Tank has been up for over a year and still struggling with poor coral health and extreme algae growth

[Dav2996]

Hair, bubble, it is just what got the foothold first. I see a lot of dry rock tanks in this state. I am an ocean live rock believer now. Bring on the hitchhikers!

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I pray you do not get aptasia or hydroids. That is a mean battle.

 

[jabberwock]

I pray you do not get aptasia or hydroids. That is a mean battle.

TBS observes their rock and does a good job at removing unwanted hitchers. I am observing it myself for 2 more months before sand goes in. So far I have removed a small polyclad flatworm, 4 whelks, 3 tiny tiny crabs, and I still have one small crab I am trying to catch.

On the up side I have a purple spined urchin, 6 limpets, various sponges, coralline and several types of macro algae. I don't think I will ever do dry rock again.

 

[elysics]

I pray you do not get aptasia or hydroids. That is a mean battle.

Aiptasia are normal, if you keep buying coral, your tank WILL get infected eventually. You just need the proper counter measures that eat them, just like with algae.

You could spend hundreds or thousands and endless hours to try to keep your tank sterile and eventually fail, or just buy a few shrimp or fish that fit your tank, at first sight of them or even before

Colonial hydroids suck though, you are right

 

[Tamberav]

I pray you do not get aptasia or hydroids. That is a mean battle.

Nano's have always been easily managed imo... you can just reach in and take the rock out. Hydoids were annoying because they seem so anchored to the rock... I took bone cutters and carved/chopped them out. Aiptasia is easy with manually killing them (in a small tank).

Bubble algae I beat with manual removal in a nano as well.

The biggest oops in a nano is ignoring the problem so now you have way more work across 20 lbs of rock or whatever then if you just killed that aiptasia or bubble algae as soon as you saw it.

Now obviously someone with 300g full of rock and tons of fish can't just grab a 5g bucket and go over their handful of rocks removing pests.

Large tanks have things like butterflies and foxfaces which are quite helpful.

I personally find dino to be a lot more annoying then any of the above pests.

 

[Thanos]

So after reading everything, I think my current plan is going to be to buy 2 female emerald crabs from my LFS, change the filter pad weekly instead of monthly, and try to manually remove as much bubble algae as possible to free up phosphates for the coral, all while consistently testing phosphates to see how it's going. In the event that I just can't keep up with the bubble algae no matter what I do I'll probably run GFO.

 

[Double monti 61]

You can remove bubble algae using a stiff 1/4 inch tube like the ones that come with the RO-DI units I cut a 45 degree angle on the side of the tube that helps when scraping them off of the rock,glass,power heads,heaters or anywhere they grow I usually remove them and other algae during water changes when needed.

 

[jabberwock]

So after reading everything, I think my current plan is going to be to buy 2 female emerald crabs from my LFS, change the filter pad weekly instead of monthly, and try to manually remove as much bubble algae as possible to free up phosphates for the coral, all while consistently testing phosphates to see how it's going. In the event that I just can't keep up with the bubble algae no matter what I do I'll probably run GFO.

Sounds like a plan. Do you know how to sex a crab? Let us know how it goes.

 

[Dan_P]

I'm really just not too sure what's causing this, so I'll just provide as much information as I can. It's a 65 gallon softy-dominated tank. In total I have 2 species of Xenia, a zoa colony, a toadstool polyp, 2 GSP's, a ricordea, a branching hammer, and a leptastrea. While some of the corals have shown good growth, lately they just haven't been looking too good and there's been almost no growth in the last few months. Even the xenia's no longer pulse and they're drooping over horribly. In addition, I've been having ridiculous algae problems. Flow in the tank is strong, with 2 Nero 3's on each end on a random anti-sync. 10 gallon water changes are done weekly using instant ocean and RODI water. Lighting is provided by a reefbreeder's photon v2, and while I don't have a par meter, comparing my tank to BRS's tests I'd guess par is around 200 in the top of the tank and around 100 at the bottom (Spectrum matches their recommended spectrum but with a little bit less white). For filtration, I have a sump where the water goes through a felt filter-pad that's changed monthly, bioball media, a filter sponge, and a bubble magus protein skimmer that's cleaned weekly.

As for parameters:

Temperature: 78-79, read with a digital in-tank thermometer
Salinity: 1.025, read with a standard salinometer
Alk: ~9, read with a hannah checker
Calcium: 420-450 ppm, read with a red sea test kit
Magnesium: ~1600 ppm, read with a red sea test kit
PH: 8.2, read with an API saltwater test kit
Ammonia: 0, read with an API saltwater test kit
Nitrate: <5, read with an API saltwater test kit
Phosphate: 0.00 ppm, read with the ULR hannah checker

The only additive I dose into the tank is the BRS soda ash mix to maintain alkalinity and PH. The fish are fed once daily using a mixture of flakes and mysis shrimp, and corals are target fed about once a week with reef roids.

How are dealing with algae growth? Scraping it off? Snails?

 

[Thanos]

Sounds like a plan. Do you know how to sex a crab? Let us know how it goes.

Yeah males have a lighthouse shape on their undersides while females don't

 

[Tamberav]

So after reading everything, I think my current plan is going to be to buy 2 female emerald crabs from my LFS, change the filter pad weekly instead of monthly, and try to manually remove as much bubble algae as possible to free up phosphates for the coral, all while consistently testing phosphates to see how it's going. In the event that I just can't keep up with the bubble algae no matter what I do I'll probably run GFO.

I did this in a 20g successfully. I got tweezers and manually removed it. I also picked out female emerald crabs. I had some new bubble algae pop up but I just removed those also.

I won as it eventually never returned.. and what was a big operation in the beginning with a lot to remove... it got down to 1-2 bubbles here or there that would show up and eventually none.

There is no reason you can not be your own clean up crew for stuff like this in a nano.

 

[Dav2996]

So after reading everything, I think my current plan is going to be to buy 2 female emerald crabs from my LFS, change the filter pad weekly instead of monthly, and try to manually remove as much bubble algae as possible to free up phosphates for the coral, all while consistently testing phosphates to see how it's going. In the event that I just can't keep up with the bubble algae no matter what I do I'll probably run GFO.

I have had emerald crabs my zoanthids gsp and killed crabs. Be careful I do love looking at those little guys.

 

[Dav2996]

Yeah males have a lighthouse shape on their undersides while females don't

Eat”

 

[Thanos]

I have had emerald crabs my zoanthids gsp and killed crabs. Be careful I do love looking at those little guys.

I've heard from numerous sources that females are much less likely to turn to coral vs males, if things go south I can always take them back to the LFS but rn there's an insane amount of bubble algae in the tank so there's plenty to eat

 

[ninjamyst]

Manual removal is your best bet. Scrub everything clean. Use H2O2 mixture if you have to. Once rocks are cleaned, get a decent cuc and some pods. Test nutrients daily and adjust your feeding accordingly. Don't try to drop nutrients too fast either. It will shock your corals. Slow and steady win the race here.

If all else fails, use reef flux for GHA and get a foxface for bubble algae.

 

[Lps_lover12]

I blow the bubble algae with turkey baster my skimmer eats it up. Nom nom nom. Also got UV sterilizer so harder for it to reproduce. Less nitrate phosphate harder for an algae to replace another algae you dislike. This hobby for me for a whole year was beating one algae for another algae to win no more.

I’m guessing you have to find the right amount of pressure to use so you don’t pop it but it blows off? I’m dealing with bubble algae and am Leary of getting an emerald crab and don’t do much water changes (have to dose nitrates and phos so water changes would work against it) but I really like the sound of doing this and making the filter sock and skimmer get it

 

[Lps_lover12]

Manual removal is your best bet. Scrub everything clean. Use H2O2 mixture if you have to. Once rocks are cleaned, get a decent cuc and some pods. Test nutrients daily and adjust your feeding accordingly. Don't try to drop nutrients too fast either. It will shock your corals. Slow and steady win the race here.

If all else fails, use reef flux for GHA and get a foxface for bubble algae.

I wish my foxface would eat bubble algae, I keep reading everywhere they love it but mine keeps to the complete opposite end of the tank, so frustrating!

 

[lwien01]

I'm really just not too sure what's causing this, so I'll just provide as much information as I can. It's a 65 gallon softy-dominated tank. In total I have 2 species of Xenia, a zoa colony, a toadstool polyp, 2 GSP's, a ricordea, a branching hammer, and a leptastrea. While some of the corals have shown good growth, lately they just haven't been looking too good and there's been almost no growth in the last few months. Even the xenia's no longer pulse and they're drooping over horribly. In addition, I've been having ridiculous algae problems. Flow in the tank is strong, with 2 Nero 3's on each end on a random anti-sync. 10 gallon water changes are done weekly using instant ocean and RODI water. Lighting is provided by a reefbreeder's photon v2, and while I don't have a par meter, comparing my tank to BRS's tests I'd guess par is around 200 in the top of the tank and around 100 at the bottom (Spectrum matches their recommended spectrum but with a little bit less white). For filtration, I have a sump where the water goes through a felt filter-pad that's changed monthly, bioball media, a filter sponge, and a bubble magus protein skimmer that's cleaned weekly.

As for parameters:

Temperature: 78-79, read with a digital in-tank thermometer
Salinity: 1.025, read with a standard salinometer
Alk: ~9, read with a hannah checker
Calcium: 420-450 ppm, read with a red sea test kit
Magnesium: ~1600 ppm, read with a red sea test kit
PH: 8.2, read with an API saltwater test kit
Ammonia: 0, read with an API saltwater test kit
Nitrate: <5, read with an API saltwater test kit
Phosphate: 0.00 ppm, read with the ULR hannah checker

The only additive I dose into the tank is the BRS soda ash mix to maintain alkalinity and PH. The fish are fed once daily using a mixture of flakes and mysis shrimp, and corals are target fed about once a week with reef roids.

Your nitrates are too low bump them up to
10/15 ppm. Kalwssser doser helps esv products

 

[Dav2996]

I’m guessing you have to find the right amount of pressure to use so you don’t pop it but it blows off? I’m dealing with bubble algae and am Leary of getting an emerald crab and don’t do much water changes (have to dose nitrates and phos so water changes would work against it) but I really like the sound of doing this and making the filter sock and skimmer get it

Bubble algae is like green hair algae they both need nitrate and phosphate to grow. Skimmers remove skimmate. Skimmate forms into nitrates and phosphates. Your leaving less food for algae to grow.

 

[Dav2996]

I wish my foxface would eat bubble algae, I keep reading everywhere they love it but mine keeps to the complete opposite end of the tank, so frustrating!

Corals eat your fish poop. As long your fish in there they are fine.

 

[Roatan Reef]

1. Water Changes, Water Changes, Water Changes...at least 10%week.

2. During this phase, Scrub algae off of Rocks.

3. Buy a good piece of live rock from somewhere like Tampa Bay Saltwater...get a decent sized rock with a cup coral on it.

4.Clean whatever your filter situation is weekly with said water Changes.

5. Understand, a lot of LPS and softies love a higher nutrient Tank.

6. Is your lighting adequate?

7. What is your flow situation?

8. CuC crew...what do you have? Add Nassarius Snails, Mexican Turbo Snails, and a few Emerald Crabs.

9. Profit!

I went through a lot of crap with my 40G Breeder...but after 8 months...tank is amazing, and this is my formula.

I dose every 2 days Red Sea Trace Colors, and Seachem Reef Complete for Calcium.

Since doing so, Tank has aken off!!