Help please algae issues

[Coralgurl]

Thank you all for the feedback and tips! I went through Mykas articles last night and will do some more reading today.

To clarify a few points....this is my 55 gl tank. Running on a canister filter, no sump. Tank is 2 years old. I have 3 power heads, one mp10, 2 koralias (4's) I believe. The mp10 is set on reef crest, placed on the end of the tank in the middle at 100%. The 2 koralias are also on the ends but pointed at the surface.

I ran out of rowaphos and been substituting gfo in the canister. I just picked up fluval phosphate media and will change out today with a water change. I've been changing 25-30 gls of water with each change, max I can do at any one time. Water changes every 2 weeks.

I only use RO water, feed frozen but thaw and rinse before using, every time.

The skimmer I added is rated to 100 gls and with 6 small fish, don't think my bioload is too much.

My parameters are as follows

Phospahates .25 API test
Nitrate 20 API test
Cal 420 elos
Alk 8 elos
Mag 1100 elos
Ph 8.1 elos

It looks like I need to increase my cuc as I don't think I have any alive in the tank.

Where the hair algae is growing is the rocks on the bottom of the tank, I can pull these out and clean as they are small.

Good starting points-I'm not sure if I can run a bio pellet reactor on this one with no sump, I've been looking around and haven't found one. Will read about other options.

Thanks again!

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

To clarify a few points....this is my 55 gl tank. Running on a canister filter, no sump.

Whoops, sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. My post would apply mostly to your 180g. A canister can work for a 55 g, but would need a different approach, which is a whole another subject. But again, some good reading on the web on how to make that work, too.

[Myka]

With that amount of nutrients in the tank and the way it is set up (canister filter, no sump) it is really going to take a lot of time and elbow grease. The "real" numbers are much higher than the ones the test kits are showing you because the algae is sucking quite a bit out of the water column in order to be growing so well.

I would also consider removing the sand bed and then replacing it with a new shallow sand bed after the nutrients are under control again. This will help speed things along because usually in high nutrient systems there is a lot trapped and absorbed into the substrate (and live rock, but I doubt you want to replace that haha). If you do remove the sand bed, look into this before you start as it can be dangerous if you don't do it right.

Fyi, RowaPhos is GFO. GFO generally refers to any granular phosphate media that is reddish brown.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

I'm not sure if I can run a bio pellet reactor on this one with no sump, I've been looking around and haven't found one. Will read about other options.

That tank, with no sump, might be a good candidate for carbon dosing using vodka together with MB7. The canister can still be used to get your phosphates down. I haven't done this myself, so can't speak from direct experience. But lots of good experience on the web if you do a search.

Once your params are good and the algae is licked, then maybe go back to just nitrate and phosphate removing media in your canister.

Along with your water changes, I would still vacuum the sand and make good use of a toothbrush and turkey baster until the detritus and algae are gone. Also would clean the primary sponge filter in your canister often to prevent build-up, esp with all your extra initial cleaning effort in your tank.

[Coralgurl]

Originally Posted by Myka

With that amount of nutrients in the tank and the way it is set up (canister filter, no sump) it is really going to take a lot of time and elbow grease. The "real" numbers are much higher than the ones the test kits are showing you because the algae is sucking quite a bit out of the water column in order to be growing so well.

I would also consider removing the sand bed and then replacing it with a new shallow sand bed after the nutrients are under control again. This will help speed things along because usually in high nutrient systems there is a lot trapped and absorbed into the substrate (and live rock, but I doubt you want to replace that haha). If you do remove the sand bed, look into this before you start as it can be dangerous if you don't do it right.

Fyi, RowaPhos is GFO. GFO generally refers to any granular phosphate media that is reddish brown.

The sand is new, just added in May/June and is maybe an inch deep. I had removed all the old sand and redid this tank at that time. Ohhh, I know my numbers are higher than indicated on the tests, can see it in the tank... the tank really went green while we were on holidays last month.

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

That tank, with no sump, might be a good candidate for carbon dosing using vodka together with MB7. The canister can still be used to get your phosphates down. I haven't done this myself, so can't speak from direct experience. But lots of good experience on the web if you do a search.

Once your params are good and the algae is licked, then maybe go back to just nitrate and phosphate removing media in your canister.

Along with your water changes, I would still vacuum the sand and make good use of a toothbrush and turkey baster until the detritus and algae are gone. Also would clean the primary sponge filter in your canister often to prevent build-up, esp with all your extra initial cleaning effort in your tank.

I will read up on vodka dosing. My maintenance on the canister I think is pretty good. Amazing what's in there. Everything is cleaned, scrubbed, rinsed and refilled with tank water. Sponges are cleaned and replaced every 3 months.

I'm waiting for the lights to come on and I'll get working on the tank.

Something else I didn't mention is there is a film on the surface water. I'm hoping that with the adjustments made to the skimmer (was overflowing) this surface film will start to clear up.

Should I rearrange the power heads?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

The sand is new, just added in May/June and is maybe an inch deep.

I will read up on vodka dosing.

Sponges are cleaned and replaced every 3 months.

Something else I didn't mention is there is a film on the surface water.

Ah ok, since it is shallow, do you vacuum it? That can help quite a bit.

While you're reading up on vodka dosing check out Kalkwasser + vinegar dosing. It is maybe a bit more effective with algae troubles plus vodka dosing requires 1-2x per day dosing where Kalkwasser + vinegar only requires maintenance when you have to refill (weekly, bi-weekly?) although startup costs more.

Sponges should be replaced every week or they will become nitrate factories by housing nitrifying bacteria and trapping detritus. To keep costs down, buy bulk sheets of cut-to-size media.

Try pointing one of the powerheads towards the surface to help with the film.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

Sponges are cleaned and replaced every 3 months.

I'm waiting for the lights to come on and I'll get working on the tank.

Something else I didn't mention is there is a film on the surface water. I'm hoping that with the adjustments made to the skimmer (was overflowing) this surface film will start to clear up.

Should I rearrange the power heads?

I hope you meant replace your sponges every 3 months, and not wait that long to clean them. Without a sump, your canister sponges act like filter socks in a sump, and catch all the detritus and bits stirred up in suspension by your pumps, and esp with your in-tank cleaning. They should be cleaned once a week, and more often initially. Otherwise, they will indeed contribute to your nitrate and phosphate issues.

Not sure what type of skimmer you have, but hopefully your tank overflow is set to skim off the surface water to your skimmer. That should get rid of your surface film. And there should be an adjustment capability on the skimmer so that it does not overflow.

Your pumps should be positioned so that all areas of your tank get flow, esp all the rocks and sand bottom. That's where detritus likes to build up.

[Coralgurl]

2 Power heads are pointed at the surface. I've brushed and removed as much as I can of the algae, vacuumed the sand and basted rocks plus a 25 gl water change done.

Sponges are cleaned each time I clean the canister and are replaced every 3 months. If they need to be replaced more often I'll do so.

The skimmer was dialed in but now have to reset it. I've run tubing into a bucket just in case, the overflow is quite low on this skimmer.

I'll test the water in an hour or so and see what's going on.

Now more reading!

Oh, and because I had the water level so low, noticed I've got tons of green bubble algae. Think I'll be picking up an emerald crab as well. Cleaned out all dead corals and snail shells, one absolutely reeked.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

2 Power heads are pointed at the surface. I've brushed and removed as much as I can of the algae, vacuumed the sand and basted rocks plus a 25 gl water change done.

That's great! Don't pilfer too much flow for the surface though since you do need to have flow throughout the tank.

Sponges are cleaned each time I clean the canister and are replaced every 3 months. If they need to be replaced more often I'll do so.

I would not recommend rinse and reusing sponges. In freshwater tanks, sure. In saltwater tanks, no. Rinsing the sponges doesn't kill the nitrifying bacteria. If you don't kill the nitrifying bacteria the sponges become biological filters which pump out nitrate.

Most of the sponges that you buy at the LFS that are made for each filter are expensive to change out so often which is why I suggested you start sign cut-to-size media.

The skimmer was dialed in but now have to reset it. I've run tubing into a bucket just in case, the overflow is quite low on this skimmer.

Which skimmer did you buy anyway?

I'll test the water in an hour or so and see what's going on.

Wait about 24 hours so the nutrients have time to leech out of the rock and sand equalizing with the nutrients in the water column.

Think I'll be picking up an emerald crab as well. Cleaned out all dead corals and snail shells, one absolutely reeked.

Not all Emerald Crabs will eat bubble algae, I've found only about 1/3 to maybe 1/2 do. You may need to add a few of them. Be aware that the males get quite large and can grab and eat small fish.

The trouble with clean up crews though is they don't tolerate high nutrients, so don't go too crazy on a clean up crew yet as they may not have very good survival in your tank right now.

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by Myka

I would not recommend rinse and reusing sponges. In freshwater tanks, sure. In saltwater tanks, no. Rinsing the sponges doesn't kill the nitrifying bacteria. If you don't kill the nitrifying bacteria the sponges become biological filters which pump out nitrate.

Most of the sponges that you buy at the LFS that are made for each filter are expensive to change out so often which is why I suggested you start sign cut-to-size media.

With all due respect to Myka, as she definitely knows her stuff, I am not sure I agree totally with all of this statement. The reason I say that, is that I use a sponge filter with one of my sumps, only because it was built for that, and there is no room for any filter socks. It is a large sponge filter and I only have to clean it once a week. I have never replaced it and it is several years old. When I clean it, a lot of ugly crap comes out of it. And I have no doubt it has nitrifying bacteria. But because I clean it frequently, the crap gets rinsed out and does not have a chance to turn into nitrates. And this tank has zero nitrates. And BTW, this sponge filter is a lot easier to clean than my filter socks which I use in my other tank sump. They too can become nitrate factories if not cleaned frequently.