Help Please! Algae killing my tank!

Augustus · 01/16/2012, 04:58 PM

Hello All,

Been lurking for a while and was planning a build thread as my first post but this crazy algae outbreak took the wind out of my sails.

This is my first endevaor into saltwater and my setup is a 28 gallon Nano Cube PC, a cheap air pump protien skimmer, I left the basket on the back with the carbon which I have replaced about once a month. I have about 40lbs of live rock in the front and about a pound and a half of rubble rock in the back with chaeto.

For the first two months everything was great. I Had some minor algae issues but all in all it came and went, the excess was taken care of by my CUC and everything seemed to be happy.

I had purchased a few corals that were near death and nursed them back to health. I had an abundance of coraline growing about 2 months in. I lost nothing up until last night. That is when I lost my pom pom crab, my favorite critter in my tank and that is where I put my foot down.

All my parameters are good. I do 20% water changes weekly. And I just can't seem to get rid of the stuff and it's affecting everything in the tank including my corals! They barely open any more and when they do it seems only briefly.

I'm assuming there is a nutrient issue and I've cut back on feeding to a small amount every other day. I only have a dragonette and two clowns with the CUC which includes various hermits and several different types of snails. Please help me out! Thanks

Two months in:

Three Months One Week:

Zoas and Rock:

Unhappy Gorg:

Staghorn Wearing a Ghillie Suit:

sandwi54 · 01/16/2012, 05:05 PM

Are you using RODI water?

Saltydrip · 01/16/2012, 05:46 PM

Hell that's nothing.
Go get another 10 turbo snails. Take some time off your lighting every other day or unhook one of your bulbs (they have acational cloudy days in the tropics), run some fresh GFO and start regular RO/DI water changes.

I put myself in a bug jam. I was doing water changes with 2.5gal bottled water. As it turned out although it was RODI filtered they add minerals and such to it to add flavor. Scoffing to my LFS that's the rout of my problem. Make sure if your using bottled water it's the cheep stuff because they just filter it and leave it alone. Make sure it says "filtered by reverse osmosis and dionization" and it does not say "minerals added for flavor".

Saltydrip · 01/16/2012, 05:51 PM

Stupid spell check!!

1. big problem, not bug problem
2. According to my LFS, not scoffing. I have no idea how it made that jump!! Lol

TjwBlake · 01/16/2012, 06:07 PM

Also, you said your parameters are good. but you need to list them all before anyone will be able to help you, good may not be good

Augustus · 01/16/2012, 06:14 PM

Forgot to mention water. I'm using distilled from the lcoal grocery store at the moment.

My LFS did bring up the water and actually recommended spring water over distilled which I had a hard time undertanding how that would be better. I guess the way I look at it is if it was the water why did it have issues after two months and not the whole time its been up and running?

Not trying to be argumentative but trying to understand the mechanics of what is causing this better.

Thanks!

Augustus · 01/16/2012, 06:20 PM

NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
Phosphates - 0
SG - 1.026
PH - Honestly I foget but it was in range last time I checked. Will test again to make sure.
Temp - ~80F

Thanks again!

heckfire · 01/16/2012, 06:33 PM

your 'problem' is small, you gotta use phosban or a micro fuge, the tank looks healthy

Augustus · 01/16/2012, 07:44 PM

Hi Heckfire, by microfuge do you mean a seperate like 5 or 10 gallon tank for a refugium? And regarding the phosban can you give me a brief explanation of what it is and what it will do for the tank?

While I understand that you guys think its not that big a problem. To me seeing my once bright and happy corals covered in slime and never opening up and my pom pom slowy losing both his nems then dying is a problem

I know it could be worse but I'd really like to get this fixed, both to educate myself and hopefully prevent something else from kicking the bucket! That said I do appreciate all your input!

Saltydrip · 01/16/2012, 08:33 PM

Sorry to belittle your problem. It is a big problem but not a difficult one. I think you should take it in stride and just get back on the horse. It sucks when it fails and you loose a life. I would start tomorrow with a water change like I suggested and limit your lighting. Your corrals are already shaded buy the algae so less light isn't going to hurt them as much as it will hurt the algae.

What kind of lighting are you running??

01/16/2012, 04:58 PM	#1
Augustus Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 73	Help Please! Algae killing my tank! Hello All, Been lurking for a while and was planning a build thread as my first post but this crazy algae outbreak took the wind out of my sails. This is my first endevaor into saltwater and my setup is a 28 gallon Nano Cube PC, a cheap air pump protien skimmer, I left the basket on the back with the carbon which I have replaced about once a month. I have about 40lbs of live rock in the front and about a pound and a half of rubble rock in the back with chaeto. For the first two months everything was great. I Had some minor algae issues but all in all it came and went, the excess was taken care of by my CUC and everything seemed to be happy. I had purchased a few corals that were near death and nursed them back to health. I had an abundance of coraline growing about 2 months in. I lost nothing up until last night. That is when I lost my pom pom crab, my favorite critter in my tank and that is where I put my foot down. All my parameters are good. I do 20% water changes weekly. And I just can't seem to get rid of the stuff and it's affecting everything in the tank including my corals! They barely open any more and when they do it seems only briefly. I'm assuming there is a nutrient issue and I've cut back on feeding to a small amount every other day. I only have a dragonette and two clowns with the CUC which includes various hermits and several different types of snails. Please help me out! Thanks Two months in: Three Months One Week: Zoas and Rock: Unhappy Gorg: Staghorn Wearing a Ghillie Suit:

01/16/2012, 05:05 PM	#2
sandwi54 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 2,332	Are you using RODI water? __________________ 375g Envision FOWLR + 125g sump 40g Reef Current Tank Info: 375g FOWLR, 40g Reef

01/16/2012, 05:46 PM	#3
Saltydrip Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,826	Hell that's nothing. Go get another 10 turbo snails. Take some time off your lighting every other day or unhook one of your bulbs (they have acational cloudy days in the tropics), run some fresh GFO and start regular RO/DI water changes. I put myself in a bug jam. I was doing water changes with 2.5gal bottled water. As it turned out although it was RODI filtered they add minerals and such to it to add flavor. Scoffing to my LFS that's the rout of my problem. Make sure if your using bottled water it's the cheep stuff because they just filter it and leave it alone. Make sure it says "filtered by reverse osmosis and dionization" and it does not say "minerals added for flavor". __________________ Current tank 48" 75g DT w/ 55g sump/fuge.

01/16/2012, 05:51 PM	#4
Saltydrip Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,826	Stupid spell check!! 1. big problem, not bug problem 2. According to my LFS, not scoffing. I have no idea how it made that jump!! Lol __________________ Current tank 48" 75g DT w/ 55g sump/fuge.

01/16/2012, 06:07 PM	#5
TjwBlake Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Kitchener, ON. Canada Posts: 404	Also, you said your parameters are good. but you need to list them all before anyone will be able to help you, good may not be good __________________ Current tank: JbJ Nanocube 28. 1 Falco Hawk, zoas, cabbage leather, trumpet coral, GSP, mushrooms, CUC Current Tank Info: JbJ Nanocube 28

01/16/2012, 06:14 PM	#6
Augustus Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 73	Forgot to mention water. I'm using distilled from the lcoal grocery store at the moment. My LFS did bring up the water and actually recommended spring water over distilled which I had a hard time undertanding how that would be better. I guess the way I look at it is if it was the water why did it have issues after two months and not the whole time its been up and running? Not trying to be argumentative but trying to understand the mechanics of what is causing this better. Thanks!

01/16/2012, 06:20 PM	#7
Augustus Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 73	NH3 - 0 NO2 - 0 NO3 - 0 Phosphates - 0 SG - 1.026 PH - Honestly I foget but it was in range last time I checked. Will test again to make sure. Temp - ~80F Thanks again!

01/16/2012, 06:33 PM	#8
heckfire Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 331	your 'problem' is small, you gotta use phosban or a micro fuge, the tank looks healthy

01/16/2012, 07:44 PM	#9
Augustus Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 73	Hi Heckfire, by microfuge do you mean a seperate like 5 or 10 gallon tank for a refugium? And regarding the phosban can you give me a brief explanation of what it is and what it will do for the tank? While I understand that you guys think its not that big a problem. To me seeing my once bright and happy corals covered in slime and never opening up and my pom pom slowy losing both his nems then dying is a problem I know it could be worse but I'd really like to get this fixed, both to educate myself and hopefully prevent something else from kicking the bucket! That said I do appreciate all your input!

01/16/2012, 08:33 PM	#10
Saltydrip Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,826	Sorry to belittle your problem. It is a big problem but not a difficult one. I think you should take it in stride and just get back on the horse. It sucks when it fails and you loose a life. I would start tomorrow with a water change like I suggested and limit your lighting. Your corrals are already shaded buy the algae so less light isn't going to hurt them as much as it will hurt the algae. What kind of lighting are you running?? __________________ Current tank 48" 75g DT w/ 55g sump/fuge.