ongoing battle

[Lytehouse]

If you have come over to see the COMAS tank, you've seen the nasty mess in my tank. It's 6 ft long and literally 2/3 of the sand bed and glass have been covered in brown and bright green algae.

I've done everything I could think of and read to deal with it. It has been so bad, when I'd ask people for ideas-- they would have this sad look, like--'Wow, I'm glad it's not my tank"

To date, I have done the following, one at a time to see if any one thing made a difference and kept a document to show what success or lack that I found.

Fighting a huge diatom/algae problem in 75gal frag tank. 3 side walls covered in green, slimy algae. Sandbed is covered with brown algae that produces bubbles. Of special note, the tank has an led fixture on 1/3 and 4 bulb T5 fixture on the other 2/3. Only the parts lit with the T5 fixture are producing both algaes.

To that end, I purchased and changed all 4 T5 bulbs with new ATI bulbs;

Changed all filters in RO/DI unit;

I ran GFO reactor;

I did multiple day lights out several times;<O</O

I greatly enhanced clean up crew--twice;
Every snail recommended, in bulk.
Yes, I have extra now...<O</O
<O</O

 

[Matthewbrian316]

Hmmm the brown algae with bubbles sounds like it's cyano got pics ?

 

[ReeferBill]

Algea Battle

Algea Battle

:blown:Has the bulb change made any difference?:hammer:

 

[Lytehouse]

Then I read couple threads on H2O2 dosing.
Started 3% solution & Checked PO4 with Hannah Checker:
Results had to be duplicated to be recorded.

H2O2 Dosing


Date po4 dose

28 Sept .06 3 TBS


29 Sept 1/3 algae on wall gone. Minor receeding on sand bed.
.00 4 TBS


30 Sept wall 2/3 clean. Sandbed seems worse.
.06 4 TBS


31 Sept Walls and sandbed same. Tested ammonia = 0
.12 4 TBS

1 Sept Another 5-10% gone from walls
.15 3 TBS

<O</O
2 Sept another 10 + % gone from walls. Getting patchy, sand bed same.
.04 4 TBS

3 September removed green from walls with toothbrush. Brown and green on sand bed holding firm.
Also tested ammonia, nitrites, nitrates with API kit"”all tested untraceable.

Starting with new bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide tonight since I have no mine to be couple years old.
.04 4 TBS

Dosed directly into tank tonight, instead of sump, in high flow area with return off for 15 min.
<O
4 September walls still clear, 1 spot of bleached coralline on
wall has color. Sand bed 5"”10% less.
.02 5 TBS
<O
5 September All coralline gaining some color.
20% or more of remaining algae on sand gone.
.04 6 TBS
<O
6 September Coraline more color. Front 1/3 gone. Back 2/3 worse.
.06 4 TBS

7 Sept no dosing

8 September no dosing and lights out.
Dk brown algae has receeded 1/3 less of remaining sand bed.
<O
9 September algae on sandbed receeded another 1/3 with lights out.
Checked PO4 from tank instead of sump today, since no issues in sump.
.06 4 TBS
<O
10 September with lights out day & ½ algae to almost nothing.
Spreading quickly w/ lights only on couple hours.</O

 

[Lytehouse]

Hmmm the brown algae with bubbles sounds like it's cyano got pics ?

:blown:Has the bulb change made any difference?:hammer:

Matthew--Hang with me, I'm getting there.

Bill, no difference. Didn't think it was the problem, but had to try EVERYTHING once.

 

[Lytehouse]

what next

what next

So, obviously, I have multiple problems going on.
The H2O2 did awesome for it's intended purpose,
Glad I found those threads,

GFO reactor didn't help,
Flow-- algae has been growing strong on sandbed,
in front of and both sides of 2 mp10's in 9 in of water.

Last night, Hooked reactor back up,
replaced GFO with--

Seachem, SeaGel, organic & phospate control beads.

Used about the recommended dose, or little more.
Supposed to last 3 to 4 months.

fingers crossed and looking for next idea.

 

[Lytehouse]

BTW,

Another positive of the h2o2 dosing,

front glass is amazingly clean in this tank.

One other puzzling note:
Besides having algae only in 2/3 of the tank,
it is plumbed into a common sump with the COMAS tank--
no problems with this tank....