Algae on Corals in New Tank

[CoolDad]

Hi I recently started my first reef tank. Its a long 32.5g and I added sand rinsed with RODI water then filled the tank with RODI and CoralLife seasalt. I noticed after filling that the salt blend is specifically formulated for used with tap water. Other posts here recommend just switch to InstantOcean or similar with the future water changes, so that is my plan. I bought 2 pieces of live rock, a massive gsp covering a rock (probably been at the store a while), 2 small frags (duncan and zoanthid), 2 clownfish, 2 azure damselfish, 1 purple firefish, 2 skunk cleaner shrimp. When I put the GSP rock in a ton of stuff came off it, a ton of small snails mostly. I didn't read about dipping corals until later, but it definitely jump started the cycling process. I put the GSP over on its own side since I read they can be invasive and the frag in the sand in the bottom for a bit until I find a nice spot to glue the on the live rock.

The next morning I promptly over-feed my fish in my excitement. So I scoop out the flakes and the remaining get caught in the filters. GSP and other corals look great, GSP opens all its polyps (like 200).

The next day the GSP doesnt open any polyps and I notices some whitish sections. I read its nearly impossible to kill GSP and figure its just adjusting.

Next day is similar except a few GSP polyps around the edges open and at the end of the day I notice brownish green algae in the center of the whitish areas. Also my cleaner shrimp hangout on the live rocks opposite the GSP and don't seem to clean by the GSP.

I check the next day and the algae has spread much further so I test salinity and PH (both normal) and do a 5 gal water change. Resolve to do some research.

Day 6 of my tank and the algae is on my Zoanthid frag also and seems like brush removal for the gsp and a 20% h2o2 soak for 3 min for zoanthid might help. I do that along with another 5 gallon water change. A ton of algae comes off the GSP but it just floats in the tank until the filters get it. The h2o2 soak for the zoanthid doesn't remove any algae so I give it a brushing also and remove most of the algae.

That was yesterday. Today I plan additional tests for nitrites, nitrates, KH and ammonia. Fish seem very happy. I know my tank is pretty bare and I plan to add more rocks for cover tomorrow and glue the frags to their permanent spots on the existing live rock.

I appreciate any insight into my system. I am wondering how to prevent the algae on my corals in the future. Should I just continue to brush it off as I see it? I know that algal growth is part of the new tank cycle but It seems to be harming even my hardy corals. Thanks for reading. I attached photos of my tank. Lights are still ramping up

 

[exnisstech]

No help on the algae but looking at the tank and only two rocks neither with much hiding area and 2 damsels and 2 clowns I think it's going to be a battle royale

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

To be honest you are going super fast... Sounds like you did not cycle the tank?

Adding 5 fish right away into a brand new tank is a big hit on the biofilter. The rocks are the biofilter in a salt tank, and you have almost no rock, so means very little surface area for nitrfying bacteria. Be careful with feeding, if you overfeed you will have ammonia spikes that can stress your fish and then you get disease. If your tank gets disease, then it needs to be fishless for almost 3 months for the disease to die, so going fast really doesn't pay off.

Corals are delicate sensitive animals, they need a stable environment, you are going way too fast with corals. Algae grows on dead corals, so parts of the coral must be dead or dying.

I would suggest to slow down and do more research and get more rock as the priority, possibly some more flow, I like to see good agitation on the water surface.

 

[CoolDad]

To be honest you are going super fast... Sounds like you did not cycle the tank?

Adding 5 fish right away into a brand new tank is a big hit on the biofilter. The rocks are the biofilter in a salt tank, and you have almost no rock, so means very little surface area for nitrfying bacteria. Be careful with feeding, if you overfeed you will have ammonia spikes that can stress your fish and then you get disease. If your tank gets disease, then it needs to be fishless for almost 3 months for the disease to die, so going fast really doesn't pay off.

Corals are delicate sensitive animals, they need a stable environment, you are going way too fast with corals. Algae grows on dead corals, so parts of the coral must be dead or dying.

I would suggest to slow down and do more research and get more rock as the priority, possibly some more flow, I like to see good agitation on the water surface.

Thank you for your comments. I tried to do quite a bit of research, I spent about a month reading, but it seems like I could spend years reading and still not understand everything. My understanding was that starting with live rock would allow me to essentially skip the cycling phase. How exactly would you suggest I slow down at this point? I don't plan to add more fish or coral for a long time.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What are you using to test the parameters in your tank? Live rock does "skip cycle," but it doesn't mean you can get coral immediately. Your tank is new and still maturing. I would hold off on getting any more coral in your tank until everything in there is stable

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Thank you for your comments. I tried to do quite a bit of research, I spent about a month reading, but it seems like I could spend years reading and still not understand everything. My understanding was that starting with live rock would allow me to essentially skip the cycling phase. How exactly would you suggest I slow down at this point? I don't plan to add more fish or coral for a long time.

Yes live rock will insta-cycle the tank, but the rock ratio should be at least 1 lbs per gallon, so you should have 25-35 lbs of rock. Only 2 little rocks will not support your fish load, and plus you mention you are overfeeding the tank (which you should not do)

Tap water will not work for corals and inverts. In the long run you will have troubles and challenges and not understand why, but it will be the tap water.

API test kits or test strips are not reliable for this hobby, you need salifert or hanna quality

 

[Daz_1978]

Others have mentioned that you're going a little fast, etc... so I will skip that part.

You will be fighting algae for some time. Get used to it. The best you can do for now is to manually remove it from the corals when they seem bothered. Some Zoas really hate being touched by flowing algae, and they won't open up much. I would not continue to dip in H2O2, because the less you tamper with stuff... the better you'll be. The H2O2 won't immediately remove the algae. It oxidizes it and it dies off a little more slowly.

I have a toothbrush superglued onto a 3 foot long plastic rod. I use this to scrub away the occasional long string of algae, that way I can keep my hands out of my tank. The Zoas will get a little mad at the gentle brushing with the toothbrush, but they'll get over it.

The algae on the corals doesn't mean they're dead/dying... Zoas don't always have a solid mat under them. The exposed rock between the Zoa heads can/will grow algae off of it.

 

[CoolDad]

What are you using to test the parameters in your tank? Live rock does "skip cycle," but it doesn't mean you can get coral immediately. Your tank is new and still maturing. I would hold off on getting any more coral in your tank until everything in there is stable

I am using a precision optical refractometer and the Red Sea test kit. It has vials and reagents not test strips. Should be accurate for these purposes. Thanks for the input. I plan to hold off on adding anything else.

 

[SantaMonica]

If something turns white first and then grows algae, the algae is probably just finding a place to grow that is no longer alive and can't fight back. Live coral and periphyton will fight off algae.