Hey Triton, what's going on with my macro algae?

[KingJason]

What kind of salt did you guys use originally and ongoing? It kind of seems like, at some point, all of something is being used up that the macro we want to grow needs. I know one of the major points of Triton is no water changes, but has anyone that is having this problem tried to add in daily water changing?

 

[d2mini]

What kind of salt did you guys use originally and ongoing? It kind of seems like, at some point, all of something is being used up that the macro we want to grow needs. I know one of the major points of Triton is no water changes, but has anyone that is having this problem tried to add in daily water changing?

All elements found in salt were basically on point during my last Triton test, right around when the fuge started to go south.
I still think it's a nutrient issue.
As stated earlier, my Nitrates were at zero, so yes... that was used up. And without the macros growing, there was nothing to absorb the other elements being added for the algae bed.

 

[CapAquaATX]

Nitrate has never changed from .5 (Red Sea Pro Test Kit).
PO4 has also been consistently low (.005) and has never varied in my Triton testing. I don't run any kind of GFO.

Using Tropic Marin Pro Reef for the 10% water changes. I would agree with you that the limiting factor in the algae growth does appear to be nutrients but I'd like to think that the algae population won't be boom and then bust over the tank's life. My tank is relatively new to the Triton system (4 months) so I may be bouncing back to a more stable population (I hope). I also saw a huge supplement demand increase that has since leveled off.

 

[Want2BS8ed]

Tagging along. Seems to be fairly common with newly established tanks.

I agree with you Dennis, gut says there is just something missing. I have been dosing nitrates for 3-weeks now maintaining ~2ppm. P04 is around 0.016ppm and just not seeing positive results. Also using Tropic Marin Pro salt.

Nothing out of the ordinary in my first Triton test other than a high level of tin. Received some Panta Lith today which I will dose, wait a few days and then start the 1st of 6 15% weekly water changes to get the tin down. I will keep everyone apprised so we can at least gain some annecdoctal evidence if the water changes have a positive impact.

Still debating on using Vibrant for the brown snot, but given that it's bacterial based I don't see the harm. Just hate to throw to many things at the tank all at once... then you don't know which solution worked!

 

[SciGuy2]

Fe deficiency?

 

[SciGuy2]

Anyone know the lifecycle of the macro species in question? Perhaps a dieback is part of the reproductive cycle?

 

[d2mini]

Fe deficiency?

Anyone know the lifecycle of the macro species in question? Perhaps a dieback is part of the reproductive cycle?

The only things that were low for me according to the Triton test when this first happened was Magnesium, and Bromine was slightly low.
And at one point I had to dose a little iodine and potassium at one point too.

 

[Wesus]

I had same problem when I was dosing 2 part BRS and no trace elements. Dosing weekly Kent Marine iron and manganese helped
Currently I'm using AF Balling method and all green macro algae grows like a weed. My phosphorus is 10 ppb and NO3 0.2-05 ppm.
From my experience low levels of PO4 and NO3 are affecting only how fast is growing, but never kills completely. Lack of trace elements was a problem in my previous setup.
This is picture of my refugium after trimming. In 2 weeks tank is completely filled with macro algae

 

[Aqua Lab Aquaria]

So what is the reported constituents of Vibrant?

Thanks!

 

[Want2BS8ed]

So what is the reported constituents of Vibrant?

Thanks!

Check this thread out from UWC:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/vibrant-liquid-aquarium-cleaner-discussion-thread.271428/

Where they list the following:

Vibrant Liquid Aquarium Cleaner Ingredients -

95% Cultured Bacteria Blend
1% Amino Acids (Aspartic Acid)
0.5% Vinegar - This is used as the preservative
3.5% Other Ingredients (RO/DI Water)

No personal experience with how effective the product may or may not be (yet!), but I am impressed they provided the ingredients. Just starting day 2 of a 3 day Detox treatment, but have a bottle on hand to dose once that is over and the Pantha Lith and water changes come online.

M

 

[Aqua Lab Aquaria]

I see, thanks for the info. So it's basically heterotrophic bacteria, aminos (presumably for phosphate enrichment), and vinegar (preservative = carbon source?).

 

[d2mini]

Some updates....

I had dosed Fluconazole a week ago to take care of the nuisance algae.
This does not attack Dinos though so I picked up some Fauna Marin DinoX.
I didn't realize this goes after more than just Dinos, so maybe I didn't need the Fluconazole but I've started treatment anyway. So far I'm two doses in (dosed every other day).

Nitrates are still holding around 2-4 ppm with occasional dosing, no real schedule.
The red macros are still looking ok and may even be growing. The last ball of cheato I through in is still surviving.
This weekend I pulled most of it out and swished it around in RO water to remove a large amount of nuisance algae and so far it is staying fairly clean, except for what wasn't removed.
I'm watching the algae on the walls of the fuge and it looks like it may be dying off.
I'm not seeing dinos reduction in the display yet but it's early. DinoX full treatment is 21 days.
I am noticing some loss of color intensity in some SPS. Everything else looks ok so far, both coral and fish/inverts.

I think if the fuge continues to improve, the display will eventually work itself out.
Just hoping the DinoX helps with the dinos in the display.

 

[d2mini]

Here was the fuge a couple weeks ago....

And here it is now...

Between the Flucozanole I put in for the HA and the Fauna Marin DinoX i put in for the Dinos, it has really cleared up.

 

[Want2BS8ed]

That's a pretty remarkable transition Dennis.

Is the DT clearing up for you?

M

 

[d2mini]

That's a pretty remarkable transition Dennis.

Is the DT clearing up for you?

M

Thanks, the DT is much better too. A little bit of brown snot still showing up here and there and some brown diatoms on the sand but much better than it was.
I'm two-thirds of the way through the DinoX treatment.

 

[d2mini]

Well... that's it for me ladies and gents. I fold. Handing in my Triton cards and cutting my losses now.
After 4 months of problems, I can't take looking at this anymore and going back to my old school tried and true methods, which always used a good size refugium anyway.
Without dosing things meant to grow algae.
I'll still send in the occasional ICP test, but other than that I'm done.
Total restart with new TBS rock and sand commences this weekend.
Will dose ESV Bionic for now and eventually go back to a CaRx. Can always use Triton's minor elements to replenish whatever else gets too low.

 

[CapAquaATX]

Dennis-

Just to follow up on my progress... I initially took some of the gross algae out of the fuge, cleaned some weird hair out of the display, and didn't touch it. My tank has come back to completely normal and is completely clean. The fuge is definitely growing again (weird species of hair algae in there) but doesn't look the same as when it was at its peak.

Sorry to hear you are moving on from this.

 

[Wesus]

Hi Dennis, Is it dino on your sand bad?

 

[Psymon]

My DT looks the same as yours. Hahaha. That's so funny. We really have experienced a very similar path!

 

[d2mini]

Hi Dennis, Is it dino on your sand bad?

I don't have a microscope so i don't know for sure what it is.
When it first came back I thought it was diatoms, but it gets stringy and holds air bubbles.
And it's not just on the sandbed, its on the rocks, on my gorgonians, on my frag rack, on my pump heads, on my urchin's spines... everywhere.

My DT looks the same as yours. Hahaha. That's so funny. We really have experienced a very similar path!

I was going to like your post, but that just doesn't seem appropriate.