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Algae growing on corals


1st reef

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Then it's definitely dinoflagellates. Dose some phosphate until your reading above 0ppm, test it every other day or so to make sure it stays there. Then skim thought the thread @W1ll posted and weight your options.

 

Since your tank is a small nano look into a "rip clean". 

 

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3 minutes ago, W1ll said:

May I also add that a small submersible UV light was incredibly helpful in my case. While definitely not ideal to run long term, they are a great and inexpensive UV option for nano aquariums. Mine has assisted me in getting the upper hand over dinos on 2 separate occasions.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/403244405858?hash=item5de33d5462:g:F6EAAOSwkAphcJDN 

How does that thing work??

 

Most of the UV sterilizers I've seen are piped in-line with water circulation

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On 1/29/2022 at 12:02 PM, Jakesaw said:

How does that thing work??

 

Most of the UV sterilizers I've seen are piped in-line with water circulation

The whole light is submersible, it just slots into a back chamber and sits there much like a glass heater.

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I'm about to give up on this tank. 

Scraped a bunch of algae from the glass did a water change siphoning the rocks as I was blowing water on them with a turkey baster. As I was filling the tank up, it turned very cloudy with particles wich I was picking up with a net. Seems like it's getting worse. I may add another fish to increase bioload. 

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6 minutes ago, 1st reef said:

I'm about to give up on this tank. 

Scraped a bunch of algae from the glass did a water change siphoning the rocks as I was blowing water on them with a turkey baster. As I was filling the tank up, it turned very cloudy with particles wich I was picking up with a net. Seems like it's getting worse. I may add another fish to increase bioload. 

 

I'm 13 months into hobby - started with Marco Rocks & painted live rock.  I've been there.  For months in a row.   Considered starting over / leaving hobby just because of it many times.  Mine was a different type of DINO - and I ultimatelly resolved it by getting Nitrates / Phos up.  

 

Snails / CUC eat Algae - DINO is a different animal altogether that seems unfixable til you resolve it.  You need to balance Nitraes & Phosphates.  I'm still dosing about 4 ml Neophos Per week on Saturday with water changes.  Nitrates I get from frozen food.   Rought 2-5 Nitrates to .03 Phos is a good target.  You'd want Phos at least visibly measurable on your test kits to beat back the DINOs. 


Have you tried dosing Phosphate yet.  Once I got my nitrates to 5 Dosing Phos was the thing that put DINO's in rear view mirror.   I've still got algae on my tank walls, but it recedes every week as Snails mow it down.  My rocks / coral are in good shape - and a manageable healthy algae growth on walls.  Currently have 6 snails recently added ( 3 astrea -1 spiny turbo - and 2 trochus. ) and 3 hermits as CUC.  I could probably use another 1=3 snails - but I'm not feeling rushed to add them

 

Hang in there if the DINO is the only thing ruining the hobby.  It is resolveable - though not as simple as a water change. 

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On 1/13/2022 at 8:42 PM, 1st reef said:

I was told on this site to only change water if nitrates are to high or if alk is too low. As for filtration, was told also that live rock and filter floss is all I need. 

Water is not murky at all. 

It's been running for 4 months. 

Are you measuring Nitrate / Phos / Alk.  I don't see it in the topic - though may have missed it.   Personally I was not measuring anything for a long time which is what got me into the DINO mess in the first place. 

 

Also, I see you only have 1 fish in there.  I had 1 clown in my 10 gallon for most of first year and couldn't get Nitrates up off zero until I added a second fish.  The Clown didn't take to the new fish initially until I re-arranged the rock to break up the Territory Mr clown had claimed his own. 

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Have you read the reef2reef thread or my own thread and summary on dealing with dino’s? 

First you have to fix your phosphate issue by testing and dosing it so it is above 0 ppm, target at least 1ppm and keep it there. 

Adding another fish isn’t necessarily going to fix your issue.

The dino bloom won’t resolve itself in a day or even a week. It will take some time in my case   it took about 2 months.

 

Stick with it we are here to help. This will pass.

 

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15 hours ago, Jakesaw said:

Are you measuring Nitrate / Phos / Alk.  I don't see it in the topic - though may have missed it.   Personally I was not measuring anything for a long time which is what got me into the DINO mess in the first place. 

 

Also, I see you only have 1 fish in there.  I had 1 clown in my 10 gallon for most of first year and couldn't get Nitrates up off zero until I added a second fish.  The Clown didn't take to the new fish initially until I re-arranged the rock to break up the Territory Mr clown had claimed his own. 

1 clown 1 ywg and pistol shrimp. 

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22 hours ago, Jakesaw said:

I'm 13 months into hobby - started with Marco Rocks & painted live rock.  I've been there.  For months in a row.   Considered starting over / leaving hobby just because of it many times.  Mine was a different type of DINO - and I ultimatelly resolved it by getting Nitrates / Phos up.  

 

Snails / CUC eat Algae - DINO is a different animal altogether that seems unfixable til you resolve it.  You need to balance Nitraes & Phosphates.  I'm still dosing about 4 ml Neophos Per week on Saturday with water changes.  Nitrates I get from frozen food.   Rought 2-5 Nitrates to .03 Phos is a good target.  You'd want Phos at least visibly measurable on your test kits to beat back the DINOs. 


Have you tried dosing Phosphate yet.  Once I got my nitrates to 5 Dosing Phos was the thing that put DINO's in rear view mirror.   I've still got algae on my tank walls, but it recedes every week as Snails mow it down.  My rocks / coral are in good shape - and a manageable healthy algae growth on walls.  Currently have 6 snails recently added ( 3 astrea -1 spiny turbo - and 2 trochus. ) and 3 hermits as CUC.  I could probably use another 1=3 snails - but I'm not feeling rushed to add them

 

Hang in there if the DINO is the only thing ruining the hobby.  It is resolveable - though not as simple as a water change. 

Haven't tried neophos since I can't find a small bottle. Don't need the big one. 

Was thinking of adding another fish since  it's the cheapest way to increase nitrates and then phosphates. I'm assuming here. 

If anyone knows where I can get a small bottle of neophos let me know 

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40 minutes ago, 1st reef said:

Haven't tried neophos since I can't find a small bottle. Don't need the big one. 

Was thinking of adding another fish since  it's the cheapest way to increase nitrates and then phosphates.  

additional fish will increase Nitrates if that was an issue - not phosphates

 

I'm dosing Neo-Phos on my 10 gallon - and got a 250ml bottle.  Cost me 7 bucks @ LRS.  Prices have gone up on everything since though.

 

 I still dose weekly to keep levels positive and have used maybe 15 percent of the bottle. in 6 - 8 week period.  At current dosing should last me at least through the first half of year maybe full year.  Maybe rock will absorb enough Phos that I won't need to dose in time - who knows.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, 1st reef said:

Will nitrates drop after dosing with neophos? 

 

 

That hasn't been my experience.  I'm still new to reefing hobby though - still have a lot to learn.

 

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8 hours ago, 1st reef said:

Will nitrates drop after dosing with neophos? 

 

In the immediate days after dosing NeoNitro, yes, your nitrate will likely drop again, this goes for phosphate as well. You need to dose small amounts regularly to keep the levels stable until your tank balances out again. 

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I can't get anyone to ship me a bottle of neophos cause it's winter and the bottle might freeze if shipped regular mail. 

Overnight shipping is 40$ for a 10 dollar bottle lol.  Unless there's another way. 

If not, I'll just add another fish to increase bioload and hopefully get some phosphates and nitrates over 3ppm

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11 minutes ago, 1st reef said:

I can't get anyone to ship me a bottle of neophos cause it's winter and the bottle might freeze if shipped regular mail. 

If you are in the states, you can use BRS for 6.49.

 

I'm not aware of Neo Phos being freezing sensitive - perhaps it is.  Maybe you can give BRS a call if you are interested in putting in an order.  They would let you know if weather would be a problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, 1st reef said:

I'm in Canada. Any other options? 

Seachem Flourish Phosphate a product designed for freshwater planted tanks however fundamentally it exactly the same as Neophos (sodium phosphate). Myself and others on here have used it with great success, and IME its is a lot more widespread and easier to find than any of brightwells products. 

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