Need help, advice, or guidance

reefchi · Mar 24, 2023

Hello All,

My tank is about 7months old and have been dealing with this algae or dinos issue for a few months now. I don't know if this is dinos mix with other things. I'm looking for help on making sure I'm handling things appropriately or if I should be doing something different. My tank is only a 10G gallon so I don't want to start from the beginning unless I have to. This is just an ugly stage that I have to ride out? I just need some help and over come this and not fail.

Tank started with Dry rock and dry sand. I normally do a 1-2gallon water change per week. This issue issue all started when I was away for a week and didn't have anyone to feed my tank. Since then I been having these issue. I assume my Nitrates or Phosphate got to zero. Since then I been feed more and my No3 and Po4 have been up.

As of today: (since Po4 were lower than last week I didn't do a water change this week)
No3: 10.5 ppm
Po4: 0.04 ppm

As of Last week:
No3: 16.2 ppm
Po4: 0.14 ppm

Things I been doing to fight this

I purchased a Coralife Biocube Ultraviolet Sterilizer Mini, 5 Watt UV Lamp and have it now connect to a water pump of 105 gph. This is running now in my display tank running only at night. I turn it off in the morning with I feed and dose phyto, and MB7

I feed twice a day or 3 times a day

I dose phyto every morning when I feed the fish

I dose MB7 1ml in the morning

From my LFS I got a media ball that has been running in their system for years (just added this today)

I started dosing H202 at night 1ml since this past Tuesday (plan on doing this until next Tuesday)

I lowered my lights and will shorten the amount of time they are on

brandon429 · Mar 24, 2023

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

if you specifically run what is in the thread across multiple tanks, you get the same outcome after pics they posted. it will take a little study, but each job is the same, the type of invasion you have doesn't matter. your parameters, what a test kit says, doesn't matter.

you discern all that stuff in the clean/uninvaded condition. owning an invaded nano is merely a choice, you can choose to uninvade it by 8 pm tonite we show, if you can score ten gallons of new water for the 100% water change we did.

what you do is always maintain the uninvaded condition, as you search for preventative means that work. currently, you're allowing the invaded condition, while searching for preventatives that may work. we'd reverse that, for your tank's benefit.

if you are wondering how the tanks turned out in that thread, send them a message to see in chat. they'll update you. lots of prevention options are discussed. your lighting is way too strong, for starters. you'd have far less intense lighting on the post rip-clean tank. your corals would grow in half that power level and it would start to suppress growback. you don't want to take any measure that would kill that current mass and allow it to rot in the tank, the temptation to remain hands-off isn't the right path.

hard work/clean condition/then do whatever you want is the right path and always fall back on forcing the compliant clean condition in any nano reef. simply do not allow that condition to exist because you can cause that compliance as soon as it's willed into the tank.

Lemons · Mar 24, 2023

Imo I’d cut back the portions or only feed once a day! Clowns are just saltwater puppies with feed me eyes lol.

all in all your tank looks pretty good still! It can take up to a year for a tank to catch its stride. Do you have any pods in your tank? Like little critters scootin about? They can be a massive help with achieving reef tank homeostasis!

reefchi · Mar 24, 2023

I did pour a 12oz bottle of pods last month and that's why I dose phyto ever morning even though I see them lol

reefchi · Mar 24, 2023

This is what I currently have my lights going at

Lemons · Mar 24, 2023

reefchi said:
I did pour a 12oz bottle of pods last month and that's why I dose phyto ever morning even though I see them lol

Do or don’t see them? Your clown may have had a hay day lol. PS dosing peroxide sometimes tanks pod concentrations (in my experience)

well you could do a week blackout to try to take control. But like i said in all things considered your tank looks pretty good! Maybe hiring a few more members for your CUC might help ya turn things around!

reefchi · Mar 24, 2023

I don't see any pods anywhere. The clowns did go crazy when I poured them. I was hoping some made it to the rocks. I also poured some of them in my back chamber where I have some media.

Really I'm surprised its not considered bad lol In my eyes it looks horrible, but you're right it can be worse. I added a emerald crab since I noticed a little bubble algae.

reefchi · Mar 24, 2023

brandon429 said:
Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

if you specifically run what is in the thread across multiple tanks, you get the same outcome after pics they posted. it will take a little study, but each job is the same, the type of invasion you have doesn't matter. your parameters, what a test kit says, doesn't matter.

you discern all that stuff in the clean/uninvaded condition. owning an invaded nano is merely a choice, you can choose to uninvade it by 8 pm tonite we show, if you can score ten gallons of new water for the 100% water change we did.

what you do is always maintain the uninvaded condition, as you search for preventative means that work. currently, you're allowing the invaded condition, while searching for preventatives that may work. we'd reverse that, for your tank's benefit.

if you are wondering how the tanks turned out in that thread, send them a message to see in chat. they'll update you. lots of prevention options are discussed. your lighting is way too strong, for starters. you'd have far less intense lighting on the post rip-clean tank. your corals would grow in half that power level and it would start to suppress growback. you don't want to take any measure that would kill that current mass and allow it to rot in the tank, the temptation to remain hands-off isn't the right path.

hard work/clean condition/then do whatever you want is the right path and always fall back on forcing the compliant clean condition in any nano reef. simply do not allow that condition to exist because you can cause that compliance as soon as it's willed into the tank.

I'll read through the thread. From just reading the first page, is there any con of removing the rock and sand. Then replace it with live rock and live sand? would that cause issue to the fish and corals?