Your tank appears to be quite young, so algae will be an issue. Yes adding a CUC will help, but no it wont solve the problem. Nutrients are indeed the source of the problem. Solving a problem like algae requires a multi pronged attack.
increase nutrient export/processing. IE - add more live rock, rock rubble to the sump, skimmer, algae refugium, ATS, and some like vodka dosing. nitrate/phosphate are fertilizer. Algae needs it, soft corals need it, anemone's need it. Algae is a plant. It requires food, light and good water chemistry. Reef tanks provide an abondance of each. Plants love ammonia, they love nitrite and nitrate. Increasing the nitrogen breakdown process with bacteria wont eliminate algae, it just changes the food into a less likeable and less toxic form. You can starve algae of light, but starving it of food is tough but doable. Keeping low nutrients will SLOW the algae growth, but it wont reverse or permanantly rid your system of algae. Why? Fish/corals are constantly producing ammonia through resperation and digestion. Algae also requires CO2, which fish produce. Removing this CO2 is another fork in the battle against algae. Turf scrubbers, Skimers, and Algae Refugiums address this issue by exchanging the CO2 for O2 either through exposusre to air, or consumption during resperation(algae). Algae eating animals such as snails/crabs address the other end of the problem. Once algae starts, the nutrients are trapped. Simply scraping off the algae releases these nutrients. Ive seen tanks Overrun with GHA that showed 0 nitrate/phos. Rocks and even silicone can absorb and leach nitrate/phos. Algae eating animals consume the algae, which saves time scraping. Our ultimate goal is a pretty tank with minimal effort. CUC members that eat algae are road to a solution, but in and of themselves wont solve the problem either.
Forgive the ramble, i didnt sleep well last night. My point is, addressing any ONE part of the (beautiful tank)equation while ignoring one or more others will end up causing wasted time, frustration, and aggrovation. I've known people to tear down their systems because they didnt have the patience/knowledge to address algae. its a PITA no doubt.
Algae gone solution:
1)adequate nitrofying bacteria to process waste quickly(pics indicate you may need more Rock. Adding well rinsed dry rock to an established tank wont harm a thing)
2)adequate nutrient export(usually more than one. Overkill is underrated) - skimmers, scrubbers, algae refugium
3)Proper cuc to clean up waste and eat algae that manages to start.
4)water changes. Any aquarium, regardless of being FW or SW becomes a SEWER over time. Flushing the junk out is sometime needed. No known nutrient export system is quite as efficient as a bucket and hose.
5)PATIENCE - the search for quick solutions, ends in rapid changes to water chemistry. THATS NEVER good on the tank inhabitants or the tank owner.
Forgive me if i struck any nerves, that wasnt my intention.
increase nutrient export/processing. IE - add more live rock, rock rubble to the sump, skimmer, algae refugium, ATS, and some like vodka dosing. nitrate/phosphate are fertilizer. Algae needs it, soft corals need it, anemone's need it. Algae is a plant. It requires food, light and good water chemistry. Reef tanks provide an abondance of each. Plants love ammonia, they love nitrite and nitrate. Increasing the nitrogen breakdown process with bacteria wont eliminate algae, it just changes the food into a less likeable and less toxic form. You can starve algae of light, but starving it of food is tough but doable. Keeping low nutrients will SLOW the algae growth, but it wont reverse or permanantly rid your system of algae. Why? Fish/corals are constantly producing ammonia through resperation and digestion. Algae also requires CO2, which fish produce. Removing this CO2 is another fork in the battle against algae. Turf scrubbers, Skimers, and Algae Refugiums address this issue by exchanging the CO2 for O2 either through exposusre to air, or consumption during resperation(algae). Algae eating animals such as snails/crabs address the other end of the problem. Once algae starts, the nutrients are trapped. Simply scraping off the algae releases these nutrients. Ive seen tanks Overrun with GHA that showed 0 nitrate/phos. Rocks and even silicone can absorb and leach nitrate/phos. Algae eating animals consume the algae, which saves time scraping. Our ultimate goal is a pretty tank with minimal effort. CUC members that eat algae are road to a solution, but in and of themselves wont solve the problem either.
Forgive the ramble, i didnt sleep well last night. My point is, addressing any ONE part of the (beautiful tank)equation while ignoring one or more others will end up causing wasted time, frustration, and aggrovation. I've known people to tear down their systems because they didnt have the patience/knowledge to address algae. its a PITA no doubt.
Algae gone solution:
1)adequate nitrofying bacteria to process waste quickly(pics indicate you may need more Rock. Adding well rinsed dry rock to an established tank wont harm a thing)
2)adequate nutrient export(usually more than one. Overkill is underrated) - skimmers, scrubbers, algae refugium
3)Proper cuc to clean up waste and eat algae that manages to start.
4)water changes. Any aquarium, regardless of being FW or SW becomes a SEWER over time. Flushing the junk out is sometime needed. No known nutrient export system is quite as efficient as a bucket and hose.
5)PATIENCE - the search for quick solutions, ends in rapid changes to water chemistry. THATS NEVER good on the tank inhabitants or the tank owner.
Forgive me if i struck any nerves, that wasnt my intention.
O4-X
