get rid of algae in display

wrasse

Member
Hey guys, I got an imbalance in something in my aquarium. I am getting a lot of algae growth on my live rock and I'm getting some algae growth on some corals mostly my montipora. I looked at the algae in my display is just part of doing business, having an aquarium. I see tanks on cr that look awesome and don't have my current algae problems, so I want to get rid of the algae in my display.

Here is what I have:
I have an ATS but took it down it didn't seem to produce a lot of algae.
I have a refugium with calepura it seems to grow a lot. I took on 40-50% just recently. Someone recommended that maybe the calepura was leaching back phosphates and or nitrates into the aquarium.
I have filter socks for mechanical filtration. I change them about once a week.
I have a vertex 150 Skimmer, which I seem to be able to only dial-in right
once in a while either producing too much, just water, or little to no skim.
I do 10% water changes about twice a month.
I had an alk dip a few weeks ago and increased my alk and calcium both to dosing 55ml a day, via apex. Total tank volume is about 117 gallons. I wad only dosing 20 ml a day for a long time.
For flow I have one mp40, use to have two. Also, I have just installed in the past 30 days 2 rw8 still trying to dial in right.
I have a 8x8x4 Marinepure brick on order to add to fuge to see if I can boost the bacterial surface area in the aquarium and get a dentrification zone, I have a bare bottom tank and my rock is BRS reef saver which is very porous and most likely a good waste trap.

I want to get rid of the algae growing on montipora, other corals, and dispay.
So any ideas what's going on?

I'll post some pics.
I have some ideas what might be going on, but I might be coming to the wrong conclusions. I wanted to get some ideas form CR.
Any help would be great.:help1:
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You are on the right track. That looks like C. Prolifera which I have found to be nice to use but not aggressive enough of a grower to be good at nutrient removal by itself. C. Mexicana and C. paspaloides are very fast growers and do most of my dirty work. I grab to stuff out by the handfuls weekly and throw it out.
 

wrasse

Member
You are on the right track. That looks like C. Prolifera which I have found to be nice to use but not aggressive enough of a grower to be good at nutrient removal by itself. C. Mexicana and C. paspaloides are very fast growers and do most of my dirty work. I grab to stuff out by the handfuls weekly and throw it out.
If you think it would help, can I get some from you when you clean some out?
 

tinman

Well-known member
i used to have the same problem, its mostly cause of coral death ( meaning that monti will die for some other reason and leach phosphates and then the algae starts growing there)

1. if you are not against chemicals, use Chemiclean .. yes it helps with algae also not just cyano.

2. Check your magnesium levels

3. decrease your white light duration/intensity for a few days and see if it makes any difference ,,,,, if you are running a full spectrum light kill the red lights completely

4. one mp40 may be not sufficient for that tank size .. may be

5. do about 50% water change in 5 installments with good salt. ( preferably after you use chemiclean if you do so.. )
 

Smitty

Premium member
How much live rock do you have in there? And how long has the tank been set up?


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If you think it would help, can I get some from you when you clean some out?
Abolutely, it's a 40B that is packed wall to wall with Macros. There are multiple kinds in there also. I grew up in Orland and my parents still live there, so I am out that way often.
 

wrasse

Member
i used to have the same problem, its mostly cause of coral death ( meaning that monti will die for some other reason and leach phosphates and then the algae starts growing there)

1. if you are not against chemicals, use Chemiclean .. yes it helps with algae also not just cyano.
I might haave some, I am not sure if it is expired or if it expires
2. Check your magnesium levels
its reading about 1350
3. decrease your white light duration/intensity for a few days and see if it makes any difference ,,,,, if you are running a full spectrum light kill the red lights completely
I have 1 radion over the aquarium set on natural mode
4. one mp40 may be not sufficient for that tank size .. may be
I have 2 rw8 pumps in aquarium I am still working on placement some areas to much current others very little.
5. do about 50% water change in 5 installments with good salt. ( preferably after you use chemiclean if you do so.. )
I have always used Reef Crystal in this set up.
 

wrasse

Member
How much live rock do you have in there? And how long has the tank been set up?


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Tank has been up almost 3 Years.
The amount of rock I am not sure 40 to 80 pounds? wet or dry. I'll try to add more pictures.
 

Smitty

Premium member
Tank has been up almost 3 Years.
The amount of rock I am not sure 40 to 80 pounds? wet or dry. I'll try to add more pictures.
The reason I asked is because you may not have enough biological filtration in the system. The tank is over 100 gallons, and you need approx. 1-2lbs of rock per gallon. Also the fact you don't have any sand neither to help with the nitrogen cycle. So, maybe your tank doesn't have enough biological filtration to convert the no2 and phos, which is fueling the algae.
 

wrasse

Member
You read my mind Smitty
I have the marine pure brick on order. The brick is supposed to make a dentrification zone, like a sand bed.
Thinking I'm going to do some of those water changes and cycle the brick in water from water changes.
I read that the new marine pure can strip the water of O when getting populated by bacteria.
 

Danieldv6

Member
Jim..correct me if am wrong but dont remember seen any snails or cuc the other day I was there..very nice set up and bonsai style rocks..I went thru a big bloom algae problem..red first,brown later and green last..but..3 turbos,5 trochus and 5 astrea took care of it..here is pic for reference.hope you dont mindView attachment 18317
 

wrasse

Member
Jim..correct me if am wrong but dont remember seen any snails or cuc the other day I was there..very nice set up and bonsai style rocks..I went thru a big bloom algae problem..red first,brown later and green last..but..3 turbos,5 trochus and 5 astrea took care of it..here is pic for reference.hope you dont mindView attachment 18317
Yeah I got a different situation there.:slug::slug::slug::slug:
I picked up an earmuff wrasse recently. He is a killer. He has been going after the snails. Any ideas for a cuc he won't go after would be great.
I turn snails over daily and pull the dead ones to avoid organic waste.
 

Mr. Thingdoer

New member
What are your nutrient parameters?
I think a MarinePure block may help with export by converting organics to gas, but only if the ceramic block created ideal anoxic condition for facultative bacteria to populate.
I'm doing things a little differently than others, but here's my 2 cents.
The whole point of going bare bottom (for me at least) is to enable you to easily remove organics before they begin the nitrification process. High flow, aggressive skimming, and other mechanical filtration helps achieve this. It's the foundation to a low-nutrient bare bottom system.
If I was you, the first thing I'd do is figure out how to optimize your skimming capabilities, even if it means getting a different skimmer. The other thing I'd do is change out filter socks every three days at most.
I think those things, in combination with your new ceramic media block, and switching to a hungrier macro algae will help keep your nutrients down moving forward.
 

wrasse

Member
What are your nutrient parameters?
I think a MarinePure block may help with export by converting organics to gas, but only if the ceramic block created ideal anoxic condition for facultative bacteria to populate.
I'm doing things a little differently than others, but here's my 2 cents.
The whole point of going bare bottom (for me at least) is to enable you to easily remove organics before they begin the nitrification process. High flow, aggressive skimming, and other mechanical filtration helps achieve this. It's the foundation to a low-nutrient bare bottom system.
If I was you, the first thing I'd do is figure out how to optimize your skimming capabilities, even if it means getting a different skimmer. The other thing I'd do is change out filter socks every three days at most.
I think those things, in combination with your new ceramic media block, and switching to a hungrier macro algae will help keep your nutrients down moving forward.

Working on skimmer I built a stand for my skimmer so it sits at desired range.

Vertex omega 150
was at 9 inches but now its between 7/12 and 8 inches for water level.
 

wrasse

Member
You are on the right track. That looks like C. Prolifera which I have found to be nice to use but not aggressive enough of a grower to be good at nutrient removal by itself. C. Mexicana and C. paspaloides are very fast growers and do most of my dirty work. I grab to stuff out by the handfuls weekly and throw it out.
that would be great. I sent you a pm
Thanks!
 
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