Algae help needed

[Razor Ramon]

Look slow and steady your guys are right . I meant if you miss understood.
If things are improving keep on that path . Other wise you’ll have to try something else but I should have added the good things don’t happen over night it takes time .you guys give good advice ! I dealing with the Dino break out too on a new system . There is many ways to get to the end goal of a stable system
And that’s where we would like to get to and it dos t happen over night .iv been battling this for over a month on this new system . Sorry if I ****ed you off this morning . This isn’t advice it’s just my journey to beat the Dino’s

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

We don't need you ruining the site reputation.

This site has a reputation? Hmm.

[Llorgon]

Originally Posted by Frogger

Chaeto can be temperamental at the best of times, that is why I use an ATS, never could get the chaeto to take off.

Sounds like you are winning the battle, competition is the key once you have a good balance in your tank the dinos will slowly recede. Dinos are usually around in most tanks but it is only under certain circumstances that they seem to grow out of control.

Slow and steady wins the race. Every day you are becoming a better reef tank aquarist. Good work in hanging in there.

The dinos are definitely getting out competed on the rocks, sand not so much. Thanks for the words of encouragement! I hope one day to have a tank with colourful corals and not brown algae.

Originally Posted by Razor Ramon

Just keep at it as long as it’s going in a positive way . If not try something else .
3%Peroxide I dosed 2x recomeded dose because I have a lot of experience using it with my Zoas.
Safe dose is 5ml for 30 gallons of water . I did 10ml /30 gallons for 2 days then skipped a day then another 2 days for over a week . Added a lot of the bacteria in a bottle , two different types .
I’m keeping my nitrate and phosphate as low as I can . The clean up crew are eating the green stuff . Lot of turkey baster and filter floss to catch the particles.
Dino are about 95% done in green algae 80% consumed . I’m almost there Zoas are on the way to recovery .
I saw a huge move the right direction in my case when dosing the bacteria they consume the same food source as the Dino and the algae’s .
I also am using a rio hang on protein skimmer it dose skim a little I guess lol
Very wet skim like week tea .
I did put chetta from my main tanks sump in the aquarium under the light in one corner of the tank and added podes from my sons culture for his clowns.
I feel like you have to starve this bad stuff out , it’s a balance between a food source , bacteria , algea ,dinos. Remove the food have something to eat the sources. I’m not a expert and I’m learning as I go .
Like I said before so many good reefers here and they do help and have been trough it .

I have read lots of people have had success with adding certain pods and bacteria to the tank. What kind of bacteria and pods were you adding? I will hold off on the peroxide as a last resort.

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Don't worry right now about peroxide dosing or the fact that your chaeto is dying off.
Just keep your methods going forward.
Too many things at 1 time ...
Chaeto doesn't always live.
Stick with what you are doing for the next month.
Then make changes.
I've told you many times, slow and steady and nothing good happens fast in a reef tank :-)

The chaeto has been in the tank for a few months now. Just been slowly shrinking. I thought it would have started to really grow when I raised the nitrates and phosphates. I am trying to go slow, just looking to see what other steps I can take in the future if things aren't improving.


I have been taking pictures daily and while the rocks are doing pretty good for dinos the sand seems to be holding steady the last few days. Nitrates are still at around 15 ppm and phosphates is 0.5ppm.



I am still making my way through the giant reef2reef thread on dinos. One thing that seems to really help a lot of people once nitrates and phosphates are raised is adding more biodiversity to the tank. What is the best way of doing that? I see most people just add a bit of live rock to the tank, but that comes with it's own risks I think.

[Razor Ramon]

seachem is my go to the best but they were sold out so I used the Big Al, I am wet skimming as well.
The pods are a live mix of the differnt ones sold at most marine stores rotifers as well my son is using them for his clown breading and got the culture from another Breader

[Llorgon]

Thanks. Not much info review wise for those aquavitro products. They have been around for awhile it seems.


How would you say they have worked for you?

[Frogger]

Not to sure that rotifers (planktonic) are going to help with bio-diversity in your tank. For the most part they are a salt lake organism (like brine shrimp), that only survives for a very short period inside out tanks before they are either eaten, sucked over the overflow or die because of lack of phytoplankton in the water. If your interested I have a culture of these.

Benthic tropical copepods (ALGAGEN PODS TISBE) available at J&L would be your best choice if you were interested in adding pods for biodiversity as they can survive and reproduce in our tanks living off of detritus and algae.

[Razor Ramon]

It is part of the balance in a reef for sure . Yes it helped in my battle agents the Dino.
Please don’t think it will be cure bottle ,it’s not it’s just part of the key to a stable system it’s always a can help to out compete other non disiaribles in your system as well it’s boosting the right types of bacteria that aids in cycling .
Many reefers add beneficial bacteria on a on going base trough liquids or salt mixes .
Stick to the method that you have been doing only thing I would stress is to try to filter as much out of the system every day .

[Llorgon]

Originally Posted by Razor Ramon

It is part of the balance in a reef for sure . Yes it helped in my battle agents the Dino.
Please don’t think it will be cure bottle ,it’s not it’s just part of the key to a stable system it’s always a can help to out compete other non disiaribles in your system as well it’s boosting the right types of bacteria that aids in cycling .
Many reefers add beneficial bacteria on a on going base trough liquids or salt mixes .
Stick to the method that you have been doing only thing I would stress is to try to filter as much out of the system every day .

I understand, but if it could at least help I would be interested in it.


I have a feeling dinos probably killed off any pods I had in the tank. I don't see any of them around at night when the lights are off. Most of my cleanup crew died so I assume the same thing happened to the pods. I have added them a few times so I would expect to see some of them.

I think I have to start building things up from the ground up.

[Razor Ramon]

I have read your whole build thread as well a this one in full .
You have to hang in there , it’s going to take some time. The tank is not stable. It’s a new system and the cycling can take some time for sure.
Some serious reef tanks don’t see corals for 6months. I would like to help in any way I can. The other guys that are here for you please chime in as well. Boosting
Your cycling bacteria is usually safe ,combined with wet skimming will aid in removing the dino that you dislodge with turkey baster and paint brushe. There are so many types of Dino’s a uv light will kill any free swimming stage Dino’s.
Maybe syphon as much of the sand out of the system and treat the sand in a bucket to kill Dino’s . Just a little brain storming can go along way.

[Razor Ramon]

To help aid in stability I would make sure your water source is good and do weekly water changes till you get the tank stable .
Testing water is always good to do but chasing numbers at this point with dosing is a bit much . I have had many coral tanks and added nothing except doing weekly water changes . Yes when the lps and sps get big then dosing calcium and alkalinity or calcium reactors are needed.