Im in a battle right now and I need your help!

[GreyYeti]

After being successful with a FOWL tank I decided to take it a level higher and make it a reef tank. I started with KENT MARINE NANO CORAL A AND B and VIPRASPECTRA 165W I dosed accordingly and only once since starting this tank, I want to say a month ago. Im currently still using Instant ocean sea salt and haven't transitioned into my new instant ocean reef salt. However, after dosing with Kents I put around 6 corals everything was fine. Im currently running lights at 30 blue and zero white just because I had it at 30/30 before and heard whites/reds inhibit algae growth. I also dosed every week with Phyto/Zoo plankton I've since stopped since the algae bloom. Forward to today, im battling algae growth all over my liferock and some GHA on about two frag plus. Ive had to redose calcium twice to bring up levels. Now im using nopox3 and running chemiclear blue to try and combat the high phos and algae. My water is super cloudy most likely from a bacteria bloom and fishes seem fine and coral as well. Ive lost only one small birds nest(BLACHED) but I believe it was from to high of a direct flow. My waters cloudy, there's algae all over my life rock and my parameters are high and I don't know what to do to lower them, water changes aren't working and I don't to end up with ammonia burn. Do I leave algae alone do I scrub it off? let the NOPOX# and CHEMICLEAR do its thing? I tested earlier today my parameters are:

Ammonia 0-0.25 ppm
ALK 11.3
PHOS 0.90
CAL 456
NITRATE 4.0
SALINTY 1.025
PH 8.1

 

[vetteguy53081]

Chemically attacking this sort of stuff will work in Freshwater but you want to refrain with Saltwater. You can change/clean filters more frequently, add ChemiPure blue which will polish water and reduce white light intensity. Assure you have good water flow and are not overfeeding.

 

[Goaway]

Did you ever buy Snails to help battle the algae?

 

[Saltydog69]

you need good bacteria man. stop doing waterchanges. get your nutrients up, get some dr tims bacteria, waste away gels. start dosing phyto everday. lots of it. and get a brine shrimp hatchery from brs. you can get the whole kit for under 40 bucks shipped. you need bio diversity quick... and get some snails. lots of snails. at least 20.

 

[flyfisher2]

How long has tank been running?

 

[GreyYeti]

Did you ever buy Snails to help battle the algae?

yeah I have about 3 trochs, 2 blue legged hermits, 2 red Scarletts, 3 tongan nassaruis,and 2 nerites that do absolutely nothing. I just ordered so much more of a CUC to help

 

[DrZoidburg]

Just out of curiosity, have you tested mixed water for ammonia?

 

[GreyYeti]

How long has tank been running?

It was originally a FOWLR for about 6 months, converted to reef a month ago, it just started getting like this the past two weeks.

 

[GreyYeti]

Just out of curiosity, have you tested mixed water for ammonia?

like the source? Unforuntelty im running tap with a detoxifier but the ammonia content is less tan 0.25 ppm at the moment

 

[shwareefer]

Your tank is green because you have .9 phosphate.

 

[GreyYeti]

Chemically attacking this sort of stuff will work in Freshwater but you want to refrain with Saltwater. You can change/clean filters more frequently, add ChemiPure blue which will polish water and reduce white light intensity. Assure you have good water flow and are not overfeeding.

Im new to chemo clear and im using a filter bigger than needed for my tank for the GPH filtration. Can Chemiclear replace the carbon filter pad im using right now or should I run both at the same time?

 

[DrZoidburg]

City water? If chloramines could be adding to the ammo tests. Also I wonder because I had a horror story event from IO salt. So did someone else from reading somewhere.

 

[Goaway]

It was originally a FOWLR for about 6 months, converted to reef a month ago, it just started getting like this the past two weeks.

Ugly phase battle! There's advice up there that helps.

 

[GreyYeti]

Your tank is green because you have .9 phosphate.

I agree phosphates are playing a huge part but im having trouble bringing them down as well. Water changes don't seem to do anything NOPOX3 no changes in 3 days and I've just added the chemiclear blue to help out. I don't know what else to do at this point

 

[GreyYeti]

you need good bacteria man. stop doing waterchanges. get your nutrients up, get some dr tims bacteria, waste away gels. start dosing phyto everday. lots of it. and get a brine shrimp hatchery from brs. you can get the whole kit for under 40 bucks shipped. you need bio diversity quick... and get some snails. lots of snails. at least 20.

Thank you, im dosing NOPOX3i thought that was good bacteria? Ill continue dosing photo then.

 

[flyfisher2]

Things that weren't so important in Fish only tank now are. Water source, Nitrates, Phosphates and down the line. RO/DI, good test kits are a must

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you, im dosing NOPOX3i thought that was good bacteria? Ill continue dosing photo then.

NoPox is vodka dosing and not bacteria. MicroBacter 7 would be a good choice. Again- chemiPure blue will polish water and lower Phos and Nitrates. tap water is a No-no especially with added Phosphates, flouride and spores

 

[flyfisher2]

Central Florida.... you need RO/DI water. Trust me....

 

[kzenoni]

You should try a UV light to kill the algae bloom.

 

[Screwgunner]

Get some phosgaurd in the bag and put it in a high flow area. It takes phosphate out fast so keep an eye on it .