Two Questions

[marinelife]

1. Is strong light enough to keep bryopsis algae growing, the reason for asking is ever since I upgraded my lights 3years ago I have gotten this algae and it will not go away
my tests are as follows
PH 8.15
CA 475ppm/425ppm with Sr test
KH 13.8dKH or 4.91 meq/L
Mg 1260ppm
Sr 10 mg/l
Si 0ppm
PO4 0.0-.03ppm
Nitrate .1ppm
Ammonia 0ppm
Temp 81
sg 1.025

This is a 180 gallon Reef with SPS and 3 Clams, I have 2 100 gallon sumps fill of live rock, a 75 gallon sump with Chaetomorpha, and a 20 gallon sump with carbon, ROWAPHOS, and Purigen. I have a CA Reactor, Chiller also connected to the tank. The main tank have 2 400w 6500kmh with a 400w 20000kmh in the middle, I also have 2 160 w VHO actinics. The sump are on lights that are on about 16hours at night. The MH on the main tank are on 10 hours a day. I dose DTs twics a week with Mg once a month, I use ro/di water for everything. I have two tunze stream 6100 pumps alternating in the tank plus the return of 1200gph. I have tangs and lettuce nudibranch but they do not eat it. The algae it not bad and does not grow fast but I would like to see it gone.

2. Also RTN happens in my aquarium and it kills off part of a coral then moved on to the next coral. I have only lost two corals and the others recover and grow but them start to loss branches again. I can not figure this one out either.
Any Ideas for either????

 

[dnjan]

What is the frequency of the RTN outbreaks?

 

[marinelife]

there is usually one coral with it at all times maybe I can go a day or two without seeing any new white

 

[NaH2O]

What have you tried for the bryopsis? I know some people have a tough time with it. Have you tried turkey basting it? Also, how long have you been dosing DTs - are you specifically targeting something? How often are your water changes? Sorry for all the questions, just a few that popped in my head.

 

[marinelife]

Water change 100gal a month, I pulled the algae,added snail, scabs, fish, sea slugs, toothbrushed some of it. Dts not as long as I have had the algae. I have even cover the algae and afer a month is was gone from that area but came right back

 

[dnjan]

What kind of skimming, and how often do you change your carbon?

Have you tested for disolved organics (salifert has a kit).?

 

[marinelife]

have not tested for disolved organics, change the carbon atleast once a month sometime every 3 weeks. I have an AquaC Skimmer

 

[marinelife]

PS if I get a dissolved organics test kit and it is high is a water change all that fixes that

 

[FragOutpost]

Bryopsis can be a pain because it is not palatable to very many herbivores.

According to Julian Sprung's "Algae- A Problem Solver Guide" the herbivores that will eat it include:
Rabbitfish
Diadema urchins
Tuxedo Urchins
Mithraculus Crabs

and the following sea slugs:
Elysia
Caliphylla mediterranea
Placida dendritica
P. viridis
Limapontina capitata

I would cut back on the DT's until it is under control.
I would also cut back on any other nutrients you might be importing into the tank. For example feed your fish every other day until it is under control.

I would just keep manually removing as much as possible.

 

[dnjan]

have not tested for disolved organics, change the carbon atleast once a month sometime every 3 weeks. I have an AquaC Skimmer

You may want to invest in a test kit to determine when your carbon is exhausted. Costs about $12 (if I remember correctly) from Salifert. Basically, it consists of a test vial and some dye. You put some of your used carbon and some water into the test vial. Add the required number of drops of dye, and shake. If the carbon is still good, it will absorb the dye color. When I have had bad nutrient problems, I could exhaust about 2 cups of carbon in less than two days.

If you do have high disolved organics (which could be feeding both the nuisance algae and whatever other pathogens are causing the bleaching events), water changes, more skimming, and more frequent carbon change can all help.

 

[marinelife]

Thanks DNJAN I will have to order this kit and see what I get

 

[BlennyBabe]

What test kit for nitrate do you have that measures to .1? All the tests that I have seen measure to the 10ppm. Maybe you are mistaking that for nitrite?

 

[marinelife]

right now for nitrate I am using Red Sea because I am out of Salifert and locally I can not get it