Algeafix killing my duncan

Ghostyboythedog · Oct 9, 2024

Hi,
I’ve had an algea problem in our tank and got algeafix which after pouring about 1 day later my Duncan is very shriveled his heads inside his body, and I think he’s dieting my high range ph is a little high but nothing lethal, but the phosphate and high nitrates is causing the hair algea, but I’m pretty confident that’s what causing the Duncan to slowly die, I got a hammer coral a little before he started to shrivel, and I only poured algeafix once and that was about a week before the hammer. is there anyway to help the Duncan? And is this unusual for algeafix to kill corals?

Mr. Mojo Rising · Oct 10, 2024

Corals have algae living in their tissue, its the algae that makes corals colorful, its called xoothanlhallae. Google and learn about this word, its an important part of coral biology, and the symbiotic relationship between corals and xoo's is one of the most interesting things in the animal kingdom .

Anyway, algaefix and other algae killers also kill the xoo's in the coral because xoo's is an algae, thats what happening now. Never add algae killing chemicals to a reef tank with corals. Hope the coral improves, good luck.

Dburr1014 · Oct 10, 2024

Ghostyboythedog said:
Hi,
I’ve had an algea problem in our tank and got algeafix which after pouring about 1 day later my Duncan is very shriveled his heads inside his body, and I think he’s dieting my high range ph is a little high but nothing lethal, but the phosphate and high nitrates is causing the hair algea, but I’m pretty confident that’s what causing the Duncan to slowly die, I got a hammer coral a little before he started to shrivel, and I only poured algeafix once and that was about a week before the hammer. is there anyway to help the Duncan? And is this unusual for algeafix to kill corals?

Need to find the source of nitrate/phosphate and stop adding it.

Not sure what you mean your Duncan is "dieting"?

Need to get some algae eating snails like Mexican turbos.

I also think a couple good water changes are in order.

Doctorgori · Oct 10, 2024

There are some long threads on algaefix, not totally taboo, but definitely some caution surrounding it…I’ve used it but the caveats are many. Consensus is to skip it FWIW
BTW I thought the conclusion on Vibrance s/was it’s basically the same stuff

Bruttall · Oct 10, 2024

If your Nitrate and Phos are running high, my first question is how high? I run my phos at about .10 and nitrates between 40 and 80.

If your above those numbers chances are really good you are Over Feeding. Try reducing the amount you feed by HALF and see it makes a difference.

Get a CuC (Clean Up Crew) https://www.reefcleaners.org/ has some really nice packages for tank size, just match up what ya got and see what they suggest. Give you an idea, I have over 400 inverts in my 300g tank, I have added a 125g package 4 times and getting ready to order another in December. All Snails. I put hermits in first batch, and that was enough of those little monsters, they do good work though.

Make sure you have enough flow, Poor Flow gives algae more of a chance.

Good Luck to you.

Ghostyboythedog · Oct 10, 2024

Dburr1014 said:
Need to find the source of nitrate/phosphate and stop adding it.

Not sure what you mean your Duncan is "dieting"?

Need to get some algae eating snails like Mexican turbos.

I also think a couple good water changes are in order.

Sorry that was a typo I meant diying and it autocorrected it to dieting

Ghostyboythedog · Oct 10, 2024

Bruttall said:
If your Nitrate and Phos are running high, my first question is how high? I run my phos at about .10 and nitrates between 40 and 80.

If your above those numbers chances are really good you are Over Feeding. Try reducing the amount you feed by HALF and see it makes a difference.

Get a CuC (Clean Up Crew) https://www.reefcleaners.org/ has some really nice packages for tank size, just match up what ya got and see what they suggest. Give you an idea, I have over 400 inverts in my 300g tank, I have added a 125g package 4 times and getting ready to order another in December. All Snails. I put hermits in first batch, and that was enough of those little monsters, they do good work though.

Make sure you have enough flow, Poor Flow gives algae more of a chance.

Good Luck to you.

My high range ph is 8.4, and my nitrates are new tween 40 and 80

Dburr1014 · Oct 10, 2024

Ghostyboythedog said:
My high range ph is 8.4, and my nitrates are new tween 40 and 80

Phos is really phosphate, not ph.
Do you know phosphate number?
Nitrate can come down with water changes. You typically want less than 10.

Uncle99 · Oct 10, 2024

It’s kills algae, good or bad.
It doesn’t know the difference
Same with Dino-X and peroxide
Some corals tolerate it better than others.

Bruttall · Oct 10, 2024

Nitrates = 40 to 60,
Po4 = .12 (Phos)
DKh 11.5
CA = 465

A lot of my coral thrive in what many refer to as Dirty Water. I also do not have hardly any acro's. like 2 or 3 sticks is it. Tons of Zoa and Paly, with leathers, shrooms and nems. And some birdsnests and such obviously. a few euphyllia's and some plating monties.
The whole .02 phos and 10 nitrates is a Acro dominate parameter I believe and from what I have learned with my mixed reef, impossible to attain without hundreds dollars more equipment and additives. I have to many fish to put it simply, my Bioload is very heavy and my nutrients reflect that directly. I can show you where I dropped my nitrates by only feeding in the AM for a week, they dropped to 20, soon as I feed 2x a day, they bounce back up. And I run a huge fuge with a good sized ball of chaeto.

I struggle with keeping my PH above 8. But everything in the tank seems ok with it, and I was told by Randy that 8 isn't anything to worry about. At least for my tank.

There is no cookie cutter for YOUR TANK. You will experience things in your system I will not find in mine and vice versa. These forums should be taken more as a Guide and definitely not HARD FACT, after all this is mostly Peer Review and Opinion.

Good Luck

Ghostyboythedog · Oct 11, 2024

Dburr1014 said:
Need to find the source of nitrate/phosphate and stop adding it.

Not sure what you mean your Duncan is "dieting"?

Need to get some algae eating snails like Mexican turbos.

I also think a couple good water changes are in order.

The main reason also,

Dburr1014 said:
Phos is really phosphate, not ph.
Do you know phosphate number?
Nitrate can come down with water changes. You typically want less than 10.

oh sorry, I also tested phos yesterday it’s .5