Algea Bloom

[panmanmatt]

Diatoms need to run their course then they will disappear. They feed off of silicates which are usually found in the sans we use. Once they use up all the silicates they will die off and be gone. Removing them, unfortunately, prolongs their existence. I know they are unsightly, but the only real way to get rid of them is to let them die off on their own.

 

[ThatGuy]

So its been about 2 weeks and about 4 water changes since I got the rodi unit(thanks AJ1080) and there is still algea everywhere. The only up side it the HA has almost dissappeared(most likely the turbo snails) but now the cyno is popping up everywhere and the (Diatoms i think)brown algea on rocks and sand is still everywhere the cyno isn't. How long might it take for this whole thing to run its course?

 

[mfisher2112]

How much water and how often did you change it?

Remember, if you have been using well water for any length of time, whatever may have been in that water is in the rocks, the sand, etc in the tank, not just in the water. It will take some time before you see a significant decrease. As you continue using RO/DI to make your water AND top off water (not just water change water!), you will stop adding the elements these things are feeding on, but you have to let them consume what is still in the tank, and that could take a while.

I had a random outbreak of Cyano not long ago in my 30 gallon. After over a year of running the tank, it just popped up out of nowhere. To be honest, I STOPPED water changes temporarily, and after about 2 weeks or so of doing nothing to the tank but topping off with RO/DI and feeding every 2 to 3 days very lightly, the cyano ran its course.

Diatoms will (as someone else stated) have to run their course once their food source is depleted.

You can mix up a new bucket of water and "scrub" the rock in that a little at a time to break up what is remaining and try to remove some of it, but honestly, it will most likely just continue to grow back until it's food source is depleted.

Make sure you have some good sand sifting snails too. That will help keep things "stirred" up safely without actually disturbing the sand bed manually.

I know it sucks, but patience (combined with good husbandry practices) is the only real way to solve a major algae outbreak.

So its been about 2 weeks and about 4 water changes since I got the rodi unit(thanks AJ1080) and there is still algea everywhere. The only up side it the HA has almost dissappeared(most likely the turbo snails) but now the cyno is popping up everywhere and the (Diatoms i think)brown algea on rocks and sand is still everywhere the cyno isn't. How long might it take for this whole thing to run its course?

 

[ThatGuy]

How much water and how often did you change it?

Weekly and about 25gal

Remember, if you have been using well water for any length of time, whatever may have been in that water is in the rocks, the sand, etc in the tank, not just in the water. It will take some time before you see a significant decrease. As you continue using RO/DI to make your water AND top off water (not just water change water!), you will stop adding the elements these things are feeding on, but you have to let them consume what is still in the tank, and that could take a while.
.

Use only RODI water now. The problem popped up when I got back into corals and started to do water changes weekly. When I had a FOWLR it was more like monthly or bymonthly, didn't have any algea, just sponges(EVERYWHERE).

Make sure you have some good sand sifting snails too. That will help keep things "stirred" up safely without actually disturbing the sand bed manually.

Have some long tounge nassarius snail(no clue how many, maybe 5), and regular nassarius snail(4), and a Sandsifting Star.

I know it sucks, but patience (combined with good husbandry practices) is the only real way to solve a major outbreak.

Just getting fustrated because its encroaching on some corals and I have to continually scrape it off of rocks and I feel like I will have no sand by the time the cyno quits.(lol)

I guess every thing just takes time. This just happens to be one of those things that take a LONG time.

Josh

 

[mfisher2112]

Ok. So let me see if I have it straight in my head before I continue:

You got back into corals and kicked up your water changes, but were using un-treated well water?

If that is the case, then that is most likely where you got the elements that the algae are feasting on. (Contrary to what anyone will tell you, we ALL have algae, it's just a matter of how well it is contained as to whether you see it or not, and all it takes is the right conditions for it to surge significantly).

Now that you have done significant water changes and have switched over to RO/DI, I'd slow it down a bit.

Give the tank a couple of weeks to "settle" down. Believe it or not, algae does not just feed on nutrients that are comprised of waste, the water changes could be double fueling the algae with trace elements in addition to the nutrients in the system from the use of the well water.

For hair algae: use the "harvest" method. As it grows long enough to pluck clumps of it off, turn off your pumps, pluck it out, and then turn the pumps back on. Don't just scrape it off and let it lie in the tank, it WILL find its way to a new root spot, and continue growing. You want to actually plug out as much of it as you can manually, and do your best to not let it fly around the tank when you do (thus turning off the pumps while you do this)

For Cyano and Diatoms (brown "dust"), you honestly just have to let it run its course.

Once the tank has settled for a week or two with no water changes, only evaporation top-off with RO/DI, then resume water changes IF your nutrient levels are beginning to spike upwards. But I'd honestly stick to about 10 to 15% every week to 10 days as a new water change regiment.

And get yourself a skimmer that is pulling skimmate from the tank. A good in sump skimmer won't break the bank for that sized tank. The HOB skimmer youre using now is undersized for your tank. My general rule of thumb on skimmers is whatever the manufacturer rates it, half it, and that's what it can probably actually handle.

Like I said earlier, I found that temporarily suspending the water changes actually allowed the cyano outbreak I had to run its course faster.

As for the diatoms etc encroaching on the coral, using a turkey baster, just gently blow it off the coral as you see it starting to get bad again. As it runs its course, it will show up less and less on the corals. But again, it needs to deplete its food source before that will happen, there is no quick fix for this, and because of the prolonged well water use, it will have to be depleted not only from the water column, but also from the rock and sand as well. You can also use the turkey baster to "suck" out anything that might be filming on the sand. Again, like the hair algae, trying not to scatter it in the tank too much.

Keep the faith! You can beat this, but this is the time you need the MOST patience with this hobby!

Weekly and about 25gal



Use only RODI water now. The problem popped up when I got back into corals and started to do water changes weekly. When I had a FOWLR it was more like monthly or bymonthly, didn't have any algea, just sponges(EVERYWHERE).

Make sure you have some good sand sifting snails too. That will help keep things "stirred" up safely without actually disturbing the sand bed manually.

Have some long tounge nassarius snail(no clue how many, maybe 5), and regular nassarius snail(4), and a Sandsifting Star.

I know it sucks, but patience (combined with good husbandry practices) is the only real way to solve a major outbreak.

Just getting fustrated because its encroaching on some corals and I have to continually scrape it off of rocks and I feel like I will have no sand by the time the cyno quits.(lol)

I guess every thing just takes time. This just happens to be one of those things that take a LONG time.

Josh

 

[ThatGuy]

I did upgrade my skimmer. Now I have Skimmers. Still running the HOB rated for 75gal but also have another one rated for 125 gal. Took about 4 days for the new guy to start working but between the both of them and getting an eel thats a messy eater, they pull some nasty stuff(smells terrible). Maybe I'll cut back a little on the water changes and just keep an eye on my nitrates.

Josh

 

[mfisher2112]

Good deal. Keep the faith! It will come around! And keep us posted.

I did upgrade my skimmer. Now I have Skimmers. Still running the HOB rated for 75gal but also have another one rated for 125 gal. Took about 4 days for the new guy to start working but between the both of them and getting an eel thats a messy eater, they pull some nasty stuff(smells terrible). Maybe I'll cut back a little on the water changes and just keep an eye on my nitrates.

Josh