Getting various different algae forming in new tank

[Recci]

The tank is about a month old and is still maturing with no fish or CUC in it as of yet. I have added a few hardy corals from my other tank to give is some bioload. Most of the rock and live rock was second hand so could have almost anything on it.  As you can see in the video I am getting various different algae forming in the tank. Some of which looks like it could be bryopsis and dinoflagellates to me. Should I try to do something at this stage or just leave it and hope it passes? 

 

Alk 8.0
cal 430
nitrate 0
phospahtes about 0.01

 

Red sea pro kit

 

 

[seabass]

I can't positively identify either bryopsis or dinos.  However, I can say that if there is no ammonia present, I would definitely add a cleanup crew and do some tank maintenance.

[Oldsalt01]

The reddish stringy stuff looks like cyano to me. Manual cleaning by sucking it out with a siphon, pull the clam shell and smaller pieces and scrub them out of the tank. If it is cyano, upping you flow will help as it forms in low flow areas where detritus collects. Adding Astrias, Turbos, Dwarf Ceriths will help a bit, but you shoul check your chemistry for Nitrates, Phosphates. All part of the “uglies” with a new tank. Cutting light time may help a bit also.

[Frag Factory]

Check your water parameters, add clean up crew and do manual removal for what you can.

[mcarroll]

16 hours ago, Recci said:

Some of which looks like it could be bryopsis and dinoflagellates to me. Should I try to do something at this stage or just leave it and hope it passes? 

 

16 hours ago, Recci said:

nitrate 0
phospahtes about 0.01

A better pic might help with the ID, but your ultra-low nutrient numbers would tend to favor ultra-competitive algae like dino's or bryopsis.

 

If you're running any filtration aside from a skimmer (even algae) or miracle-in-a-bottle stuff to keep nutrients that low, stop.  Just use live rock + protein skimmer (at most).

 

What they said above too! 😀 

 

Get on with some tank maintenance, make sure your flow and all the other basics are good, get a starter cleanup crew in place, etc.

 

I'd also suggest getting a microscope for ID'ing things like algae or whatever else in the tank....way cool toy to have around....and you can literally get by with a $10 toy microscope if budget is tight.   (A $50 scope is MUCH better if the budget isn't too tight.)  

 

A light meter is another $10-20 "toy" I'd suggest keeping around.  Between these two tools you can eliminate crate-loads of guessing that most folks have to go through.

 

Corals tend to use up nutrients from the water, not generate them, BTW.  99% of nutrients come in the food (or fertilizers, see below) you feed the tank.

 

If nutrients don't start to rise a little in the next few days I'd think about supplementing the green algae with some N and P nutrients by way of something like Seachem Flourish Nitrogen and Phosphate.....green algae are WAY better than what will replace them if you starve them out...(Dino's usually)...and snails will eat green algae, but not much else.  (Supplementing like this is fine and very precise....much better and safer than "feeding extra" to raise nutrients.)

[seabass]

Inorganic nutrients are low due to the multiple blooms going on (cyano and other algae).  These blooms will utilize the nutrients in the water column to support their growth (making tests result low).  This doesn't necessarily mean that nutrient import is low.  Often new rock will leach phosphate, or release phosphate from the breakdown of organics on the rock.

 

I would focus on maintenance, export, flow, lighting, and your cleanup crew for now.  Dosing nutrients might just help fuel the current blooms.  Although there is something to low nutrient levels causing multiple problems with coral health and giving an edge to unwanted pests.  However, this normally this occurs with the use of dry rock (vs live rock).  However, it looks like you started with live rock.

[mcarroll]

17 minutes ago, seabass said:

Inorganic nutrients are low due to the multiple blooms going on (cyano and other algae).

Very possible, but not a certainty....the low nutrients can be not only a result from an algae bloom, but can also cause a bloom.  

 

We'd have to know the cronology of test results and when things appeared in the tank to be very sure.  (Having positive ID on the algae growing would help a lot too.)

 

If other/better algae (mostly coraline, but plain hair algae too) and all their associated micro-fauna are being starved out and this algae is "left to go wild" under conditions it find favorable, then it's a result from low nutrients, not the cause of it.

 

These days that seems to happen a lot with new tanks.

 

In any event, my recommendation is no different from others – basics!!   Unless things fail to improve "on their own" as they should.   0N/0P will be a problem sooner or later even if it isn't a problem presently, so IMO it's good to be aware of.

[Recci]

The reason its ultra low nutrient is because its a new tank. As i said its only a month old and I started with 2 thirds used dry rock and one third live rock to seed the tank.  There is no real bio-load just now apart from a few frags and softies I added. It is a brand new sand bed with caribe sea seafloor special.  The lighting is 4 x T5 with individual reflectors. 

 

The flow is actually a little to high in the tank just now.

 

The nutrients must be coming from the live rock and the crap that was left over on the used dry rock. I am hoping that the algae uses it all up then dies off and get pulled out by the skimmer.

 

Do you think a 3 day blackout might help? Would this cause the algea to die without hurting the corals to much?

[seabass]

33 minutes ago, Recci said:

Do you think a 3 day blackout might help? Would this cause the algea to die without hurting the corals to much?

I'd probably move the corals back so you don't have to worry about them.  I've not personally had that much luck with 3 day blackouts.

 

33 minutes ago, Recci said:

I started with 2 thirds used dry rock and one third live rock to seed the tank.

My guess is that the nutrients are coming from the used dry rock.

 

My recommendation is to manually remove as much as you can about twice a week.  Replace any water that you remove during the cleanup with new saltwater.  Get a cleanup crew to help you.  I like how @mcarroll put it, that you are the biggest member of the cleanup crew.  Keep on top of things and they will slowly start to get better.  This is just a phase your tank is going through.

 

I prefer not having any coral or fish at this point.  That lets you clean more aggressively without stressing your inhabitants.  Once the tank is looking good, then you can add some corals, and even slowly add fish.

[Recci]

Ok update. I added some fish and clean up crew I got from a fellow reefer that was selling up. Also added some more very mature live rock from him. The algae is all gone. Not sure if it died or the fish and cuc  had it. But it's turned into a massive cyanobacteria bloom.

 

 

Hopefully this is just another stage in the tanks maturation process and it will die away once it's used up it's fuel source.

[seabass]

You can take a turkey baster to dislodge the cyano, then siphon it out.

 

If it still doesn't clear up, manually remove as much as you can, then dose ChemiClean (following the directions).  Cyano is typically easier to treat than hair algae; so I'd call that some progress.

[Recci]

Yeah, I think it's probably Just nutrients that was on used rock. Once it's used up it might disappear. Skimmer has been producing some thick dark skimmate.