pico reef pest algae problem challenge

[glocklt4]

Originally Posted by urbanrat84

Thats the results I would expect to see when the nitrifying bacteria population is at a healthy level. So perhaps rock leaching IS the problem.

Yeah, I think what you're saying as an overall problem is very plausible. I think the trigger for all of my immediate issues with algae/dino was certainly the change in lights which were much more powerful. I did just add more live rock recently (after algae/dino issue showed up), and I think I'll do some more of the cleaning you mentioned, continue H2O2 dosing, keep lights on a lower schedule and intensity, and then go from there. The wife and I have discussed upgrading to a larger tank when budget allows, but due to job situation with her we will be waiting at least a year I'd say. So if I can get these "old tank syndrome" issues in check until the upgrade, then that would be great.

Side note - i know that many people say not to filter the sand bed when doing a water change, but I do periodically in a few spots that I know get a ton of waste from fish staying there (very dark green/brown water comes out). Would it be advisable in an older tank like mine to go ahead and do more of this cleaning to try and remove some of the older bacteria? Or is it best to just leave it completely alone still even in my case? I do try to be very careful that everything stirred up is removed when I do this at all.

[urbanrat84]

Originally Posted by glocklt4

Side note - i know that many people say not to filter the sand bed when doing a water change, but I do periodically in a few spots that I know get a ton of waste from fish staying there (very dark green/brown water comes out). Would it be advisable in an older tank like mine to go ahead and do more of this cleaning to try and remove some of the older bacteria? Or is it best to just leave it completely alone still even in my case? I do try to be very careful that everything stirred up is removed when I do this at all.

Absolutely, its that kind of advice that leads to the problems you are having now. I experienced the same thing. Unfortunately most tanks around the place are only young - so while it looks like the methods being used are working well for the tank, down the track their may be issues once there is a gradual accumulation of wastes in the sand and rocks.

If you go on Youtube and look up some fish tank maintenance channels, see how they are managing older tanks. Every one siphons the substrate thoroughly when a water change is being done. In a manner we tend to associate more with freshwater tanks.

[v10king]

Originally Posted by glocklt4

Thanks for all of the comments. I was also wondering about "old tank syndrome" as well since most things I've been reading talk about people's tanks setup for a couple-few years, not 7-8 like mine. Never thought I would look into buying BONE cutters . Good idea about cutting away the aiptasia though. I went to my local area marine society with the issue as well and they proposed the same - clean as much as possible out and dose H2O2 3%.

Luckily I tested my water last night and PO4 is now 0, NO3 is 5mg/L, and Salinity is holding at 1.024-1.025. So my GFO reactor seems to be doing the trick on phosphates. I have also turned off my lights and when i used a flashlight I couldn't see dino's anymore. Here are more pictures from Monday night (I'll get more again tonight if I see improvement):

If the dinoflaggellates or whatever you think it is blows off quickly with a turkey baster or poweheard and then reappears again in same spot during the day again with lights on, then you have dinoflagellates. If its hard to blow off and doesn't come back associated with light, then you have diatoms or something else. If you search back in this thread, I had dinoflagellates in my nano and beat them for sure with a combo of 5 day blackout and peroxide dosing and a uv, I think I doubled the standard dosage to 2ml per x amount of tank water. Go back and search for my name and you can use that and it should work. Did for me.

[JLangtree]

Just wanting to say thanks to Brandon and everyone that has been involved in this thread

I had a stubborn patch of Bryopsis in my 9L Pico that I just couldnt shake.

I removed the rock and spot treated the area directly with 3%, then soaked the display rocks (corals included) in a 50/50 mix.

I have been dosing over the past week .25ml per day after lights out, and my tank has never been cleaner or brighter!

The below photos are of the problem patch directly after the treatment (when the tank was refilled) and again one hour later. The algae was actually falling off to to the touch and the CUC went wild for it that evening :-)

IMG_6702.jpg

IMG_6701.jpg

[ReyR]

I have a 2ó gallon tank. This is going to be random. I either have a bad diatom or Dino issue....and it's mostly on my sandbed. I do weekly water changes and siphon as much as I can. Usually I do this at night time. Always looks great. By the time morning comes around the same brown stuff is down on the samdbed again. Params are all good. So I was thinking of spot treating my sandbed. But what I'd like to do is get some aluminum foil, put it down on a third of the tank, and then inject 3 mls of peroxide under the foil. I'd like to let it sit like that for 3 days to light deprive it. What is everyone's thought? Is there anything bad from aluminum that can bleach into the water?

[ReyR]

Never mind...I'll do the suran wrap method ..aluminum ion can cause toxicity to some corals..don't know if it'd bleach out of it into the water. Not gonna chance it.

[JLangtree]

Post a pic of the bloom mate, before and after pics :-)

[ReyR]

Are you guys feeding your fish during treatment?

[urbanrat84]

Originally Posted by ReyR

Are you guys feeding your fish during treatment?

yes, don't stop feeding them

[DesertRfr]

Hi all - brand new here; my first post actually.

I have a 300g with about 60% of my LR covered in thick red turf algae. Is there a list somewhere of corals that will not tolerate exposure to peroxide?

[JJ650]

I have found that hydnophora, Xenia, and some montipora do not react well to h2o2.
Zoas tolerate it well and I have dipped some acroporas in a 50/50 solution (half tank water, half 3% peroxide). It will do a number on your corraline and bleach it.
Some inverts and star fish don't tolerate it well either.

[scuzy]

anyone tried this in a larger tank setup?

[laugh]

Tank size doesn't matter unless you are dosing the entire tank. If you put peroxide on algae it WILL die.

[scuzy]

i am planing of dosing the tank. my tank is over run by bryopsis and spot treatment will nto do anything.

[eclipse720]

Where are you guys buying the H2O2? Is over the counter ok? Also, after the treatment when is a water change needed? i have a 40B with a few nems
thanks.

[soulpatch]

Local drug store or Walmart is fine. No water change needed as it breaks down quickly so you need to dose daily if you go that route

[eclipse720]

Originally Posted by soulpatch

Local drug store or Walmart is fine. No water change needed as it breaks down quickly so you need to dose daily if you go that route

Ok, thanks! Is there a certain amount of hours in between doses?

[soulpatch]

No set hours.just daily

[ddrueckh]

I have been dosing 1 ml per 10 gallons of water daily in my tank to try to get rid of GHA...This will be day 5 and I have not really seen any improvement. About how many days does this take to work? Thanks.

[acabgd]

Originally Posted by glocklt4

This looks a lot like Lyngbia. I wonder if H2O2 is effective against it.

[soulpatch]

just take a small piece of rock and try it. I have had it work on GHA, Bryopsis, and Culpera...

[DrPheel]

Hey Brandon ! I was reading your threads over the various other forums and was able to find this thread with your user name! I'm just about ready to call the battle with po4 over as I was able to get them from 0.40 to 0.19 in 2weeks the last 4 weeks and when my Hanna reagent arrives before the weekend I think that i will be around 0.05 +/- . I got a few more tricks to export the last few traces of it in the system but I was thinking of using the H202 to help get rid of what has been growing on my rock work. Should I post my pictures and results here or is there another thread on RC I can post in ?

[drawman]

So I think I'm going to try this on my 30 gallon. I have been battling what appears to be bryopsis and/or hair algae (almost looks like a cross between the two). I'm using Kent Tech M and just got it up to 2000ppm last Friday but the algae is quite resilient.

My stocking list:
Sunburst Anthias
Sexy Shrimp
Hammer Coral
Acropora frags

The Acropora frags are taking a beating from the Tech M so I'm hoping H202 will kick everything into overdrive.

So I'm assuming I can take the rock out, use a dropper to cover all algae in 3% H202 for 3 minutes, rinse, and place back in the tank. Am I missing out on anything?

[Ryengoth]

I've been doing some in-take spot dispensing testing. Check out the video I posted using a 2:1 epoxy dispensing setup for glycerin and 3% peroxide. that's a 14ga SS dispensing needle for size reference.

http://www.*********.com/threads/***...187042/page-10

[Lowefx]

Originally Posted by Ryengoth

I've been doing some in-take spot dispensing testing. Check out the video I posted using a 2:1 epoxy dispensing setup for glycerin and 3% peroxide. that's a 14ga SS dispensing needle for size reference.

http://www.*********.com/threads/***...187042/page-10

Link doesn't work