Green algae problem for years

[phk36]

I want to start a reef since I lot just about all my fish in August.
I have always had green algae problems
Water perimeters in photos last one taken yesterday and some of fish I lost
Tank is just about 200 gallons with a 75 gallon basement sump. Bubble king 250 super marin , 114 watts uv , filter socks
Thank you for any help you can give

 

[bertoni]

Is the PO3 number actually nitrate? The phosphate level is very high. I might try some GFO, assuming that I trusted the test kit. GFO sometimes helps, and is easy to try. How much live rock is in the system, and how much and what kind of food is going into the tank each day?

 

[phk36]

No food one naso tang , I have 200 lbs live rock
I have used the largest size scrubber for eight months until it grew nothing.
I have been using gfo for two months.

 

[bertoni]

How much GFO is in the system, and how often is it replaced? If the phosphate is at 0.37 ppm, I would expect the media to be shot in a few hours.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

If you are looking into corals you will need to raise your calcium to around 400,
DKH to @ least 7, Po3 more than -0- but not over 10 & PO4 to under 0.1.
As far as a scrubber, they are based on food input for sizing, so no input means very low to no growth. Your rocks could be harboring a lot of phosphate & it can take quite some time to get it out. Removing a piece into a container of newly made water for a day or two then testing will let you know if is or not. Lanthanum will remove it quicker on higher levels but has to be dosed SLOWLY into a filter sock. Read up on it beforehand.

 

[phk36]

You can see my sump area set up
I will change the Rowa phos today . It has been in for a month
I have a dosing set up (bubble magus) I had used in the past for an attempt at corals . I had decent calcium numbers , you can look at my tests I had done.
I do have the Latium but was afraid to use it in the past with all the fish I had.
I will read up on it again and give it a try.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

To check GFO sample water coming OUT of reactor, measure this against tank water.
If it's close or the same it needs changing. I can only go 2 weeks between changes.
You are double that.

 

[hegeh]

The algae wasn't so bad. What clean up crew is in that tank? I would recommend sea hare to eat up those algae.

As for the po4 level, it is too high. Normal reading should be 0.07 or so. What are you feeding the fishes? How many times and quantity perday?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[phk36]

I have 4 emerald crabs about 14 hermit crabs and 8 snails or so.
I have offered the naso all kinds of food and he will not take anything which is odd.
I picked him up and a Regal Angle at the same time.
I think it was in December. The Regal lasted two months in my qt and I put the Naso in my main display in February.
He has not learned to eat I think because he is alone. He does graze all day . I am going to try nori again
I am real good keeping fish together that are hard like Clown tang a powder blue , Achilles, Emperor angle Regal and others. I just suck with water quality.
Sorry ranting it's been happy hour at home for a while today.
I did start dosing Lanthanum today with my doser .
I mixed 2 ml with 1,000 ml of ro water. It's still going

 

[bertoni]

Are you trapping the precipitate (lanthanum phosphate) from the lanthanum dosing? That's probably a useful thing to do. I'd stop all feeding, but I would guess that the tang is very happy eating the algae and likely small animals from the rock. That's their diet in nature.

 

[phk36]

I dosed 2 ml of Lathanum chloride and I am down now at 0.05
I think I will do it one more time in a few days
I just dosed into my regular filter sock which I believe is a 200 micron
I am ordering 10 micron today
I do see something in the first portion of my sump that looks like like a gel layer at the top of the water.
Good thing is I have a drain for water changes in that area. I will do two water changes and wait until the 10 micron sock comes.
I did notice the algae on the rocks looks a lighter green. I do not know how long this will take. I will not do anything until I get 0.00 on a test and the algae is gone from my rock work.
Years of a heavy stocked tank and heavy feedings two times a day has done a number on this tank.
Thanks everyone I will keep you posted

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Now that your level is under 0.1 use GFO. In fact I would check in a few days & if it is rising then GFO. Lanthanum is better @ high levels while GFO @ lower levels.
0.0 is really not necessary because some trace is needed.

 

[bertoni]

I agree that lanthanum is better at higher levels of phosphate, but it won't hurt to try a bit more. How far down lanthanum chloride can drive the phosphate level depends on a number of factors. Also, the rock might leach and raise the level back up fairly quickly.

Waiting for the 10 micron sock sounds like a reasonable idea. If the phosphate level stays that low for a day or two, GFO might be worth trying.