Algae Issues - only on the sand

[Civicman86]

First tank specs...

75g - up and running 9 months now.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate <=5
Phosphorous /phosphate 0

Pics of algea...
Nasty algae - what's the cause? https://imgur.com/gallery/GBZC5

There isn't hardly any on the rocks. Appears to be a little cyano I'm attributing to flow (second maxspect xf230 is on order). The bright green algae has me stumped though?

I did get some hair algae outbreak after vacation and autofeeding at the beginning of October. Still removing it as it grows during water changes.

Was on a 12 hr light schedule but have reduced it by 2 hours using blue only. I'm guessing I need to reduce further? Worried about the few corals I have, all but one appear very healthy.

Thanks in advance!

 

[DancingShark]

Wow dude. What are you feeding the tank. Are you using rodi water.
You probably have to up the flow on your gyre. One of those should be enough. Do you have a cuc and whay are you running in your sump.

 

[Civicman86]

Yeah sorry forgot to post those details.

Rodi only since the tank started. WC normally 5 gallons each week. Feed once a day and rotate between a frozen food from the LFS, formula 2, or NLS. Will drop 4 to 5 seaweed cobalt pellets for the Kole OR put a piece nori about 1" × 3" daily.

Frozen I typically feed about 1/5 of a cube. Dry it's typically maybe 5-10 5mm pellets.

Inhabitants...
2 clowns
1 algea Benny
1 yellow eye like

Cuc:
6 astrea
6 hermits
2 turbo
2 nass

 

[DancingShark]

Do you have a sump.
I had lots of algea in my display till I added cheato.
Are those reef saver rocks. I would start vacuuming the sand for those 5 gallons water changes. Maybe up the amount of water volume you change.

 

[monkeysee1]

Are you running any Phos Ban or RowaPhos? If not get some!
Then after you put some in do a FULL three day black out. Minimal lighting for the first day afterward.
And Dancing Shark may be right. Get some cheato. Or a scrubber.

 

[Civicman86]

Are you running any Phos Ban or RowaPhos? If not get some!
Then after you put some in do a FULL three day black out. Minimal lighting for the first day afterward.
And Dancing Shark may be right. Get some cheato. Or a scrubber.

How will coral do with a blackout? Can I do just a blue light only for 3 days or will algea feed on it as well?

 

[JUNBUG361]

Type of lighting using?

 

[Pond Boy]

You are over feeding...

 

[Crusinjimbo]

IME 5ppm of NO3 and 0ppm of PO4 sets off an alarm. I suspect there is more PO4 available that is being consumed and/or your test kits/procedures are not giving you a true picture of your water quality.

 

[nereefpat]

Cyanobacteria

12hrs is way to long to run lights.
syphon out during water changes
increase flow
possibly decrease feeding

 

[Civicman86]

That is all for the replies. I will try to cut back on feeding. I'm curious how much you all typically feed say two clowns? Is putting some nori in the tank daily not a good thing?

In regards to lighting, I'll do some research and cut the time back. I went with reefbreeders recommended light schedule to start with (dawn to dusk type schedule). If anyone has more insight on light schedule I wouldn't turn it down!

Thanks!

 

[ReefMaster48]

That is all for the replies. I will try to cut back on feeding. I'm curious how much you all typically feed say two clowns? Is putting some nori in the tank daily not a good thing?

In regards to lighting, I'll do some research and cut the time back. I went with reefbreeders recommended light schedule to start with (dawn to dusk type schedule). If anyone has more insight on light schedule I wouldn't turn it down!

Thanks!

First do this. Find out of the green stuff has the same texture of red cyano. Do you know or have other cyano that you can compare too? Should be more like snot and easily blow off the sand and rocks.

I do not think that you are over feeding. Unless you can see that the fish dont eat all that in 2-3 minutes, then a 1/5 of a cube seems like not that much to me.

Reduce your lighting in the mean time. And yes, algae can still feed off of blue light.

 

[Civicman86]

First do this. Find out of the green stuff has the same texture of red cyano. Do you know or have other cyano that you can compare too? Should be more like snot and easily blow off the sand and rocks.

I do not think that you are over feeding. Unless you can see that the fish dont eat all that in 2-3 minutes, then a 1/5 of a cube seems like not that much to me.

Reduce your lighting in the mean time. And yes, algae can still feed off of blue light.

There is some hair algae but most of the very bright stuff looks very similar to cyano, maybe just a little less slimy. I have reduced lighting to 8 hours. Will be conscious about feeding and try to be minimal.

Got my new maxspect in and realized I ordered a xf250 not a xf230, they can't run in the same controller so I have to try to return.