Major brown hair algae bloom

[RickvD]

Hello everyone,

I have been dealing with brown hair algae for a while now but it keeps getting worse... It's on my rocks, sand and even the glass. I've got over 10 snails but even they can't keep up and I'm not sure what to do, as I really want to start adding corals, but I want to get the algae under control first.

 

The tank is a Waterbox Peninsula Mini 15 with an AI Prime 16HD as a light. It has 2 clowns, a CUC with snails and hermits and 1 coral someone gave me.

My phosphates are 0 (Salifert test kit), and I think my lightning is fine. A few weeks ago I turned off the lights for a few days, and that really seemed to help. But as I currently have a coral that's no longer an option...

 

I do weekly 15% water changes, and I change the filter floss every 3 days. I do have a skimmer, but that's not installed yet.

 

The way I filter my tank:

- Filter floss (replaced every 3 days)

- Sponge (cleaned once a week)

- Carbon (replaced once a week)

- Bio Balls (cleaned once a week)

 

 

[debbeach13]

Can you post a picture of the algae?

[RickvD]

9 minutes ago, debbeach13 said:

Can you post a picture of the algae?

 

 

 

[Murphs_Reef]

How longs the tank been running dude? 

 

What's your nitrates and phosphate levels at?

[RickvD]

3 minutes ago, Murphs_Reef said:

How longs the tank been running dude?

About 3-4 months now.

 

3 minutes ago, Murphs_Reef said:

What's your nitrates and phosphate levels at?

Phosphate is 0, Nitrate is 0,5 (right before a water change)

[mcarroll]

At 3-4 months you'd want green hair algae, if anything, which would indicate that the tank is ready for corals.  That's obviously not hair algae. 😉

 

Your algae is seems a little green to be diatoms.  Not green enough to be cyano.  What is it's consistency if you touch it or try to wave it off the rocks – slimy or powdery or...?

 

So that makes me wonder if it's something "more interesting" like chrysophytes.  

 

You mention snails – do they seem to eat it at all?  Do they seem to be active and healthy?  Or do they seem "sleepy" or maybe even "drunk"?

 

Can you get a sample of that algae under a microscope?

 

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

About 3-4 months now.

 

Phosphate is 0, Nitrate is 0,5 (right before a water change)

Don't do anymore water changes until your numbers come up to normal range.

 

5 hours ago, RickvD said:

The way I filter my tank:

- Filter floss (replaced every 3 days)

- Sponge (cleaned once a week)

- Carbon (replaced once a week)

- Bio Balls (cleaned once a week)

 

Consider not using the sponge or floss for a while, if possible.  At least until your numbers come up.  👍

[RickvD]

39 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

That's obviously not hair algae. 😉

Really? Oh wow I thought it looked kind of hairy…

 

40 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

What is it's consistency if you touch it or try to wave it off the rocks – slimy or powdery or...?

More slimy. It’s also stuck on the rock pretty good. I can scrub it off, but I can’t suck it off.

 

41 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

do they seem to eat it at all?  Do they seem to be active and healthy?  Or do they seem "sleepy" or maybe even "drunk"?

They do seem to eat it a bit when they move. But they do seem very sleepy. Like they move a little bit, but not like I expected them to move. 
 

42 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Can you get a sample of that algae under a microscope?

Im afraid I can’t…

 

42 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Consider not using the sponge or floss for a while, if possible.  At least until your numbers come up.

Which numbers? I thought 0 Phosphate and 0,5 Nitrate was pretty good for a tank without many corals?

[MrP]

Start with lowering the intensity of your light unless you have reasoning for it to be that intense. What type of snails do you have? Some snails are just lazy by nature and most are nocturnal it seems.

[RickvD]

32 minutes ago, MrP said:

Start with lowering the intensity of your light unless you have reasoning for it to be that intense. What type of snails do you have? Some snails are just lazy by nature and most are nocturnal it seems.

My snails definitly move the most when lights are off. I have 4 nassarius snails, 6 trochus snails and 2 other snails. Don’t remember the name but their shells are spiky and they are a bit bigger then trochus. I also have 4 hermits. I have 1 coral that doesn’t need tons of light. I thought only white leds made algae grow? I’m new to saltwater so I might be completely wrong. But my whites are really low (using AB+) schedule.

[mcarroll]

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

Im afraid I can’t…

No problem.  👍

 

But if you're curious, even a toy scope like any of these can be used for "basic looking" like this.  And a decent (basic) REAL scope only costs $50-100....maybe a lot less if you find one used.  

 

A scope makes a cool combination with an aquarium.  🙂 🤓

 

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

Which numbers? I thought 0 Phosphate and 0,5 Nitrate was pretty good for a tank without many corals?

There's a lot of that going around.  I don't know any reputable sources recommending that, however.  None of the books I have do.  (Most were written before anyone could accurately test down to 0.00 ppm!!)  🤷‍♂️  

 

Corals and algae biologically require 0.03 ppm PO4 and at least trace levels (typically 5.0 ppm or more) of nitrate in a new tank.  When in balance, the actual numbers can be MUCH higher without causing problems for corals or with algae.  Nitrogen and phosphorous are both major essential nutrients for healthy algae AND corals (and most life), so this makes sense.

 

A mature reef will recycle a lot of nutritents AND typically has lots of fish being fed regularly – as a result, the tank's dissolved nutrient levels can be less important for algae and corals

 

What test kits you are using?  0.00 ppm from a digital tester means something quite different than "zero" from most other kinds of test kits.  

 

18 minutes ago, RickvD said:

My snails definitly move the most when lights are off.

Just to clarify, I was asking how they act when they are doing their thing.  I didn't actually care what time of day that do it.  (I'm not the boss of them!!)

 

If they are acting sluggish or "drunk"....perhaps even having problems staying on the glass...then I'll be wondering about toxins in the algae.

 

20 minutes ago, RickvD said:

I have 4 nassarius snails, 6 trochus snails and 2 other snails. Don’t remember the name but their shells are spiky and they are a bit bigger then trochus. I also have 4 hermits.

By my count, you have 8 scavengers and 8 herbivores.  

 

If you could trade 6 or 8 of the scavengers for more algae eaters, I would do it.

 

18 minutes ago, RickvD said:

I have 1 coral that doesn’t need tons of light.

Most corals don't require tons of light....they are stressed out by it!  🙂  5000-10000 lux will cover the basic needs of most corals.

 

Do you know how much light (in PAR or lux is fine) your tank is getting?  (I wouldn't make changes without knowing.)

 

18 minutes ago, RickvD said:

I thought only white leds made algae grow? I’m new to saltwater so I might be completely wrong. But my whites are really low (using AB+) schedule.

More or less true.  Check if any other non-blue channels are turned up.   Green and Red (maybe others) can also "encourage" algae.  If so, turn em down.  But honestly I'm not sure this is your problem.  Maybe overall intensity is too much....so testing your light would be useful.

[Murphs_Reef]

Yeah the phosphate number is a bit low.. I like mine between 0.03 and 0.1 as an example. Nitrate seems up at around 10 to 15. 

 

 

[RickvD]

On 8/13/2023 at 12:30 AM, mcarroll said:

A scope makes a cool combination with an aquarium.

Alright good to know I'll look into getting one!

 

On 8/13/2023 at 12:30 AM, mcarroll said:

What test kits you are using?

Im using Salifert test kits. I've been planning to buy Hanna at some point, but I've got a few things I want for my tank first. The weird thing is I don't quite understand the 0 Phosphate cause I don't think I clean my tank to much, and as I mostly feed frozen Mysis, I would expect atleast a good noticable amount of Phosphate...

 

On 8/13/2023 at 12:30 AM, mcarroll said:

Do you know how much light (in PAR or lux is fine) your tank is getting?

I don't know in PAR, I'm using the AB+ schedule on my 15 gallon and that's all I actually know. I also know that it mostly uses UV and blue's.

 

On 8/13/2023 at 12:30 AM, mcarroll said:

Check if any other non-blue channels are turned up.   Green and Red (maybe others) can also "encourage" algae.  If so, turn em down.  But honestly I'm not sure this is your problem.  Maybe overall intensity is too much....so testing your light would be useful.

Red and greens are on, but very low so I don't think that is the source of all of this algae. I can order a cheap par meter so test my lights, but overall the tank really isn't that bright when I look at it, so turning down lights will make the tank really dark (unless I start using whites).

 

On 8/13/2023 at 4:36 PM, Murphs_Reef said:

Yeah the phosphate number is a bit low.. I like mine between 0.03 and 0.1 as an example. Nitrate seems up at around 10 to 15. 

This could be the source of my algae? What would be a safe way to get my numbers up? As I said above, due to all the frozen Mysis I would expect atleast some noticable Phosphates.

 

EDIT: So first my water goes through filterfloss, then through sponge, then through carbon, then through bioballs and then through a skimmer (started using the skimmer yesterday and it is actually skimming some stuff already. Is there something you would change/remove for now or even forever? Like maybe filterfloss and filtersponge is just too much? I just read somewhere that sponge is actually more the freshwater version of bioballs, and because I use floss, my sponge is actually acting as another set of "bioballs / rock", is this true?

 

EDIT 2: The spots with no lightning, like in the cave, there is no algae what makes me think it might actually be the lightning.

[mcarroll]

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

Im using Salifert test kits. I've been planning to buy Hanna at some point, but I've got a few things I want for my tank first. The weird thing is I don't quite understand the 0 Phosphate cause I don't think I clean my tank to much, and as I mostly feed frozen Mysis, I would expect atleast a good noticable amount of Phosphate...

That's probably a pretty good (ie high quality) nutrient input.  

 

nutrient demand

But there's a lot of demand for major nutrients in a new tank!  🙂  Lots of things are growing and reproducing in order to fill in the well-lit space you've created – from bacteria and algae, to all those little reef critters that make a reef unique!  Corals too, in your case!!

 

So when you test for it, there's none left in the water because it's all been used up.  That's legit!

 

Having such low (or zero) levels of dissolved nutrients deprives reef critters that depend on dissolved P for growth and reproduction.

 

green algae are special

Algae like hair algae, unfortunately for us, is special on the reef in that it can access phosphates that are adsorbed to the calcium-based rocks and sand in the tank.  That phosphate doesn't show up on the phosphate test since it's not in the water, but it's there.  (Calcium minerals like aragonite work very much like GFO where it comes to chemical adsorption.)

 

tests are hard to read....and a testing tip

That said, drip tests like Salifert's aren't very readable when you get into the low range, and the lower the reading the harder the interpretation gets.   One thing that helps (me) with this is to have second vial of plain tank water next to your test vial when you're doing the color reading.   The tank sample gives you a color reference for "real zero" which will help your eyes discern the low levels of blue in the test sample.  

 

Any reading >0.03 is probably fine – if your can discern a reading that low.  Otherwise it would be practical (for you and the health of the tank) to have the phosphate level be up in the range where you CAN read it.  (That's probably more like >0.10 ppm.)

 

A low-range phosphate meter can be interesting, but depending on budget isn't really required.

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

I don't know in PAR, I'm using the AB+ schedule on my 15 gallon and that's all I actually know. I also know that it mostly uses UV and blue's.

I think you are right about the color.  👍

 

However, we're more interested in the intensity here.  

 

Once again, a little bit of gear would be helpful – for peace of mind and curiosity, even if there's no problem here.

 

Check out the LX-1010B lux meter on Amazon or eBay (or wherever else, it's a common model).  It shouldn't cost much (mine was $12 years ago) and it will give you readings that are good enough to give you an objective idea about the light going into the tank.   A lesser, but even cheaper option, is to use a lux meter app for your smartphone.  Galactica Luxmeter is one I've used off and on for quite a while, but there are LOTS of apps in the category these days.  Some apps have delivered crazy results though (probably an incompatible light sensor on a given smartphone) so make sure you do some tests on a known light source like a bright sunny day, so you can easily check your first results.  👍 (A handheld meter is much better for this and other reasons.)

 

Something else to consider.  🙂 

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

Red and greens are on, but very low so I don't think that is the source of all of this algae. I can order a cheap par meter so test my lights, but overall the tank really isn't that bright when I look at it, so turning down lights will make the tank really dark (unless I start using whites).

Blues and a little bit of white is all it takes.  You want a nice 20,000K blue...maybe as "white" as 15,000K depending on your preferences.

 

I would not use the discreet green and red channels unless you're getting into photography.  That's (partly) how you get photos that "pop" like this....

 

...from a coral that will look A LOT more like this in real life and under more realistic light...

(Same coral in both photos...."PC Rainbow Acropora")

 

THAT is what R and G leds are for.  🤷‍♂️

 

As long as there is a quality white light component in your AB+ setup, you shouldn't be able to notice the reds and greens going out.  (But if red and green ARE on enough to contribute to overall brightness, they they are definitely on too strong.  Algae will be much more sensitive to R and G wavelengths than your eyeballs.)

 

And there's nothing wrong with boosting white just a little if it really does seem too blue or too dark.

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

This could be the source of my algae?

In a round about way, via that selection process I described....yes.  

 

You really want coralline algae to start growing.  But how are you going to get a bloom of that going when nutrient levels are so close to zero?  (You're not.)

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

What would be a safe way to get my numbers up? As I said above, due to all the frozen Mysis I would expect atleast some noticable Phosphates.

There's no "unsafe" way.  🙂 

 

Eliminate as much of your cleaning and filtering processes as possible first, in case that makes enough of a difference.

 

Make sure you're feeding the fish very well, since that's your #1 nutrient input....feed more if there is room to, but not to the point of over-feeding and creating leftovers.  We want dissolved nutrients, not a nasty tank. 😉 

 

Lastly, Seachem and Brightwell both make phosphate supplements (might want to get nitrate too).  Other similar products would work.
 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

EDIT: So first my water goes through filterfloss, then through sponge, then through carbon, then through bioballs

That whole sequence can be removed, at least until things recover.  None are considered normal for a reef.  The problem is that all those filter remove things your reef would eat – particulates (floss, sponge) for corals, ammonia (bio balls) for anything photosynthetic or that otherwise utilizes ammonia (a favored source of N vs nitrate).  Removing food particles prematurely and having a filter competing with the live rock for ammonia (et al) almost always works against a new reef tank's needs.

 

Some folks run a little carbon if they are growing soft corals (especially leathers) to keep concentrations of terpenoids (etc) under control – those chemicals affect stony corals negatively.  Other uses for carbon (eg dino blooms) don't require everyday use.  (There are some potential detrimental effects from everyday carbon use too....seems mostly related to Tangs, but it's a poorly understood phenom.)

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

and then through a skimmer (started using the skimmer yesterday and it is actually skimming some stuff already.

A skimmer by itself is generally beneficial, and almost the only filter most reef tanks over the last 2-3 decades have used, so consider keeping it....but even this could be disabled for the time being, until nutrient levels normalize.  👍 (See the history of the Berlin Method.)

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

Is there something you would change/remove for now or even forever? Like maybe filterfloss and filtersponge is just too much? I just read somewhere that sponge is actually more the freshwater version of bioballs, and because I use floss, my sponge is actually acting as another set of "bioballs / rock", is this true?

More or less, yes.

 

9 hours ago, RickvD said:

EDIT 2: The spots with no lightning, like in the cave, there is no algae what makes me think it might actually be the lightning.

Well, any algae is going to prefer the lit areas.  But you can take a lux measurement and know if there's too much. 👍

 

The root issue is having nutrients available for (eg) coralline algae to take over.  (Seeding some coralline algae would also be a good idea if there's no sign of any in the tank already.)

[RickvD]

First off I want to say thanks so much for the long and detailled replies! I really appreciate it.

 

On 8/15/2023 at 4:55 PM, mcarroll said:

tests are hard to read....and a testing tip

This was a good tip, I did however not see a single difference... My girlfriend thought she saw a blue(ish) tint, but I didn't...

 

On 8/15/2023 at 4:55 PM, mcarroll said:

Eliminate as much of your cleaning and filtering processes as possible first, in case that makes enough of a difference.

 

Over the next few water changes I'm going to remove almost everything. I don't want to remove too much at once and risk crashing the system.

For now my skimmer is out, and in a few days I'll be removing the sponge. I then have the bioballs, carbon and filterfloss. Which off those should I also take out? I feel like the floss should be there cause otherwise there is no filter for the floating particles. It's gonna be weird to have an empty AIO back chamber, but I guess it's only temporary. If that also doesn't work, I'll start dosing.

On 8/15/2023 at 4:55 PM, mcarroll said:

The root issue is having nutrients available for (eg) coralline algae to take over.  (Seeding some coralline algae would also be a good idea if there's no sign of any in the tank already.)

How can I seed that? Just to be sure.

[mcarroll]

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

This was a good tip, I did however not see a single difference... My girlfriend thought she saw a blue(ish) tint, but I didn't...

Well, in that case there's a good chance your water is really near (or at) 0.00 ppm.

 

I'm leaning slightly toward wondering if this algae is Chrysophytes.   A microscope shot of it would really help.  How about a buddy with one?  At work?  School?  🙂 

 

You might want to do a little reading on what folks have posted about chrysophytes has been like for some other folks......here's a post (on another site) that shows what a fairly typical advanced case of chrysophytes looks like.  (I'm biased, but that's a really good thread. 😉 ) 

 

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

Which off those should I also take out?

Both the sponge and floss are there primarily to keep the bio balls clean. (At least that's typically how they're deployed.)  So they can all go together.  

 

If you want to phase out the bio-balls over the course of a week or two rather than removing them all at once, you could.  Ammonia processing being done there would have plenty of time to casually be taken over by the live rock, sand and other substrates in the system.  

 

IMO it won't be necessary, but it's not a bad precaution.  

 

But once the bio-balls are gone, the pre filters can both go too.  (There's actually no good reason to keep them once you know the bio-balls are going.....the bio-balls aren't going to "get dirty" during the week or two it takes to phase them out, so the floss and sponge could go immediately if you want.)

 

You could consider running the skimmer, but cutting the water or air flow enough so that it doesn't really skim, it just aerates.

 

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

I feel like the floss should be there cause otherwise there is no filter for the floating particles. It's gonna be weird to have an empty AIO back chamber, but I guess it's only temporary. If that also doesn't work, I'll start dosing.

The particles will become coral food as long as they can be kept adrift.  At minimum they will be allowed to make their fullest contribution to N and P by being left in the system vs being removed when the floss and sponges are cleaned.  

 

Having strong flow in the display will do the job of keeping detritus adrift in the display.  (Weak flow won't do it – so watch your detritus carefully.)

 

You may have to add a little flow to the back chamber to keep detritus from settling there.  One small powerhead should do it if you can place it strategically, and the chamber is more or less wide open.

 

Eventually the back chamber could be like my old sump:  return pump, flow pump, skimmer, ATO sensor.   That's it.

 

2 hours ago, RickvD said:

How can I seed that? Just to be sure.

Get some from the LFS – just about any source will work.  A small rock fragment with some one it.  Scrapping some off the wall of a tank at the store.  A scoop of sand/detritus from a system with lots of coralline growth.  A coral frag with plenty of coralline on/near it.  At least in the US there are outfits like Arcreef that culture bits of rock with coralline for individual sale.

 

 

[RickvD]

6 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Eventually the back chamber could be like my old sump:  return pump, flow pump, skimmer, ATO sensor.   That's it.

Alright I'll start working on that! I am wondering, how come almost every thread or video I come by, they use stuff like carbon, filter floss etc etc? They all use atleast something to catch the detrius. And for me, coming from freshwater it also feels wrong haha.

 

9 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Get some from the LFS

I can order a bottle of Coralline Algae Accelerator. Is that kind of the same? The fish stores over here sadly ain't that good, and most stuff has to be ordered online.

 

9 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

I'm leaning slightly toward wondering if this algae is Chrysophytes.

Alright I'll read that thread and watch some video's / topics about how to get rid of it.

 

10 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

A microscope shot of it would really help.  How about a buddy with one?  At work?  School?

I think it's going to be easier to just order a cheap kids microscope haha. Anything special I need to look out for when ordering one?

[RickvD]

quick second post:

can i start adding corals or should I wait till everything is under control?

[mcarroll]

32 minutes ago, RickvD said:

They all use atleast something to catch the detrius. And for me, coming from freshwater it also feels wrong haha.

IMO it's mostly historical.

 

It's partly because "freshwater does it that way", and most nano aquarium are intended as freshwater tanks (ie fish only tanks), and so are designed and built that way.  

 

Also, historically, there was no nano-sized reef gear for sale.   Reefing at any scale was newly successful, and a lot of the gear (eg skimmers) was as likely to be DIY as was to be commercially made.  So the reef gear available was all targeted at "the average" size range of tanks.

 

As a result (fast forwarding in time a lot), TONS of nano reefs are run more or less like freshwater tanks "because they can".  (Seemingly in spite of the tons of nano-sized reef gear being available more recently.)

 

If you check out the history of the so-called "Berlin Method" of reefing (not that easy to research, strangely, but a crucial tipping point in the success level of the hobby) you'll see how the reef side of the hobby developed away from the prefilter+bio-filter model, which at the time was referred to as the "HI-TECH" method of reefing.  

 

7 hours ago, RickvD said:

I can order a bottle of Coralline Algae Accelerator. Is that kind of the same? The fish stores over here sadly ain't that good, and most stuff has to be ordered online.

Maybe.  Look at, or ask about, the ingredients.  Coralline algae better be one of them.  If not, then it's probably a (eg) calcium dosing product.  👍

 

None of your stores even maintain a display reef??  Usually any bit of flotsam from a mature display will carry some coralline.

 

7 hours ago, RickvD said:

I think it's going to be easier to just order a cheap kids microscope haha. Anything special I need to look out for when ordering one?

It just needs to have lenses....which most toy scopes seem to!  

 

Doesn't have to be any more than 400x power or so....lower power (vs 1200x) is easier for some things, and still shows enough detail for most things.

 

Just don't spend too much on it.....if you find yourself wanting to spend a little more for something nicer for any reason, get a low end legitimate scope instead of a toy.   The main difference to me is that a toy shop will be plastic and very wiggly to use and hard(er) to focus on what you want to see....whereas a real scope will be steel and very solid in use....easier to use.  (I went through using both kinds of scopes.)

 

5 hours ago, RickvD said:

quick second post:

can i start adding corals or should I wait till everything is under control?

It's a bit risky adding corals, depending what course you choose and what corals you're thinking about....also considering the question mark about what kind of algae is currently growing.

 

With a positive ID and some liquid nutrients (N and P), it's conceivable that the tank could be ready for corals tomorrow.

 

That said, Nothing Good Happens Fast In A Reef Tank, so waiting until things balance out a bit isn't a bad idea.    😆

 

[RickvD]

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

That said, Nothing Good Happens Fast In A Reef Tank, so waiting until things balance out a bit isn't a bad idea.

Alright. I was hoping to add 2 zoas, but I will wait a bit longer. I have removed everything from the back chamher so now it’s just the ato, pump, heater and bioballs. The bioballs float so they are in the water, but debrius can go right past it. How long should it take before I notice anything different?

 

I’ve ordered a microscope, but it probably won’t arrive for atleast 3-4 days (I’m waiting on a package that was supposed to arrive monday… For now I made a few more pictures, who knows maybe it helps.

 

[RickvD]

I can’t blow it off rocks, or suck it off sand. 99% is on the sand, but a few places also on the rock. 
 

also, is an UV sterilizer worth looking into in my case?

[mcarroll]

3 hours ago, RickvD said:

How long should it take before I notice anything different?

I wouldn't wait more than a day or so.  If you are feeding regularly, then lots of nutrients (incl N and P) are going into the tank.  If you se NO CHANGE whatsoever on tests OR in the tank after a day or two, I'd begin dosing.

 

3 hours ago, RickvD said:

I can’t blow it off rocks, or suck it off sand. 99% is on the sand, but a few places also on the rock. 

That's fairly consistent with chrysophytes....they "lay around" like diatoms, but they are snotty/sticky (instead of powdery) and deposits tend to become MUCH thicker than diatoms.

 

It shouldn't be TOO hard to get them off of a rock or coral though...they don't "root" like hair algae does. I think I just used a soft toothbrush (and siphon hose) when I was cleaning them off my corals.  (Sand should just be siphoned out if it's covered.)

 

If you make the correction to nutrients and remove as much algae as possible by hand, IMO your tank shouldn't take long to turn around.....that might be all there is to it.  More/better algae growing would be one sign things are OK for corals.  (More chrysophytes growing would be the opposite.)

 

If you still wanna add those zoas, IMO once you have stable N and P levels established (via dosing or other means) for a few days AND assuming no re-growth in algae, then corals should be a good bet.  I probably wouldn't choose that moment to add a $500 frag though.  🙂   Something less irreplaceable would be better.

 

3 hours ago, RickvD said:

also, is an UV sterilizer worth looking into in my case?

If the algae wants to hang around after the corrections you make and after your first thorough cleaning, then maybe.   Watch for the re-growth after you clean out the existing algae.  Hopefully there won't be any, or it will be VERY minimal.   If it comes back strong, then UV would probably be a good next step.

[RickvD]

2 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

I wouldn't wait more than a day or so.  If you are feeding regularly, then lots of nutrients (incl N and P) are going into the tank.  If you se NO CHANGE whatsoever on tests OR in the tank after a day or two, I'd begin dosing.

Alright, after removing the filter I gave them some frozen mysis so after work I can do a quick test.

So I would be dosing Phosphate and Nitrate both every day right? For a limited time untill the algae is gone or for a longer time?

 

3 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

It shouldn't be TOO hard to get them off of a rock or coral though...they don't "root" like hair algae does. I think I just used a soft toothbrush (and siphon hose) when I was cleaning them off my corals.  (Sand should just be siphoned out if it's covered.)

If I go over them with a sponge they get of the rocks, but if a snail goes over them on the sand, they don't move at all...

 

4 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

 

If you make the correction to nutrients and remove as much algae as possible by hand, IMO your tank shouldn't take long to turn around.....that might be all there is to it.

It would be awesome if that is it... Tomorrow is waterchange day so I will give some attention to the glass, the sand and the rocks and see how much I can get off! Would it be smart to put my stock filtersock in the tank while doing that? So that every little bit of algae I miss, just goes in the sock and I can throw that out?

 

6 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

If you still wanna add those zoas, IMO once you have stable N and P levels established (via dosing or other means) for a few days AND assuming no re-growth in algae, then corals should be a good bet.  I probably wouldn't choose that moment to add a $500 frag though.  🙂   Something less irreplaceable would be better.

Someone near me gave me 2 frags for free to see how it would look. Not sure if I should keep them, or give them back for now.

 

9 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

If the algae wants to hang around after the corrections you make and after your first thorough cleaning, then maybe.   Watch for the re-growth after you clean out the existing algae.  Hopefully there won't be any, or it will be VERY minimal.   If it comes back strong, then UV would probably be a good next step.

Alright I will see what happens the next few days and then make a decision if it's worth the shot. I just got the tip of dosing hydrogen peroxide to rule out dinos as it should be pretty harmless to the rest. What is your opinion on that?

[mcarroll]

18 hours ago, RickvD said:

I just got the tip of dosing hydrogen peroxide to rule out dinos as it should be pretty harmless to the rest. What is your opinion on that?

Peroxide was a popular (but 100% unsuccessful) miracle cure for algae (including dino's) before I started that dino thread.  (It's one of the main reasons I started that thread.)  I'm pretty sure h2o2 wouldn't do anything for you like what you were told.   Any chance you can link where you saw that tip?  

 

Dino's aren't green for one thing....they're orangish....so we lack an indication that you have any dino's, at least so far.  

 

But if you want to see if you have any dino's in the mix, you can do a test for that (also on that thread I linked earlier if you flip back to the Page 1😞

 

1.Take a sample of the algae along with some tank water in a vial.

2.Cover it and shake the sample until the algae is pulverized to bits.

3.Then leave the sample under tank lights (or sunlight) and see what happens after several minutes to an hour.

4.If nothing happens – there are no dino's.

5.If you see that the algae has re-grouped into any kind of mass, you have dino's in the mix.  Only dino's really move like that.

[RickvD]

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

1.Take a sample of the algae along with some tank water in a vial.

2.Cover it and shake the sample until the algae is pulverized to bits.

3.Then leave the sample under tank lights (or sunlight) and see what happens after several minutes to an hour.

4.If nothing happens – there are no dino's.

5.If you see that the algae has re-grouped into any kind of mass, you have dino's in the mix.  Only dino's really move like that.

Alright I will try that. I tried another method with paper but that didn’t work.

I decided to run to the store and buy a cheap microscope. It was a hell to use but this is what I got… There were strings, but in and around those strings where triangle like things.

[mcarroll]

4 hours ago, RickvD said:

I decided to run to the store and buy a cheap microscope. It was a hell to use but this is what I got… There were strings, but in and around those strings where triangle like things.

SCOPE AND PICS

Cool!!  (If you find this fun or interesting, you'll end up wanting a real (metal) microscope like I did.  The toy is a good, but unsatisfying, starter scope.  It functions.)

 

It looks like the "noise" in the photo is more clear than your subject.  Are the little dots around the subject our supposed chrysophytes?  

 

Try these things for a better view...

 

Make sure the scope is on its lowest power for the clearest image and easiest focusing.  

 

Is the eyepiece adjustable?

 

Sometimes a little less light is better, makes less glare.

 

Try zooming in with your phone (a little or a lot).  

 

And try to get a better focus with the scope's focus knob.....but that may be the trickiest part.  Chances are there's no "fine focus" knob.  And of course it's plastic, so everything is "wobbly" like I said. 😉  Patience is the only "solution".

 

If you don't have a real microscope slide WITH coverslip, it will be EVEN HARDER to get a decent view with this scope.   You can get a small pack of slides and slips together for cheap...don't spend more on pre-cleaned slides if you want the cheapest, but know they WILL need to be cleaned before using.

 

FYI, my real scope isn't high end (I think it's a former junior high school scope), and it also lacks a fine focus.  But the main focus is SO SMOOOOOTH, and it's only a low-power scope, so fine focus isn't really "necessary".)  I found my scope used for $10 at a thrift store.  Later on I added a 3D adjustable stage and replaced the mirror with an LED light....both from eBay.  (Real scopes have more or less standard fittings.)  I'm very happy with it in this form.  A fine focus knob and >400X power would both be handy every once in a while, but (so far) it's not worth the cost of upgrading the whole scope.

 

DIATOMS AND ALGAE

When you say "triangle", that makes me things diatoms – they are very symmetrical and often geomentrical as well.  

 

From your description it sounds like they were living as epiphytes on the main algae though – and the main algae is what we're most interested in.

 

Diatoms are common as epiphytes – usually a sign of a healthy tank or healthy algae growth.  This is not a bloom, just their natural base lifestyle.  Many algae, including dinoflagellates and chrysophytes, also live this way.  (epiphytes, zoophytes, benthic or free living are their options)

 

BUT....

 

...dino's (and probably chrysophytes; we know much less about them....e.g. I've never seen a single positive ID of a specie or genera.) have a "more interesting" alternate strategy when their host algae dies off or becomes inhospitable:

 

They aren't limited to autotrophy/primary productiong/photosynthesis.  When conditions are bad (eg. lack of accessible dissolved phosphate), they give up the epiphytic lifestyle – they become mobile (I suspect this happens as the population turns over....not sure I've read about any transformations of live Dinos from epiphyte to motile...and THEY CAN EAT

 

It this life mode (unlike when they are epiphytes), they create a toxic bloom and more or less kill everything around them except bacteria (and cyanobacteria, amazingly)....probably to create free nutrients for themselves...or at least to create more bacteria for them to eat until more ideal nutrient conditions return naturally....which in the wild typically happens with the seasons.