Algae on tip of my Stylo

[MikesReef]

Hello I have tried dipping the styli in revive several times. I can't seem to make the algae go away. I am having issues with Algae on my SPS. I need some advice regarding how to keep algae off the sps. Any suggestions?

 

[NJ Reef Farm]

lower your nutrients to stop algae
keep your alk stable

 

[dnov99]

Mike, the algae is growing on the coral, because that part of the coral is dead. Check your parameters mainly ALK and PO4 and if you have clippers try clipping that part of the skeleton off. Something is out of whack which is causing the stylo to bleach out on the tips.

 

[MikesReef]

I cut away all that had algae growing on it. Let's see how it goes. I am interested in keeping the rock of a coral that had to be sacrificed. Any idea what these green spots are? Is this normal coraline algae. Or is this anything of concern?

 

[dnov99]

Kind of hard to tell from that picture, but I doubt its coraline algae if its green. It almost looks like individual leaves of Halimeda starting to sprout up from the rock. Is the texture slimy or hard to the touch??

 

[MikesReef]

It is hard to the touch. Regardless the rock is out of the tank.

I tested my alk, it is the same at 11.5 probably overfeeding issue

 

[spotter]

what kind of stylo is that? it looks pretty white or is that just the picture?

 

[dnov99]

Mike, the tips of the sps most likely are "burning" due to your alk being too high. 11.5 is pretty high. I would slowly bring it down to the 8-9 range.


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[mnat]

Mike, the tips of the sps most likely are "burning" due to your alk being too high. 11.5 is pretty high. I would slowly bring it down to the 8-9 range.


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+1 Burned tips form the high alk and then algae growing there.

 

[MikesReef]

Perhaps a stupid question what is the best way of bringing alk down safely?

 

[mnat]

Are you dosing anything for alk and have you tested calcium?

 

[Sunny]

Perhaps a stupid question what is the best way of bringing alk down safely?

Stop dosing ALK Mike. Also you should consider a larger (20%) water change. I know you have genesis and you do like 3 - 5 gallons a day, but larger WC will help.

 

[MikesReef]

I dont dose alk. My calcium is 440 mag was around 1100 alk was 11.5

 

[dnov99]

I dont dose alk. My calcium is 440 mag was around 1100 alk was 11.5

I believe I saw an MTC calcium reactor in your tank thread. Is that online?? If so that is what is raising your alk. You need to lower the bubble count slightly and this will in turn lower your alk. You don't want to stop dosing as this will drop the level too quickly and stress your corals even further. Once you lower the bubble count test your alk daily to see if it begins to drop. Also your mag is low, bring it up to 1400, via dosing, this will also help to buffer your parameters.


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[Sunny]

I believe I saw an MTC calcium reactor in your tank thread. Is that online?? If so that is what is raising your alk. You need to lower the bubble count slightly and this will in turn lower your alk. You don't want to stop dosing as this will drop the level too quickly and stress your corals even further. Once you lower the bubble count test your alk daily to see if it begins to drop. Also your mag is low, bring it up to 1400, via dosing, this will also help to buffer your parameters.


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Darren

He mentioned he is not dosing ALK.

Mike

I do not have a Ca reactor so cannot speak for it. Darren uses it so try what he said.

Sunny

 

[mnat]

Good eye Darren. The Mtc can be a bit tough to dial in as the little needle wheel can be sensitive. Counting bubbles is the most accurate way to get it dialed in. We tested daily for three weeks or so when we first set it up. We conntinue to monitor it to make sure coral growth also does not pull it out of whack.

 

[MikesReef]

yes it is online.

ok I also have the zeo mag chips I need to mix with calcium media and add in the second chamber of the MTC

 

[dnov99]

Ok, Mike the calcium reactor is what is dosing and raising your ALK. What type of media are you using?? I strongly recommend using ARM extra coarse, anything else will turn to mush in a few months and clog up your entire reactor. I was going to mention the second chamber should be filled, but for MG this xtra coarse media will raise your MG too, making it not necessary to use the mag chips. Mine is always around 1400. Lastly, how many bubbles per second is the reactor set at?? I can give you a full lesson on the reactor when you come to the meeting. They do take time to get dialed in, but once it is, it keeps everything balanced perfectly.

Here is the media I use, I have tried all different ones over the years and this is the one I have had the best results with far and away.

http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-supplies/C-00531.html

 

[NikkiT]

I know very little about calcium reactors and dialing them in. What I do know is that when you set one up for the first time (like we did with our new tank), you need to go through a period where you test Alk every day, at the same time of day, to see what your Alk is doing. We put up a white board in our fish room where we write down test results so that we can see the trends and we are not trying to remember what our previous results were. Once it is dialed in, as Darren says, it keeps everything balanced, but for the first several weeks to several months (depending how good you are at dialing it in) you need to test.

 

[MikesReef]

I am using ARM ultra high purity aragonite from Carib Sea. It does not say extra coarse, I will use the extra coarse stuff once I run out of the stuff I have now. Mag is up to 1100 and Alk is down to 10.5 after I did a 30 gallon water change and shut off the calcium reactor. I measured calcium last night and it was 450

Alk 10.5
Calc 450
Mag 1100
I assume this is going to take a week or so to level out. Per advice I received so far I am dealing with the alk issue by doing a water change and I also shut off the calcium reactor . Once things get to where I want them to be I will then turn the reactor back on. I realize it is going to take some time and close monitoring to set the CR appropriately. thanks for the feedback.