Algae bloom why?

Discussion in 'Algae' started by GAZBO, Apr 9, 2012.

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  1. GAZBO

    GAZBO Fire Shrimp

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    Ok its now been three weeks since the big move I got a 125 established tank which I put in my 150 gallon that I rebuilt. week after that I bought a 75 gallon contents mainly for more live rock but came with some really nice leather's and some polyps and misc. critters. Been waiting for a bloom to happen and now it did and I guess its been to long and can"t remember alot about the algae blooms if its anything to worry about. Its started with a light brown in color covering the glass, sand, and some rock nothing major and then in the last two days I now have bubbles with red slime starting on my live rock.I have been over feeding a little do to the blue hippo tang that broke out with a major ich outbreak with the stress of the move he is now looking better and the feedings are cut down. I have been testing my ammonia,nitrate,and nitrite weekly and they always come up 0. phosphates hasn't been above .09. I have new light bulbs 2 actinic white 12,000k and 2 Helios 96W compact and the previous owner just replaced the 3 250W MH. I have a major critter pack coming this week that reef2go put together that will help. I was wondering if there is anything to do to help keep this at bay. All my corals looking healthy and are showing no signs of stress. all other fish and inverts are doing great.
    here are my parameters
    Sal. 1.0245
    ammonia 0
    nitrite 0
    nitrate 0
    PH 8
    phosphates .04
    iodine .06
    KH 6.7
    cal. 300
    Temp. 80.2 during the day and drops to 79.5 at night
    my cal. and KH was very low and have been bringing it up slowly I don't have a mag. test it will be here mon. or tues. I also think the old cal. test I am using isn't correct and cant get my new digital hanna working correctly it keeps giving me a reading of 600 which I know is wrong
    I will order a new cal. test but be a week to get it but I dont know what is causing the bloom when there is no ammonia and nitrites,nitrates and a little phosphates I am using a phos- reactor and changed the media last week. Is this a small cycle do to the major move and disrupting everything the sand bed, sump etc.... I thought nitrates,ammonia,nitrites and phosphates feeds algae and will cause a bloom so why is it happening is it do to the overfeeding trying to get my hippo back to health I was feeding a mixture of 5 different frozen foods with flake and garlic added.
    Again is this anything to worry about? can't believe how much I forgot in just 2 years. Any suggestions or advice is appreciated.
     
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  3. GAZBO

    GAZBO Fire Shrimp

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    here are some pics again is this anything to worry about and will my critter package take care of this

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  4. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    That looks like just a cyan/diatom bloom prob from stirring everything up like you said. I'd get a turkey baster and suck up as much cyano as you can, keep it away from your corals. Blow the rest of. The diatoms will run their course soon enough, and hopefully the cyano will to.

    What water do you use?
    How much flow do you have? Cyano hates high flow.
     
  5. proreefer

    proreefer Feather Star

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    hi we all know what its like to have this happen, these types of algae are the most unbecomming things for our reefs, i'm gonna try to help, it looks like you have a sand that is really small in size imo these type of sand are very hard to keep clean and because of there size they trap detritus and there's no creatures to consume it and bam algae sits in on the top of it, i used the same stuff when starting out and this also happened to me, imo you need to replace this sand with live reef sand 2mm in size and go 3'' deep it also helps to start the seeding with some really good seeded sand like garfs grunge and this will give you the creatures you need for a live sand bed the only other course is to vaccum the bed alot and keep it clean or have no sand bed at all.
     
  6. GAZBO

    GAZBO Fire Shrimp

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    I am using adundantwater flow RO/DI unit and just replaced all the filters in it not knowing how old they where since it came with the tank setup.

    I have 2 Hydor Koralia assuming at least 1500gph then two return lines one n each side then 2 smaller to koralia's on the backside of the tank behind the live rock then another power head moving water accross the upper part of the live rock where my stony's and high flow corals are. I think I have really good movement.
    My protien skimmer freaked out and put a crap load of bubbles in the sump and all threw the tank. could this be where the bubble algae got started or could it be the bubbles themselves that got trapped on the live rock then came the reddish slime algae?
     
  7. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    Sounds like your water and flow should be fine! Do u have a tds meter?

    Cyano can make those bubbles! I'd watch your feeding and suck up as much as possible and if it doesn't clear up, there are steps to take to get rid of it!
     
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  9. GAZBO

    GAZBO Fire Shrimp

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    no I dont have a tds meter guess I will have to get one of those now also.

    critter pack is due to arrive this thurs. so I will suck up as much as i can maybe redirect some powerheads and hope it doesnt get out of control I got 130+ misc. crabs and 250+ misc snails
     
  10. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    The tds meter is just a nice thing to double check your rodi water and make sure your unit is working properly!

    That's quite a cuc ya got coming! Should help out, especially with overfeed ing! Enjoy the critters!;)
     
  11. GAZBO

    GAZBO Fire Shrimp

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    Thanks for your help like I said its been a couple of years and I know things have changed alot and out of pratice seems like I am doing an order at least once a week to marine depot for things I forgot I needed or something that didn't come with the system I bought. Is there anything that I may want to check out or get that will improve my system I am considering adding a DIY algae scrubber but dont know yet.
     
  12. cosmo

    cosmo Giant Squid

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    No worries! I'd start a new equipment list thread and say what you have exactly and what your plans are for the tank! That would help out! I was the same way, every week I was ordering something new! Lol

    Do ou have an extra heater for WC's and a backup, as well as an extra power head for mixing the saltwater up and a small pump to help with the process?

    Refractometer?
    Good test kits?
    Hmmm?????