I have a large system ~ 1000 gallons, and Im having some issues with hair algae and bryopsis. Currently my nitrates are at zero and the phosphates are somewhere around 0.05 or lower I cant really tell, I hate those sliding color bars. My guess is the algae is using up the excess nitrate and phosphate. Ive been running GFO in a carbon filter with carbon ~3g/gallon (probably not enough though). Of the approx 1000 gallons theres about 110 gallons of refugia with caleurpa, chaeto, live rock and deep sandbeds. Theres about 600 lbs of live rock, A huge commercial skimmer which brought the nitrates from a previous 20 to 0. There are also 12 small (2-3inch) clams. The bioload is massive otherwise. The bioload cannot be reduced. Because of the large bioload there is also a biofilter on the system. Basically a large trashbin full of fluidized bio-balls. I was thinking of adding a sulfur biodenitrator to compete with the algae, so I culled as much algae (hair and macro) as possible leaving just a few fist sized balls and put the denitrator on. After a few weeks all Im getting is hydrogen sulfide even at faster effluent rates and the algae keeps growing (has refilled the tank completely.) Im thinking of adding more live rock, but theres not many more places for me to put it. I was thinking of removing the bioballs and filling the biofilter with dead rock, although Im a little worried about taking out so much filtration all at once because it is such a large filter. Any suggestions on what else I could try? Magnesium did a great job on the bryopsis initially but others took over and it came back with a vengeance once the levels dropped. I feed VERY lightly about 5-6 days a week
Chem question: Algae and nitrate issue
- Thread starter MisFit
- Start date
alpha0r
Non-member
I am certainly not experienced with a system as large as yours but I wonder what you would accomplish with a sulfur denitrater if your nitrates are already 0. How old is your live rock? Do you think it is possable that the rock is leeching phosphates?
Check this article:
Green Hair Algae...
Check this article:
Green Hair Algae...
