Algea: thoughts, commits, advice

[legalreefer]

I have had a major out break with hair, green, and red fuzzy algea in the last week. I built a sump and got a new (used) protein skimmer. It immediately started to produce skimmate. So I stopped using my pos coral life skimmer. I do use RO/DI filter and recently changed the first canister’s filter. Its only 8 months old. All my water parameters are good: SG 1.025, Ph 8.2, Amm .5, nitrites are 0, nitrates are 0, calcium is 350-400, and alkalinity is 8. The tank has been up and running since Oct 08. Any thoughts, questions, concerns, advice, ect. <span style="color: black;"></span>

 

[coolsurf]

Not sure about the algae but watch your ammonia prior to adding any fish/creatures. You'll definately need a reading of "0".

 

[legalreefer]

coolsurf;312541 wrote: Not sure about the algae but watch your ammonia prior to adding any fish/creatures. You'll definately need a reading of "0".

I cant figure out why there would be any elevation in amm. It has been zero since the first cycle. I did lose a Kole tang today. I cought the elevation of amm 2 days ago and this morning the tang was "sleeping" on a rock. I do regular water changes every week, about 4-5g. I am at a loss.

 

[ralph atl]

<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-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">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">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, or other carbon source. </span></span>


<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">check out:</span></span>

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>

[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</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"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>

[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></span></a>

[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443</span></span>

[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>

 

[soarin']

what's really worked for me is the controversial "VSV" (vinegar, sugar, vodka) method.

Every time I have had hair or other nuisance algae get out of control, I have used that stuff and it seems to double the power of my skimmer to pull out nutrients from the tank, and stops hair algae (and anything else) cold.

The big key that made it work for me is that I went extremely slowly with it -- rather than do a bunch of testing like the recipes say, I put in a very tiny amount of sugar that I knew would not hurt anything, like a few grains (half a packet of restaurant sugar would last my 32g for a week) while I ramped up, and then slowly increasing the dosage as long as nothing happened in the tank. The skimmate got increasingly thick and nasty, and the algae growth stopped cold.

The technique is very controversial because people have had crashes with it, so do your homework, but the posts from people that had crashes were people who either noticed changes in their tank and did not back off the dosing, or people who calculated the starting amount from someone else's formula and then found out that this was far too much for their particular tank.

Definitely study up and do your own reading on this and be very careful if you feel like using it, but I have found that it works wonderfully well in keeping a "clean" tank and stopping problem algae from multiplying.

Edit: upping your water changes is a definite must though, and should be your starting point.

 

[ralph atl]

Excellent technique! Just be careful!

 

[legalreefer]

After stadily losing my fish, I have put the aldea on hold. I need to start getting back on it. I have a spot in my sump that I might be able to put some cheato in. Only problem is that it it 1.2g. Would that be sufficient enough or a waste of time?

 

[dakota9]

Have you cosidered an "In-Tank Refugium"? Cheato isn't invasive like some macros. Do I little research and you might find it could possibly work for you.

 

[legalreefer]

The pieces of rock that have hair algea on them, can I stick them in my sump that has no light to kill it?

 

[legalreefer]

A litlte update; Last week I finally got my sump dialed in where the flow is where I want it and it is quiet. I left for Fl thursday afternoon and didnt get home till late sunday. I left my gf in charged so I assumed it would be disaster. When I got home I come to find a clean tank. It hasnt been this clean since I converted it to SW. I guess I can say that the headache of the skimmer and sump paid off!! I have no algea on the glass anymore. It is ssooo nice. But the hair algea is still there :boo: The rest of my fish made it. My anenome and torch do not look too good. Im not sure why bc they were feed. I need to do some water testing.