Help! BROWN ALGAE taking me down!

[camellia]

55 Corner mixed reef tank
75 lbs live rock (tank & sump)
Radion light - High Growth Mode 70%
2 MP 10ESW on 50% Nutrient Transport Mode &
2 Hydro Koralia (behind rocks/no dead areas
Reef Octopus 110
Quite One RP
2 clowns- (1 year old)
1 Mandarin (2 years old)
1 Midas Blenny 3"
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Emerald Shrimp
30-40 Hermits & snails


About 4 weeks ago it started here and there but not everywhere!
It's about to drive me crazy making my glass all hazy!
There's not a hint where the sand bed lay yet other areas get covered in a day!
It's on some rock in low to no light and some rock where it's really really bright!

It makes no rhyme or reason!!!

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I've read all the usual causes;
Bad water - only RODI
Over feeding - Nope!
Poor bulbs, etc. - Nope
Water Changes 20% a week
Skimming good, use filter sock and filter floss
Salinity salt, dosing Seachem's Fusion Part Two only

I'm so :mad2: and :sad:

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong!
Help appreciated

 

[pcmc3]

welcome to my world i dont remember if you remember all the problems that i was having but what fixed my red slime dino green hair and diatom was this Red Sea NO3 PO4 X Algae Remover NPX NOPOX and there hasn't been a sign of anything anymore

 

[rdnelson]

Deb, have you changed RO filters lately or are they getting old? What is the TDS?

Does the algae vacuum off the rocks easy or is it attached pretty securely?




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[camellia]

rdnelson99;871510 wrote: Deb, have you changed RO filters lately or are they getting old? What is the TDS?



Does the algae vacuum off the rocks easy or is it attached pretty securely?



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Always check = zero. I did use distilled water for awhile (RODI unit problems) but not so much lately and I've done large water changes since then.

On the rock I have to scrub it off with a tooth brush, it's really secure, brown & fuzzy not real stringy. It grows really fast on any glue or putty where I've attached corals. The glass I can wipe off with a (filter) cloth.

 

[shanepike]

What kind of glue and putty have you been using?

 

[camellia]

Kroger's Super Glue Gel and the Pink Coral putty (white in the center) that comes in the long tube.

 

[1mbrews8]

Camellia;871512 wrote: I did use distilled water for awhile (RODI unit problems) but not so much lately

What rodi problems did u have?

How old is your tank/been up running?
What is you phosphate reading?
When did you get the LED?
How much exactly do you feed?
DO you dose anything?
What happened between 6 and 3 weeks ago "different"? Did you add/stop/change anything?


Thoughts:
The LED might have some red leds or something causing the algae to grom more..? Depends on how long you have had it running and specs.

Rock might have a lot of phosphates in it? Depends how long tank has been up/added rock.

I had a big out break over a year ago and started vodka and vinegar dosing and it cleared it up great. GFO and carbon too. Might want to look into that )

 

[saltloco]

I think it can be the dosing. I stopped dosing my 29 and it cleared up alot of problems. Jmo.

 

[camellia]

I bought a new RODI that didn't work unless I bypassed the RO membrane and basically filtered it from DI or ran it on my outside faucet (PSI 70). When DI was burning a hole in my pocket book I used distilled for awhile. For the last 8 to 10 weeks I've wasted a lot of water but only used RODI with 0 TDS.

My tank has been up for 8 months. I bought the Radion new at that time. I used about 20 lbs of live rock from my established Nano tanks and added about 30 lbs of new rock. I tested prams and went through the cycle before adding livestock. Then as I added my corals and additional rock, I had several mini cycles.
I do love to direct feed my corals and may have over did it in the beginning, but since the first sign of algae I've stopped.

My fish get only as many pellets of food that they eat in the morning, not much flows into tank. At night I do the same, dropping 10 to 15 pellets at a time making sure they are eating them all or I give them pemysis or Reef Frenzy but again very small amounts and stopping when they quit getting all dropped.
I dose Seachem's Part Two at east every other day and started two weeks ago using Reef Biofuel at least every other day. I run Carbon also.
I think the only things that have changed is cutting back on feeding, keeping filter socks cleaner, larger weekly water changes and Biofuel
Can I find the Vodka and vinegar dosing instructions in a search here on ARK?
Thanks and looking forward to your thoughts.

Edit:

saltloco;871532 wrote: I think it can be the dosing. I stopped dosing my 29 and it cleared up alot of problems. Jmo.

My calcium was low (380) Alk (1.5 )when I started back using this. I've used it in my Nano's forever!
The dosing of Fusion Part Two? The calc is up now to 410 so I could back off if you think it's the problem.

 

[mcphock]

Unless I missed it, we're missing the the two most important numbers here:

Nitrate and Phosphate....

 

[1mbrews8]

Reef Biofuel - how much r u dosing?
Did you say you tested for phosphates? What was the reading?

 

[dylpik27]

I've been reading along because I've kept reefs for eight years and have never seen this kind of algae before I had an outbreak about a month ago. I'm still dealing with it. what's interesting is my outbreak occurred a couple weeks after I started using reef biofuel too. I stopped using it but i cannot get rid of the algae.

 

[rdnelson]

Two things. Stop with the Reef Bio Fuel and do not feed more than once a day.


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[dylpik27]

Does anyone know if this is a kind of algae that a CUC will not eat? It seems like mine eat it, but its growth rate is so high my CUC cannot keep up.

 

[thrasher]

Here is the info I used for Vodka dosing
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/</a>

I have been following this for the last two plus years & couldn't be happier. I did experience some color loss about 8 months ago so I rolled off a bit of the Vodka and started using Aquavitro Fuel as a Amino acid source and everything colored up wonderfully from there. If you were to consider this i'd also remind you that the carbon is a probiotic and if you have any illness ( ich, STN etc, ) STOP adding vodka in the tank and just drink it :roll:

 

[miami dolfan]

Nemo's sold me a slug that ate up all types of Algae. I had a bunch of brown algae growing on the sand bed and it cleaned it all up.

 

[camellia]

Thank you for the advice thus far. Sorry for the delay in pram #'s I had an emergency (flood) not my home nor fish related

I have Salifert's Profi test but also got a Red Sea Algae Control Test Kit to double check.

NO3 = 0 on Salifert's & &lt; .75ppm on Red Sea
PO4 = 0 on both test
NO2 = 0
NH4 =0
PH 8.3
Sal= 1.026
Cal = 420
Temp 76 -77%

Regarding Temp and the above question "what has happened different in 6 to 3 weeks". I did have my Apex statement wrong on Temp and it did range from 76 to 83% for a few days OVER 2 months ago and I developed the normal Algae. Upon correction and several cleanings & water changes it appeared to be gone. A few weeks later this started.

Edit:

Miami Dolfan;871641 wrote: Nemo's sold me a slug that ate up all types of Algae. I had a bunch of brown algae growing on the sand bed and it cleaned it all up.

There is no brown algae on my sand bed but on my last water change during vacuuming I found several bright green flat slimy pieces of what could have been algae. At the time I thought it was from a Duncan that fell on other corals and burned them! I am going to do a water change and clean today and will post if I find more of this.

Edit: Thanks Rich.....done.

Thank you Thrasher.

 

[mcphock]

I would bet your phosphate and nitrate are bound up in the growing algae, giving the 'false' readings of 0.

I would look to carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, biopellets, etc). I bet you'll find that the algae recedes as the nutrients are consumed by the bacteria instead of the algae.

 

[camellia]

1mbrews8;871537 wrote: Reef Biofuel - how much r u dosing?
Did you say you tested for phosphates? What was the reading?

I was using (stopped per Rich) 1 capful at least every other day, per instruction for 50 gallons.

Edit:

McPhock;871833 wrote: I would bet your phosphate and nitrate are bound up in the growing algae, giving the 'false' readings of 0.

I would look to carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, biopellets, etc). I bet you'll find that the algae recedes as the nutrients are consumed by the bacteria instead of the algae.

That makes good sense! How else could it be reading ZERO? I thought that algae WAS basically Nitrates or should I say high Nitrates/Phosphates would be the cause of Algae. I've never heard of them being zero/bound up!
Thanks, I will start with the vodka dosing after my water change just happen to have some on hand for emergencies....:yes:

 

[ralph atl]

found it! lol

Edit: