. :)