algae help
- Thread starter dawgfan
- Start date
Please post your tank specs, and all water parameters and age of the tank.
What inhabitants, and how much you are feeding and how often and what you are feeding.
Water changes? How much, how often?
Photoperiod: what kind of lighting, how many hours per day? Age of lamps...
Answers to these may shed some light on the cause of the problem.
Also, any direct sunlight getting to the tank?
Jenn
What inhabitants, and how much you are feeding and how often and what you are feeding.
Water changes? How much, how often?
Photoperiod: what kind of lighting, how many hours per day? Age of lamps...
Answers to these may shed some light on the cause of the problem.
Also, any direct sunlight getting to the tank?
Jenn
Pretty much 
Good job! (Most people forget to answer stuff!)
How about Phosphate, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium? Temperature? (These can also indicate an issue that promotes algae...)
If you changed/upgraded lighting in the last month, an increase in the amount of light can contribute to it.
The rest of your answers are "right" (meaning I don't see anything that jumps out at me that would suggest a cause for the algae)...
It may take scrubbing as another has mentioned - removing the rocks and scrubbing each one with a brush (clean toothbrush or new nail brush works well) - give each rock a good swirly in a bucket of saltwater (ie waste water from water change etc) - don't scrub it in the tank or it will re-settle someplace else.
Many (most) go through it sooner or later. Clean up critters and fishes won't touch it when it gets too long but if you scrub it down, your critters may help keep it down.
Jenn
Good job! (Most people forget to answer stuff!)How about Phosphate, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium? Temperature? (These can also indicate an issue that promotes algae...)
If you changed/upgraded lighting in the last month, an increase in the amount of light can contribute to it.
The rest of your answers are "right"
(meaning I don't see anything that jumps out at me that would suggest a cause for the algae)...It may take scrubbing as another has mentioned - removing the rocks and scrubbing each one with a brush (clean toothbrush or new nail brush works well) - give each rock a good swirly in a bucket of saltwater (ie waste water from water change etc) - don't scrub it in the tank or it will re-settle someplace else.
Many (most) go through it sooner or later. Clean up critters and fishes won't touch it when it gets too long but if you scrub it down, your critters may help keep it down.
Jenn
Can even run a phosphate adsorption resin without a reactor if it's indicated. I'd rather see a test done to see if it's necessary first, but frequently that's the problem.
While phosphate and silicate aren't toxic as such, they can feed algae and they can interfere with the biological availability of calcium for corals and reef building organisms.
Jenn
While phosphate and silicate aren't toxic as such, they can feed algae and they can interfere with the biological availability of calcium for corals and reef building organisms.
Jenn
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could be bryopsis? pics would help
Agree 100% with Jenn. Test first, before treatment/filtration. We want to know the problem before we guess at answers. The algae is just the result. I'm curious on the phosphate and the temp.
Quick fixes are good for the present, but long term solutions are typically better.
Quick fixes are good for the present, but long term solutions are typically better.
- Messages
- 6,671
- Reaction score
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. Wet skimming with a skimmer that is rated at least double your water volume. If you cannot get a fuge or sump (you can maybe make a "Rubbermaid sump with cheato in it for a few bucks) you can get a $35.00 hang on phosphate reactor for your tank and put some GFO in there. In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. If you choose GFO, you’ll need to start VERY SLOWLY! Use 25% of the recommended media, slowly increasing every 2-4 weeks. You need to acclimate your tank inhabitants over at least a 2 month period especially is you have any stony corals. Once acclimated you’ll need to change your Iron based media in the phosphate reactor more often. Your media will get saturated in 2 weeks or so depending upon how much is bound up in your rocks, tank, algae, etc. Use less media, change every 2 weeks. Use a great test kit like DD Merck, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">When you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vacuum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, VSV or other carbon source. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">check out:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">VSV:</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</a></span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22849&highlight=vodka">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</a></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. Wet skimming with a skimmer that is rated at least double your water volume. If you cannot get a fuge or sump (you can maybe make a "Rubbermaid sump with cheato in it for a few bucks) you can get a $35.00 hang on phosphate reactor for your tank and put some GFO in there. In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. If you choose GFO, you’ll need to start VERY SLOWLY! Use 25% of the recommended media, slowly increasing every 2-4 weeks. You need to acclimate your tank inhabitants over at least a 2 month period especially is you have any stony corals. Once acclimated you’ll need to change your Iron based media in the phosphate reactor more often. Your media will get saturated in 2 weeks or so depending upon how much is bound up in your rocks, tank, algae, etc. Use less media, change every 2 weeks. Use a great test kit like DD Merck, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">When you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vacuum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, VSV or other carbon source. </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">check out:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">VSV:</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</a></span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22849&highlight=vodka">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</a></span></span>
