Please help

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

My 220 display is quickly deteriorating. Please offer suggestions on how to resolve. If it’s algae I know I have to reduce the light and the nutrients but if it’s something else I could use some advice. I’ve cleaned a number of times and it breaks up and ends up all over the tank. Also once floating in the water it wrapped around birds nest and ended up killing it. Thanks

 

[Narwhalwall]

If it’s algae, it’s likely some combo of phosphates and nitrates. GFO will be your friend. If you’re worried about the broken up algae smothering coral, I would grab a large fish net, turn off the pumps, and scoop the algae up once you break it. Don’t do too much at once otherwise catching it all will be a real chore. alternatively, run some poly filter and break it up like normal with pumps on. But watch the tank with a turkey baster in hand and blow water on any colonies that get slapped with algae. Probably should change poly filter really often as well.

 

[diana a]

Dino?

 

[NikkiT]

My 220 display is quickly deteriorating. Please offer suggestions on how to resolve. If it’s algae I know I have to reduce the light and the nutrients but if it’s something else I could use some advice. I’ve cleaned a number of times and it breaks up and ends up all over the tank. Also once floating in the water it wrapped around birds nest and ended up killing it. Thanks

Can you post a photo, please?

 

[diana a]

What are your nitrates and phosphates?

 

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

 

[Goodair]

When you do a wc, pull as much out while having the hose stuck it out, urchins should eat that stuff if its short, won't eat it at that size. You can also try vibrant and see if that works, but will still have to do the manual removal.

 

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

I am battling high nitrates and phosphates but I want to make sure I correctly identify what is growing so I know what I am dealing with.

 

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

Tangs don’t touch it.

 

[Yates273]

Trim it down with flow off put an urchin in there. Also try turbo snails. Try the natural way before you start messing around with any chemicals. If you can remove rock you can also kill with peroxide

 

[ericrodriguez]

I’m no expert but this looks like algae for me
I have used a toothbrush and them remove the filter Flos ..

 

[Trio91]

That looks like Dinos at first glance. If it is, Tangs, urchins n snails won't touch it

 

[Trio91]

That birds nest looks to be in bad shape too, seems like it was being smoothed by the algae

 

[kabal2]

use something similar but with a toothbrush every time you do a water change

 

[Ezve]

Use less white light Try to stick with the blues After you finish cleaning the tank

 

[brokereefer]

Use less white light Try to stick with the blues After you finish cleaning the tank

And try to minimize ambient light (i.e. Light from windows shining on the tank).

 

[diana a]

Turn off the pumps (you don’t want to blow filaments around, that will just send them to the far reaches of your tank to grow again). With a hose draining into your sump sock, get your hand in there and start pulling with your thumb next to the intake of the hose. Throw out what is in the sock. You need to find out what is the underlying issue

 

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Seems like the consensus is hair algae. I will brush the rocks down again trying to be more careful not to let it escape into the water column. When i brushed the rock short once before and tangs and snails didn't help out, I started wondering if it was something other than hair algae.

 

[HudsonReefer]

Sry u r experiencing this. What is ur source water? TDS ? Idk if I missed in thread. What are the nitrate and phosphate lvls? What test kits are you using. How often do u do water changes? Any media reactors? GFO or Rowaphos? If so when is it replaced? Lighting. Kelvin and photo period? Once u knock it down blue tuxedo urchins, work wonders, astrea snails and hermits. Also when doing water changes try to siphon through a little section of the sand bed each time. Great points by all. Good luck

 

[Narwhalwall]

I think a lot of tangs just hate hair algae for one reason or another. My hippo won’t touch it, and I’ve seen others online who have picky tangs. She likes nori though!