my tank is one month old 125gallon and the algae has gone crazy. the tank is cycled and has been for about 2 weeks. i have 2 yellow tail damsels 1 humbug damsel, 1 clown, 2 emerald crabs,3 turbo snails, and 1 long tailed anemone (i already know this one was a bad idea, should have done more research before buying but was told it would be fine at the pet store. i will probably lose it today some time). i believe i have narrowed it down to phosphates due to curing my rock inside my tank. where as i think the rock sped my cycle up i am now dealing with those issues. iv already added filter pads,fluval active carbon (may need to replace this one about 2 weeks old), and fluval phosphate removal pads. im running a sump but figured they would work fine in my media basket. i am working on a water change now but it takes awhile to make ro/di so i can only do about 30 gALLONS at a time and plan on buying seachem phosgaurd later today and possibly going for 60gallon water change. so mainly my question is, is there anything else i can do to help this situation?
algae bloom
- Thread starter Brandon42
- Start date
- Tagged users None
TinaFoster
Well-Known Member
I had this issue before and the only thing that killed the algae was covering the Tank with black plastic and going lightless for a couple of weeks. It bites, but it works.
enter your tank in the pest algae challenge thread, marine plants and algae forum you have a great chance per the 13 pages of pics.
also regarding po4, have you tested the rocks in a separate container for it, out of the main tank after they soaked a while?
also regarding po4, have you tested the rocks in a separate container for it, out of the main tank after they soaked a while?
Diesel
ME=1, CANCER=0.
Diesel
ME=1, CANCER=0.
Need to know a little more before we can shoot you a game plan.
A. Total water volume ( Please include sump, etc.)
B. What are your parameters? ( CA, ALK, PO4,Salinity, etc.)
C. Type of lighting. Please include age, watts, and bulb/ballast name.
D. Filtration method (Skimmer, GFO, DSB, etc.)
E. What types of corals?
F. What are you dosing? Dosing schedule?
G. Which brand of salt are you using?
H. What brand of test kits are you employing?
J. What are you using for CA/ALK supplementation?
K. What are you using for flow? (Pump names, how many, placement, etc.)
A. Total water volume ( Please include sump, etc.)
B. What are your parameters? ( CA, ALK, PO4,Salinity, etc.)
C. Type of lighting. Please include age, watts, and bulb/ballast name.
D. Filtration method (Skimmer, GFO, DSB, etc.)
E. What types of corals?
F. What are you dosing? Dosing schedule?
G. Which brand of salt are you using?
H. What brand of test kits are you employing?
J. What are you using for CA/ALK supplementation?
K. What are you using for flow? (Pump names, how many, placement, etc.)
OP
OP
Brandon42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 638
- Reaction score
- 356
the tank is 125 gallons and i believe the sump is 30 so roughly 150 gallons total
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 2 ppm
salinity - 1.025
ph - 8.4
alk - 2.5 meg/l
filtration -eshopps pro sump (old model), coralife 220 skimmer, bio balls, filter pads, fluval phosphate removal and carbon pads, rubble, (iv also just added a big bag of active carbon and seachem phosgaurd)
i only have one coral a small 3 head candy cane. i had a anemone (i know dumb) but when i got back from the lfs he is no where to be found. i think i lost him :/
i have not started any dosing seeing as i only have one coral
for flow i have 2 1300 gph hydror powerheads on on the back right side of the tank and one on the front left (my overflow is the back left corner)
lighting - off brand 6 T5HO 3x white, 3x blue antic, 8 moonlight leds
sense making this post and adding the new carbon and phosgaurd my visability has gotten much better and my fish are starting to come back out. looks much better than this morning.
bevo5
Well-Known Member
New tanks go through some serious algae issues. Given that the tank is only a month or so old I'd bet it's all perfectly normal.
What kind of algae is it? What color? Every tank is going to get brown diatoms and probably some greenish stuff eventually....very common to get some cyano in this stage as well.
My tank is about 4 months old at this point and I'm just getting over the hump of diatoms. I also had a fairly wide-spread cyano issue on some of my rocks. I went big on water changes and cut back on feeding and that helped.
Get yourself a clean up crew and they'll start chomping down on it. In the meantime, lower your lighting hours and maybe make sure you're not over feeding and/or cut down on some altogether.
What kind of algae is it? What color? Every tank is going to get brown diatoms and probably some greenish stuff eventually....very common to get some cyano in this stage as well.
My tank is about 4 months old at this point and I'm just getting over the hump of diatoms. I also had a fairly wide-spread cyano issue on some of my rocks. I went big on water changes and cut back on feeding and that helped.
Get yourself a clean up crew and they'll start chomping down on it. In the meantime, lower your lighting hours and maybe make sure you're not over feeding and/or cut down on some altogether.
TinaFoster
Well-Known Member
I had some softies. Not a lot. And I was worried sick about them. I lost my ricordia but everything else made it.A couple of weeks????
Did you had corals in there?
I had a similar problem: I reduced the amount/intensity of my light, put a few black mollies in the tank (they love algae), and started growing macro-algae in my sump. By allowing algae to grow crazy underneath, you starve the display tank of phosphates...
OP
OP
Brandon42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 638
- Reaction score
- 356
so after posting this thread iv done numerous things to try and rid myself of the algae. i have add a ton of carbon and phosgard changed filter sponges everything. each day i would try something different and the tank would clear up then the following morning would be back to so bad i couldn't see into the tank. so i would repeat the process it would clear and id wake up to a foggy tank at best. iv now tried almost no lights for 2 days and the same process would happen. yesterday i discovered my brand new return pump impeller has been broken for about 2 weeks now. i only know that because 2 weeks ago i found a strange piece of plastic in my tank i couldn't figure out where it had come from but when my pump started making a crazy noise i realized it was a part of the impeller. im gonna guess the pump is working at 100gph at best right now iv already spoken with lifegard and they will be sending me replacement parts but they will not arrive until Monday. so i guess my question is could this be the cause of me not being able to beat the algae and is there anything i can do to help the situation until Monday?
Diesel
ME=1, CANCER=0.
You need to get your pump going ASAP.
That's why I have from each pump I use in my system a backup.
Sounds crazy but you not going to drive without a spare IMO.
As far what's happing to your tank, I'm sure you have a lot of Po4 coming from some where.
You never posted you Po4 testing results only your No3.
All # look in check if you ask me, just need to know your Po4.
Using phosgard is not bad but maybe by replacing it everyday you make progress to remove what ever is in your tank.
As looking at your picture you don't have much in your tank and maybe if you ask me starting over is your best bet.
Curing and cycling your rock before hand will help a lot.
Washing your sand thoroughly is good and set it all back up.
Cycle your whole tank without the lights.
Skimmer use can be limited for only 3 days off and than turn back on.
When tank parameters are in check turn lights on but only for 3 hours a day and ramp it up every other day for 15min in the morning and 15min in the evening.
Mean while keep your livestock with a HOB filter and heater in a 20G long and keep that same tank as your QT for future livestock.
Where are the diatom filters??
That's why I have from each pump I use in my system a backup.
Sounds crazy but you not going to drive without a spare IMO.
As far what's happing to your tank, I'm sure you have a lot of Po4 coming from some where.
You never posted you Po4 testing results only your No3.
All # look in check if you ask me, just need to know your Po4.
Using phosgard is not bad but maybe by replacing it everyday you make progress to remove what ever is in your tank.
As looking at your picture you don't have much in your tank and maybe if you ask me starting over is your best bet.
Curing and cycling your rock before hand will help a lot.
Washing your sand thoroughly is good and set it all back up.
Cycle your whole tank without the lights.
Skimmer use can be limited for only 3 days off and than turn back on.
When tank parameters are in check turn lights on but only for 3 hours a day and ramp it up every other day for 15min in the morning and 15min in the evening.
Mean while keep your livestock with a HOB filter and heater in a 20G long and keep that same tank as your QT for future livestock.
Where are the diatom filters??
OP
OP
Brandon42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 638
- Reaction score
- 356
You need to get your pump going ASAP.
That's why I have from each pump I use in my system a backup.
Sounds crazy but you not going to drive without a spare IMO.
As far what's happing to your tank, I'm sure you have a lot of Po4 coming from some where.
You never posted you Po4 testing results only your No3.
All # look in check if you ask me, just need to know your Po4.
Using phosgard is not bad but maybe by replacing it everyday you make progress to remove what ever is in your tank.
As looking at your picture you don't have much in your tank and maybe if you ask me starting over is your best bet.
Curing and cycling your rock before hand will help a lot.
Washing your sand thoroughly is good and set it all back up.
Cycle your whole tank without the lights.
Skimmer use can be limited for only 3 days off and than turn back on.
When tank parameters are in check turn lights on but only for 3 hours a day and ramp it up every other day for 15min in the morning and 15min in the evening.
Mean while keep your livestock with a HOB filter and heater in a 20G long and keep that same tank as your QT for future livestock.
Where are the diatom filters??
i did not have a po4 test at the time i took some water to the lfs yesterday and they said my phosphates were down to 0.04. most of my hair algae is starting to or has died off but i cant get the water to stay clear.
also i have not been changing the phosgard everyday i left that one in there for the 4 days and then replaced it last night. the carbon iv been adding bigger and bigger bags to try and help clear the tank but my pump is running so slow its barely getting water over the baffles in the sump all the water going over is pumped from my skimmer.
my nitrates are at 10ppm
amonnia 0
nitrites 0
alk 2.9 meg/l
im really hoping the new impeller and bushings arrive tomorrow and this clears up. and yes i fully agree i need a back up pump. i should have demanded a new pump to be sent out so this could be a back up once repaired -.-
Diesel
ME=1, CANCER=0.
If you want to spend the money you can get a HOB filter at every pet store and start filtering the water till your return pump is fixed.
It's a must to have a HOB as in a power outage you can hook that one up to a backup and move the water but what's more important the O2 it mixes in the water for you.
O2 and water movement keeps the eco system in your tank alive.
It's a must to have a HOB as in a power outage you can hook that one up to a backup and move the water but what's more important the O2 it mixes in the water for you.
O2 and water movement keeps the eco system in your tank alive.
