Algae pics finally

[Damon.Webb22]

Finally, here are some pics of the algae I can't get rid of. I know it is hair algae, but the brown stuff I think might be dino and not diatoms...

Going to try to start vodka dosing to get my nitrates down (only at about 20ppm) and my phosphate is 0 on a hanna. So if my rocks are leaking phosphate it is all tied up in the algae. Tank is 2 years old and I am running PO4X4 and an AquaC Urchin skimmer.

 

[Pife]

What is your cleanup crew?

 

[u4ick]

Looks more like cyano

 

[jtrasap]

looks more like cyano

+1

 

[mpcart]

Have you tried a blackout period? I don't know how well that works for hair type algae but it worked well for my film type - cyano, dino, diatoms, etc that I got in the first six months of my tank running.

-Mike

 

[Pife]

I think your rock is leaching po4s and will be for a while. Like months.

 

[Schplitter]

I think your rock is leaching po4s and will be for a while. Like months.

+1

Suck that stuff up or blow it off with water changes and take your time. It will take months of good husbandry to get rid of that. The hard part is when you have it under control not to let it happen again.

 

[Damon.Webb22]

I think your rock is leaching po4s and will be for a while. Like months.

Not sure about the PO4 as I am using PO4X4 which strips PO4 really fast. I am at 0 PO4 on a hanna. Also, my tank is not new and this is the only time I have ever had an algae problem. Not sure how my rock can leach PO4 all of a sudden after 2 years no problem. Anyway, I am gonna start vodka dosing and get a new sump (tomorrow) that will allow me to put in a better skimmer eventually.

I do agree that the brown stuff may be cyano, it just does not look like the red stuff I am used too.

 

[Pife]

Like a month ago you had po4s and your rock sucked them up. Now the algae is using them up and not allowing them to get in to the water colum for you to test for them. Your tank is still young in the grand scheme of things also. You got yours up and running after mine and I have had some of the same problems you are having. I have vodka dosed before and it works but I still think your rock is leaching po4s. Good luck on what you decide to do keep us posted.

 

[Damon.Webb22]

Thanks. I will keep everyone posted as to what happens. I appreciate everyones insight into what the problem may be.

From the way I understand it, if phosphate were tied up in my rock in a quantity large enough to cause a serious algae problem it would register on a test. By removing it from the water colum it frees us "space" for more to leach thus causing a reading on a tester. Thag being said, given that I have no registering PO4 I can't assume my rocks are leaching it and the problem lies elsewhere. If I am wrong on any point I blame the alcohol I have consumed!

 

[Nanook]

Once again, quite simply, you're wrong why ask for help if you're so darn smart

/nook scratches head!

 

[Schplitter]

Dude. Quit looking for "the quick fix." It's not going to hapen. If you start vodka dosing and then quit or miss a day or are in any way inconsistent your going to make things about 100X worse for yourself.

Listen to these people. They know what they are tanking about. They didn't write a book on the subject and are not trying to sell it to you. They are giving you honest advice from personal experience. Nothing to gain for them. They would be better off telling you nothing, letting you fail and then buying all your stuff 99% off when you fail.

 

[Mr D smack]

 

[sbabs]

You have to have flow issues and po4 bound rock based on the pics. Like Schplitter said, it's a slow road back. reduce feeding, increase water changes, and get yourself some things in place to export nutrients better. GFO reactor should be in place for sure on that tank, and run macro algae, and if you can afford it, get an algae scrubber going. You can DIY them but you need some competition for the algae in your display. Its winning.

 

[Damon.Webb22]

You have to have flow issues and po4 bound rock based on the pics. Like Schplitter said, it's a slow road back. reduce feeding, increase water changes, and get yourself some things in place to export nutrients better. GFO reactor should be in place for sure on that tank, and run macro algae, and if you can afford it, get an algae scrubber going. You can DIY them but you need some competition for the algae in your display. Its winning.

Noted.

I have three fish and feed once a day and not very much. I have a skimmer, I have caulerpa and chaeto growing as well as a ton of rubble in the sump. I do 5g a week WC on about 40-50 total gallons of water across the DT and sump. I am also running PO4X4 for about 2 weeks and had been running GFO for about 2 months before then.

Again, from what I understand, if there was PO4 locked in the rock and the water colum was reading 0 the rocks would leach PO4 faster than could be taken out, thus making there be some readable amount on a tester. I understood that when PO4 gets locked in the rocks it stays there until there is a negative space to be filled. IE PO4 gets removed from water colum, rocks leech out PO4 that is trapped. Like the vacuum principle in an overflow. That is the ONLY reason I was wondering if there was indeed PO4 locked in my rocks. That, or the PO4X4 is SOOO good it totally wipes out the PO4 in the tank so the leeched PO4 did not register as it is absorbed faster than it can be leeched.

And back to vodka dosing for those above. I have NO3 that is not being taken out of the WC by the skimmer or algae so the vodka was to help eliminate that, not the PO4. I have a new sump now that has a bigger area for a skimmer (thanks STLMS) so hopefully that will help keep it balanced.

::EDIT::
I take that back, I feed every other day once a day.

 

[jtrasap]

The general school of thought is that as nutrients are leached from the rocks they are absorbed by the growing algae, therefore causing a 0 reading when you test for it.

I vote for more flow, and upping whatever means of nutrient exportation you have.
Also check your incoming water, maybe you ro filters need replaced.

^^^Just my .02^^^...:hmm5:

 

[Damon.Webb22]

The general school of thought is that as nutrients are leached from the rocks they are absorbed by the growing algae, therefore causing a 0 reading when you test for it.

I vote for more flow, and upping whatever means of nutrient exportation you have.
Also check your incoming water, maybe you ro filters need replaced.

^^^Just my .02^^^...:hmm5:

That is good info, thanks.

I just changed my RO filters a few weeks ago. As far as flow goes, I have two new Jebao pumps that have really increased the flow in my tank. Everything is rocking and rolling now.

 

[Damon.Webb22]

I also got a new Eshopps RS-200 sump today that will let me have a better/bigger skimmer, which will hopefully help. Just need to clean it up and redo some plumbing from when I get it installed. And I need a 1" bulkhead. Plan is to have drain line run to bulkhead, then pipe from there into sump so I can have the plumbing under the water line and not making splashing noises in my living room. that way I can also have a filter sock to catch things. Then live rock rubble from my existing sump underneath with caulerpa and chaeto before the skimmer.