paronaram

Experienced Reefer
Location
Manalapan, NJ
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Massive algae outbreak
clear.png

Check this video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hc999e4917xrxu2/2017-04-18 03.54.35.mp4?dl=0
Maybe someone can help ID? I did search around and nothing is similar to what I have.
I know that it starts growing after I increase the Blue from 32% to 70% within 48 hours. Maybe I need to blackout for 2-3 days?
Corals look better- mushrooms, Pulsing Xenia (start pulsing, never pulsed in this tank), dead/ bleached SPS start showing live ! But algae grows everywhere
Water chemistry is good, no major changes.
Tank is running from 9/16.

Thanks,
Aram
 
Location
MURICA
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What kind of light is on there? Can you take a pic or video with more a more natural color or white, so we can see what color the algae is.

Is it fuzzy, stringy, leafy..? The more accurate description u can give will better help identify it and hopefully resolve it.

U said it appeared after a lighting change? How long after?

Do u have any kind of chemical filtration in there? Chemipure blue, phosgard or something similar?
 

Dre

JUNIOR MEMBER
Location
NY/NJ
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Yeah, what color algae? Cut back on the intensity and the day length will help. You may have to get to it with a brush?
 
Location
MURICA
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Sorry im asking alot of questions but unfortunately the answer to whats causing the algae isnt always very apparent and sometimes its a combination of things.

I looked at the video again on a bigger screen...there seems to be alot of coralline in the tank. Are you using any kind of purple up or coralline algae accellerator? What else may you be dosing or adding to the tank that would make the water nutrient rich?

As you have seen the bad things in reef tanks happen very quickly and reversing the effects can take days or weeks, so the more you can narrow down the problem and correct it, the less severe the problem will become.
 

paronaram

Experienced Reefer
Location
Manalapan, NJ
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17   0   0
Thanks everybody for all this ideas, here is one more video (sorry sideways)
Will take another one today with regular light:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kiipt96dpofdj75/20170420_220851.mp4?dl=0

Since then I turn the light fixture (Maxspect R420R) off for 3 days.
During that time I did one scheduled WC.

Algae is white color, at the beginning it was so fine so on the touch you will not even feel it. Today it feels like a slime.

It start growing after I change the "Blue" level from 30% (on the max) to
70% (on the max) within 24 hours (I guess not long enough stretch), and algae start growing after 48 hours.

After blackout it turn brown, some rocks I removed and left the on the deck to dry, coral plugs transferred on other rocks and now I have to rescape all over again :tired:
and using toothbrush to clean it off.

I don't feed my reef, since everything I have is photosynthetic. Sometimes (once a week) I add some Reef Chili

Also I don't have chemical filtration. Overflow -> 10micron sock-> vertex omega 150-> return pump

Turbo snail did not like it
 

paronaram

Experienced Reefer
Location
Manalapan, NJ
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Sorry im asking alot of questions but unfortunately the answer to whats causing the algae isnt always very apparent and sometimes its a combination of things.

I looked at the video again on a bigger screen...there seems to be alot of coralline in the tank. Are you using any kind of purple up or coralline algae accellerator? What else may you be dosing or adding to the tank that would make the water nutrient rich?

As you have seen the bad things in reef tanks happen very quickly and reversing the effects can take days or weeks, so the more you can narrow down the problem and correct it, the less severe the problem will become.

I almost have no coralline algae, it's my phone picks up light. Will take another video with natural light.
Only thing I dose it kalkwasser
Was thinking to start some Magnesium current level is 1150
but after I'm done with algae.
 
Location
MURICA
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Well if there was no algae before the lights intensity was increased and started shortly after, then that is a likely cause.

I would have left the rock in there and just decreased the lighting back down to what you had it at prior to the algae bloom. I would also pick up some kind of chemical filtration media, chemipure elite or blue, to absorb any po4 that may be in there.

Recently had a algae problem that i attributed to my lighting. Was running a T5 fixture and the bulbs were well over due for a changing. All was good for the first 3 months and then over the course of a week i had cloudy water, alot of really fine brown algae growing on the upward facing rock surfaces and was changing the filter floss daily. Same as you, the CUC wasnt making a dent or able to keep up with it.

Upgraded to leds, slowly acclimated the light from a low intensity and increased in small increments once a week. Now about a month later, the algae is almost non-existent.

After the algae clears up, slowly increase the intensity till you get it where you want it.

Keep us posted. Good luck.
 

paronaram

Experienced Reefer
Location
Manalapan, NJ
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Nothing helped from all suggestions, so I'm on the 10th day on antibiotics Fluconazole.
It was recommended to keep it for 14 days.
This weekend I will fry to siphon some with airline tubing... I'm thinking if antibiotics did something to it, at least I will be able to siphon it off from rocks.
Sand is different story I may need to by some reef sand and just cover this mess up.
In included short video you can see how algae transforming from almost clear fuzz to brown bunches (maybe it's going away :scratchch )

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4efwm0y1jck45g/2017-06-02%2002.17.35.mp4?dl=0

Thanks
Aram
 

Juano908

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Nothing helped from all suggestions, so I'm on the 10th day on antibiotics Fluconazole.

It was recommended to keep it for 14 days.

This weekend I will fry to siphon some with airline tubing... I'm thinking if antibiotics did something to it, at least I will be able to siphon it off from rocks.

Sand is different story I may need to by some reef sand and just cover this mess up.

In included short video you can see how algae transforming from almost clear fuzz to brown bunches (maybe it's going away :scratchch )



https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4efwm0y1jck45g/2017-06-02 02.17.35.mp4?dl=0



Thanks

Aram



Have you checked your Nitrate?


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Mattl22

Advanced Reefer
Location
Garden city
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98   0   0
Hi 0 nitrates is def falling out of favor with most reefers these days just from others I talk to and personal exp try keeping 5-10 ppm some ppl dosing nitrate to bump them up
That being said I think algae bloom can happen in tanks less then yr even 2 yrs old def wanna keep turbo snails they are awesome


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paronaram

Experienced Reefer
Location
Manalapan, NJ
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Thank you All.
So what you all dose to raise Nitrate ?
I have Phosphate almost 0 and Nitrate 0.
The options I see are: Flourish Nitrogen or Potassium nitrate

BTW very nice video
 

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