I Thought Cyano Was Coralline...how do I fix?

[Prezpreston]

Wellp I'm a nutter butter. It's been a while since I've posted but all has been well for the last few months; or so I thought.

 

What I thought was Coralline algae growth was actually Cyano...sigh. As soon as it spread to my sand, I realized that something might be off. I had let it grow for months, just thinking that I had some crazy form of Coralline algae growth lol. Turns out I haven't discovered some secret of water chemistry and instead, I've been letting cyano grow unchecked in my tank for quite a while.

 

And now, recently, I've had some tiny outbreaks of green hair algae. I haven't been seeing crazy coral growth with my Kessil A80 Tuna Blue, but I have been seeing some. So turning down my lights doesn't really seem like an option (I've only recently switched to 100% for two hours throughout the day).

 

I tested a few days ago and got a zero reading for Nitrates and a typical reading of 0.25 or less for Phosphates, but of course, I found out that's because all of my nutrients are locked up in the algae and cyano.

 

However, in prior testing, before all of this crazy growth, I was showing Phosphate levels hovering at levels below or at 0.25 (using the API test so I can't tell how much lower than 0.25 it is), with Nitrates hovering anywhere between 5-15 PPM.

 

I do a 25% water change weekly, and am running filter floss, charcoal, and purigen seachem. I have a cleanup crew of 2 hermits (unknown species), 4 Nassarius Vibex, and 6 Dwarf Planaxis. They are definitely not touching the hair algae.

 

I have a 12.5 Gallon JBJ.

 

I'm considering ordering a few (4?) Nerite snails, as well as a large manual removal and chemi-clean treatment. But, I'm unclear how to address the long term issue here because Phosphate levels never rose in my tank above 0.25. Should I consider a fuge in the back chamber? Are there any other herbivores I should consider aside from the Nerite snails? Or in place of the Nerite snails?

[Thrassian Atoll]

.25 phosphate isn’t low by any means.  I would personally shoot for .05-.1 and see if that helps.  Going to be a little hard with the algae sucking up the nutrients though to get an accurate reading.  
 

What are you using to test for phosphates?  
 

Try and turn up your flow a little bit.  See if that helps.  Blast the rocks with the turkey baster and suck the cyano out.  I have never used chemiclean so I can’t comment on that.  
 

How much are you feeding the fish and corals?  

[Thrassian Atoll]

Just reread your post and saw the api test kit.  I would do yourself a favor and get the Hanna Ultra low phosphate checker.  

[wiigelec]

 

[Clown79]

The Api kit is not reliable for reefs. It doesn't read below 0.25

 

I've had my phos higher than 0.25 and no algae.

If anything I only get algae when my nitrates go up. 

 

The problem is imbalance of nutrients. 

 

Cyano isn't just caused by nutrients, lack of flow, imbalances in water chemistry.

 

Suck it out with a Turkey baster, during waterchanges suck it out.

 

Up the flow in the areas.

 

Make sure you Turkey baste rocks during waterchanges and mid week(not during cyano but as a regular maintenance to prevent issues)

 

Go through your maintenance routine, figure out what may be leading to the issue.

 

Turning off lights is a bandaid

It comes back when the lights go back on.

[mcarroll]

On 3/19/2020 at 7:21 PM, Prezpreston said:

I have a cleanup crew of 2 hermits (unknown species), 4 Nassarius Vibex, and 6 Dwarf Planaxis.

scavenger, scavenger, scavenger

 

That's too many scavengers and no algae eaters.  

 

Have you done a count lately to see how many of the ones you named you currently have vs how many you started with?  I'd be worried about them slowly starving to death....dying snails can potentially drive a cyan bloom.

 

On 3/19/2020 at 7:21 PM, Prezpreston said:

I tested a few days ago and got a zero reading for Nitrates and a typical reading of 0.25 or less for Phosphates

Once you get nutrient levels back up to levels where green algae can grow again, the cyan will disappear naturally.  Current levels are too low.  Reduce filtration and slow down with water changes.

 

Increase the number of herbivorous snails slowly as you see green algae in the tank.  I'd add 2-3 small herbivores now (or 1 larger one like an Astrea, Trochus or even a small Turbo), but see if you can trade out your hermits and some of the other scavengers you have currently.  The hermits will murderize your snails for food if they need to.

 

 

[Prezpreston]

On 3/19/2020 at 4:56 PM, Thrassian Atoll said:

.25 phosphate isn’t low by any means.  I would personally shoot for .05-.1 and see if that helps.  Going to be a little hard with the algae sucking up the nutrients though to get an accurate reading.  
 

What are you using to test for phosphates?  
 

Try and turn up your flow a little bit.  See if that helps.  Blast the rocks with the turkey baster and suck the cyano out.  I have never used chemiclean so I can’t comment on that.  
 

How much are you feeding the fish and corals?  

 

On 3/19/2020 at 4:58 PM, Thrassian Atoll said:

Just reread your post and saw the api test kit.  I would do yourself a favor and get the Hanna Ultra low phosphate checker.  

 

On 3/20/2020 at 8:52 AM, Clown79 said:

The Api kit is not reliable for reefs. It doesn't read below 0.25

 

I've had my phos higher than 0.25 and no algae.

If anything I only get algae when my nitrates go up. 

 

The problem is imbalance of nutrients. 

 

Cyano isn't just caused by nutrients, lack of flow, imbalances in water chemistry.

 

Suck it out with a Turkey baster, during waterchanges suck it out.

 

Up the flow in the areas.

 

Make sure you Turkey baste rocks during waterchanges and mid week(not during cyano but as a regular maintenance to prevent issues)

 

Go through your maintenance routine, figure out what may be leading to the issue.

 

Turning off lights is a bandaid

It comes back when the lights go back on.

I appreciate that guys. I'll definitely be investing in that Hanna Phos checker ASAP. I'll admit I turkey baster my rocks rather infrequently, so I'll definitely begin doing that more. My flow seems fine with no dead spots, so I think it might just be that nutrient imbalance?

 

When you guys say imbalance of nutrients; does that mean I have too high of nitrates and phosphate? Or not enough, or my levels are out of whack, etc.?

[Prezpreston]

On 3/20/2020 at 11:06 PM, mcarroll said:

scavenger, scavenger, scavenger

 

That's too many scavengers and no algae eaters.  

 

Have you done a count lately to see how many of the ones you named you currently have vs how many you started with?  I'd be worried about them slowly starving to death....dying snails can potentially drive a cyan bloom.

 

Once you get nutrient levels back up to levels where green algae can grow again, the cyan will disappear naturally.  Current levels are too low.  Reduce filtration and slow down with water changes.

 

Increase the number of herbivorous snails slowly as you see green algae in the tank.  I'd add 2-3 small herbivores now (or 1 larger one like an Astrea, Trochus or even a small Turbo), but see if you can trade out your hermits and some of the other scavengers you have currently.  The hermits will murderize your snails for food if they need to.

 

 

Wow - I can't believe I didn't even think about that. I'll definitely be adding 3 small herbivores for now. LiveAquaria's website states that Astraea snails can't right themselves if they fall over and Banded Trochus won't really go after hair algae; is that true?

 

Luckily, all of my scavengers are still alive and kicking (as well as some bristleworms sprinkled throughout my tank!). I feed my tank mysis shrimp every other day, mainly because I was trying to keep nitrate levels down. And, I was trying to keep up that weekly water change amount due to calcium depletion from my corals (I haven't narrowed it down exactly, but I determined it was roughly in the neighborhood of 500 PPM). The cyanobacteria was present when I first got the tank, but at a very small amount (due to the salinity level the guy had the tank at!).

 

I added a rock flower anenome, so I'm not sure if that contributes anything to my bioload (I do target feed it mysis every other day, and I have a really healthy population of pods).

 

Should I consider adding another tiny clown to up my bioload?

 

And what filtration do you recommend I remove? Should I swap out my carbon for GFO? Or just add GFO as part of my filtration?

[Clown79]

32 minutes ago, Prezpreston said:

Wow - I can't believe I didn't even think about that. I'll definitely be adding 3 small herbivores for now. LiveAquaria's website states that Astraea snails can't right themselves if they fall over and Banded Trochus won't really go after hair algae; is that true?

 

Luckily, all of my scavengers are still alive and kicking (as well as some bristleworms sprinkled throughout my tank!). I feed my tank mysis shrimp every other day, mainly because I was trying to keep nitrate levels down. And, I was trying to keep up that weekly water change amount due to calcium depletion from my corals (I haven't narrowed it down exactly, but I determined it was roughly in the neighborhood of 500 PPM). The cyanobacteria was present when I first got the tank, but at a very small amount (due to the salinity level the guy had the tank at!).

 

I added a rock flower anenome, so I'm not sure if that contributes anything to my bioload (I do target feed it mysis every other day, and I have a really healthy population of pods).

 

Should I consider adding another tiny clown to up my bioload?

 

And what filtration do you recommend I remove? Should I swap out my carbon for GFO? Or just add GFO as part of my filtration?

Gfo shouldn't be part of regular use, it will strip the phos out.

 

Carbon and filter floss.

 

Carbon reduces toxins from corals etc and floss catches particles

 

You don't want low to no nutrients in the tank

[Prezpreston]

4 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Gfo shouldn't be part of regular use, it will strip the phos out.

 

Carbon and filter floss.

 

Carbon reduces toxins from corals etc and floss catches particles

 

You don't want low to no nutrients in the tank

Got it - so I do have carbon in addition to filter floss and seachem purigen, which if I understand correctly removes organic waste from the water. Are you recommending I take out that seachem purigen? Is it directly competing with my clean up crew (hermits, nassarius vibex, corals, dwarf planaxis) for food?

 

If I were to add another clown to up my bioload (so then I would have 2 clowns as my only fish) would that allow me to add more nutrients into the water? Should I be feeding more than a quarter cube of mysis every other day?

[mcarroll]

5 hours ago, Prezpreston said:

LiveAquaria's website states that Astraea snails can't right themselves if they fall over and Banded Trochus won't really go after hair algae; is that true?

Hm...I'd call that mistaking the symptom for the problem.  Starving snails don't have the strength to stay on the glass.

 

Trochus are one of the strongest har algae eaters there is....right up there with Astreas, almost as good as Turbos.

 

(Do you have a link where you read that BTW?)

 

4 hours ago, Prezpreston said:

purigen

I think Purigen is sorta considered a semi-renewable activated carbon substitute.

 

4 hours ago, Prezpreston said:

Should I be feeding more than a quarter cube of mysis every other day?

What are your current tests like for nitrate and phosphate?

[Clown79]

Gfo or phosguard should be used as needed and with frequent monitoring of parameters.

 

 

Purigen is fine but I recommend using small quantities and monitoring nitrates 

5 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Hm...I'd call that mistaking the symptom for the problem.  Starving snails don't have the strength to stay on the glass.

 

Trochus are one of the strongest har algae eaters there is....right up there with Astreas, almost as good as Turbos.

 

(Do you have a link where you read that BTW?)

 

I think Purigen is sorta considered a semi-renewable activated carbon substitute.

 

What are your current tests like for nitrate and phosphate?

Astrea snails can't right themselves. It's a known issue, it's their foot, so when they flip over you have to right them.

 

Purigen is a synthetic absorbent that reduces nitrates, polishes water.

[Prezpreston]

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Hm...I'd call that mistaking the symptom for the problem.  Starving snails don't have the strength to stay on the glass.

 

Trochus are one of the strongest har algae eaters there is....right up there with Astreas, almost as good as Turbos.

 

(Do you have a link where you read that BTW?)

 

I think Purigen is sorta considered a semi-renewable activated carbon substitute.

 

What are your current tests like for nitrate and phosphate?

Spiny Star Astraea (under overview): https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/2844/spiny-star-astraea?pcatid=2844&c=497+526+2844

Banded Trochus (under overview): https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/564/banded-trochus-snail?pcatid=564&c=497+526+564

Astraea Turbo (under overview): https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/563/astraea-turbo-snail?pcatid=563&c=497+526+563

 

Sorry I should note that for the banded trochus it just says they will only passively graze on hair algae.

 

Currently, nitrates are undetectable on API test kit (bright yellow or 0 PPM) and phos is .25. My nitrates used to be in the 10 PPM range but I believe they're now locked up in the hair algae growing in my tank. Phos has been running around .25 ever since I started testing.

[Prezpreston]

On 3/20/2020 at 11:06 PM, mcarroll said:

Once you get nutrient levels back up to levels where green algae can grow again, the cyan will disappear naturally.  Current levels are too low.  Reduce filtration and slow down with water changes.

 

Increase the number of herbivorous snails slowly as you see green algae in the tank.  I'd add 2-3 small herbivores now (or 1 larger one like an Astrea, Trochus or even a small Turbo), but see if you can trade out your hermits and some of the other scavengers you have currently.  The hermits will murderize your snails for food if they need to.

Whats odd is that I've had this cyano present ever since I got the tank - and phos and nitrate levels were definitely present then (.25 Phos and 10 PPM Nitrate). Should I attempt to introduce coralline algae into the tank? Would that compete with the cyano for nutrients?

 

Should I also consider adding another clown to up the bioload?

[mcarroll]

9 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Astrea snails can't right themselves. It's a known issue, it's their foot, so when they flip over you have to right them.

Just sayin, 99.9% of the time the only reason snails have need to flip themselves is when they have fallen due to being too weak to hold themselves onto the surface they're on.  99.9% of the time they are so weak because they are starving.  It's not peculiar to one kind of snail (eg Astrea).

 

I have Astreas, Trochus and Turbos.  None of them fall, since they're apparently still getting more or less plenty of algae nubbins/diatoms/etc to eat.  All of them eat green algae.  👍

 

If we're talking more generally about snails that fall (it happens) then it's worth noting that I've had to correct all "turban" snails from time to time while I worked at a store.  Every kind that's been named so far.  Pretty sure I've even had to correct Ceriths.  I'd believe them if someone did a study and told me that these snails had better luck rolling themselves over on a barebottom tank vs one with a sand bed.  

 

Again, just don't blame the snail for being upside down in the first place....it's a side-effect of being weak from starvation.  👍😁

 

(Seems like snails have a desire to hide or sleep during the day and do their harvesting at night when there is plenty to eat.  All of my snails would be hiding all day back when I had lots of green algae.  Now that the tank has been dominated by coralline algae, they all have to cruise for food all day long.  That's the first time I've ever noticed a diurnal trend like that, but it was very apparent.  Maybe just because this is the most large snails I've had in one tank so their behavior is just that much more obvious.  I've also been thinking of removing the largest Turbo snail from the tank soon, just to make sure there's still enough for everyone...all of the snails are significantly larger than when they went into the tank.)

 

36 minutes ago, Prezpreston said:

Sorry I should note that for the banded trochus it just says they will only passively graze on hair algae.

All good!  That's why I asked.  👍

 

Same is true for the other snails, LA just don't word it the same on each entry for some reason.  🤷‍♂️

 

Snails don't have teeth, so they only do "passive grazing".  (I'm not sure whether that's a real term, but it does get the idea across.)  

 

What they do is more like "licking" the algae off the surface it's growing on...but they do have very raspy tongues that sometimes have extremely hard "teeth" built into them.

 

Here's a closeup of a snail tongue....don't think this is one of our cleanup crew snails tho....just for example:

(Worth mentioning I snagged this from the Thermo Fischer Scientific Flickr feed, which has a ton of awesome pics on it:

https://flic.kr/ps/DDQp3)

 

So that tongue is pretty gnarly, but remember the scale....a stalk of full growth hair algae would look like a massive tree next to this.  So all snails eat is nubbins -- but they're really good at it. 😉

[Prezpreston]

@mcarroll @Clown79 @wiigelec @Thrassian Atoll

 

If I'm understanding the nutrient imbalance thing correctly, based on what you all have said and some BRS TV learnin's, as well as some reading I've been doing, my issue is that I DID have elevated nitrate / phosphate levels, and the hair algae and cyano just won the battle in my tank to utilize those nutrients, correct?

 

If so, should I be upping phytoplankton > https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/phytoplankton/oceanmagik-live-phytoplankton/

 

I did a huge cleaning today with my weekly water change - pulled out all of my filtration and got a bunch of gunk out of my filter, including out of the hose, and my flow is definitely a lot better, so that may have contributed to the outbreak of cyano. Turkey basted a ton as well.

 

However, there has always been a tiny patch of cyano present in the tank since I inherited it last year (which I mistook for Coralline).

 

I'm considering getting an aquacultured urchin to deal with this algae, because I've got some rather large stalks. Although from what I'm understanding that really would just be slapping a bandaid on the problem. Although, let's say I didn't fix the underlying problem - would I be able to just rely on my clean up crew to keep growth in check?

 

It is worth it to note that I had this algae outbreak occur AFTER introducing my Kessil A80 LED light into the tank, and removing Bio balls and ceramic o rings; all of them were done around relatively the same time. The growth really seemed to take off when I put the light closer to the surface (but I have to have it closer to the surface as one of my Zoa colonies are stretching as it is to get more light).

[Clown79]

38 minutes ago, Prezpreston said:

@mcarroll @Clown79 @wiigelec @Thrassian Atoll

 

If I'm understanding the nutrient imbalance thing correctly, based on what you all have said and some BRS TV learnin's, as well as some reading I've been doing, my issue is that I DID have elevated nitrate / phosphate levels, and the hair algae and cyano just won the battle in my tank to utilize those nutrients, correct?

 

If so, should I be upping phytoplankton > https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/phytoplankton/oceanmagik-live-phytoplankton/

 

I did a huge cleaning today with my weekly water change - pulled out all of my filtration and got a bunch of gunk out of my filter, including out of the hose, and my flow is definitely a lot better, so that may have contributed to the outbreak of cyano. Turkey basted a ton as well.

 

However, there has always been a tiny patch of cyano present in the tank since I inherited it last year (which I mistook for Coralline).

 

I'm considering getting an aquacultured urchin to deal with this algae, because I've got some rather large stalks. Although from what I'm understanding that really would just be slapping a bandaid on the problem. Although, let's say I didn't fix the underlying problem - would I be able to just rely on my clean up crew to keep growth in check?

 

It is worth it to note that I had this algae outbreak occur AFTER introducing my Kessil A80 LED light into the tank, and removing Bio balls and ceramic o rings; all of them were done around relatively the same time. The growth really seemed to take off when I put the light closer to the surface (but I have to have it closer to the surface as one of my Zoa colonies are stretching as it is to get more light).

If cyano is growing in 1 area only, it's most likely a dead spot and needs more flow. Cyano loves low flow area's.

 

If you don't have enough algae regularly, the urchin will starve.

 

Photo period reduction can help. 

 

Bio balls and ceramic rings, they aren't necessary to use. If anything bioballs are discouraged to be used as if they aren't cleaned regularly, become a problem.

 

A lot of ceramic rings need replacing after a few months and regularly rinsed off in sw. 

[Prezpreston]

18 hours ago, Clown79 said:

If cyano is growing in 1 area only, it's most likely a dead spot and needs more flow. Cyano loves low flow area's.

 

If you don't have enough algae regularly, the urchin will starve.

 

Photo period reduction can help. 

 

Bio balls and ceramic rings, they aren't necessary to use. If anything bioballs are discouraged to be used as if they aren't cleaned regularly, become a problem.

 

A lot of ceramic rings need replacing after a few months and regularly rinsed off in sw. 

Great info, thanks Clown.

 

And to correct my underlying issue (which seems to be elevated nitrates and phosphates) - do you think a good solution would be if I started dosing phytoplankton to outcompete the hair algae and cyano? The product I would dose is Ocean Magik: https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/phytoplankton/oceanmagik-live-phytoplankton/

 

Would I also need to dose that continually? Or would a self sustaining population start up once I put this in the tank?

[Prezpreston]

@mcarroll just wanted to call out these last questions to you (hope I'm not bugging you all, you guys are just such an immense help)

 

Whats odd is that I've had this cyano present ever since I got the tank - and phos and nitrate levels were definitely present then (.25 Phos and 10 PPM Nitrate). Should I attempt to introduce coralline algae into the tank? Would that compete with the cyano for nutrients? Or would I add phytoplankton to compete with that GHA and Cyano for the nutrients?

 

Should I also consider adding another clown to up the bioload?

[Clown79]

51 minutes ago, Prezpreston said:

Great info, thanks Clown.

 

And to correct my underlying issue (which seems to be elevated nitrates and phosphates) - do you think a good solution would be if I started dosing phytoplankton to outcompete the hair algae and cyano? The product I would dose is Ocean Magik: https://www.algaebarn.com/shop/live-foods/phytoplankton/oceanmagik-live-phytoplankton/

 

Would I also need to dose that continually? Or would a self sustaining population start up once I put this in the tank?

Phytoplankton feeds many in our reefs, particularly pods.

 

I used phyto when I seeded my tank with pods, to increase my nutrients to fight dino.

 

I now dose it 1-2 times a week to prevent lowered nutrients.

 

I can't keep my nitrates up. I dose phyto, feed fish 2 times a day, feed reef roids 2 times a week, do small waterchanges every 14days.

My nitrates were 0 after my last waterchange.

 

My phos is 0.25(not worried)

 

I have minimal algae that isn't a problem, rather food for my snails and hermits 

[mcarroll]

On 3/26/2020 at 8:33 PM, Prezpreston said:

based on what you all have said and some BRS TV learnin's, as well as some reading I've been doing

Any links or titles that you could share for any of the videos/reading?

 

On 3/26/2020 at 8:33 PM, Prezpreston said:

I DID have elevated nitrate / phosphate levels, and the hair algae and cyano just won the battle in my tank to utilize those nutrients, correct?

 

If so, should I be upping phytoplankton

Not really.

 

Here's the deal.

 

I'm not sure it's useful to look at it as "a battle" or even a win/lose situation.

 

There are just better metaphors.  

 

Like this for example: ⚖️

 

😁

 

Cyano and hair algae are normal and healthy in reef tanks.  

We just don't want algae to take over – which they can definitely do if encouraged and allowed.

 

Thankfully, when conditions are good, like when we aren't encouraging algae or allowing algae to take over, algae blooms are just phases.  (@Paul B has pressed this point more than anyone else I can think of...prolly more on RC and R2R than here.)

 

Existing problems that led to the bloom may need to be corrected (e.g. lack of manual removal, lack of cleanup crew, overstocking/overfeeding, etc), but the end of the bloom is when the herbivores finally exert control.  

🐌  🙋‍♂️  

 

(↗️ that's you on the tank's cleanup crew)

 

Phyto doesn't really play a role.  

 

Most phyto you dose will end up breaking down in the tank rather than being consumed by anything, so dosing it is actually a bit like adding a time-release fertilizer.  Can be handy in some situations, and obviously useful if you're raising pods or brine shrimp or whatever.  Not so much in this circumstance IMO.

 

On 3/26/2020 at 8:33 PM, Prezpreston said:

It is worth it to note that I had this algae outbreak occur AFTER introducing my Kessil A80 LED light into the tank, and removing Bio balls and ceramic o rings; all of them were done around relatively the same time.

More light, and a change in the tank's established nitrogen cycle.  Algae as a group are very tuned to take advantage of disruptions like this.

 

In effect, you took away some of the tank's ammonia and nitrite processing and algae quite literally "made hay" while the bacteria population (which is more likely to be carbon limited in growth than algae) reorganized and caught up.

 

On 3/27/2020 at 4:05 PM, Prezpreston said:

Should I attempt to introduce coralline algae into the tank?

If you still aren't seeing any growing, yes.  But get things evened out and functional too....snails have a lot to do with the transition, and they just might import some coralline on their shells if you get some more.

[Prezpreston]

On 3/28/2020 at 7:57 PM, mcarroll said:

Any links or titles that you could share for any of the videos/reading?

 

Not really.

 

Here's the deal.

 

I'm not sure it's useful to look at it as "a battle" or even a win/lose situation.

 

There are just better metaphors.  

 

Like this for example: ⚖️

 

😁

 

Cyano and hair algae are normal and healthy in reef tanks.  

We just don't want algae to take over – which they can definitely do if encouraged and allowed.

 

Thankfully, when conditions are good, like when we aren't encouraging algae or allowing algae to take over, algae blooms are just phases.  (@Paul B has pressed this point more than anyone else I can think of...prolly more on RC and R2R than here.)

 

Existing problems that led to the bloom may need to be corrected (e.g. lack of manual removal, lack of cleanup crew, overstocking/overfeeding, etc), but the end of the bloom is when the herbivores finally exert control.  

🐌  🙋‍♂️  

 

(↗️ that's you on the tank's cleanup crew)

 

Phyto doesn't really play a role.  

 

Most phyto you dose will end up breaking down in the tank rather than being consumed by anything, so dosing it is actually a bit like adding a time-release fertilizer.  Can be handy in some situations, and obviously useful if you're raising pods or brine shrimp or whatever.  Not so much in this circumstance IMO.

 

More light, and a change in the tank's established nitrogen cycle.  Algae as a group are very tuned to take advantage of disruptions like this.

 

In effect, you took away some of the tank's ammonia and nitrite processing and algae quite literally "made hay" while the bacteria population (which is more likely to be carbon limited in growth than algae) reorganized and caught up.

 

If you still aren't seeing any growing, yes.  But get things evened out and functional too....snails have a lot to do with the transition, and they just might import some coralline on their shells if you get some more.

Absolutely - I did a lot of searching forums and found a few threads in which you had contributed Mcarroll 😄 (mainly on R2R) - but I also used these below in addition to the video that @wiigelec put above:

 

 

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/rhf/index.php

 

Mcarroll - you weren't kidding, Dr. Randy Holmes Farley is brilliant. This article was one of the most informational and helpful BY FAR (and tacks closely with what you said above).

 

My 3 astraeas have been doing WORK since I got them a few days ago (although they haven't touched the larger stalks of algae, as you mentioned they wouldn't!). I did order an ORA urchin last week, and it should be delivered by Wednesday. Hopefully, he (or she) will eat the larger stalks, and I'm fully prepared to supplement it with algae in the future if my natural growth doesn't keep up.

 

I think you are spot on with saying those 2 factors (eliminating the bio balls/ceramic rings, introducing light) AND my prior battle with that extreme hypersalinity (1.046!) from the prior tank owner, probably massacred that nitrifying bacteria (I phased out those bio balls and ceramic rings over a series of weeks, so my hunch is that the hypersalinity was what really did in for the bacteria). Not to mention during that phase of hypersalinity, there was little to no cyano present (one little patch on one rock, which would appear and disappear overnight).

 

There is definitely some coralline growing on my hermit crab shells that I got from reefcleaners, so excited to say that HOPEFULLY that coralline makes the jump to my rock.

 

Finally, I did elect to drop the chemi clean bomb after something in that BRS TV video was said - that as a last resort, it can reset your tank without touching your other nitrifying bacteria (which is stated on the chemiclean label). What worried me is that it was starting to grow up the calcium skeleton of my euphyllia; and this was after a 25% water change and large manual removal.

 

I have two last questions; if in fact I'm trying to have green algae grow (which I believe turns into coralline? I feel like that was said by someone on this forum haha but I may be making that up) over the cyano and green hair algae, how do I ensure that they are able to outcompete the cyano and GHA? Through consumption by my herbivores and manual removal?

 

AND

 

I do currently have a population of pods in the tank (I count about 50 - 75 on the glass some nights). Lets say hypothetically I ordered that Phyto before I read your post. Should I expect my pod population to grow substantially if I started dosing? Or should I order some pods to consume that phyto so that my cyano and GHA doesn't?

 

THANK you so much ahead of time.

 

 

[Clown79]

1 hour ago, Prezpreston said:

Absolutely - I did a lot of searching forums and found a few threads in which you had contributed Mcarroll 😄 (mainly on R2R) - but I also used these below in addition to the video that @wiigelec put above:

 

 

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/rhf/index.php

 

Mcarroll - you weren't kidding, Dr. Randy Holmes Farley is brilliant. This article was one of the most informational and helpful BY FAR (and tacks closely with what you said above).

 

My 3 astraeas have been doing WORK since I got them a few days ago (although they haven't touched the larger stalks of algae, as you mentioned they wouldn't!). I did order an ORA urchin last week, and it should be delivered by Wednesday. Hopefully, he (or she) will eat the larger stalks, and I'm fully prepared to supplement it with algae in the future if my natural growth doesn't keep up.

 

I think you are spot on with saying those 2 factors (eliminating the bio balls/ceramic rings, introducing light) AND my prior battle with that extreme hypersalinity (1.046!) from the prior tank owner, probably massacred that nitrifying bacteria (I phased out those bio balls and ceramic rings over a series of weeks, so my hunch is that the hypersalinity was what really did in for the bacteria). Not to mention during that phase of hypersalinity, there was little to no cyano present (one little patch on one rock, which would appear and disappear overnight).

 

There is definitely some coralline growing on my hermit crab shells that I got from reefcleaners, so excited to say that HOPEFULLY that coralline makes the jump to my rock.

 

Finally, I did elect to drop the chemi clean bomb after something in that BRS TV video was said - that as a last resort, it can reset your tank without touching your other nitrifying bacteria (which is stated on the chemiclean label). What worried me is that it was starting to grow up the calcium skeleton of my euphyllia; and this was after a 25% water change and large manual removal.

 

I have two last questions; if in fact I'm trying to have green algae grow (which I believe turns into coralline? I feel like that was said by someone on this forum haha but I may be making that up) over the cyano and green hair algae, how do I ensure that they are able to outcompete the cyano and GHA? Through consumption by my herbivores and manual removal?

 

AND

 

I do currently have a population of pods in the tank (I count about 50 - 75 on the glass some nights). Lets say hypothetically I ordered that Phyto before I read your post. Should I expect my pod population to grow substantially if I started dosing? Or should I order some pods to consume that phyto so that my cyano and GHA doesn't?

 

THANK you so much ahead of time.

 

 

Phyto is the number one food source for pods, that bacteria, and in some cases detritus. 

 

They need both to feed and reproduce. Some believe its not necessary to dose phyto, but it is pods food source and it's what keeps them reproducing and growing rather than being decimated by the numerous creatures in our tanks(and ocean) that feed on pods.

 

https://www.thesprucepets.com/culturing-amphipods-and-copepods-2924613

 

https://www.algaebarn.com/blog/copepods/feeding-your-hungry-pods/

 

 

When you seed your tank with pods, theres a good reason why most packs come with phyto plankton. 

 

I attached 2 links, there are hundreds more online. 

 

In essence, phyto dosing is good for corals, great for pod feeding/reproduction, and the more pods you reproduce, the cleaner the tank gets with the natural process within the ecosystem. 

 

I never believed in it myself until I started dosing. I've noticed an extreme difference in my tanks and corals. 

[Prezpreston]

Well guys, I found out why my nutrients had been so elevated. Those ceramic o rings I thought I took out? Yeah, I never did. Oh and because I completely forgot, they haven’t been cleaned for about 5 months.

 

I don’t know what brain fart I had that made me miss this. It was buried behind my carbon and seachem purigen, and the few times I rinsed those I never bothered looking in that chamber. Also found 4 fat and happy dwarf planaxis.

 

Took them out and sucked up the mountain of crud that had built up. Hopefully that takes care of the cyano and GHA problem. First pic is before and second pic is after...

[Prezpreston]

On 3/30/2020 at 2:08 PM, Clown79 said:

Phyto is the number one food source for pods, that bacteria, and in some cases detritus. 

 

They need both to feed and reproduce. Some believe its not necessary to dose phyto, but it is pods food source and it's what keeps them reproducing and growing rather than being decimated by the numerous creatures in our tanks(and ocean) that feed on pods.

 

https://www.thesprucepets.com/culturing-amphipods-and-copepods-2924613

 

https://www.algaebarn.com/blog/copepods/feeding-your-hungry-pods/

 

 

When you seed your tank with pods, theres a good reason why most packs come with phyto plankton. 

 

I attached 2 links, there are hundreds more online. 

 

In essence, phyto dosing is good for corals, great for pod feeding/reproduction, and the more pods you reproduce, the cleaner the tank gets with the natural process within the ecosystem. 

 

I never believed in it myself until I started dosing. I've noticed an extreme difference in my tanks and corals. 

This is super helpful Clown, thank you - I’m hoping my existing pod population explodes after eating these phyto. Also excited to see the effect it will have on my coral!