Phosphates, bubble algae and hair algae in the reef tank

[TJ Merrells]

Started cycling my tank at new years so tank is about 5 months old.
It's a 55g shallow reef with a 27 gallons sump.

Jebao ow25 for flow, skimmer rated for 120g that's always sucking in fresh air from outside and 2 squarts and 1 marine pure block in the refugium.

Also have 7 fish. 2 clowns, yellow damsel, blue chromis, watchman goby and a pair neon blue cleaner gobies. Fed once a day

I also dose microbacter7 once a week

Everything was doing great and my nutrients were at 5 nitrates, 0.02 phosphates. I decided I needed some type of nutrient export so I got some dragons breath macro for a local reefer.

When I added the macro algae my nitrates and phosphates slipped to 0.
So I proceeded to begin feeding twice a day to raise my nutrients. Frozen in the am and prepared foods in the evening.

After a week of doing that my nitrates are 5 and phosphates 0.01.

The issue is I'm beginning to get hair algae on my sand bed, bubble algae on my rock, and my utter chaos, sunny d, and candy apple red zoas either look very unhappy or are beginning to melt away.

My sunny d and utter chaos colonies are 20+ heads.

What should my plan of attack be?
Any advice is appreciated

Thx

 

[tjohnson3]

Water change, run some chemipure, cut back on feeding for a bit, reduce the lighting schedule, and dose with vibrant. Vibrant will make the bubble algae release and float to the top. Net the bubbles out. If they pop, they’ll release spores into the water column and start a whole new batch

 

[TJ Merrells]

The thing

Water change, run some chemipure, cut back on feeding for a bit, reduce the lighting schedule, and dose with vibrant. Vibrant will make the bubble algae release and float to the top. Net the bubbles out. If they pop, they’ll release spores into the water column and start a whole new batch

The thing is.... My nutrients are still fairly low. Nitrates 5 phosphates 0.01.

If I water change, run carbon etc. They'll dip again which is why my zoas are struggling

 

[Jbell370]

The thing

The thing is.... My nutrients are still fairly low. Nitrates 5 phosphates 0.01.

If I water change, run carbon etc. They'll dip again which is why my zoas are struggling

Nutrients are low is false, the hair algae is consuming them.

 

[TJ Merrells]

So long story short... Nutrients were low... Made the zoas suffer but feeding twice a day raised the nutrients significantly and kick started algae.

My concern is going back to feeding once a day and a water change, my nutrients all go back down to 0 again.
Possibly 2 smaller feedings a day

What should I do about my zoas health? Just wait it out I'm assuming

 

[tjohnson3]

Do you have a sump/fuge?

 

[TJ Merrells]

Do you have a sump/fuge?

Yes

 

[tjohnson3]

Yes

Are you running any macros?

 

[TJ Merrells]

Are you running any macros?

Read my posting. I'm running dragons breath macro

 

[Jekyl]

Your tank is going through the ugly phase. It happens to everyone. Emerald crabs took care of my bubble algae. Remove what GHA you can by hand during water changes. Don't start dosing every product you can find. You'll just end up with more issues. Manage parameters and remove what you can during water changes. They don't sell a time machine in a bottle regardless of what the advertising says.

 

[TJ Merrells]

Your tank is going through the ugly phase. It happens to everyone. Emerald crabs took care of my bubble algae. Remove what GHA you can by hand during water changes. Don't start dosing every product you can find. You'll just end up with more issues. Manage parameters and remove what you can during water changes. They don't sell a time machine in a bottle regardless of what the advertising says.

I'm fine with the algae and working through it. I understand my nutrient levels are bouncing around since I added macro algae. My biggest concern is the health of my zoas

 

[Jekyl]

I'm fine with the algae and working through it. I understand my nutrient levels are bouncing around since I added macro algae. My biggest concern is the health of my zoas

Manual removal will help. The algae is competing with the coral for food. Adding more macro just compounds the issue.

 

[Jekyl]

I had a horrible time with coral my first year due to starting with dry rock and the algae that comes with it. I'll never use dry rock again, but live and learn right?

 

[TJ Merrells]

Manual removal will help. The algae is competing with the coral for food. Adding more macro just compounds the issue.

Maybe I should get rid of the macro algae

 

[Jekyl]

Maybe I should get rid of the macro algae

Your nutrient levels are already really low. I keep phosphate at .5 or so and nitrates around 10. Bottoming out will give you even more issues.

 

[TJ Merrells]

Your nutrient levels are already really low. I keep phosphate at .5 or so and nitrates around 10. Bottoming out will give you even more issues.

Exactly. That's what happened when I added the macro algae and I started feeding more to compensate. So maybe my tank isn't mature enough yet or has the nutrients required to need a macro algae.

I should get rid of the macro algae until my tank matures more and has the nutrients required to employ it

 

[jsker]

Your tank is going through the ugly phase. It happens to everyone. Emerald crabs took care of my bubble algae. Remove what GHA you can by hand during water changes. Don't start dosing every product you can find. You'll just end up with more issues. Manage parameters and remove what you can during water changes. They don't sell a time machine in a bottle regardless of what the advertising says.

I very much agree with this comment.

My I ask what test kit you are using for phosphates testing?

After a week of doing that my nitrates are 5 and phosphates 0.01.

The ideal nutrient parameters are Nitrates should be around a 2 to 5 and phosphates .02 to .04 on the phosphates . Your system being so new your parameter and nutrient are going to be trying to balance out as your system matures.

If and when you add corals you nitrates will come down with the corals feeding off of the nutrients. Feed, Feed is what I was alway told and your nutrients will balance over time.

As far as the bubble algae, the emerald crabs is a great suggestion to add to you clean up crew. I used a sally light foot crab to eat my bubble algae. The draw back with a sally lightfoot crab is that they will eat shrimp if you have them in the system.

Have a great day!!

 

[jsker]

Your nutrient levels are already really low. I keep phosphate at .5 or so and nitrates around 10. Bottoming out will give you even more issues.

Again I agree, I run my water "dirty at around a 10 for nitrates and .05 for phosphate if I can keep them that low.

 

[TJ Merrells]

I very much agree with this comment.

My I ask what test kit you are using for phosphates testing?


The ideal nutrient parameters are Nitrates should be around a 2 to 5 and phosphates .02 to .04 on the phosphates . Your system being so new your parameter and nutrient are going to be trying to balance out as your system matures.

If and when you add corals you nitrates will come down with the corals feeding off of the nutrients. Feed, Feed is what I was alway told and your nutrients will balance over time.

As far as the bubble algae, the emerald crabs is a great suggestion to add to you clean up crew. I used a sally light foot crab to eat my bubble algae. The draw back with a sally lightfoot crab is that they will eat shrimp if you have them in the system.

Have a great day!!

I use red sea test kits for nitrate and phosphate.

 

[TJ Merrells]

Appreciate the replies everyone.
I think I'm going to remove whatever algae I can manually, do a water change, and go without the macro algae in my system for now. I don't think my system has the nutrients available yet to support the macro algae without it stripping my nutrients and then I over feed to compensate

Thx