Midnight 4 gallon

[jeremycee]

hows the tank doing ? Has the algae been toning down a bit yet? I would recommend maybe tossing a 1/2 unit of chemipure elite or other type of media similar into the fuge. Otherwise it looks pretty good from the last picture you've posted so far!

[Auto Midnight]

hows the tank doing ? Has the algae been toning down a bit yet? I would recommend maybe tossing a 1/2 unit of chemipure elite or other type of media similar into the fuge. Otherwise it looks pretty good from the last picture you've posted so far!

Everything is going well, the bryopsis is under control since scrubbing the rocks and adding a bit of phosgaurd. Although now I have bubble algae starting to pop up. Hoping to keep that in check. I'm still super hesitant to add anything new since losing the Xenia and Neon Goby. I have not added anything new since the last update. The new rock work is way better as far as keeping the glass clean and the coral all seem to like the improved flow.

[Amy]

How is that light? Any issues with it being to strong?

[Auto Midnight]

How is that light? Any issues with it being to strong?

I have no issues with the light. The light is about 10 " from the water. The ric loves it and has shown solid growth and color. The acro is doing great and has really good extension on all the polyps. I am concerned about the stylophora though and just five minutes ago moved it away from the light to see how it responds. As far as it being too strong I couldn't say as I have nothing to compare it to. This is my first tank.

[TheElysia]

It looks like it's coming along alright. I would say the most important thing to do now is keep your water stable. Your corals should survive this as long as the water isn't bouncing around params. About the bubble algae, wait until they get bigger and then pluck them off of the rock - do not "pop" their bubbles.

[Auto Midnight]

 

 

Other thank alk dropping daily the water stays stable. I've read it is pretty normal. Thanks for the tip about popping the bubbles. I'll be carefully if I try to remove any.

[teenyreef]

How's it going? Still working through the new tank syndrome?

[Auto Midnight]

How's it going? Still working through the new tank syndrome?

I'm fighting every type of algae know to ocean kind. However, my corals seem to leave it. The stylo and acro look great, the zoas have grown two new heads and the ricordea has doubled in size. Also a brittle star has started to cruise the tank and one of the feather dusters that came on my live rock has built a tube from sand and is growing. Thanks for asking and I'm in awe of you tanks.

 

[Livewreck]

After re-reading your thread, I thought I'd take a stab at the algae problem. But fist, I just want to say I like the new look. It's clean and dramatic. It should look great when your corals grow out.

 

Your experience with algae is very typical. It's like a mandatory state of pledging that you have to go through before becoming a full member of the fraternity.

 

Algae comes into the tank with just about any new addition you buy from your coral/fish supplier. But your live rock was most likely the main source. Live rock is also source of phosphates, which can leach out of the rock and into the water, so it's good to use a product like Phosgaurd or Phosban, regardless of the fact that your test kit reads zero phosphates. Those kits cannot read very low levels of phosphates. If you use any GFO (granular ferrous oxide - like Phosban) to lower phosphates, use it sparingly and monitor your Alk levels as GFOs can lower the alkalinity quite a bit: something you definitely want to avoid.

 

Nitrates are also great algae food. Your last published water test did not mention Nitrates. Are you still using the canister filter? If so, check the Nitrates as canister filters can become nitrate traps and can release nitrates back into the water. (BTW, I assume you are not using tap water. That's a big no no.)

 

If you do get plagued with bryopsis, you can try using Kent Marine Tech-M (a source of magnesium) to kill off the bryopsis. Not all magnesium supplements work. The Kent Marine Tech-M has some other stuff in it. If you Google Tech-M and Bryopsis you'll get the details on how to use it. It takes weeks to work, but it often does work.

 

I know you've done a lot of reading, but this one is a must read on water chemistry. It's one of the best articles out there: very short and very informative.

 

Hang in there. You're doing great!

[Sunstar]

livewreck, I'm gonna read that as well. I like good info.

[Auto Midnight]

seriously over this algae, it is relentless. I scrub my rocks clean during the weekly water change and by the next week tank is overgrown with bryopsis, gha, bubble algae and brown hair algae. I am completely at a loss. I have stopped feeding except my sexy shrimp, I have cut my light back to 6 hours a day and have been dosing algae fix every three days as per the instructions for over three week with no results. All my water parameters are fine. (Red Sea kits and double checked by LFS) I know people says new tanks have algae issues but this is souring my experience. I am not enjoying the tank and I don't want to add any new life to a tank that is inundated with algae. Basically I'm ready to break the tank down and start over with dry rock.

[anizato]

Easiest way to get rid of algae (I have done this many many times with 100% success)... since you have such a small rock it will be easy.

 

In a container where your rock fits, place it in half tank water, and half Hydrogen Peroxide for at least 10,15 minutes. You may use flow if you please, but just make sure you move the water every once in a while in the container.

Place your rock back in your display. Your rock won't look too healthy for the first week or so, but the algae will die off 100%. No harm will come to the beneficial bacteria.

 

You could also Turkey Baste Hydrogen Peroxide directly on to the algae inside of your display, but I wouldn't suggest adding SO much HP in such a small volume of water, may fluctuate your pH too much. Do this only if you have regrowth or to keep sprouts from becoming a colony.

[jlangtree]

Hi Midnight,

 

I am only going to tell you what I would do if it were my tank, and this is simply sharing my experience with you :-)

 

Algae basically develops because of an excess in nutrients (you can NEVER stop a buildup of nutrient regardless of how clean your tank is as even live rock itself produces waste), and I say develop because algae is always there, we simply control it to an almost non existent.

 

You wont be able to control it unless you get to the root of the outbreak and by reading your thread there are three major things that I would take out first, are the substrate, canister filter and the HOB Fuge as they are adding to a never ending buildup.

 

While the rock is out of the water I would spot treat any of the major areas with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide then rinse off with salt water and place the rock back in the tank (there are great threads here on NR about treating and dosing with this) and continue the spot treatment whenever you see algae you don't want in there begin to develop.

 

Water changes are your biggest ally when it comes to fighting any form of nutrient buildup you want to correct, so if your not doing regular changes I would do a 100% change after the above is done and then as big as you can weekly until you get it all under control.

 

Now take this as you will, but I am a big fan of bare bottom tanks when they are that small. Pico's can be as easy or as hard as you make them. The smaller they are the less you need, a simple HOB filter, light and heater are all you really need unless flow is lacking (then simply add another powerhead/pump) I have fought the algae battle when I first started smaller tanks, and the simpler I made them, the more successful they were because I enjoyed them

[teenyreef]

One thing to try is an emerald crab. He won't eat big chunks of algae, but he'll keep anything small in check.

 

I agree with anzato, especially if it really is bryopsis...dipping your rocks in hydrogen peroxide is the best way to kill it. You'll probably have to treat it more than once.

 

There's a very long thread started by Brandon here on NR that gives lots of details about this treatment. But this is kind of a last ditch effort. While the HP won't kill your bacteria, it will probably kill any invertabrates on/in your rocks like little feather dusters and pods. Nearly all corals will tolerate HP.

 

I'd try a five minute dip at 50% just to see how it goes, give it a week, and then move up to 10-15 minutes if necessary.

 

And I also apply HP directly to trouble spots in the tank, but very carefully. Just a 1-3 drops on a few spots. Too much will kill shrimp and snails.

 

Stick with it and don't give up yet. Have you seen the pictures of my tanks in the first three months? Here's my 4g in the first month:

CameraZOOM-20140208233115729 by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

And here's the 10g after about two months:

DSC_0069 by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Both have virtually no algae now

[Auto Midnight]

Easiest way to get rid of algae (I have done this many many times with 100% success)... since you have such a small rock it will be easy.

 

In a container where your rock fits, place it in half tank water, and half Hydrogen Peroxide for at least 10,15 minutes. You may use flow if you please, but just make sure you move the water every once in a while in the container.

Place your rock back in your display. Your rock won't look too healthy for the first week or so, but the algae will die off 100%. No harm will come to the beneficial bacteria.

 

You could also Turkey Baste Hydrogen Peroxide directly on to the algae inside of your display, but I wouldn't suggest adding SO much HP in such a small volume of water, may fluctuate your pH too much. Do this only if you have regrowth or to keep sprouts from becoming a colony.

Thanks for the tip I'm going to give it a try.

One thing to try is an emerald crab. He won't eat big chunks of algae, but he'll keep anything small in check.

 

I agree with anzato, especially if it really is bryopsis...dipping your rocks in hydrogen peroxide is the best way to kill it. You'll probably have to treat it more than once.

 

There's a very long thread started by Brandon here on NR that gives lots of details about this treatment. But this is kind of a last ditch effort. While the HP won't kill your bacteria, it will probably kill any invertabrates on/in your rocks like little feather dusters and pods. Nearly all corals will tolerate HP.

 

I'd try a five minute dip at 50% just to see how it goes, give it a week, and then move up to 10-15 minutes if necessary.

 

 

 

And I also apply HP directly to trouble spots in the tank, but very carefully. Just a 1-3 drops on a few spots. Too much will kill shrimp and snails.

 

Stick with it and don't give up yet. Have you seen the pictures of my tanks in the first three months? Here's my 4g in the first month:

CameraZOOM-20140208233115729 by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

And here's the 10g after about two months:

DSC_0069 by TeenyReef, on Flickr

 

Both have virtually no algae now

Thanks for the reassurance, I'm giving the rocks a soak right now. It sure as hell can't hurt them

[Sunstar]

I just went through three months of algae with my 10 gallon - especially after I changed the tank. And then as suddenly as it came, it vanished.I got some turbos in and they cleaned up the rest. Both tanks went through it and now its settling down.

[teenyreef]

Yep, that seems to be the way it goes for a lot of people. Even though the initial cycle can be over in days or weeks, it just takes months for a new tank to reach equilibrium. And they just when you think you've got it all figured out, something changes and you spend months figuring it out again

[ml86743]

Yep, that seems to be the way it goes for a lot of people. Even though the initial cycle can be over in days or weeks, it just takes months for a new tank to reach equilibrium. And they just when you think you've got it all figured out, something changes and you spend months figuring it out again

Amen brotha.

 

Tanks looking good tho Midnight! Patience is literally the key to keeping reef tanks...Just let it do its thing and keep up with proper maintenance. You'll be fine. Already off to a good start!