Stringy Algae with Bubbles, but high Nitrates?

IndyReef78

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Hi everyone! Our 210-gallon tank has been doing quite well, until this past week. We now have some patches of long stringy brownish-red algae that has bubbles at the tips. I would say maybe it's dinos, but after having a ton of trouble getting our nitrates up from zero, we now have the opposite problem and the nitrates are a bit high. Everything (corals and fish) looks good and seems to be thriving, but what do I do to bring the nitrates down (without bottoming them out again) and get rid of this algae?
 
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IndyReef78

IndyReef78

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Here is a picture of what I'm trying to describe, plus a broader full tank shot. It's really only in about two spots on either end of the tank.
 

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vetteguy53081

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Here is a picture of what I'm trying to describe, plus a broader full tank shot. It's really only in about two spots on either end of the tank.
Many look for zero numbers as dino will consume them. I see a combination of dino and cyano. This below will treat both
No light is first key followed by the addition of bacteria to overcome the bad bacteria allowing them to thrive
Prepare by starting by blowing this stuff loose with a turkey baster and siphon up loose particles. Turn lights off (at least white and run blue at 10% IF you have light dependant corals such as SPS) for 5 days and at night dose 1ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 gallons for all 5 nights which works as an oxidizer. If you dont have light dependent coral- turn all lights off. During the day dose 1ml of liquid bacteria (such as micro bacter 7 or XLM) per 10 gallons. Clean filters daily and DO NOT FEED AMINO OR ADD NOPOX which is food for dinos, however you can feed coral, food which will help no3 and po4 to increase. If increasing nutrients, try to keep no3 to about 5 until you are done battling these cells.
Doing a daily siphoning will help greatly But . . . . . Siphoning will reduce nutrients , so siphon the water into/through a filter sock and save the water and return it back to tank. Obviously clean the filter sock each time.
You can feed fish as normal and if doing blackout, ambient light in room will work for them
 

CHSUB

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Bottoming no3 is a myth in a tank with fed fish. Scrap, blow, brush that stuff and remove with WC. If you have a canister filter siphon it with that. Stop any inorganic dosing and feed lightly. Might take a month or more with weekly WCs.
 

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