Bleaching and algae

In2deep

In2deep

AC Members
Jan 30, 2007
28
0
0
Highland, CA (Moved on up to the east side)
Hey guys,
THis is my second post here. The first post I have started since my introduction.

I have had my tank going for a few years. About a year ago I had a large algae bloom and I can not get things back to normal. I have changed my lights, I now have 2 coralife 50/50 96 watts over a 40 gallon breeder.

Once I noticed the algae was out of control a year ago I got tougher on the water changes. I get my R/O water from a Fish store and I am pretty sure it is OK. My water tests good. No phos, Nitrate or Nitrite.

Is it possible that everything else is perfect but a lack of circualtion is causing the algae to go wild? Right now I have my sump return on one side and a small powerhead on the other side.

Also it seems that the rocks that are closest to the lights are bleaching and no new coraline is growing on them My glass gets coraline but not the rocks. Could I have too much light? or the water too hot near the surface from the lights?

Other than the bleaching of the rock and algae my fish are happy as can be and My 2 corals are fine. My branching Hammer coral has grown to some where in the neighborhood of 25 heads. and my pulsing Xenia is spreading. :huh:
 
Algae; my favorite subject.

Zero phosphate, zero nitrate, algae everywhere.

There are two possible explanations for this. Either the nutrients are being stripped out of the water as fast as they enter, or there is a measureable amount of phosphate and nitrate in the water column and the test kit you are using does not have sufficient resolution to detect it.

I'm betting it's the first one.

Here's my guess (picture Johnny Carson with an index card pressed against his head); a build-up of detritus over time has provided the nutrients needed to fuel your perpetual algal bloom.

The decaying waste has also released enough acidic byproducts to lower your PH a just a tad (down to 8.1, or 8.0) and your coraline algae is now losing the battle against the bad stuff.

If I were you (and I have been you, several times), I would carefully vacuum out all of the nooks and crannies of the reef. Use a small handheld powerhead to blow in between the rocks and hard-to-get-at places.

I would install a pass through (or canister) filter loaded with phosphate remover, and then vacuum out every last strand of unwanted algae as soon as I saw it.

Secondary to this would be the issue of a clean-up crew, herbivorous fish, and water flow. Try to eliminate eddies where waste can collect, or at least create the eddies where you can easily remove the waste. I try to establish my water flow so that waste is in one of two places; suspended in the current, or on its way over the overflow towards the skimmer.

I really hope some of this helps. As I said, I have been where you are as has almost everyone on this board.

It would also be helpful to know what your alkalinity and calcium levels are, as well as your PH. Any chance you would post that for us?

Paul
 
johansonp said:
Algae; my favorite subject.

Zero phosphate, zero nitrate, algae everywhere.

There are two possible explanations for this. Either the nutrients are being stripped out of the water as fast as they enter, or there is a measureable amount of phosphate and nitrate in the water column and the test kit you are using does not have sufficient resolution to detect it.

I'm betting it's the first one.

Here's my guess (picture Johnny Carson with an index card pressed against his head); a build-up of detritus over time has provided the nutrients needed to fuel your perpetual algal bloom.

The decaying waste has also released enough acidic byproducts to lower your PH a just a tad (down to 8.1, or 8.0) and your coraline algae is now losing the battle against the bad stuff.

If I were you (and I have been you, several times), I would carefully vacuum out all of the nooks and crannies of the reef. Use a small handheld powerhead to blow in between the rocks and hard-to-get-at places.

I would install a pass through (or canister) filter loaded with phosphate remover, and then vacuum out every last strand of unwanted algae as soon as I saw it.

Secondary to this would be the issue of a clean-up crew, herbivorous fish, and water flow. Try to eliminate eddies where waste can collect, or at least create the eddies where you can easily remove the waste. I try to establish my water flow so that waste is in one of two places; suspended in the current, or on its way over the overflow towards the skimmer.

I really hope some of this helps. As I said, I have been where you are as has almost everyone on this board.

It would also be helpful to know what your alkalinity and calcium levels are, as well as your PH. Any chance you would post that for us?

Paul
Click to expand...
some good stuff there. can u post ur water parameters for us?
 
Here's a couple more suggestions as well. You changed your lights. Perhaps your light cycle is too long. You can always try backing off on the lights.

Also if you have a wet / dry filter or an overflow area make sure that you don't have detritus building up at the bottom. It would look like sludge.

What is the temp?

Lastly, what substrate are you using? If its crushed coral you potentially have an issue there as well with it holding nutrients.

I had the same issue. I found that my coralline doesn't like the bright areas up top. It grows where the light hits it less. I also found that backing off of the lights and really deep cleaning the tank caused my algae blooms to go away.

Mike
 
Guys first off, I do appreciate the info. I do read a lot of the posts here and several other articles on the web. I know the algae thing gets more than its share of attention. When I thought I had done all of the things I had read to do I thought I would post a question here.

I am using a Coral life skimmer for a 75? gallon tank. It seems to work ok.

For a while I was using a test kit that had powders you pour into the little plastic vials. When that became a pain and the kit was done one of the local fish guys reccomended a dip strip type thing. The dip strips seemed ok but as you mentioned they are probably not very accurate. I have recently purchased an API Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit. This kit uses drops and tests calcium, alk, nitrate and phoshates.

My tests tonight show the same results although my salinity was low and my alk was 11dkh

I have been adding Seachem 8.3 Ph buffer to keep the PH up but the dip strip is the only way I have to measure Ph. I need to get a better way to measure PH

Temp = 78/79

I think really cleaning things out and keeping the Ph up may be the ticket although I think my circulation needs help.

I did order the Scwm(?) wavemaker and I will possibly be trying to make a closed loop in the future.

I will try to post pictures of the tank.
 
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