Nano algae/filtration help

[tshutler]

Hello all,

 

I have been reefing for a few years now but am newer in the nano tanks. Ive had my 10 gallon AIO tank up and running for about a year and am encountering some issues. I have brown algae in the snad and pink algae on the rocks. pretty sure its bacterial like cyano but its not super thick. I recently stripped the nitrates and phosphates from my tank on accident with too much chemipure. I have been working to raise nitrates and phosphates to normal levels. Currently my nitrates read out around .1-.2 ppm. Which I undertsand is low. the phosphates are unreadable. I have been trying to raise these values to help with the bacterial colonies and have been lightly dosing brightwell's neophos and neo nitro per the instructions. The only filtration i have is a nano skimmer and carbon along with the filter sock. should I stop the skimmer? any recomendations?

[Mrod1!]

I would get as much out as you can with a turkey baster and also reduce lighting period. Some people go lights out for a few days in a row but I was successful with Repeated water changes and manual removal over the course of a few weeks when I had it. Also increase the flow 
 

now pretty much gone For me and hopefully you have similar success.  There is also always chemiclean which many years ago I also used successfully so you do have some options. 

[DreC80]

I would stop the skimmer, remove carbon and filter socks...or dry skim only to maintain oxygenation.  Try to let the tank restabilize/balance out through normal feeding.  I don't even know that I would do water changes at this point because you don't have a high nutrient issue, just an imbalance and have tipped the scales in favor of whatever bacteria that is.  See if you can get your nitrates up to 10 ppm or so and your phosphates to .03 -.1.  

[Clown79]

Are you certain its cyano? Is it slimy, can it be sucked out with a Turkey baster?

 

Is there bubbles forming or any stringy parts?

 

Has improved flow made it better or worse?

 

Is the sand clear looking before lights on and worsens as time goes by?

 

The reason I asked is because cyano and dino's can be mistaken for one another but have completely opposite approaches to removal and cause.

 

Regular activated Carbon shouldn't reduce nutrients, especially in small quantities,  it will help reduce any toxins though.

 

chemipure on the other hand has added ingredients that can strip a tank and over filtration as well won't help.

 

I'd definitely continue getting nutrients up, particularly phosphates.

 

Try sucking out the algae(don't blow it off the sand) 

 

Try lowering photo period, a few hrs cut goes a long way. 

 

 

 

[mcarroll]

On 3/31/2020 at 5:41 PM, tshutler said:

I recently stripped the nitrates and phosphates from my tank on accident with too much chemipure. I have been working to raise nitrates and phosphates to normal levels. Currently my nitrates read out around .1-.2 ppm. Which I undertsand is low. the phosphates are unreadable. I have been trying to raise these values to help with the bacterial colonies and have been lightly dosing brightwell's neophos and neo nitro per the instructions. The only filtration i have is a nano skimmer and carbon along with the filter sock. should I stop the skimmer? any recomendations?

 

Seems like corals are all still happy.  👍

 

Raise phosphates first -- it's fine to target 0.10 ppm.  Test about 30min later to see if it's been used up or not....re-dose up to 0.10 ppm if needed. 

 

(Going the other way and raising nitrates first can actually be dangerous. I know that's not what you were trying to do.  Just saying.)

 

No reason to stop skimming (it's effect on filtration is pretty minimal...zero if there's nothing to skim) but carbon shouldn't really be needed.  Save it for later.

 

Sounds like you're generally heading in the right direction though!

[tshutler]

I know for sure its cyano, I recently had terrible dinos and they are for the most part gone. I will try removing the carbon and have had the skimmer off for a couple days but that does not seem to be having any positive effect. Now if I more aggressively dose to try and get my levels to the needed level is there a time period I should be aiming for? should I space the doses out over a few hours or just once a day? I really want to cure this naturally and dont want to use any chemicals. so far most of the corals are happy, except for the occasional polyp that gets some cyano on it. I just tested again and my levels have not changed, still 0.1 nitrate and 0.0 phosphate

[mcarroll]

11 minutes ago, tshutler said:

is there a time period I should be aiming for?

No.  You can test for phosphates, calculate the proper dose, dose the proper dose, re-test to verify, if needed re-dose to the target level in one hour's time.  (Sometimes there is heavy immediate usage after the first dose and the level in the water lowers quickly...you want a residual of 0.10 to support future growth in the tank.)

[tshutler]

thanks. I will try that and see how it goes. What are your thoughts on using chemi clean to help with the cyano. Its covering probably 75% of the rocks and a good portion of the sandbed.

[Prezpreston]

1 hour ago, tshutler said:

thanks. I will try that and see how it goes. What are your thoughts on using chemi clean to help with the cyano. Its covering probably 75% of the rocks and a good portion of the sandbed.

Hey tshutler - I recently just battled a large cyano outbreak in my tank and used chemi clean- in 3 days, EVERYTHING was gone. And I mean zero trace of it left.

 

Testing params before, during, and after revealed no changes in nutrient levels using the product. It is marked as reef safe, and I do have a galaxea, hammer, RFA, and some zoas. It didn’t harm my corals but my hammer definitely was annoyed - it closed up for a day or two but as of now it’s back to its big, beautiful, bushy self. I put that to the large amount of dead cyano that was probably present in the water during product usage. 
 

I would absolutely recommend it if no other natural methods are working at controlling.

[Prezpreston]

Also worth it to note - follow the instructions to a T if you do use; oxygen levels are severely depleted during usage, so pick up an air stone like it instructs you, and perform that 20% water change (or larger if you prefer) as it instructs you.

[mcarroll]

9 hours ago, tshutler said:

thanks. I will try that and see how it goes. What are your thoughts on using chemi clean to help with the cyano. Its covering probably 75% of the rocks and a good portion of the sandbed.

Pic?

 

Cyano is generally easy to remove by siphoning, if needed.  

 

Unless it's covering a coral (therefore shading it from light and hurting it), there's still nothing to worry about...it's just ugly, it's not hurting anything.  In fact it's trying hard to make the tank more habitable.

 

Most likely it will disappear as quickly as it appeared once you correct nutrient levels and get other things growing.

 

Do some siphoning if the cyano is too much to tolerate, but IMO try to be patient for the other fixes mentioned earlier to do their work and have their effect.  Don't drop any nukes.

[tshutler]

sounds like a plan. I will keep working on getting everything back in balance before trying more drastic measures.

 

Ive used chemi clean in past tanks and i know it works but i want t slove the problem this time.