Losing battle against algae, help with next steps

[m3rcfh]

Hi guys
I have been fighting this battle against algae for the last 8 months and I can't find a way to make it recede. It has been always getting worse and now it is at the point that the wife is having seconds thoughts about having the tank.

I will try to post as much detail as I can, let me know if I missed something.

Inhabitants: Yellow Tang (about 4"), Royal Gramma, pair of Clowns, 2 Chromis, Lawnmower Blenny and a Diamond Goby that is missing for several weeks (probably dies under a rock?). 2 emerald crabs. Most recently got a snail pack from Reefcleaners, but most of them died (all Nerites are gone).
The Yellow Tang is getting big and I feel bad for it, so I'm thinking in re-homing it soon.

Tank & Equipment: 75g with 20g sump, setup for about 1year and 8months. ReefOctopus Varios 4 on lowest setting for return, Nyos Quantum 120, Tunze ATO, Tunze Wave Maker (on medium setting), 2 AI Hydras HD on 40% (was 60% until 2 monthgrowth. 15 gallon water changes every 2 or 3 weeks. Only RODI water. Rocks purchased dry from BRS, cheap purple kind that looks line coraline.

Methods tried: dosed H2O2 for 3 months last year, didn't seem to change algae growth. Lowered light intensity and duration. Run Chemipure & Purigen on sump. Trying Vibrant for the last 3 weeks, also no change (algae seem stronger and greener now). Reduced feeding to once every other day. Syphon all the algae and detritus during every water change.

I noticed ths live rock has a lot of detritus at this point, so I try to syphon as much as I can. Tried brushing the algae a couple of time but made too big of a mess, so decided to syphon only.

So for next steps I'm thinking:
1. Spot treat with H2O2
2. Blackout for 3 days
3. If 1 and 2 don't work, remove rocks and let it dry on the sun, then try to clean them with a brush.

Also sump has constant bacteria deposits, not sure why.

Please let me know what you think

 

[RJinPV]

From the pics it looks like green hair algae. The most important info you left out is your parameters and nutrient levels. Phosphate and nitrate? Something is causing the algae to thrive.

 

[Sod Buster]

What is your phosphate at? Get that lowered to quit feeding the algae. Vibrant also takes months to work. Lower the p04 and the algae should pull right off easily.

 

[m3rcfh]

What is your phosphate at? Get that lowered to quit feeding the algae. Vibrant also takes months to work. Lower the p04 and the algae should pull right off easily.

Phosphates seems to be always around 0.25... even during and after I run Phosguard for 4 days. I'm going to run Phosguard again after today's water change

 

[Sod Buster]

My hair algae goes away when I'm around 0.10ppm phosphate. That is 33 ppb on my hanna phosphorus checker. I use phosphate rx. It has a formula in the directions so you can be precise with the dose.

 

[m3rcfh]

Does anyone know what is the white/yellow powder build up on the sump and how to get rid of it? I clean the sump a few times a year, but it seems like I can stop that from building up

 

[m3rcfh]

From the pics it looks like green hair algae. The most important info you left out is your parameters and nutrient levels. Phosphate and nitrate? Something is causing the algae to thrive.

I didn't see this one, sorry!
I keep water temp at 78F, salinity at 1.025, Nitrate is usually around 20ppm. Phosphate is at 0.25, measured with an API kit

 

[Justin Cook]

First, keep doing what you're doing. Those are all effective ways to battle GHA. Second, I would consider dosing NOPOX or any other sort of carbon. I was in a similar situation and once I started doing weekly water changes, the problem started looking better but I couldn't get it to go away all together. Dosing a minimal amount of NOPX is what finally did it. I still have some but it's in a corner with little flow and I can suck it out whenever I do water changes. I don't worry about it since it's hardly noticeable and if it's going to grow somewhere, I'd just assume it be tucked away in the corner. I keep my nitrates under 5 and phosphates nearly immeasurable on a Salifeter test kit. Third, I found blue legged hermits really did a good job of eating the remnant of algae when I'd manually remove it. They won't tackle the longer patches but once I knocked them back, a team of blue legs would go to work.

 

[m3rcfh]

Here's my light schedule

 

[Justin Cook]

It might be worth shortening the schedule a bit to give it less light. I've kept tank successfully on 5-6 hours of "peak" output. Looks like you've got somewhere around 6(?). I'd also guess that the green-ish powder in your sump is algae cells that have been broken up by the hydrogen peroxide. I get a similar sludge when I treat algae covered frags racks with it. (I'm not a scientist but I imagine it's the algae cells busting apart.)

 

[NS Mike D]

I didn't see this one, sorry!
I keep water temp at 78F, salinity at 1.025, Nitrate is usually around 20ppm. Phosphate is at 0.25, measured with an API kit

It's my opinion (and a lot of others on this site as well) that API test are not sufficiently sensitive for reef tanks. It's possible that your NO3 and PO4 are higher than what your tests are reading. I was testing zeros with API only to find they were much higher when I switched to red sea tests.

fwiw, Red Sea recommends target levels of 1-2 ppm NO3 and 0.08- 0,12 ppm PO4 for mixed reef tanks in their coral care/algae mgt program


@brandon429 has a great system to wash your sand and scrub the rocks. Assuming you get your NO3/PO4 under control (if not it will keep coming back), the radical washing/scrubbing will get the detritus and nuisance algae out of the tank so it won't come roaring back.
Here is the sand washing thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-official-sand-rinse-thread-aka-one-against-many.230281

 

[Garia666]

Would suggest nopox!

 

[NS Mike D]

and the H2O2 thread (aka RASP! )

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

 

[m3rcfh]

It's my opinion (and a lot of others on this site as well) that API test are not sufficiently sensitive for reef tanks. It's possible that your NO3 and PO4 are higher than what your tests are reading. I was testing zeros with API only to find they were much higher when I switched to red sea tests.

fwiw, Red Sea recommends target levels of 1-2 ppm NO3 and 0.08- 0,12 ppm PO4 for mixed reef tanks in their coral care/algae mgt program


@brandon429 has a great system to wash your sand and scrub the rocks. Assuming you get your NO3/PO4 under control (if not it will keep coming back), the radical washing/scrubbing will get the detritus and nuisance algae out of the tank so it won't come roaring back.
Here is the sand washing thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-official-sand-rinse-thread-aka-one-against-many.230281

I use a Salifert test kit for nitrate, and I did the API sometimes side-by-side just to compare, I thought they were pretty close. The API color matching is just difficult to get a good read and too open for interpretation (varies with environment light and person to person), in my opinion. But I do agree they are not the best or the most reliable.

I do struggle to keep nitrates low, though. Haven't found a successful method to export nutrients yet...

 

[m3rcfh]

It's my opinion (and a lot of others on this site as well) that API test are not sufficiently sensitive for reef tanks. It's possible that your NO3 and PO4 are higher than what your tests are reading. I was testing zeros with API only to find they were much higher when I switched to red sea tests.

fwiw, Red Sea recommends target levels of 1-2 ppm NO3 and 0.08- 0,12 ppm PO4 for mixed reef tanks in their coral care/algae mgt program


@brandon429 has a great system to wash your sand and scrub the rocks. Assuming you get your NO3/PO4 under control (if not it will keep coming back), the radical washing/scrubbing will get the detritus and nuisance algae out of the tank so it won't come roaring back.
Here is the sand washing thread.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-official-sand-rinse-thread-aka-one-against-many.230281

I use a Salifert test kit for nitrate, and I did the API sometimes side-by-side just to compare, I thought they were pretty close. The API color matching is just difficult to get a good read and too open for interpretation (varies with environment light and person to person), in my opinion. But I do agree they are not the best or the most reliable.

I do struggle to keep nitrates low, though. Haven't found a successful method to export nutrients yet...

 

[NS Mike D]

Would suggest nopox!

They recommend 2mls per 25 gallons daily

The vinegar in Vibrant is also a form of carbon dosing (careful not to use both at the same time)

 

[NS Mike D]

I use a Salifert test kit for nitrate, and I did the API sometimes side-by-side just to compare, I thought they were pretty close. The API color matching is just difficult to get a good read and too open for interpretation (varies with environment light and person to person), in my opinion. But I do agree they are not the best or the most reliable.

I do struggle to keep nitrates low, though. Haven't found a successful method to export nutrients yet...

did the NO3/PO4 drop over the 3 weeks using Vibrant. You have a good skimmer and so it should have pulled out more with the Vibrant (carbon dosing). Also, how frequently do you change the filter socks? BRS recommends at least twice a week (otherwise the organics caught in the socks will break down and feed the algae

 

[leepink23]

I had good luck with reef flux, toothbrush and a clean up crew.

 

[NS Mike D]

one more more thing. I didn't see a fuge with macro algae in the sump. I'm a big fan of cheato or a ATS over dosing to bring nutrients into target levels.

 

[1stNoel]

Vibrant worked wonders for my tank.

Now I just use NOPOX to keep things in check, along with Phosphate-E as needed.
Allows me to feed heavy.