algae killing my tank

duanead

duanead

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Hi guys so my tank is overpowered by a brownish dust algae,it comes of easily if I scrub it but it gets back within hours on sand and live rock,

I've lost a few corals already and I've tried everything,so I'm thinking is my fitration wrong?lights?

My filtration is as follows:
Got about 55kgs live rock+40kgs crushed coral
Got seachem matrix in overflow
Got my skimz sm 161 skimmer in compartment one with np reactor flowing in to it now
And got a few spunge type of stuff in compartment 2
And got return pump+heater and carbon reactor with seagel in it in compartment 3

Lights:
-3*150w metal halides
4*29w blue t5 tubes


Please any help as I'm battling any petshop to give me advise
 
hi, the only issues i can see are
+40kgs crushed coral - needs to be removed slowly, can trap detritus
And got a few spunge type of stuff in compartment 2 - needs to be cleaned often

also how long you been running the NP pellets, @Manic had an issue with them
 
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how old is your tank? Sounds like diatoms to me. Never heard of diatoms killing corals before. What are your parameters like? Diatoms are natural in a new tank, they feed off silica
 
Can you post a picture...? It might even be Diatoms by the sound of it...:p I agree Crushed Coral is definately a trap for detritus...even my Cyano started with a slight brown dust, then when the layer got thicker...I saw the "purple...:p
 
dallasg said:
hi, the only issues i can see are
+40kgs crushed coral - needs to be removed slowly, can trap detritus
And got a few spunge type of stuff in compartment 2 - needs to be cleaned often

also how long you been running the NP pellets, @Manic had an issue with them
Click to expand...

I've run NP pellets in three tanks now. First tank was an established reef and the NP pellets didn't work at all. Second tank I started with NP pellets from new but the water and live rock was from my previous setup, this also failed badly. My latest tank started with fresh live rock and water. I also dosed special blend from the start. This has been a great success and I attribute it to the NP pellets being seeded with good bacteria from the start. The other attempts may have had a bad bacteria growing in the pellet reactor.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi guys I don't know how to put pics on this website

Manic I've also thought of the bacteria being a problem,how can I fix this?

To try and explain how the algae looks like,its like diatoms times 1000 so bad that corals,sand and live rock gets covered all the way,scrub it off and 3-5 hours it all comes back,and about a month ago I had a clean tank,
 
dallasg said:
hi, the only issues i can see are
+40kgs crushed coral - needs to be removed slowly, can trap detritus
And got a few spunge type of stuff in compartment 2 - needs to be cleaned often

also how long you been running the NP pellets, @Manic had an issue with them
Click to expand...

Jip clean spunges once a week
NP reactor been running for about 5months now

Crushed coral is in display tank shuold I remove it and replace it with something like aragonite?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
duanead said:
Hi guys so my tank is overpowered by a brownish dust algae,it comes of easily if I scrub it but it gets back within hours on sand and live rock,

I've lost a few corals already and I've tried everything,so I'm thinking is my fitration wrong?lights?

My filtration is as follows:
Got about 55kgs live rock+40kgs crushed coral
Got seachem matrix in overflow
Got my skimz sm 161 skimmer in compartment one with np reactor flowing in to it now
And got a few spunge type of stuff in compartment 2
And got return pump+heater and carbon reactor with seagel in it in compartment 3

Lights:
-3*150w metal halides
4*29w blue t5 tubes


Please any help as I'm battling any petshop to give me advise
Click to expand...
Flow!!!!!!! whats going on with the flow!!!!!! The most important thing on a reef!!!!
 
Are you using RO water? As tapwater could contain excessive silicates and iron.
My first thought was diatoms, but have to ask: are you running any antiphosphate media? Could simply be over fluidised media.

Mods, pls help him to post pics, as without a good look at system, really difficult to say, resulting in us all clutching at straws and throwing educated guesses.

Are there bubbles forming below surface of the brown mats of stuff??
 
skimz skimmers are supposed to be good so ok there
 
duanead said:
Hi guys I don't know how to put pics on this website

Manic I've also thought of the bacteria being a problem,how can I fix this?

To try and explain how the algae looks like,its like diatoms times 1000 so bad that corals,sand and live rock gets covered all the way,scrub it off and 3-5 hours it all comes back,and about a month ago I had a clean tank,
Click to expand...

I find this way works better...with the Image Uploader you still have to figure out the trick with re-sizing...:p

Open an Album...click on you'r Profile...on the far Right you will get option to open an Album...open one and load onto there...."green square" ontop...it will show "upload photo'... when you have created the Album...when you upload into the Album you won't have any resizing requirements....hope this helps...then when you Post...you just.."insert" from Album...by copy and paste...make sure the Curser in in a new line...
 
irie ivan said:
Are you using RO water? As tapwater could contain excessive silicates and iron.
My first thought was diatoms, but have to ask: are you running any antiphosphate media? Could simply be over fluidised media.

Mods, pls help him to post pics, as without a good look at system, really difficult to say, resulting in us all clutching at straws and throwing educated guesses.

Are there bubbles forming below surface of the brown mats of stuff??
Click to expand...


Hey yes there is bubbles forming underneath the mat of algae on the sand,and yes I'm using ro water and have tested it and its all good,

Will post pics as soon as I get home thanks,belinda for the advise will try it
 
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