New tank syndrome in an addition?

Myka · #1 09-19-2011, 06:04 AM

Explaining algae with NTS is a crock imo. The only algae that should be expected is diatoms. Anything else is a nutrient problem. Do you have GFO? Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? If so, which kits, what readings?

reefwars · #2 09-19-2011, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

Explaining algae with NTS is a crock imo. The only algae that should be expected is diatoms. Anything else is a nutrient problem. Do you have GFO? Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? If so, which kits, what readings?

i knew it would happen eventually but we agreed on something lol

shes right , algae feeds and like anything if it starves it dies.diatoms will die off and dissapear in time as well and if theres any sort of excess nutrients in your tank algae will feed off it and it really doesnt take much.i doubt your light is the problem

reefermadness · #3 09-19-2011, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

Explaining algae with NTS is a crock imo. The only algae that should be expected is diatoms. Anything else is a nutrient problem. Do you have GFO? Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? If so, which kits, what readings?

I agree that it's not NTS or a "cycle". But I don't agree that it has to be a nutrient problem. I have done this a few times and what I notice is that when adding a new brightly light frag tank to an existing system, you will get algae in the frag tank for months till the new surfaces get coralline and bacteria coated.

In fact I just did the same thing again about a month ago....and my frag tank is growing algae like no ones business....yet my display is awesome with not a sign of algae and 0.00ppm p04 on a hanna in the system. I know I don't have a nutrient problem.

This can be explained by my above statement about new surfaces and also the fact that I have many algae eating inhabitants in the display tank and none in the frag tank.

People say if you can grow algae you have a nutrient problem.....which you may but it's not a very good sign. Many algae's (especially macro algae such as hair, cheato, clalurpa and bubble) need very little nutrients to grow. Think of awesome tanks with refugiums loaded with algae.

Micro alage like diatoms should never be an on going problem.

I say you manually clean for now and add some fish or snails if you can. It should get better in time. It's good to run the tank for a few months with nothing in it and the light on it.

Myka · #4 09-19-2011, 04:03 PM

Darryl, I've seen this many times as well. I can explain this.

As you said, the new surfaces don't have a bacteria coating nor any coralline algae growth. This means there is nothing competing against the algae in that tank. If a person leaves the new tank in the dark (cover it) for a few weeks to age it without light he won't get this algae bloom. Some people call it NTS, I would prefer to call it Reefer Not Taking Required Steps For Prevention.

Hair algae actually requires quite a lot of nutrients to grow well. If there is hair algae there is a nutrient problem, a person can't argue that imo.

Chaeto, Caulerpa, and especially Valonia all require much less nutrients. This is why Chaeto and Caulerpa are often used for macroalgae culture for nutrient export. Valonia is too invasive for most people to want to use as it releases spores, and requires very very little nutrients to grow very well which can be problematic. Caulerpa can "go sexual" and spawn in the tank, so it is often avoided for nutrient export as well. Valonia and Caulerpa have roots so pieces that break off will sprout up elsewhere which can make them invasive. Chaeto doesn't have roots and doesn't "go sexual" so it doesn't sprout up elsewhere and is not invasive. Chaeto and Caulerpa will not survive in an ULNS provided by Zeovit or other systems, however Valonia may still persist...that is low little nutrients it requires.

Awesome tanks loaded with macroalgae in a culture tank (I prefer this word to refugium as I believe a refugium is not for nutrient export, but for zooplankton culture) are possible because there are excess nutrients in the tank. The macro culture tank provides a place to store the culture algae away from an area where it could become invasive. Chaeto is a great tool for this because as described, it is not invasive, but also because it requires less nutrients than hair algae, diatoms, cyano, dinos, etc. So Chaeto will suck up the small amount of nutrients before they can build up to a point where there are enough nutrients that other algae will start to grow. Essentially, Chaeto will out compete most other algae provided it has a good place to grow.

Cal_stir · #5 09-19-2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

Explaining algae with NTS is a crock imo. The only algae that should be expected is diatoms. Anything else is a nutrient problem. Do you have GFO? Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? If so, which kits, what readings?

The frag tank is a new tank and the algae is only in that tank, if there is a nutrient problem then why no algae in the main tank. the frag tank should cycle it out, could be something that was on the glass, imo.

Myka · #6 09-20-2011, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cal_stir

The frag tank is a new tank and the algae is only in that tank, if there is a nutrient problem then why no algae in the main tank. the frag tank should cycle it out, could be something that was on the glass, imo.

I thought I explained that in my last post...?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

the new surfaces don't have a bacteria coating nor any coralline algae growth. This means there is nothing competing against the algae in that tank. If a person leaves the new tank in the dark (cover it) for a few weeks to age it without light he won't get this algae bloom. Some people call it NTS, I would prefer to call it Reefer Not Taking Required Steps For Prevention.

Cal_stir · #7 09-20-2011, 01:29 AM

OOPS, I thought you said "Explaining algae with NTS is a crock"

Myka · #8 09-20-2011, 01:40 AM

I'm pretty sure I made it rather clear that the only algae that counts for NTS is diatoms, everything else is a nutrient issue. The tank has a nutrient issue, but there is enough competition within the tank that it is not apparent. Is there an echo in here?

If the OP has any more questions about his tank, I'm sure he will ask them.

reefermadness · #9 09-20-2011, 03:51 AM

I agree with 99.99% of what you are saying. I will say that if you have lots of hair algae you probably have a nutrient problem but to get a tuff here or there is possible with-out a nutrient problem.

Also I don't think diatoms is the only algae I see in the frag tanks I have set up. Right now I'm battling diatom, cyano (many consider it an algae but I know its a bacteria) cotton candy algae and some algae that is almost like a green hair but thicker and shorter. This tank is just about a month or so old tied into my system. I had a smaller frag tank previously and went through the same thing for months.

doch · #10 09-20-2011, 07:19 AM

OK... so my nitrates are as clear as clear can be on a hagen (go ahead and knock it) test kit. My phosphates did actually get a little on the high side... about 0.15 on a Hanna. I have since started running GFO again. I started full zeo, but there were a few things that I overlooked when I set it up. I read the instructions on the bottles, and followed them, not realizing that there is more of a set up process. I've ordered a new sump, and once I get that, I'll properly set up and run the zeo that way that it was supposed to be run. I don't really understand why the instructions on the bottles don't reflect these specifics. Oh well.

I also hijacked a few snails and hermits from the display tank and threw them in the frag tank... I'm sure this will help some.

Reallistically, this bloom is likely due to my phosphates creeping up. GFO has been on for about a week now, and I'm sure that the levels are down to <.1 which is as low as I was ever able to get it on my old tank.

How do you bring your phosphates down to 0.00?