Frustrated and Hopeless (Tank Condition Decline)

[rune]

We started our tank around April of this year (6 months or so.) Tank specs are below. We've had issues with algae (mostly brown) since we started the tank but since we've upgraded the lights we've had a major influx of green algae. The back is covered with such a thick sheet of algae that it won't even scrape off unless you spend a good 20 minutes per area. The last water change I cleaned off as much off the back as I could and completely cleaned the sides and front. Also took an unused and clean toothbrush to the rock to brush the surface.
We do a water change with RO/DI water once a week. Usually about 7 gallons but the last was around half of the full tank volume. We've also noticed that almost half of our snails have died and the other night we noticed a worm in the rocks feeding on one of the dead snails. It looks like a bristle worm but we aren't sure.
The corals are flourishing (better than they looked when we bought them) and we've cut feedings down to about every 3rd day the last 2 weeks. The lights are only on for 12 hours. Water temp is around 80 degrees. Salinity is at 1.024. We had some pretty bad issues about a month ago with our hermits constantly walking all over the corals and they seemed to suffer as a result and so we moved them to the fuge.
We have noticed there are little piles of what looks like small brown pellets everywhere. They are in actual piles. We can't seem to position the powerheads in a way that keeps the water flowing around the rock without creating such a current that the corals arent blowing in the wind.
We need help. The algae on the glass is growing so fast that we cant keep it under control. Our bullet goby seems to be lethargic lately and seems to cower under the rocks more than usual. We havent introduced any new livestock in awhile and no other changes that I can think of. We have had an explosion of small featherdusters with a clear/cloudy crown spring up all over the rock. We also have a big population of pods in the main tank.
Any advice to help us improve the tank would be appreciated. We really aren't sure what to do at this point.
Tank Specifics

[hr]

• 48 (length) x 13 (deep) x 17 (height)
• 55 Gallons
• 85 lbs of live rock
• 40 lbs of live sand
• 4 x Koralia 2 Powerheads
• SeaClone 100 Skimmer (newer version)
• Small Refugium with dual filter sock intake
• IceCap 660 4 bulb VHO Ballast (Currently 2 acintic and 2 super white)
  Livestock (In Tank)
  
  [hr]
  • False Perc
  • False Perc
  • Dragon Goby (Sleeper Banded Goby)
  • Starry Blenny
    1 Skunk Shrimp
    1 Turbo snail
    20 Astrea Snails
    2 Featherduster
    Livestock (In Fuge)
    
    [hr]
    5 Scarlet hermits
    10 small blue legged hermits
  Corals
  
  [hr]
  Small Hammer Coral Cluster
  Small button polyps cluster
  Small sea grape / Frogspawn cluster
  Small Hairy Mushroom
  3 heads of whiskers/duncans coral
  Small Ricordia

 

[yosemite sam]

For starters, you can cut your lighting down, try 8 hours and see if that helps the algae. What are your water parameters (alk, cal, nitrate, PH, etc)?
Can you describe the 'clusters of pellets'? Are they soft or hard?
There is nothing wrong with the corals blowing in the current, as long as the powerheads aren't blowing directly at them.

 

[rotarygeek]

Do you have a test for phosphates? If you do, test it and tell us what it is. It might be a bad membrane in your ro filter (or where ever you get your ro water from) and its letting your phosphate in the tank get higher. Also, maybe try switching brands of salts. Some contain more phosphates than others. Take a full day to completely clean all the algea off the glass, then do a big water change with GOOD ro water. Then add (not sure what kind) the snails that will actually help with algea. I think they are nass. but im not sure. Someone more knowledgeable about that will have to help you. If that doesn't work, i would start dosing some kind of reef safe algea remover.

 

[rotarygeek]

Or you could look up that turf scrubber thread and build a small one in your sump.... That looks pretty promising. Completely gets rid of your phosphates and nitrates. In essense, it keeps the algea, but not in your dt. Since algea is usefull in a way to get rid of the things that it feeds on, it just moves it to where it can be out of sight and lets it do its job.

 

[mr_x]

i don't think snails are the answer. i think the little brown pellets are piles of detrius, that are not being filtered out.
i believe this is a nutrient issue. my first course of action would be to get that stuff on the sand bed out of the tank by siphoning it out during waterchanges, and then upgrading the skimmer.
that detrius must be suspended in the water column long enough for the skimmer to remove it. if you won't increase the flow, increase the skimmers' efficiency.

 

[maxalmon]

I would check for phosphates,

I would toss some chaeto into the sump and run lights counter to the DT

When you can't get rid of algae, then starve it!
possibly switch over to a dedicated reef type salt, like ReefCrystals, TropicMarine PRO, etc.. One of the weird little things I've noticed with this hobby is that when everything else is perfect order, meaning your flow is good, lighting is good, you do water changes, don't overfeed etc...Then change the salt, It's the one area most reefers tend to overlook as being a source of problems, especially if your using IO...
Old bulbs can cause this type of problem.

 

[prime311]

I'd also like to say DONT PANIC! Algae and diatom blooms are common in new tanks. You've only been setup since April. I set my tank up in March and I finally got rid of the last hair algae in my tank a week ago and cyano just a few weeks ago. If problems are especially bad you can leave your lights off for several days without harming your corals. This alone will temporarily kill off some of the algae and cyano(if there is any) and then depending on tank conditions it may or may not come back.