Help needed!!!!

[jeep9783]

Ok this is the story, 33cube with 10gallon sump half full with macro, 1300gph in cuve with a mag5 in sump total of 1800gph flow, 400w lighting, temp running at 78-80, change phosguard every two days, using nothing but ro/di water, just did 80percent water change about 1 week ago, alk 13, phos 0ppm, ph8.4, etc....have had an algae problem every since the tank was setup about 4-5months ago, no nitrates, 18w uv sterolizer installed thrusday night and sea clone 150 skimmer (wet skimmin)...can some one give me another alternative to why i can not get rid of the green hair algae...lawnmower blennie eating away, 12-15 snails and 12-15 hermits, starfish (medium sized red one) yellow clown goby, and mandrian....i have been trying everything and have no idea what i am doing wrong, can someone stop by and look or give any advise please help....


Chris

 

[FutureInterest]

Sounds like you have everything in place to successfully battle the HA. As you know, its the phosphates that the HA really feed off and although it reads as zero on the tests, that's not necessary dispositive since most kits don't test for all the PO4 and the HA is utilizing it immediately anyways. I think you should try the 3 day light's off technique. Many people swear by it and it is logical in your case since it would enable the algae eaters catch up and might then be at a level they can easily control...

 

[mopar9012]

what was the cause for an 80% water change? how long do you keep your lights on?

 

[suasati]

What is the history of the live rocks? Maybe they are leaching PO4

 

[george]

How long has your RO/DI unit been in use? Have you had the water from it tested?

 

[jeep9783]

K this is what i just did, bought 5 more blue leg hermits, 2 emerald crabs, and one sally light foot, the ro/di unit is oulings and i don't think his is that old, the live rock came out of a reef tank that had been established like 5-6 years

 

[photokid]

the 3 day lights off does work really well, it wont kill off all the HA but it gives you the upper hand.

 

[mopar9012]

How long do you keep your lights on NOW though? Cause you might want to cut down, but I dont know how long your currently keeping them on.

 

[jeep9783]

I leave them on for about 8 hours a day

 

[dakota9]

What are you feeding, and how frequently, some foods contain phosphates, any corals/anemones in the tank that would be adversly affected?


Dakota(9)

 

[pfritzbelly]

Often overlooked, but of great importance: Is your tank getting direct, or even substantial indirect, sunlight from any point in the room? Algae can explode in the presence of good sunlight.

I just cleared up the hair algae in an established 40-gallon system I bought from a friend. The biggest culprit was some media in a Magnum canister he was using for additional circulation.

 

[dakota9]

Hmmmmmm, I get good filtered sunlight in my tank every morning and evening. I started another thread asking if I might need a phosphate remover, I'm thinking its that sunlight the anemones love so much! Case solved! Thanks , Dakota

 

[pfritzbelly]

It is certainly something to consider and test. When you do get it resolved, you will have to give some thought to what to do with the excess of cleaning crew critters you will now have.

I picked up some nerites to assist my cleanup and when everything got re-balanced there wasn't enough for them to eat, so they started dropping. I learned that the best way to know that there was a dead snail was when the green star poyps retracted. They would usually come out within minutes of removing the snaily corpse....

Good luck on getting the algae cleared up.

 

[ouling]

Get a tang, and everything will be solved. Yes if you can keep a whale shark in a fish tank then you can keep a tang in a 33g. They'll both be just as happy and educate us about conservation of marine animals.