NO3 and algae is causing me to give up...

[kamino]

Hi brothers,

I need some expert advice here. Because I am pretty discouraged by the algae problem after battling it for 6 -8 months with no apparent improvement. I have a 100 gallon tank and I always have cyano and algae issue. This is an account of what I have tried:

1) A chaeto refugium but the nutrient export is very slow. Week after week I dont see improvement in NO3 reduction although I see growth in the chaeto. Eventually I gave up the chaeto and make space for NP Biopellet Reactor since this is another method I found online. Currently I am running it and its outlet is placed near to the Tunze 9006 skimmer to export the bacteria. I was using Ehim compact 1000 with the reactor and later I learnt that if the bacteria is not exported or consumed by coral it may cause algae issue too. Hence I lower the flow by half a month ago.

2) I reduce feeding - only feed on alternate days and only 1 minute or so - ensuring the fishes can consume the food before adding more...but never more than 1 minute.

3) Used to use tap water, so I changed to DI water since 2 months ago. I tested the DI water to be 0 NO3...

4) Weekly maintenance to clean skimmer cup, replace mechanical filtration, etc.

5) I dose biodigest every 2 weeks and PO Goodbye every 3 - 4 days. PO4 is undetectable now. I have ROWA which I replaced after 3 months...

And still the NO3 remains close to 20ppm (was 30ppm before I start this battle). My aquarium wall is often covered with brown algae within 2 days. My sand is covered by them as well. Sometimes hair algae grows.

I am really in a loss on what can be done...so discouraged that feel like giving up...need some experts to shed light...

[sunny03]

Cyno and algae are all part and parcel of reefing. . Even a mature tank or totm will have all these issue. . So far what I see is you are doing all the right stuff.. but can you tell us more about your tank

[kamino]

Hey Sunny brother, thanks for the encouragement. I also thought I am doing all I can but the NO3 reduction is extremely slow and algae breakout is within 2 - 3 days...

It is very discouraging when I reached home after work and hope to enjoy the tank, and ends up glaring at only the algae covered tank...sigh...

Really envy those tanks that are clean with white sand...and clean walls...in fact I clean my wall every single week...but within 2 days BOOM...

May I know what you need to know about my tank? So that I can provide information. Thanks!

[moscowites]

Bro, maybe you can try upgrading your skimmer?

[sunny03]

What are your livestock. What food you feed your fish ... 100 gallan is how big is the tank ... what corals are you keeping now.. what lights you are using ... what is your lighting period. .etc

[kamino]

Bro, maybe you can try upgrading your skimmer?

I have checked that Tunze 9006 is good for 100 gallon and also I am limited by space...so this is the best I can go for.

What are your livestock. What food you feed your fish ... 100 gallan is how big is the tank ... what corals are you keeping now.. what lights you are using ... what is your lighting period. .etc

Livestock = 1 clown, 2 blue damsel, 1 sand sifting goby, 1 adorned wrasse, 1 YT, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 boxer shrimp, 1 urchin and a few snails

Food = Formula 1 flakes mostly.

Tank dimension = 4ft x 2ft x 1.5ft

Coral = LPS, softie, zoas and mushrooms...no SPS due to high NO3

Lighting = Razor 120W x 2,

Lighting period is from 11am - 11pm...but the light is only full bloom between 4pm - 8pm...other time is around 1% - 50% blue light 1% - 70% white light

Thanks.

[solasido]

Hi bro, Try dosing carbon source e.g. Vodka, biofuel, etc. It helps me last time. It takes 2-3 weeks after regular dosing to see the algae gone. If problem still persists then reduce bioload. My tank is 20g and I do not even have a sump and the tank is full of SPS and LPS plus 2 clowns plus 4 shrimps. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Ahhyi]

Ehh bro. Did u try to off your lights for a few days. I previously had same problem. After I off my lights for a few days. Problem solved. Extreme method is to cover while tank with black paper to total block out light.

[sunny03]

Do you have any wave makre in your tank ... does your algae always appera at no or low flow area ?Shorten lighting period will reduce algae. If possible upgrade your skimmer. .. usually people will over kill .. you can try slowly reduce your bacteria king remove them as they can be a nitrate factory. In increase the flow in the bio pallet. Let them dance..keep on dosing bacteria.

[tropic]

I feel you... Algae is part and parcel of reefing. ..but once you have cynano got to find some alternatives to reduce it... 1. Try use filter sock for ease of maintenance . Your bacteria king area make sure has water movement and detritus dont get trap there. 2. Skimmer make sure you set it foaming right. 3. The biopellet ,ensure that all the media are tumbling. 4. For the razor, reduce the white to maybe 30-50% range as the whites can be pretty strong. Work your whites up slowly till you find the optimum %. The whites is quite intense and has the red spectrum so that could also fuel the growth. When its at peak setting you may want to have it set like for 2-3hrs and dim down gradually. 5. Your DI water make sure no phosphate. Go get n ro/di for piece of mind. Phosphate fuels the algae. 6. Dead spots and water flowing around the rockworks important. Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

[ATcraz]

You may want to consider setting up an algae scrubber. It helps me drastically. Will post Picts of my scrubber if u r keen(using ikea black box). Right now with the scrubber and cheato, i have 0-1 ppm no3 and I am able to heavy feed my keep (tangs and several anthias). Keeping sps as well.

[CY2010]

I think u should try to do a few rounds of water change, at least 20-30% per round per week.

I also have nuisance algae problem recently. So here are wat have been done, and I can see a lot improvement now after 1 week.

Increased water change from 5% per week to 20%;

Cut down fish feeding to once a day;

Reduced plankton dosing to 2-3 times a week;

Bought an urchin which is working hard n well;

shortened the photo period by 1 more hour

Manually remove some algae everyday

Scraped some algae off before the water change n siphoned the floating algae n those settled on the sand bed

Hope the above helps

[kamino]

Hey brothers,

Thanks all for the advice. I will think about them. And to respond to some advices:

Ehh bro. Did u try to off your lights for a few days. I previously had same problem. After I off my lights for a few days. Problem solved. Extreme method is to cover while tank with black paper to total block out light.

Is it alright to turn off the lights for a few days? because I have corals.

Do you have any wave makre in your tank ... does your algae always appera at no or low flow area ?Shorten lighting period will reduce algae. If possible upgrade your skimmer. .. usually people will over kill .. you can try slowly reduce your bacteria king remove them as they can be a nitrate factory. In increase the flow in the bio pallet. Let them dance..keep on dosing bacteria.

The algae in general appears all 4 sides of tank so I dont think it is restricted to low flow area. Bacteria king I rinsed them with saltwater every 3 months but you are right. I think placing them right below the sponges is not a great idea...if the detritus went through the sponges, they may get trapped by the bacteria king.

I feel you... Algae is part and parcel of reefing. ..but once you have cynano got to find some alternatives to reduce it... 1. Try use filter sock for ease of maintenance . Your bacteria king area make sure has water movement and detritus dont get trap there. 2. Skimmer make sure you set it foaming right. 3. The biopellet ,ensure that all the media are tumbling. 4. For the razor, reduce the white to maybe 30-50% range as the whites can be pretty strong. Work your whites up slowly till you find the optimum %. The whites is quite intense and has the red spectrum so that could also fuel the growth. When its at peak setting you may want to have it set like for 2-3hrs and dim down gradually. 5. Your DI water make sure no phosphate. Go get n ro/di for piece of mind. Phosphate fuels the algae. 6. Dead spots and water flowing around the rockworks important. Sent from my Android using Tapatalk2

So for softie and LPS it is not necessary for me to set the peak settings to 100% white, 80% blue? Ya mine is RO/DI water with no phosphate.

[Ahhyi]

All I had was some zoas and sps. Tank looks much better after I off lights for few days. All corals and fish survived. Hehe. If u scared take them out put in sump and on lights in some for just a while each day

[JeffL]

hi bro, I am having the same issues from what you described. Thanks for bringing this up so I can also learn from the other shifus..

for me my tank is beside window so I think reducing photoperiod from my main lights can really help.

i clean my tank walls every two days, else I will not be able to enjoy my tank in clear view...

same thing, my skimmer slot has no more space to upgrade to something bigger. Small tank big problem

[RockyBoy]

Turn off your biopellet for a while as this provide lots of food for your cyno,

Put the bacteria king where there is very slow movement of water (become like deep sand bed). Dose your prodibio at this bacteria king.

If you dose goodbye PO4, then no need to use rowa or vice versa.

Put more liverock if you can.

Since your nitrates level are going down, continue your normal husbandry.

[sunnymau]

I was battling algea and cyno for the past 2 months..

My tank is about the same volume as yours and about 6 months old..

First I personally feel that a 6 to 8 months old is not mature enough, if you stock pretty quickly in the past, the outbreak of aglea is unavoidable.

My 2cent

1) Stop adding any more LS

2) 30% water change weekly (if find salt mix troublesome can use NSW from reliable source, salt mix with DI still the best)

3) Reduce photo period

4) Reduce feeding (as long fish can survive will do for the monent, anyway YT can feed on algea, don't need to worry too much)

5) Vinegar dosing (most helpful to my tank. No vodka pls, as it will feed cyno)

After weeks of vinegar dosing and weekly water change, the cyno in my tank died of slowly and sps color got better.. I roughly clean my glass once a week.

If you need any more clarification on vinegar dosing may pm me of contact at 93890572.

Don't give up!

[vtecintegra]

I second an algae scrubber also. I used one along with good skimmer and filter socks I change every two days. Zero nitrate and phosphate once scrubber had grown some algae.

[l3lackKaho]

I was battling algea and cyno for the past 2 months..

My tank is about the same volume as yours and about 6 months old..

First I personally feel that a 6 to 8 months old is not mature enough, if you stock pretty quickly in the past, the outbreak of aglea is unavoidable.

My 2cent

1) Stop adding any more LS

2) 30% water change weekly (if find salt mix troublesome can use NSW from reliable source, salt mix with DI still the best)

3) Reduce photo period

4) Reduce feeding (as long fish can survive will do for the monent, anyway YT can feed on algea, don't need to worry too much)

5) Vinegar dosing (most helpful to my tank. No vodka pls, as it will feed cyno)

After weeks of vinegar dosing and weekly water change, the cyno in my tank died of slowly and sps color got better.. I roughly clean my glass once a week.

If you need any more clarification on vinegar dosing may pm me of contact at 93890572.

Don't give up!

:thumbsup:

[John Deroe Kenedy]

Try using Rowaphos in a reactor. Remove bio pellet reactor, and use Prodibio Digest. From my experience, this 2 helped me to remove my algae and cyano problem.

[kamino]

Thanks all for the advices. I am fortunate to have a sifu to visit my place yesterday

Now in progress of implementing some changes to the tank.

[geckus]

try a algae scrubber

[Ahhyi]

Bro. Can share your changes. So we can learn