Please help with algae issue.

[lpsouth1978]

Hello everyone. We are having an issue with some strange algae, and we need your help to get rid of it.

A few weeks ago we noticed that a number of our corals has red bugs, some had HUGE numbers of them. We treated the tank with Interceptor (twice) and the red bugs are GONE!. Unfortunately, shortly after the first treatment we started noticing an increase in algae growth.

The problem is that this stuff gets EVERYWHER. It started growing in a few places on the sand, but soon started to grow at an alarming rate on the glass. It is very stringy and some strands have reached more than 20". When it breaks off, it gets caught in the current and gets hung up on corals. It just makes everything look like ****.

We know this is not cyano, as it does not grow in mats, just long stringy algae. I checked parameters this morning and this is what I got.

Temp - 77 (Ranco temp controller)
pH - 8.1 (Milwaukee pH controller)
SG - 1.026 (calibrated refractometer)
Ammonia - 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - Undetectable
PO4 - .0337 (Hanna Ultra Low Range Phosphorus)
Calcium - 470 (Nyos)
Alk - 8.9 (LaMotte)
Magnesium - 1350 (Nyos)

Here are some pictures taken this morning. Hopefully you can help figure out what is causing the algae, and help us rid the tank of it. I appreciate all the help you can give!

[lpsouth1978]

No thoughts? Is this just because of the Interceptor decimating my pod/bacterial populations? Will it correct itself, should I do a lights out period? I just need some opinions.

[Sapelo]

Yeah my initial guess was the same as yours: interceptor wiped out the good stuff too.
It does seem odd that you dont have a parameter spike somewhere since the algae has to be feeding off of something...
are you running gfo? That might be worth a shot...

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by Sapelo

Yeah my initial guess was the same as yours: interceptor wiped out the good stuff too.
It does seem odd that you dont have a parameter spike somewhere since the algae has to be feeding off of something...
are you running gfo? That might be worth a shot...

No GFO currently, We were using it, but took it offline because it lowered PO4 so much that we were starving corals. I am thinking about getting some microbacter and adding it to the tank, maybe it will help renew our bacterial colonies. I will also have to get some new chaeto from a clean tank to reintroduce pods to the tank.

[Rcook9]

Looks like dinoflagulattes to me.

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[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by Rcook9

Looks like dinoflagulattes to me.

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Thanks for that thought. However, I don't think it is dino's. The only thing it has in common is that it is stringy. It seems to be harmless to the snails, is not growing fast, and does not grow on the rocks (mostly just on the glass).

I think it is just a part of a mini cycle caused by the Interceptor treatment. I think I will just wait it out for a while and see how it progresses. I think it will right itself on its own, I just have to be patient.

[Sk8r]

Could be a nutrient over-charge with a bacterial sheet that's catching detritus...ie, a multiple-event type thing. Bacterial stuff usually solves itself as it runs out of food.

[Rcook9]

Originally Posted by lpsouth1978

Thanks for that thought. However, I don't think it is dino's. The only thing it has in common is that it is stringy. It seems to be harmless to the snails, is not growing fast, and does not grow on the rocks (mostly just on the glass).

I think it is just a part of a mini cycle caused by the Interceptor treatment. I think I will just wait it out for a while and see how it progresses. I think it will right itself on its own, I just have to be patient.

I had what looked similar to exactly like this in my tank. I just guessed it was Dino and blacked the tank out for 3 days and it all disappeared. I'm following along to see if anyone else has any thoughts because I had the same issue as you described.

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[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Could be a nutrient over-charge with a bacterial sheet that's catching detritus...ie, a multiple-event type thing. Bacterial stuff usually solves itself as it runs out of food.

This is really what I am hoping, and suspect. It already seems to be slowing down a bit.

Originally Posted by Rcook9

I had what looked similar to exactly like this in my tank. I just guessed it was Dino and blacked the tank out for 3 days and it all disappeared. I'm following along to see if anyone else has any thoughts because I had the same issue as you described.

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I may have to give it a few days with lights out and see what happens. If I do, I will not be going total blackout, just not turning on the LED's. There will still be ambient light from the room.