Algae, ammonia, phosphates in fallow tank (halp!)

[dcc]

Hi! I'm lost, must request advice. My tank is 6 weeks into a 9 week fallow period. Numbers have been good, though I've been having an issue with algae. About a month ago I started using Purigen in my skimmer to help get phospates down to 0 (was .25 consistently), which I did start to see a difference for a while. Suddenly I'm blooming again, ammonia and Ph are heading up. Honestly I just don't get it.

• Tank size - 75g
• Tank age - 5.5 months
• Lighting - Orbit marine LED
• pH - 8.3
• Temperature - 79
• Ammonia - .25
• Nitrate - 0
• Nitrite - 0
• Phosphate - .25
• Calcium - 440
• Alkalinity - 8

4 small corals, a gBTA, small CUC (2 peppermint shrimp, 2 nassarius, 1 turbo, 5 small hermits, 1 emerald crab). I feed the nem and corals a cube of mysis once a week.
10%> water changes every 7 - 10 days. Frogspawn was browning and nem was looking faded so about two weeks ago I started running the lights higher and longer, which I'm assuming has contributed to the algae bloom. I am noticing the frogspawn starting to green a bit more now, however. There are small pockets of hair algae but its the short, brown, thick buzzcut-looking algae that's running rampant. Would love some advice as I've seem to hit a roadblock with my self-education. Thank you!

http://i.imgur.com/Hzvnxo4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1huFCHv.jpg

 

[Kristin1234]

Are you using tap water or ro water for top off?
Rinsing the frozen food? The frozen has a lot of phosphates so its good to rinse it in a net before putting in the tank.
The lights def didn't help with your algae issue.

 

[lmforbis]

You have ammonia. Ammonia is a fertilizer. You probably have nitrates they are just being taken up by the algae. The same is probably true of your phosphate. It is probably higher than .25 except the algae is using some of it. You might try increasing the volume of water you change, to 20% instead of 10.
Additionally it is a new tank. They go through cycles of algae. It is part of process. Patience is needed for salt water. If you have a sump you could set up a refugium. If not there are hang on fuges that you can grow macro algae in.

 

[geridoc]

Something died - that is where the ammonia is coming from. You could do water changes, as Imforbis suggested, or you could add macroalgae to your system, ither in the sump or by making a chamber in your display. the macroalgae will outcompete the hair algae for ammonia, nitrate and phosphate, and the tank will settle down.

 

[dcc]

Are you using tap water or ro water for top off?
Rinsing the frozen food? The frozen has a lot of phosphates so its good to rinse it in a net before putting in the tank.
The lights def didn't help with your algae issue.

Mostly glass lids so we don't get a lot of evaporation. By the time it's low it's time for a water change. I do have a lot of agitation on the surface as well. After some back and forth on another sub I've suspended feeding the nem and corals until we're done with the fallow period. Also cut back on the white lights. Water is premixed RO from LFS. Honestly it's looking much better due to a couple fresh turbo snails. Due to take new numbers tonight and see how things are going. Thank you!

 

[dcc]

You have ammonia. Ammonia is a fertilizer. You probably have nitrates they are just being taken up by the algae. The same is probably true of your phosphate. It is probably higher than .25 except the algae is using some of it. You might try increasing the volume of water you change, to 20% instead of 10.
Additionally it is a new tank. They go through cycles of algae. It is part of process. Patience is needed for salt water. If you have a sump you could set up a refugium. If not there are hang on fuges that you can grow macro algae in.

Thanks! Another test after the initial suggests it may have been a false reading but I'll be testing again to see where we stand. I agree we could up the water change volume and probably be much better off for it. And you're right, it's a new tank and patience is HARD! Lol. I did have a comment on another sub that they also had the short, brown buzz cut algae on what started as dry rock, which is where the majority of the issue is. At least for now a couple of new turbo snails have made a huge impact.

 

[dcc]

Something died - that is where the ammonia is coming from. You could do water changes, as Imforbis suggested, or you could add macroalgae to your system, ither in the sump or by making a chamber in your display. the macroalgae will outcompete the hair algae for ammonia, nitrate and phosphate, and the tank will settle down.

This is possible, as I seem to be a hermit or two short. Hoping I can talk SO into some lovely decorative macro algae once the fish are reintroduced.

 

[flower]

Hi,

By the time it's low you do a water change???? First, you shouldn't have a glass top on a SW tank, it messes with gas exchange. Saltwater has less oxygen then fresh, remove the lid, a power head aimed at the top to churn the water up and get the oxygen flowing should help your critters survive. Next, you should be topping off your tanks water when the level drops, with fresh RO (reverse osmosis) water. The water evaporates but the salt remains the same, by keeping the same level of water, you keep the SG stable.

A GFO reactor will keep phosphates down. Two little fishes makes a nice one, Bulk reef supply does too. Macroalgae is the cheapest and most natural method, but if you are going for a reef, decorative macro kept in the display have to be kept pruned and sometimes even then, or it overtakes the tank and causes problems covering the coral.

For decorative macroalgae try this place... Golf Coast Ecosystems.