Algae Control Program

Living Oceans

This program treats nuisance algae outbreaks, including diatoms, hair algae, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, by restoring a healthy bacterial biome in your aquarium rather than just removing the algae itself.

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The first step whenever you notice an increase in nuisance algae is a simple 48-72 hour blackout. In many cases, particularly when combined with a maintenance dose of beneficial bacteria, this is enough to restore balance. If the problem persists, this simple 14-day program helps control nuisance algae naturally by promoting a healthy ecosystem biome, dosing good bacteria, and maintaining nutrients and water quality. The key to this program is to be patient, as rebalancing the ecosystem can take weeks to months.

Controlling Nuisance Algae

Algae is a natural part of every marine aquarium, but excessive growth is a sign the ecosystem is out of balance. Rather than simply removing algae, the goal is to restore beneficial bacteria so the aquarium can naturally regain balance.

Our Algae Control Program can be used to treat common nuisance algae, including diatoms, hair algae, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, using Dr Tim's Re-Fresh and Waste-Away.

Throughout the entire program, if algae is smothering rocks or corals, gently wave it off by hand or remove it by siphon. Smothering causes stress to your livestock.

The Four Keys to Restoring Balance

Throughout the program, four actions work together to bring your aquarium back into balance:

  1. Continuously remove algae by siphoning it out as it appears.
  2. Restore balance with the bacterial dosing program (Re-Fresh and Waste-Away).
  3. Slow nuisance algae growth with a blackout period.
  4. Monitor and maintain nutrients and water quality to support a healthy biome long term.

Which Scenario Applies to You?

Before starting, identify which type of nutrient imbalance is causing your nuisance algae. It can be caused by either elevated nutrients or low nutrients; the core bacterial program is the same for both, but a few steps differ.

Scenario 1 - Elevated Nutrients (most common): Excess nutrients from waste, uneaten food, or detritus feed nuisance algae such as:

  • Diatoms: a brown, dusty film that coats sand and glass, common in newer aquariums. View example photo
  • Hair algae: thin, green, hair-like strands that form tufts on rock and hardware. View example photo
  • Cyanobacteria: a thick, slimy, red or maroon mat that spreads quickly across sand and rock. View example photo

If elevated nutrients apply to you, follow the standard 14-day program below, including the water change and filter media steps.

Scenario 2 - Low Nutrients (Dinoflagellates): Very low nutrient levels can cause dinoflagellates, which often appear as a strong, brown, patchy film over sand and rock (view example photo). In this case, beneficial bacteria don't have enough nutrients to grow and out-compete the dinoflagellates, so the goal is to carefully increase nutrients rather than remove them.

If low nutrients apply to you, do all of the following together:

  1. Remove the phosphate remover (white filter media) and leave it out.
  2. Increase feeding to 3 cycles per day (see the Autofeeder video in the Support Hub).
  3. Do not perform a water change.

Continue until nutrients rise and stabilise between phosphate 0.03-0.15ppm and nitrate 1-50ppm.

For severe, aggressive dinoflagellate outbreaks, also consider dosing phosphate and nitrate directly, in addition to the extra feeding, to give beneficial bacteria the nutrients they need to out-compete the dinoflagellates and help restore balance more quickly. This requires closer management, so contact Living Oceans and we'll put together a nutrient dosing and testing plan with you.

Once nutrients stabilise, continue monitoring and return to your recommended routine maintenance so nutrients don't reverse and exceed the higher limits. These changes take weeks to months to correct, so be patient and don't expect overnight results.

Day 1

On the day you begin the program:

  • Begin a 72-96 hour blackout: block ambient light by covering the aquarium with a loose fitting sheet, if necessary.
  • Check your nutrients, temperature, salinity, lighting and water flow.
  • If nutrients are elevated, perform a water change.
  • Check your clean-up crew is balanced: 1 grazing snail, 2-4 hermit crabs, and 3-6 zombie snails.
  • Manually remove as much algae and organic waste as possible: siphon detritus, brush algae off rock, and remove dead material.
  • If algae is smothering corals or livestock, gently wave it off by hand.
  • Remove carbon and white GFO phosphate remover from the filter (leave bio media/bio balls in place).

Dose Dr Tim's Re-Fresh (see Bacteria Dosing Phase 1 below).

Bacteria Dosing Phase 1: Dr Tim's Re-Fresh

Re-Fresh is a live bacteria supplement that jump-starts biological filtration, breaks down waste and organic buildup, and helps beneficial bacteria out-compete nuisance algae for available nutrients. Keep carbon and phosphate remover out of the filter for the full duration of this phase so the bacteria aren't competing against the media for nutrients.

Dosing: Starting Day 1, dose daily for 4 doses (Days 1, 2, 3 and 4).

Small (80L): 2 caps per dose
Medium (130L): 3 caps per dose
Large (200L): 4 caps per dose

Bacteria Dosing Phase 2: Dr Tim's Waste-Away

Waste-Away continues the work Re-Fresh started, breaking down detritus and organic waste and further reducing the nutrients available to nuisance algae. Keep carbon and phosphate remover out of the filter for the full duration of this phase.

Dosing: Starting Day 5, dose every second day for 4 doses (Days 5, 7, 9 and 11).

Small (80L): 2 caps per dose
Medium (130L): 3 caps per dose
Large (200L): 4 caps per dose

Day 14

Perform a partial water change if you had elevated nutrients (skip this step if you had low nutrients). Reintroduce carbon and phosphate remover to the filter media if your nutrients were elevated, or continue withholding phosphate remover if you're still stabilising low nutrients.

If the problem persists, restart the program from Day 1 and repeat until nutrients and the biome have stabilised.

It can take weeks to months for nutrients and a healthy biome to fully stabilise, so be prepared to repeat the process more than once to restore balance.

Important: If the aquarium becomes cloudy at any stage, stop dosing and allow the water to clear before continuing.

If You've Diagnosed Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria appears as a thick, fast-growing, matting red algae. Start with the program above. If it doesn't resolve the problem, consider Chemiclean Aquarium Treatment for Cyanobacteria, an antibacterial treatment that can help kill off cyanobacteria.

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