a quick ?

flathead31coupe · Apr 3, 2010

how do all of you have such great looking tanks, with out any algea, anywhere, their must be a secret, or something...i have been fighting it for years, nothing i do or add helps....no water changes help, no chems, help the addition of a sump hasnt help, or the new skimmer i have, or the macro in the fuge, hasnt helped, may be it just that i have a bb and ian not getting the trace elements need or something.....

Russellaqua · Apr 3, 2010

Have you checked your phosphate levels? Algae loves PO4. Are you using RO or RO/DI water?

reefpeeper · Apr 3, 2010

phosphate reactor as well as weekly water changes. also maybe a fish or two that eat algea. such as a sailfin tang.

wicked demon · Apr 3, 2010

+1 on the grazing fish/ or some inverts, nutrient export is a problem with a pretty slow resolution, sounds like you are taking most of the steps needed, try feeding less and removing settled organics/ detridus with the water changes.
It is all at matter of balancing what is going in with what is coming out, or being consumed.

reefpeeper · Apr 3, 2010

wicked demon said:
+1 on the grazing fish/ or some inverts, nutrient export is a problem with a pretty slow resolution, sounds like you are taking most of the steps needed, try feeding less and removing settled organics/ detridus with the water changes.
It is all at matter of balancing what is going in with what is coming out, or being consumed.

+1 your fish really dont need to eat as much as most people think they do. usually i feed mine every other day. i have had the same fish in my tank for 5+ years. also recently read a post that said to put a powerhead in the sump to help blow around detridus so filter will remove it.

returnofsid · Apr 3, 2010

IMO, there must be something that you're importing, that's feeding your algae. This could be from your water supply, food (over feeding or feeding a low quality food), over stocked tank or chemistry.

Are you using RO/DI water? If so, when did you change filters last? Have you tested for TDS?
What size tank do you have?
What fish do you have in this tank?
List all of your equipment, such as lighting, filtration, skimmer etc.
What do you feed? How often? How much?
Detail your maintenance schedule.
What do you test for? What are you test results? What test kits do you use?
What, if anything, do you dose?

What type of algae are you having issues with?

The more details you're able to give us, the more likely we'll be able to help!!

wicked demon · Apr 3, 2010

this should help you address your issues

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f295/nutrient-export-38327.html

RBursek · Apr 3, 2010

Even if you test for PO4 and it test low, it could be infact high, the Algae consumes it as fast as it comes in and that will give you a false test result. Try testing your water source for PO4.

wicked demon · Apr 3, 2010

RBursek said:
Even if you test for PO4 and it test low, it could be infact high, the Algae consumes it as fast as it comes in and that will give you a false test result. Try testing your water source for PO4.

very good suggestion!!

Troylee · Apr 3, 2010

i only had a algae problem in my first tank that i filled with a garden hose lol... my current tank i use rodi, gfo, and mb7 with vodka and all is well..... your definetly fueling the problem somehow and most likely your rock's are bound with p04 and precipitate so it's gonna be a long journey to get rid of it but it can be done.....the question lies in the source post the specs of the tank, skimmer, water used, carbon? gfo? light bulb changes??? feeding regimen.... i run fugeless fwiw and only have corraline algae growing and thats very slow also...

mr_X · Apr 3, 2010

wicked demon said:
It is all at matter of balancing what is going in with what is coming out

i agree with this statement 100%.
i don't agree with adding more eating, pooping, critters to your tank to solve the problem of excess nutrients.
i also don't agree that if food is consumed, it's gone. it's NOT gone. it still must be removed from the tank. it's simply been changed.

whatever goes in, must come out.:wink:

sprinklerdudes · Apr 3, 2010

+1 adding more does not = bal. hardest thing to achieve, once you get there, don't monkey with it

wicked demon · Apr 3, 2010

agreed, however grazing animals will re-distribute nutrients to macros, or skimmer, etc....

New2Reefing · Apr 4, 2010

returnofsid said:
IMO, there must be something that you're importing, that's feeding your algae. This could be from your water supply, food (over feeding or feeding a low quality food), over stocked tank or chemistry.

Are you using RO/DI water? If so, when did you change filters last? Have you tested for TDS?
What size tank do you have?
What fish do you have in this tank?
List all of your equipment, such as lighting, filtration, skimmer etc.
What do you feed? How often? How much?
Detail your maintenance schedule.
What do you test for? What are you test results? What test kits do you use?
What, if anything, do you dose?

What type of algae are you having issues with?

The more details you're able to give us, the more likely we'll be able to help!!

You need to answer these questions and please be specific on the lighting. Does your tank have any daylight hitting it ? when was the last time you changed the bulbs ?

flathead31coupe · Apr 4, 2010

New2Reefing said:
You need to answer these questions and please be specific on the lighting. Does your tank have any daylight hitting it ? when was the last time you changed the bulbs ?

its a 46gal 15 gal sump, 150 10,000k w m/h 2 24 atinics,almost a year old, on 10 hour cycles a new swc 120 skimmer,salt water from the pet store,i feed very little spectrum small pellets, water changes every other week, 10 gal... been bb for about 7 years,always had the algea, just on a few rocks it doesnt seem to spread, i have moved the rocks around ,no help. oh a 6 month old yellow tang, 5 month old box fish, 7 year old blue dam, and some green sponge of some kind, 2 pep shrimps, 1 lawn mower blenny...

RBursek · Apr 4, 2010

I would make sure the water from the fish store is not the problem, also is the 10hr lights on for the MH or just total light time? I run my MH for 7hrs, with an hour of Actinics before and after the MH, and 1hr of blue LED after the evening Actinics. The Actinics are only on then, not while my MH are on, Actincs shoud be changed every 6 months if on all day, and MH about 12 months. Spectrums can shift and help out Algae and not be visible to the human eye.

Troylee · Apr 4, 2010

Well the bulbs could have shifted spectrum by now to the red which algae thrives off... That's not the main cause thou and your saying it is confined to a couple rocks??? Those rocks have to be bound with po4 from a excess of nutrients built up over time... You can remove those rocks and cook them to help speed up the removal of nutrients... How much rock do you have tottal in the system??? Being bare bottom and having very few lr. Isnt giving your good bacteria any place to colonize also...

flathead31coupe · Apr 4, 2010

RBursek said:
I would make sure the water from the fish store is not the problem, also is the 10hr lights on for the MH or just total light time? I run my MH for 7hrs, with an hour of Actinics before and after the MH, and 1hr of blue LED after the evening Actinics. The Actinics are only on then, not while my MH are on, Actincs shoud be changed every 6 months if on all day, and MH about 12 months. Spectrums can shift and help out Algae and not be visible to the human eye.

10hr total,its the same algea i have with the compact lights i was using, thought going to the m/h would help, it didnt change a thing...