Question about Algea?

[chefbeier]

Hey Everyone, My tank, 37 gal oceanic cube with proclear sump/refugium, is starting to get alot of brown and red algea and I am wondering what the problem could be? The only thing that is not great are my nitrates which are at 20ppm. I have a 150w coralife pendant with a 14k bulb over it. Everything is doing great in the tank I am just getting blooms of algea everyday!! If anyone has an idea let me know! Also I have been keeping the temp at 80-80.9 day and around 78.9 night, I lowered this to 78during day and 77 night?

Also thanks to dawgdude and john for the frags at the meeting, They are doing well!! Also thanks to Will for the cheato great help in the refugium!! Thanks to everyone in the Club!!!!!!thanks

 

[reefwife]

Your nitrates are definately high. You also might evaluate how much flow you in have in the tank. But... I would say that nitrates are definately your problem right now.

 

[chefbeier]

I am currently doing water changes to get them down!!
Thanks I will keep working on that!!

 

[xyzpdq0121]

If you are running soft corals in your tank 20ppm is not too high, IMHO. The soft corals will filter out some of that NO3 for ya. Once that Chaeto takes hold in that fuge, that should help too. Get a 5500K light (make one for about $20) fot your fuge and that chaeto will grow like mad!

I get a brown dusting of algae on my tank about once a week too. I just have to wipe down the glass and move on. Since my tank has higher NO3 (I want for it to) it is a trade off I have to have.

 

[chefbeier]

I have on the refugium a red sea deco art lamp with a 13w pl bulb? Is this enough for the cheato? I was told it was good!

 

[jhutto]

A lot of people go to Home Depot and get one of those clip on lights that are used for working on cars (aluminum) and get a fluorescent light that screws in like the 5500K as its the right spectrum to grow plants (walmart has the bulbs and probably Home Depot). Put it on a reverse timer,i.e. come on at night, it will grow Chaeto and that will lower nitrates as they use it as nutrients. Also, your ph will stay more stable. All good things. It will grow critters that find their way to the tank also. :yay:

Joe

 

[ralph atl]

unfortunately, water changes do not effect phosphates that much (unlike nitrates that are in the water column).

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. Get a $35.00 hangon phosphate reactor (or use a canister filter for media) for your tank and put some Phosar HC in there (or other). In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. At first 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, Elos, 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;">You might need some more flow.</span></span>

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

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

[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>


[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>