I not believing in GFO.

[reefslugs]

Maybe the 0 phosphate is really 0, or at least to low.
When that's the case then lowering nitrates will be a tough job as Bacteria won't be able to "digest it".
They need both NO3 and PO4 in order to function properly. I think at this point 25 nitrates, even 0.1 phosphate would be acceptable
So you might look into this matter too.

The two test kits I have do not read low measurements like a Hanna, which I don't have. There has got to be phosphates in my tank for the algea problem I am haveing.

Also coralime algea does not grow though.

 

[reefslugs]

All my rocks where bought fresh and wet. I would never buy dry rocks.

Did you use dry, or dried, rock? If so, then the dino, cyano and algae is likely getting the P from proximity from the dead/decaying matter on the rock. If it was dry, or dried, then it has dead organics in it that eventually need to decay. Anecdotally, this can take between 12 and 24 months. This can also happen if you reused rock from a really dirty tank without "cooking" it first.

If you did not use dry or dried rock, then my apologies.

 

[gpdno]

The two test kits I have do not read low measurements like a Hanna, which I don't have. There has got to be phosphates in my tank for the algea problem I am having.

Well yes and no. The algae is growing/feeding off the excess nutrients. So your tank can have high amounts of nutrients but the algae is consuming it so you will still read low to zero numbers on your tests. If you have a lot of algae and are still reading high values then the system is still out of balance and you will get even more algae.
This is one of the main reasons to run a refugium or even a dedicated algae scrubber. You encourage the algae to grow somewhere other than your DT. This removes the excess nutrients and you harvest/remove the algae which removes the nutrients from the system.

 

[incognitus]

¿Why not algae in DT? I have a marvelous rhodopelsis algae near the bottom and can lower my nutrients.

 

[Jimmy54]

You may assume that when Salifert nitrate reads 0 it is 0, but when Salifert phosphate reads 0 (double sensitivity)
it could be 0.04 - which is fine - or lower which could be a problem because you don't know how much lower.

In addition to Greg; it is not only nutrients algae can thrive on,
some algae don't even need it as a main-course. Light, silicate, iron a few other traces is all what they need.

And because your macro's don't seem to grow very well, maybe the light hanging over your refugium needs a closer look ?

 

[Pny]

Hopeing that the biopellets will start working again. Also have been doing weekly 40 g water changes. Just three weeks now.

Using GFO might even limit the bio pellets ability to remove nitrates... The biopellets stimulates bacteria growth that reduces both nitrates and phosphates, but if your phosphates is really low (removed by GFO) the bio pellets will not reduce the nitrates any more...

 

[ReEfErAdDiCt86]

The two test kits I have do not read low measurements like a Hanna, which I don't have. There has got to be phosphates in my tank for the algea problem I am haveing.



Also coralime algea does not grow though.

Your mag is very low which may explain the lack of coralline growth. Raise it to at least 1350. Mag levels above 1400 are said to retard algae growth as well. Make sure you are using enough biopellets. They won't do a thing if there's not enough. Also, make sure the pellets are not tumbling too fast. They should tumble just enough so it looks like theyre slightly "boiling". If they're working properly nitrate should be absolutely at 0.

Why not? One of the best uses of a refugium is to control algae growth in your DT. I run the lights in my refugium 18 hrs a day and in the DT only 10 hrs a day.

Algae wants lots of light to grow and so I encourage it to grow like crazy in the refugium. This locks up excessive nutrients and by periodically removing some algae I export it from the system.

I have two LED spotlights from my refugium. I bought them at Home Depot for about $30 a piece so not only is it effective but it's pretty inexpensive.

A refugium or algae scrubber is useless for nutrient export unless it is at the very least as big as the display. Even then nutrient export is marginal. The refugiums we typically see as hobbyists function primarily to create a protected environment for beneficial marine flora and fauna to grow without predation by fish and invertebrates. Another use for a typical hobbyist type fuge would be for controlling pH swings by running the light schedule opposite of the display. This works by promoting photosynthesis at night which stabilizes pH. In other words, nutrient export IS possible with a fuge, but almost impossible with the typical hobbyist sized "sump/refugiums"

 

[bertoni]

Well, 1250 ppm for magnesium is very close to the canonical 1275 ppm of average ocean water. I ran at 1100 ppm for years because Instant Ocean mixed to that level, and my tanks had a lot of coralline algae growth. Higher levels don't affect algae in general, although dosing a lot of Kent Tech-M often seems to kill Bryopsis.

People seem to have seen reasonable reductions in the nitrate level with fairly small refugia. Good lighting and a fast-growing alga such as a Chaetomorpha or Caulerpa species can do a lot.

 

[ReEfErAdDiCt86]

The mag thing is just my experience and other anecdotal Evidence has agreed as well. Although I've heard about Kent's tech m product being the only one that does anything for algae, I believe it to be the elevated mag levels regardless of the product or ingredients of it.

As far as coralline growth, I've always seen tanks with little to none if mag is kept at 1250~. Of course ca and alk play a large part. Alkalinity more importantly.

Sorry to disagree about the refugium. I just can't see mine doing much for my 300 gal system other than supplying a natural food source to the display and keeping my pH stable at night.

 

[Jimmy54]

Although I've heard about Kent's tech m product being the only one that does anything for algae, I believe it to be the elevated mag levels regardless of the product or ingredients of it.

I don't have any experience with Kent products, but from what I have read, some products are holding "excessive" amounts of Boron (or Borates)
I don't know what's in Kents' magnesium but perhaps that's why their product has got the reputation of "killing" Bryopsis ( borates adds alkalinity too)

As far as coraline growth, I've always seen tanks with little to none if mag is kept at 1250~. Of course ca and alk play a large part. Alkalinity more importantly.

And also light plays a big part - at least that is what I see. It seems to be growing better and faster in area's where's less or diffused light.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I believe it to be the elevated mag levels regardless of the product or ingredients of it.

Why? Lots of people have tried lots of magnesium products to kill bryopsis, and only a few seem to work. They then have soemtimes tried Kent on the same tank and it worked. An impurity seems a logical explanation, but there may be other explanations.

I don't have any experience with Kent products, but from what I have read, some products are holding "excessive" amounts of Boron (or Borates)
I don't know what's in Kents' magnesium but perhaps that's why their product has got the reputation of "killing" Bryopsis ( borates adds alkalinity too)

Boron is sometimes added to alk products, but I don't have any reason to think they add it to their magnesium supplement.

 

[Jimmy54]

It was just for "ReEfErAdDiCt86" to (re)consider 'regardless of the product or ingredients of it' leaving all options open.

Personally I don't believe in excessively raising specific parameters to fight or kill something.
If it really would kill the plague - it will probably kill valuable life too.

 

[ReEfErAdDiCt86]

All anecdotal for me guys. I don't know exactly "why" lol I'm not a scientist, just a hobbyist. For the magnesium thing I've gone off of what the premium coral dealers such as aquaSD have done and I also speak with people who have been in the hobby for so many years that have beautiful tanks. In mine and others experience, raising the magnesium levels has worked to combat all algae growth, not just bryopsis. I mean when I hear someone tell me what they do I'll go and research it but often there has not been enough research to show how or why something will work, scientifically at least.

 

[bertoni]

Anecdotal evidence often is the only guidance we have, but there are too many tanks that produce a lot of coralline with magnesium well below 1275 ppm for me to believe that coralline algae require a higher level.