red string algea

[mahimahi]

having a problem with algea ill do a water change and then the next day it will be back. my perms are perfect and ive got phos guard in my sump should i stir up the sand?

 

[gmpolan]

Do not stir the sand bed as that will release a bunch of garbage into the system and your params arent perfect if your having an algea issue. Your phosphates are probably too high. When was the last time you tested for them? Please post your params and set up so that we may better help you...

 

[mahimahi]

i use dip sticks to test all my stuff
nitrates:20
nitrites:0
alkalinity:250
ph:7.8
certain gravity:1.025 i think (off the top of my head)

 

[shrimpy brains]

Your ph is rather low, but test strips are not very reliable. Can you take
Water to a fish store to be tested?
Also, what size tank? What type of lights and how long do you leave them on?
What equiment do you run? What is your stocklist? What do you feed and how often?
Do you use any supplements? How often do you perform maintenance and what
Do you do? Are you using ro water?

The answers to these questions will help us to diagnose your problem.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Oh one more ?? How old is this tank?

 

[rjrgroup]

i use dip sticks to test all my stuff
:yuk:

 

[cr500_af]

mahimahi;609407 wrote: i use dip sticks to test all my stuff
nitrates:20
nitrites:0
alkalinity:250
ph:7.8
certain gravity:1.025 i think (off the top of my head)

Alk 250? It should be in meq/l (normal range 2.5-3.5) or dKH (numbers around 7-9, approximately).

And, agreed, those dipsticks are horrible. I ended up with some in a Box O' Crap, and just for fun decided to check them against my "good" kits. This proved impossible as the colors they turned were not colors that were on the reference card at all. :confused2:

I'd bet your nitrates are different than you think, and probably significant phosphates as well. Water changes, water changes, water changes.