algae and phosphate

[nlutfi]

Hi i just recently set up an IM nuvo 40 about 5 weeks ago. A few weeks after running I had a big hair algae spike, I added a clean up crew of 12 hermits and 6 turbo snails and so far they have a done a pretty good job of cleaning it up but I still have some lingering. Figuring I had some phosphates I added gfo a few days ago and ordered a test kit from salifert's which showed up today but when I tested came up with 0 phosphates. for live stock so far I have a 2 onyx clown fish ( that still haven't paired ) and RBTA ( the larger clown hosted right away) a small yellow watchman goby and pistol shrimp pair, a cleaner shrimp, and a few misc coral frags. My water perams as of today, temp: 78, ammonia/nitrite:0, nitrate: 3, salinity: 1.025, calcium: 425, PH: 8.2, Alk: 8.4, Mag: 1240, Phos: 0. I'm running gfo and carbon in the IM custom caddy and a tunze 9004 skimmer. Should I continue running the gfo with 0 phosphates? On a side note I also ordered a pair of the IM spin stream's for the returns on the tank but after installing them they seem pretty loud, anyone know if that's normal? Thanks in advance! Here's some pics so far!

 

[Ranjib]

I would say reduce GFO by half at least and then see what happens for couple of week. I think your CUC might starve once they run out of food.

 

[Super Fly]

Nice nem! IMO w zero PO4 I'd turn off the GFO, which I only run as needed when my tank's PO4 goes above 0.10 (i.e. once a month for few days, tops). Too low PO4 will result in Dino. I try to keep NO3 & PO4 around 5-10 and 0.03-0.05 respectively, nusiance algae and cyano will appear when these get out of balance. Also that's quite a lot of livestock in such a young tank, I'd slow down until tank's beneficial bacteria has had time to establish itself/caught up before adding more.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Algae blenny and a small dose of Chemi-clean will help in control of lingering algae

 

[nlutfi]

Yea I was definitely thinking of getting a lawnmower blenny but my lfs was out last time I was there. Maybe I will remove the GFO for now untill my phosphates start to climb. Am I ok to still be running carbon?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yea I was definitely thinking of getting a lawnmower blenny but my lfs was out last time I was there. Maybe I will remove the GFO for now untill my phosphates start to climb. Am I ok to still be running carbon?

carbon - Yes

 

[sergifed91]

I'm fighting with green hair algea. switched to RODI water and did a 50 percent water change since my nitrates where in the 80 ppm. I did 4 changes since then 1 50 percent and a 20 percent and 2 at 10 percent. I feel at this point I am winning the war against hair algea now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm fighting with green hair algea. switched to RODI water and did a 50 percent water change since my nitrates where in the 80 ppm. I did 4 changes since then 1 50 percent and a 20 percent and 2 at 10 percent. I feel at this point I am winning the war against hair algea now.

That is great news. It is so distraught to many hobbyists. I did similar and also added a m/l of Red sea No3Po4 daily and ended with PhosphateRX and ALL GONE

 

[sergifed91]

That is great news. It is so distraught to many hobbyists. I did similar and also added a m/l of Red sea No3Po4 daily and ended with PhosphateRX and ALL GONE

I was originally using distilled water from target and menards. I got a rodi unit and definitely see the difference with the tank since I have been using rodi water... no dosing or nothing at all. now just waiting for my salt to be delivered. switching salts to live aquaria salt. io reef crystals just aren't doing much for the tank and I like the levels of calcium and magnesium. a little higher than what IO reef crystals have...

 

[vetteguy53081]

I actually like Live Aquaria salt mix but I will give you a warning.........................

In about 4 weeks, Fosters and Smith is starting a clearance and will not be selling any dry goods - just livestock, as it was an executive decision by Petco who owns them in whole

 

[Bpb]

Something to keep in mind with new tanks is they don't tolerate elevated PO4 quite as well. There aren't as many corals and desirable things that consume it to keep algae at bay, and when you have bleach white brand new rocks like that...they'll either be holding a ton of po4, or none, in which case, clean calcium carbonate will readily bind po4 just as well as anything will. Things like hair algae, and even coral are able to directly liberate po4 bound in calcium carbonate to use for metabolic function, so even if your test is reading zero organic phosphate in the water, your rocks and sand could in fact be holding an absolute ton of inorganic po4 that algae and corals are able to directly use and you can never test for. I would expect over the next several months that you're just going to have to manage and accept some ugly things growing on the rocks until they become covered with coralline, sponge, and invertebrate life. it can take some time. New tanks with dry rock have a very hard time handling nutrients and "looking attractive" as it were.