3 questions on new reef tank

[reb]

I have had a nano reef tank set up for 2 years. Two months ago I upgraded it to a 65 gallon. I have 2 Fluval 306 canister filters with inline heaters, an aquamaxx hob skimmer, 4 powerheads on a wave maker, and 2 aqua vega color leds for lighting. The tank is mainly softies with a couple frogspawns, about 75 pounds of rock (from nano tank and lfs), a shallow sand bed (new sand when set up with some from nano tank), and 3 clowns, 2 shrimp, a six line wrasse, and a purple dottyback. I let everything run for about a month then added the fish and corals. I have done (2) 20% water changes (I use Instant Ocean reef crystals for my salt), 1 each month. I feed my fish about every other day rotating between pellets, flakes, and frozen that I rinse. I have a bunch of brown algae growing in spots throughout the tank. It reminds you of almost a slime, but it sort of grows long like a hair algae. My snails eat some of it, but it just keeps coming back. I attached a picture (not very good picture). The algae is on the rock in the front left. I tested my water and my salinity is 1.023, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, 7.8 ph (my second question), 500 for calcium, and alkalinity on the lowest side of normal (my 3rd question).

1) What is the algae, what is it from, and how can I get rid of it?

2) Why is my ph so low and how can I raise it?

3) Why is my alkalinity low and how do I raise it?

 

[snakeblitz33]

I can't get the picture to blow up to full size, like it's a thumbnail image or something. Anyways, long, brown, and stringy always sounds like dinoflagellates to me. Uncertain what really causes this other then the regular things like nitrate and phosphate, a lot of light and a source of carbon dioxide...

Basically, with such a low pH, it tells me that there is more CO2 in the tank, in the form of carbolic acid... plants/macroalgae/nuisance algae love it, combined with water, light and nutrients. Go back through the basics of reefkeeping, basically. Make sure that your top off water is pure - with 0TDS and test it for ammonia as well. When doing water changes, siphon out as much detritus as you can by stiring it up with a turkey baster or small powerhead prior to siphoning or changing the filter floss. Change your filter floss regularly to prevent your water from running through dirt and debris and rotting food. If your top off water checks out, then start decreasing the amount of food that you feed little by little until it goes away after you try everything else. Look for signs in corals if they are starving or not... you know, basic husbandry skills.

Increasing your alkalinity should stabilize your pH. They almost work hand in hand, where alkalinity is the ability to resist the change in pH. Increasing alkalinity, water flow and reducing nutrients/detritus should make your pH rise. Do a little at a time.

If you are cheap like me, you want something that is cheap for an alkalinity supplement. I personally use baking soda - as per the directions from Randy Holmes-Farley's two part directions. I think it's something like 300g of baking soda added to 1g of water. It's easier to dissolve baking soda in warm water then cold. Then there's a reef chemistry calculator that you use online to figure out how many mL or Oz that you need to dose to get it up to where you want it to be.

IF you don't want to take that route, B-Ionic has a great line of chemical supplements that you can look into, and I believe they also have their own set of instructions. When you start dosing anything in your tank, be sure that you have accurate test kits to measure your water before you dose, so you know exactly how much to dose.

If calcium is high and alkalinity is low and pH is affected, you might also want to check to see if your magnesium level is low. It should be in the 1300 - 1350ppm range in order for your calcium and alkalinity to be able to balance properly.


Last of all, if your top off water is pure and your parameters are still out of whack, do a 50% water change and see if that can shock the system back in order and get your chemical balances back in the correct proportions.

 

[reb]

Thank you for all the ideas to look at and try.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I hope it all works out. If I'm wrong and nothing works, let me know and we will give some more stuff a try.

 

[reb]

I hope you can see the pictures I attached. I have done multiple water changes, tested my water and my water change water, cut back feeding which was already cut back, changed all pads and carbon in my Fluvals, got my ph and alkalinity in check with a buffer. The algae starts as a brownish/red color and if you let it grow it grows long and reminds me of hair algae except for the color. I have a few spots here and there on the rock, but a ton always grows on on my 4 powerheads towards the top of the tank, all my inlet strainers for my Fluvals and my hob skimmer, and on one old coral skeleton in the bottom rear of the tank. I even put in an in tank refugium that I just set up. I have taken the powerheads out and scrubbed them and soaked them in scalding hot water and a week later the algae is back.

My only other idea is my light are set wrong. I don't think this would cause it but??? I have the new Vega colors. I tried a few different settings off of links and threads until I found a color range I liked. They turn on at 2:30 pm with a ramp up time of 2 hours, then start turning off at 8:30 pm with a 2 hour ramp down time. I have my colors set at white 44%, red at 15%, green at 20%, blue at 75%, dark blue at 75%, and royal blue at 75%.

All the corals and fish seem to be doing real well, but this is slowly taking over the tank and looks like crap. Any other ideas???

 

[flower]

One little tip: Algae film on the glass is normal...a gadget called a mag-float will help you clean that up, most use it about once a day.

 

[reb]

I have and use an algae magnet. The algae I'm talking about taking over the glass is on the back, and it is clumps of the same algae that is growing on all my power heads.

 

[mr llimpid]

I would also stop feeding flake, this known source of phosphates (you need test for that too) which cause algae growth. There are plenty of good frozen foods two choose from that is better for your fish.

 

[reb]

Just had a friend test my phosphates and they are high. I will be ordering some chemi-pure elite.