Algae on Substrate

[Reeferman1019]

After reading your last few posts and thinking about your algae trouble. I believe an unbalance on your nitrate-phosphate-carbon is most likely what's going on. .

API PO4 test scale is not good to detect low levels of phosphates. Starts at 0 and jumps to 0.25 and colors are almost similar. I use Red Sea and sometimes double check my value using Hanna.

The cube I recommend is X-port Bio or you can use Siporax. This is just in case if you choose to replace the rubble (optional but most likely unneeded). Rock rubble is fine to use too, but this media has much more surface area for bacteria to colonize.

At this point you can blow you rocks, syphon the algae out, keep doing your WC using as source of 0 TDS RO/DI water and let your system balance out and mature.

Thanks for all the advice, I buy my water from marine warehouse. I will continue to do weekly or bi-weekly water changes and try and get a Red Sea test kit. Should i start using something like fuel, reef energy a/b or Kents nano a/b ?


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[jdantunes]

I don't think fuel will help your tank in any way right now. A/B maybe..or maybe won't be needed. When I used to keep a nano my Ca, KH & Mg were replenish just doing weekly water changes using a salt mix with good concentrations of the building elements.

 

[Reeferman1019]

I don't think fuel will help your tank in any way right now. A/B maybe..or maybe won't be needed. When I used to keep a nano my Ca, KH & Mg were replenish just doing weekly water changes using a salt mix with good concentrations of the building elements.

The Kent AB or Red Sea AB? I do weekly WC using Red Sea Coral Pro


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[jdantunes]

I believe that's a good salt. Only that KH levels are a little too high for the type of reef that you are running. In fact, might be better to step down to the red label if you want to stay using red sea. I'll save you a few $$$.

If you test Ca, KH and Mg a day after you do your WC and levels read OK, you won't need to supplement anything.

Like I said... In my nano tank I didn't need to add any extra supplements, levels stay good with just water changes and I run this system for almost three years. Here's a picture of my nano days...

 

[Reeferman1019]

I believe that's a good salt. Only that KH levels are a little too high for the type of reef that you are running. In fact, might be better to step down to the red label if you want to stay using red sea. I'll save you a few $$$.



If you test Ca, KH and Mg a day after you do your WC and levels read OK, you won't need to supplement anything.



Like I said... In my nano tank I didn't need to add any extra supplements, levels stay good with just water changes and I run this system for almost three years. Here's a picture of my nano days...

Nice looking tank that's a 29 BioCube? What are some of the corals in there?


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[jdantunes]

Thanks... That was a Biocube 14. I break it down in 2011 when I upgraded to my current tank. It was a my first mixed reef tank, Softies & LPS. I had four fish in total; a pair of clowns, a six line wrasse and a tail spot blenny.

The corals used to grow fast, colors where not that flourescent, because I was just using stock 10k and antinic power compact bulbs. The real fact was that some of my Zoanthids will stretch up looking for light, they used to look like Gonioporas

 

[Reeferman1019]

Thanks... That was a Biocube 14. I break it down in 2011 when I upgraded to my current tank. It was a my first mixed reef tank, Softies & LPS. I had four fish in total; a pair of clowns, a six line wrasse and a tail spot blenny.



The corals used to grow fast, colors where not that flourescent, because I was just using stock 10k and antinic power compact bulbs. The real fact was that some of my Zoanthids will stretch up looking for light, they used to look like Gonioporas

lol still a very nice setup my palys sometimes stretch for light...just a update most of the Cyano is gone substrate is looking way better now


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[ReefWhatYouSow]

Glad to hear that your algae issues are getting better. Both of my pumps were down for over a month and the cheap me tried to get the best deal, and at the same time created issues from lack of flow. I'm pretty sure that's how I found myself with the same issue. I chose not to do anything chemically, but bought new pumps to create more flow. It's going on two months and half of it is gone. Probably not the quickest way to get rid of it but it's working and I feel better knowing that it has taken its natural course.


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[Reeferman1019]

Glad to hear that your algae issues are getting better. Both of my pumps were down for over a month and the cheap me tried to get the best deal, and at the same time created issues from lack of flow. I'm pretty sure that's how I found myself with the same issue. I chose not to do anything chemically, but bought new pumps to create more flow. It's going on two months and half of it is gone. Probably not the quickest way to get rid of it but it's working and I feel better knowing that it has taken its natural course.


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Thanks man! Yea flow is a big factor in tanks I moved my pump to get better flow and continue better tank maintenance.


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[jdantunes]

Maintenance is key. Much more in nano tanks running without a skimmer.