Algae is back, brown slime

[Amy]

Hi everyone,

I have battled a few types of algae during the start of the system, cyano, dino, green hair and now it seems to be brown slime algae.

I also have report from an older ICP test done 1 month ago which some parameters have changed, waiting for new results to come back soon.

1. Gross water volume of your complete system (incl. sump etc.) - US gallons / UK gallons / liter
240 gallons
2. Net water volume (incl. sump etc.) - US gallons / UK gallons / liter
200-220 gallons
3. Are you using a CaCO2 reactor or other technique
Two part dosing only, alk and calcium.
4. Are you using a PO4 reactor (how long, how long ago, etc.)
No
5. Are you using Ozone
No
6. Are you using UV
No
7. What skimmer are you using (type, rated water volume)
Bubble King Mini 180 VS12 Skimmer rated 200g heavy bioload
8. What are your actual PO4 and NO3 levels
PO4: 0.03 NO3: 10
9. What are your actual Ca, Alk and Mg levels
Ca: 420 Alk: 8 Mg: 1350, K: 380-400
10. What filtration method do you use (refugium, DSB, Miracle Mud, etc.)
None, except for zeovit regimen
11. Type of light (Watt, color temp, how old, etc.)
LEDS approximately 14k-20k
12. What corals do you keep
SPS and few lps
13. Tissue color (light or dark)
Darker than before
14. How long has the tank been running
6 months
15. Why do you want to use the ZEOvit system
Nice sps colors and controlling nutrients
16. Any supplemental dosing (type, amount, why, etc.)
No
17. Live rock (how much, how old, etc.)
200lbs some few years old and some newer
18. Any present problems
Brown slime algae
19. Problem description (tissue loss tips, tissue loss base, diatom bloom, algae, etc.)
Algae bloom, seems to have a few burned tips on sps
20. What test kit do you use (how old, recently switched, etc.)
Salifert and trident from neptune apex
21. Present dosing, amounts and intervals (ZEOvit, ZEObak, ZEOfood, ZEOstart, ZEOspur2, etc.)
Zeobak, twice a week 8 drops each time
Sponge power, twice a week 8 drops each time
Biomate, twice a week 8 drops each time
K-Balance, every other day
A Balance, once every 10 days 8ml
Coral snow, once a week
22. Other water parameters and water stability (salinity, temp, etc.)
Salinity 35
Temperature 25.5C
Ph: 8-8.3
23. Which salt brand do you use
Fauna Marin

[Amy]

ICP test results

[jacky]

Is this ICP test the latest result? Compared with the #1 you posted, it seems that the two are far different (basic water parameters). In addition, you described that there are only two doses, alkali and calcium. However, the magnesium level is 1452. I would recommend checking whether the salinity is correct.

Algae and brown slime, can you provide pictures?
Does the coral show signs of health and expansion of polyps?

[Amy]

The ICP is from March27th, a bit outdated, should have my new one probably in a week.

The Mg is currently at 1350 and I dose manually sorry, but it never moves too much, I use to have it connected to the doser which is why it went up to the 1450.

Polyps are not extended like they use to but the alk and cal is still being consumed, I has dropped a little but I had some fluctuations because I just changed to ESV which I believe is a bit more concentrated than aquaforest.

Sorry I thought the pictures were attached.

Here they are.

[jacky]

These snot-like brown bacteria, do they disappear at night and come back when the lights are turned on?

[Amy]

It definitely is worst during the day yes.

[jacky]

Those brown films look like dinos, can you post more related good pictures, the main display system and sump. In the picture, there is a white object in the background. What is it?

After discovering these (brown film), do you remember what was changed, such as some equipment/etc.

[NZ-Nick]

Hi ya Amy.

I changed over to the zeovit system back in oct-nov. it will take time.

First I would Make sure ur RODI is working correctly with any algae issues.

I would suggest to try and get ur alk down to recommend amount. Maybe a lower alk salt ??

As you have algae, cyno and some Dino present means you also have higher nutrances present.

I would do a good clean of the rocks and do a couple of water changer over a few day. And try and export as much as possible.
skimming wet,

next I would do the same with the the sand bed,
witha few water changes.

fist off it’s going reduce ur nutrients (no3 high)
balance/ replace elements
and remove some of the cyno and Dino.

Then I would start looking at addressing the most dominant of the issues, (dino, algae, cyno)

regards
Nickb.

[Amy]

Hi,

I will try to upload more pictures later but the plastic is a pvc pipe that I use to hold some colonies.

I've increased my fish load a bit but except from that I'm not sure what I've done different.

I've replaced my zeostart in my dosing container just in case it went bad.

Alk should not be a problem, corals have been growing quite well and I believe 8 is now in the acceptable range of zeovit as per the guide.

I've just received my new ICP test , I will attach below.

[Amy]

Here is the ICP.

[NZ-Nick]

Hi ya Amy,

Awesome tank pic,

Your first pic's looks like you have a sand bed ?? and your last awesome pic looks like a bare bottom tank ??
Maybe an illusion with the algae.

For Dino's have a look at dosing silica,
I have been successful of removing a form of Dino's from out of my sand bed for a month so far using this method,

Regards
Nick B

[Amy]

Hi Nick,

I have a small container for wrasses to sleep in but the tank is basically bare bottom.

I keep it as a "coral bed" until we move to the new house which I will be setting up my 365 gallons.

I just bought Dino-X from Fauna marin, I wonder if it is indeed silica?

Regards,

[G.Alexander]

From the pictures it is difficult to say for sure those are Dinoflaggelate but looks like. To be sure a microscope would be necessary. Many had success to get rid of them by a three day light blackout. It is important to also cover the tank to prevent light from the room reaching the Dinoflaggelate.

G.Alexander

[jacky]

In addition, there seems to be a lot of sediment accumulated in the tank. While changing the water, vacuum as much as possible, and use the power head to remove those sediments as much as possible. Zeo CoralSnow is a good choice. You can execute the plan when the lights are turned off, clean the collection cup, and skimmer to adjust the humidity. It is important to keep the basic water parameters stable, including potassium.

If it were me, before I was going to implement the light-off/all-black plan, any plastic/acrylic board and other materials/materials that should not be present, I would remove it. (For example: from the picture you provided, the white round object/coral base partition is the first thing I will try)

[jacky]

Supplementary suggestion: When implementing project #13、 #14 (more cleaning work/removing any plastic and other objects), let us change the water at 15-20%, do it 3 times, within 10 days. Refreshing the elements in a balanced way is good, and it brings positive help to any point.

From the appearance of the coral in the picture, it doesn’t look like only the basic products are used (the product dosage in #1)