Help with Algae Trifecta

[JurisReefer]

So, I have the trifecta of algae (GHA, dyno, and the start of some bryopsis), and I don't know why. This is where I'm at.

1. Nitrates are 0-5ppm; phosphates vary, but below 0.03 PPM
2. RODI reading 000 TDO, unsure if silicates play into that reading from my meter. If not, unsure of silicates.
3. A pretty decent clean-up crew.
4. Decreased feeding frequency and quantity.

The tank is a 20-gallon AIO cube. I run a bag of carbon, intank floss, and purigen in the first chamber, and a Phosban 150 with GFO, along with a protein skimmer, in the middle chamber. If anyone has any suggestions for things to consider, or products/methods to use, I'm all ears. I'm most concerned with the dynos, though. It's still in the stage of being a thin brown film on sand and coral plugs (along with the bubble and string), but I want to nip this in the bud before it takes off. 

[mcarroll]

On 2/15/2019 at 11:24 AM, JurisReefer said:

Nitrates are 0-5ppm; phosphates vary, but below 0.03 PPM

This is a big part of "why".  

 

All of the pest algae you are growing are very adept at growing under those nutrient circumstances. "Low nutrients" actually favors them.

 

On 2/15/2019 at 11:24 AM, JurisReefer said:

The tank is a 20-gallon AIO cube. I run a bag of carbon, intank floss, and purigen in the first chamber, and a Phosban 150 with GFO, along with a protein skimmer, in the middle chamber.

 

This is part of the problem — over-filtration.

 

This is a guess, but did you also start with dead rock? 

 

This is also a guess, but did you also do some type of rapid start system?

 

Thankfully, the answers to good just go back and do it all right without shortcuts: Take out all the extra filtration so that the tank is running with just a protein skimmer, flow, lighting and heat.  

 

If you started without live rock, get some live rock or some kind of coraline algae inoculation (arcreef sells one).  Adding a few corals that have coraline on them is another way.

 

 if you are lucky, the dinos will start blooming when you do this and the tank will begin to return to normal. It may take a while even if it does go in this direction.

 

If you are not lucky, the Dino Bluemel may have already taken hold which puts in much much larger demand on your tanks available nitrates and phosphates.

 

You will know if this is the case if the Dino bloom continues in spite of removing your excess filtration.

 

In the event that this is what happens you will need some nitrates and phosphates to dose.   It will be important to keep levels at >5-10 ppm nitrates and >0.10 ppm phosphate.