Algae driving me nuts

[FB]

Ok. I have a 30 gallon SPS tank and some algae that is driving me nuts.

1. Bubble algae - Lots - some small some large. Two emerald crabs haven't seen them eat any. I pick what I can trying to make sure they don't pop - but some do.
2. Hair algae - very short but in lots of places.
3. Unknown - lots of thick sprouts growing out like a palm tree. Not a lot of this.

Lots of flow. ~60X
- 2 Seio 620's
- 2 Maxi-Jet 1200
- 1 Max-Jet 400
Bare-bottom
Counter-current airstone skimmer
250 Watt XM 10K
60W PC atinic
Fluval 204 - Canister - Carbon and RowaPhos (250 grams) - No sponges.
RO/2DI Water - 1 TDS.

Paramaters
1.026
10.5 dKH
440 Cal.
Mg. 1280
PH 8.2
PO4 - 0 Salifert and Hagen
Nitrate - 0 Salifert and Hagen.

I have been feeding one feed a day every 2 days for a month and it dosen't seem to have an affect. I feed pellet food slowly making sure it all gets consumed. My SPS are growing but seem faded. My coraline is growing a bright pink/purple colour.

2 clowns
1 Regal Tang (I know - no tang police required).
1 Fairy Wrasse (new yesterday)
2 BTA's
1 Banded Coral Shrimp
8 Hermits
5 Turbo
~50 Cerith snails.
2 Emerald Crabs

I started using the RowaPhos a couple of week ago using only a small amount and added more every week. I am now up to 250 ml in my canister filter. All measurments of PO4 are zero.

The only thing I can think of is that my rocks are holding P04 and as it releases it the algae gets to it before my RowaPhos. Does this make sense. The tank had been running for a year before I used any RowaPhos.

If they is anything you can think of please let me know.

Thanks

 

[FB]

Here is a picture of the algae and a full tank shot.

 

[bleedingthought]

Well, besides others problems, that "stringy" algae is caulerpa. The bubbles are probably all part of it, too. (Maybe not the huge ones) You can try to manually remove it but I've had certain pieces of rock that had caulerpa embedded in it and no matter how much I pulled it out, it would grow again. I just ended up throwing the rocks away. It's one of those algaes that can be really intrusive and evil! :evil:

 

[Brian5000]

My Bubble algea (big round bubbles, called valonella I think) always seemed pick right off unless they were wedged in a crack. I guess the key to them is not to let them pop when you remove them or they release spores.

I've had the stringy stuff too, but not as bad. Mine tended to grow on top of itself in big chunks. I could always remove most of it, but never all of it.

The palm tree stuff is a macro that some people like in their tank and many like in their refugium. That's pretty easy to uproot if you decide it's a problem.

In addition, the brown mat stuff in the second picture below the frag is lobophora, I think. That can grow over corals and smother them. That one is the biggest threat to you tank of all the algea pictured. I had it for a while. It's impossible to remove when healthy, but it loosens from the rock when starved and just peels off.

PO4 tests can be misleading. You're right, the algea is probably absorbing it from the water completely. Even if you have plenty in your tank, your water tests 0.

I think the best plan of attack is to find whatever your nutrient source is: feeding you've addressed, the canister (I think stuff can still collect there without the sponges), blow off the rocks (even with good flow, there can be dead spots in cracks where junk collects). Of course, these suggestions may or may not apply. In the end, you're the one that's going to have to figure out where you went wrong. No one is a better expert on your own tank than you.

The real pain with algea is that they are excellent survivors and are good at storing nutrients. Once you fix the problem(s), its may take weeks/months to see an improvement.

Be patient and good luck
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Healthy Living Forum

 

[FB]

I have seen my emerald crabs eating the lobophora. This algae has not been growing. Just the bubble algae that is really driving me nuts.

FB

 

[SnowManSnow]

if you have the patience you can pick the bubble algae off and toss it, just try not to burst it when you do. This will, at least, give you a head start on it a little with your water changes and stuff.

B

 

[FB]

found my source of Phosphates.

It was my Carbon. I put some carbon in some RO water that tested 0 for phosphates as expected. After 3 days sitting in the water my phosphates jumped to around .50 to 1.00 with a salifert test kit.

I have removed the carbon from my system and my algae is slowly diappearing.

This is the stuff I was using.
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/produc ... 4480020101

So much for their claim that "Fluval Carbon does not raise phosphate levels."

 

[Anonymous]

almost all carbon will raise phosphates

fwiw-a zero test reading is not the same thing as zero production (for PO4, or anything else, for that matter)

if the uptake of nutrients to organisms equals the production by the system-you will get a zero test level-for the only thing you're really measuring is the accumulation of the excess beyond the livestock's absorption rate into the water column

the trick with PO4 is to establish a removal rate that exceeds the production speed of the system-thereby not giving nuisance algaes a chance to sequester it into their tissues (where they can also store some for 'lean times'

 

[SnowManSnow]

great problem solving!

I put in a phosphate reactor... and over the course of a few months it has REALLY made a difference in algae in my tank.